Trendy Tuesday :: My Camera Bag Addiction

So I just recently realized (and came to admit) that I have an addiction … to camera bags. This comes as kinda a surprise to me because I don’t really have an “addiction” to regular bags or purses. It’s not that I go out and buy a new one every month (they can get kinda of expensive), but once or twice a year I purchase (or receive ) a new camera bag, so they have now starting to accumulate (and take over my office space). AND I’ve been obsessed lately with finding/ reading/ looking for other camera bags for the right situations. As a photographer and a mom and a gal in general that likes to document life, there are lots of ways I need to carry my (kinda heavy and bulky) gear (for hire or recreational): From portraits, to weddings, to dinner parties, to birthday parties, to bike rides with my dad, to day trips around Chattanooga, to playing in the rain with my kids. I like to have my camera with me! And believe it or not all of these situations demand a different type of bag (or at least I tell myself that). So for “Trendy Tuesday” today I thought I’d highlight a few of my camera bags. And you don’t have to be a professional photographer to have a “need” for these picks. If you have an SLR with a battery charger and maybe additional lens or external flash, you could benefit  from some of these choices:

First up is this super stylist bag (photo above) from www.epiphaniebags.com.

The Epiphanie bags were designed by a female photographers for gals! OBVIOUSLY. The designs are very hip and practical. I LOVE the color and design options. There are a variety of styles and colors. And they are so popular, my bag was on back order for a while. I choose the “Lola” Red camera bag and feel totally cool carrying it. I wanted a bag that didn’t look like a camera bag and wasn’t bulky and black. I want to look like a girl going to a dinner party, not the photographer (until, of course, I pull out my camera). So many times I ended up sticking my camera in my larger purse just so I wouldn’t have to carry around my “real” camera bag. So I set out to find something a little more stylish. And I found it! I’ve gotten so many compliments on my camera bag. I traveled to Philly a few weeks ago to shoot a wedding and the girl sitting beside me on the airplane commented on my awesome bag. I told her it was a camera bag (and that I was a photographer) and she was very impressed with the bag. I dig the inside – it’s violet, so it’s easy to spot my gear (yes, sometimes I have problems with dark interiors). The bag is well made and a great size for leisure events. The down side is – I’ve had a hard time fitting all my necessary gear in it – Canon 5D Mark II with a battery grip and 24-70mm lens, an extra prime lens and flash. The SLR body with the 24-70 attached is a pretty tight fit. Even though the gear can be accessible, it is hard getting the camera in and out of the bag. And it’s also cumbersome to carry around all day. During the same Philly trip, I visited a children’s museum for a few hours and I was definitely tired of carrying the bag by the end of the visit. I will use this bag when I go to personal social events and need to carry just a few items, can put the bag down and of course when I want to look super cool. Plus I LOVE the design of their website:

Next is my all time favorite, practical camera bag – the Lowepro Slingshot 200

I bought this bag about 6 years ago and have used it in a variety of situations – from day traveling around Guatemala to weddings. It is the perfect on-your-body-all-day bag. Lowepro has a variety of bag options for this purpose. This sling comes in three sizes. This is the “medium” sized one. I thin it fits enough stuff and is still practical to carry all day. I love the way it fits on my body and I can fairly easily get to the gear – I have to unsnap, swing and unzip to get a new lens in a fewseconds, but it stays on my body and swings around waist-height allowing me to change the lens easily. The only option with more accessibility might be some type of hip pack. But because of the deign, I can easily carry it on day trips where I’m walking all day – on a hike or a bike trip. Of course anything tires your shoulders, but this bag is the lightest to carry all day. I can fit Canon 5D Mark II with a battery grip and 24-70mm lens, an extra prime lens and flash. And it has two extra pockets for personal items, memory cards, snacks, diapers,etc. The PRO and CON is that my zipper broke and my seamstress didn’t repair it correctly so I had to put my bag aside for a few months. But I just recently contacted Lowepro and all their bags have a lifetime guarantee, so they will be replacing my sling this month! It was super easy, I should have contacted them awhile ago.

While I was on the Lowepro site looking for their contact information, I came across this bag that caught my attention: The Passport Sling

Maybe I’ll put this one on my Christmas List!

My very first bag, I call the Travel-All-In-One Camera Bag is my Tarmac Expedition 4

This is my gear bag. I take it on every shoot and every trip. It’s the perfect size backpack for travel. I wouldn’t take it on a hiking-type trip as it’s way too much space for what I need and probably a little too heavy for my non-National Geographic adventure. But it’s great to pack all the non-absolute-essentials: 2-3 extra lens, radio poppers, battery chargers, extra batteries, extra SLR back up body; plus it has several large and small pockets. It’s easy to pack and easy to carry. But you can also see why I might not want to take this on my personal social shoots. No quite a fashion statement.

So, that is it for now. In a few weeks, I will showcase another round of bags (yes, I have more).  And if you have a fav camera bag (professional or recreational purposes), leave a comment below. Of course I’d love to check it out!