Spring 2012 Photo Contest!

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Aleah N.

Previous Photo Contest Entry- Jeff Evans

Let the Creativity Begin!

Wednesday, April 18th – Friday May 4

It’s time for another photo contest! Each season, we are thoroughly impressed with you, our Duluth Pack fans, and the creativity and photographic skills you bring to the contest. We are looking for photos with Duluth Pack products but they don’t need to be to win. Past winners have been on the front covers of our catalog!

Previous Photo Contest Entry- John Wartman

Here are the details:

1. Submit your photos to marketing@duluthpack.com

2. Photos must be high-resolution and in digital format.

3. Photos must contain any product made by Duluth Pack.

4. You may submit as many photos as you wish.

5. Photos must be submitted by Midnight CST Friday, May 4, 2012.

5. Duluth Pack will have rights to photos submitted and can be used for marketing purposes.

6. Duluth Pack employees (past and present) and their families are not eligible.

1st place = $100 Duluth Pack Gift Card
2nd place = $50 Duluth Pack Gift Card
3rd place = $25 Duluth Pack Gift Card

Thanks and let the creativity begin!

Tips to improve your travel photography

Posted on October 13, 2011 by BradP

With the advent of the digital camera everyone has become a photographer in one form or another. From the professional carrying the Canon 1Ds to the amateur with the built-in SmartPhone camera, the majority of people can capture an image at anytime. And whether your destination is the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness or Timbuktu, here are a couple simple tips to think about before you press the button.

Fill the Frame – Once you have chosen your subject think about the elements that surround. Does all that sky enhance the photo or is it not necessary? If I remove all those trees branches and zoom in on my subject will it be a better photo? Now fill up that frame with your subject and let the background clutter fall away. And remember: the most powerful zoom lens you have is your feet, so get close to your subject.
Rule of Thirds – There is an old saying among old photographers: “Dead center is dead boring.” When you are framing a photo draw mental lines, and divide it like a tic-tac-toe board. This works if you are framing a photo horizontally or vertically. Now, try to get your subject to fall on one of those lines you have mentally drawn. Better yet, get your focal point right where two of those lines cross. And for all landscape shots, get the horizon off the centerline.
Not every photo has to be posed – The best travel photographers talk and interact with the people they are photographing. This not only creates a rapport with the subjects, but also gets them to relax and let down their guard. Great photos are captured when people are at ease and their most natural. A big smile or a cheesy grin becomes an image which is just that.

Next time you pull your camera out of the canoe pack give one, or a couple of these tips a try and see if you like your photos more. And when you capture that really special image from the trail send it to us here at Duluth Pack and we will post it online. Who knows you might even win our next photo contest and become a Duluth Pack celebrity.

Super Fan Contest Voting

Posted on July 18, 2011 by MollyS

[Show as slideshow]

The judges have put their collective heads together and chosen photos from three fans that we believe represent “Super Fans.” And while we received and looked at a lot of great shots, these three were the ones that passed through all the rounds of tough judgement calls.

Check out the photo gallery attached and vote for your favorite here in the blog or on our FaceBook Fan page. Cast your vote for either “Canoe,” “Table,” or “Alps.”

The winner will receive a $100.o0 gift card, which can be used online at www.DuluthPack.com or in our Canal Park store.

Thanks to all who participated in the contest as a celebration of 100 years at our West Superior Street location in Duluth. More than 200 people toured our factory on July 15th, and really experienced what “Made in America” looks, feels, and sounds like.

The winner will be announced very soon. And as always bribery will accepted but not condoned.

Duluth Pack Photo Contest Winners Announced!

Posted on May 24, 2011 by MollyS

Thank you to everyone that participated! We have some fantastic fans and photographers! Here are the winners and honorable mentions! Keep taking those pictures, we will have another photo contest soon!

1ST PLACE ($100 Duluth Pack Gift Card) - Brett VanDerBosch ”I am a student at UMD and am currently studying abroad in Montpellier, France. I bought a Duluth Pack before my adventure and absolutely love it! I hiked a mountain at the Pelvoux-Vallouise in the French Alps and snowboarded back down.”

2nd PLACE – Anna Essendrup ($50 Duluth Pack Gift Card) Pink Daypack at Machu Picchu, Peru.

3RD PLACE ($25 Duluth Pack Gift Card) KIRK LUDWIG “Loaded up for a week on Lake Superior, at Agawa Rock.”

HONORABLE MENTIONS

MAIJA RANNIKKO All three sizes of the Standard Daypack Backpack in Berlin, Germany during a trip to Iceland, Germany, and Poland in May 2010

BEN MATHESON Taken about 13 miles north of Nome, AK in February 2011.

TONY MILLER

Experts in our midst: Duluth

Posted on March 8, 2011 by MollyS

After joining the team at Duluth Pack in Canal Park I quickly learned how much talent and experience is under that roof. While to the outside observer it may simply appear as a retail location, but there are people working with me who have outfitted, photographed, and traveled all over Minnesota and the world. Please indulge me while I introduce a few of them to you.

First, I would like to introduce you to former staffer, Chris Gibbs of C5 Photography. Chris is now an outdoors and adventure photographer who specializes in the beauty of the winter season. In January, Chris spoke at the store and shared with us photos and stories of winter trips into the Boundary Waters and the Quetico Provincial Park. He recently traveled as an imbed photographer with a John Beargrease team, and got some great shots.

Our next presentation at the store will be on March 24, and the subject is a father/daughter canoe trip into the Quetico. This will be a great opportunity to learn more about the lakes, rivers, and sights of the Quetico. I am sure the dynamics of the father/child relationship will also play a role in their story. Additionally, it will provide a chance to plot your own course and ask questions in regards to routing in the park.

Second, let me introduce you to our team member responsible for our canoe packs at Duluth Pack, Ian Smith. While being young, Ian has worked several seasons as an outfitter, and knows the applications of our gear like the back of his hand. Whether you have pack questions, or routing and map questions seek out Ian to get good answers.

Third, is our most well rounded adventurer and store manager, Jon Farchmin. Jon has the unique qualification of seeing the BWCA and the Quetico not only in summer, but also through extensive trips in the winter. Jon has routes, campsites, and many secrets that only one who has been there can share. And let’s not forget all the wonderful gear, Jon knows his gear very well.

An inland waters guru like myself is in good company at Duluth Pack store. While I have joked that I am more comfortable on water then on land, I have co-workers who would likely make the same statement. We all enjoy having you visit us down in Canal Park, and with ice out just around the corner, we look forward to helping you plan and gear up for your summer trips.

Thanks for the great post Captain Brad! You are also a great addition to the Duluth Pack team!

Post By: Brad Putney - Captain Brad Putney considers himself an inland waters guru, having been at the helm of everything from a ten foot inflatable to an America’s Cup yacht. In the summer the Captain works as an outfitter in Ely and is presently a sales associate at Duluth Pack in Canal Park.