Tamrac and Gura Gear News

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Earlier this year Gura Gear acquired the legendary camera bag company Tamrac. Over the last five plus years Gura Gear has become a highly respected brand in the world of camera bag manufacturers so what does this new acquisition mean for the future of both Gura Gear and Tamrac?GuraGear

What about Bataflae and Kiboko? Introducing TAMRAC G-ELITE

Built on Gura Gear’s DNA, the all new TAMRAC G-ELITE G32 and G26 introduce tougher, lighter fabrics with the world’s strongest fiber, Dyneema®, along with a new front pocket system that can accommodate a laptop, light reflector, jacket or whatever else you need for your photographic journey. G-ELITE is designed to maximize every cubic centimeter of the overhead bin space while being easy to use from the back seat of land rover chasing hyenas, lions, and wild dogs. G-ELITE is the apex of volume efficient, lightweight camera carrying. Take a sneak peek at the G32 and G26. Available in Olive and Charcoal. Pre-order yours before November 20 and save 15% plus get free shipping in USA by using code LOYALGURA at www.tamrac.com.

Where is Gura Gear going? The same place it has always gone. The the ends of the Earth.

Is the Gura Gear brand going away?
Yes, we are consolidating the brands as simply, TAMRAC. In the coming days, www.guragear.com will cease to exist and all traffic will be pointed to www.tamrac.com

Will my Gura Gear bag still be covered by a warranty?
Yes, the same warranty that applied when your bag was purchased will continue to apply.

Will there be special offers on Gura Gear branded products?
Yes, all current Gura Gear products in stock are now marked down and in our new Outlet as well as available at a discount through participating dealers.

If you bought Tamrac, why don’t you consolidate the brands to Gura Gear?
Great question. Simple answers. Tamrac has been around for nearly 40 years, has greater brand equity, is easier to remember, spell and say, and we simply like it better.

November Photo of the Month Winner – Nick Stafford

Posted in Arctic, News and Updates, Photographs, Travel Photography3 Comments

Congratulations to the eleventh print winner ‘Nick Stafford’ for the photograph of the month for November 2015: ‘Polar Bear Breath’.

What Nick said: Wow ! I love this photo Josh! Such a special creature! Keep up the fantastic work!Svalbard-9725-Edit copyCongratulations Nick (and thank you for the wonderful comment!), your print will be sent to you when I get back to Australia at the end of December. Keep an eye out on my blog for the next print giveaway with the final giveaway for the year – the December photograph of the month. Remember the best way to get instant updates is to subscribe via email.

Photo of the Month November – Polar Bear Breath – Win a Fine Art Print!

Posted in Arctic, News and Updates, Photographs, Travel Photography, Wildlife Photographs10 Comments

The photograph of the month for November 2015 was taken in March this year in Svalbard in winter of a Polar Bear, back lit by the setting Arctic sun and standing guard over a recent seal kill. Its breath steaming in the winter sunlight this remarkable situation was the absolute highlight of this scouting trip to the Arctic in Winter. This photograph recently won a coveted Silver with Distinction at the 2015 Australian Professional Photography Awards (APPA) here in Melbourne.Svalbard-9725-Edit copyDon’t forget! You can win a free 13″ x 19″ Fine Art Print of this photograph including shipping anywhere in the world. All you need do is to be the first to comment on this post on the home page with your thoughts on why you like this photograph or why you would like to own a print of the image and then share the post with your preferred social media outlet.

I am making the long journey to the Falkland Islands later today and then onto South Georgia Island and Antarctica for back-to-back expeditions (updates will be a little thin between now and Christmas). If you are the lucky print winner please be patient and I will make and send the print to you when I get back at the end of December. See you in the Falklands.

Kingdom of the Ice Bear – Movie Release

Posted in Arctic, Media, News and Updates, Travel Photography, Video, Workshops and Expeditions6 Comments

In August this year (2015) I took a small film crew (Untitled Film Works) with me on a photographic expedition to the very edge of the permanent pack ice, high above the Arctic circle. At our most northerly position we were a mere 500 nautical miles from the North Pole. The film crew documented our expedition as we searched for and photographed the increasingly rare, elusive and threatened Polar Bear. During the expedition we also photographed stunning Arctic landscapes as well as other Arctic wildlife including Walrus, Arctic Fox, Reindeer, and more. It was our intention to capture and share the experience of what it is actually like to travel on a dedicated photographic expedition with a small group of passionate photographers. I am now thrilled to release the short movie of our experiences – Kingdom of the Ice Bear. Be sure to dim the lights, crank up the volume and enjoy. My sincere thank you to Untitled Film Works and all of those participants who partook in this extraodinary expedition – thank you. Just click on the image below to play the movie.KingdomoftheiceBearIf you are interested in travelling to the Arctic to Photograph Polar Bears in their natural environment I will be leading two expeditions in 2016 (Sold Out) and 2017. Please email me for additional information or to register your interest.

South Georgia and Antarctica 2015 Packing List

Posted in News and Updates, Travel Photography, Workshops and Expeditions7 Comments

In just under a week I will be making the long journey from Australia to the Falkland Islands for my 2015 South Georgia Photography Expedition. The South Georgia island expedition is actually the first of four back-to-back expeditions. At the completion of South Georgia Island I will stay on in the Falkland Islands with a small group of photographers for a week photographing the incredible birdlife on both Saunders and Sea Lion Island. I will then head back to South America where I am going to fly down to Union Glacier in Antarctica on a Russian transport jet (less than 900 miles from the South Pole) for a seven day scouting trip to a very remote region of Antarctica. At the conclusion of this scouting trip I will fly back to South America and board ship for one more Antarctic expedition to the Peninsula for the year. It is going to be a really busy couple of months and I am very much looking forward to sharing the experience with all on these expeditions.

As has become traditional I like to do a packing list post before I depart on an expedition. The purpose of this list is to both help me make sure I have not forgotten anything, but also to share what it is I take with me for those either travelling with me on these trips or considering their own future trip. In this instance I am packing for four back to back photography trips – South Georgia Island, the Falkland Islands, Union Glacier Antarctica and finally the Antarctic Peninsula. Each of these trips are not too dissimilar in their requirements so I have been able to keep my list to a fairly manageable level.SouthGeorgia-2456-Edit42014Gura Gear Bataflae 32L Camera Bag (Carry on Luggage)

– 2 x Canon EOS 1DX bodies
– 1 x Canon EOS 5DSR body
– 1 x Canon 11-24mm F4L Lens
– 1 x Canon 24-70mm F2.8L IS MK II Lens
– 1 x Canon 70-200mm F2.8L IS MK II Lens
– 1 x Canon 600mm F4L IS MKII Lens
– 1 x Canon 1.4TC MKIII
– 1 x Canon Drop-in Circular Polariser
 –
Gura Gear Chobe (Carry on Luggage)
– 1 x Apple MacBook Pro 15″ Retina
– 1 x Apple laptop charger
– 1 x Thunderbolt 1 TB external portable hard drive
– 1 x  USB CF card reader
– 1 x Sunglasses and sunglasses case
– 1 x Astell & Kern Hi-Rez Portable Audio Player
– 1 x Astell & Kern Charging Cable
– 1 x Inner Ear Stage Two Driver Headphones
– 1 x Leica Ultra-vid 10×42 HD Binoculars
 –
Etcetera Case #1 (Inside Chobe)
– 1 x Canon 1-Series camera charger
– 2 x Power Adapters for on board ship
– 2 x Canon 1DX spare Batteries
– 2 x Canon 5DSR spare Batteries
 –
Etcetera Case #2 (Inside North Face Duffle)
– 1 x Arctic Butterfly Sensor Cleaner
– 1 x Filter Wrench
– 1 x Zeiss Cleaning Fluid and Lens Cleaning Tissue
– 1 x Micro Fibre Lens Cloth
– 1 x Rocket Blower with Hepa-Filter
–

There is one other important piece of documentation I will be taking with me on this expedition and that is an Australian Customs Declaration form. If you are travelling internationally from Australia you can read about the benefit arming yourself with this documentation HERE.

The Bitter Sweet

It is always somewhat bitter sweet for me to be heading overseas on a photography expedition. On the one hand I love spending time in the outdoor polar regions with other photographers who are passionate about their craft. I am fortunate to meet and travel with some fabulous people who are not only talented photographers in their own right but also a source of continual inspiration. Many of these participants have become friends and I just want to take a moment to acknowledge their photography and thank them for their participation and input. The bitter for me is that I am leaving my two young kids for an extended period of time. Thank goodness for technology and Skype.

See you in the Falklands!