I have spent a small fortune over the years trying to find the perfect camera bag. It needed to be several things:
• Stylish to match my business attire for weddings. {not masculine}
• Easily accessible to get my gear out quickly.
• Easy to organize.
• Comfortable to carry all day.
• Large enough to hold ALL MY gear. {including backups}
• Good quality so it lasts over the wedding seasons
Over the past few years, I have had my hits and misses with camera bags so below I will review the bags I kept over the years. I will break down the pros and cons for each in hopes you can feel more secure and confident before your purchase. Also, with just a sneak peek you will want to read until the bottom so you can see the GEM of a BAG I found and currently use!
First up the Kelly Moore “The Scout” – Full Grain Leather Messenger $219
While I wanted to love this bag for its looks. It is incredibly small. My thought behind this bag is my second could use it since she usually uses my gear too. When I paired it with one of my larger bags, it worked. However, by the end of the day, my back was sore from carrying the brunt of the weight for 8 hours. If you travel and just take one DSLR and one lens, you would LOVE this bag! I used to take this bag on vacation to save room.
The Scout – Full Grain Leather Messenger
Epiphanie HAYDEN $99 {Current Price}
This was the first fashion camera bag I ever owned. My husband surprised me three years ago for Christmas. I didn’t even know this company when he got this. He did his research before buying and he did phenomenal! This bag has held up through a lot of wear and tear! It has been on vacations, hikes, business trips, and a ton of weddings! While this bag doesn’t hold a lot, it doesn’t make it ideal for weddings. If you are a portrait photographer that can keep your backup gear in the car, you want this bag! It is made extremely well.
House of Flynn – Full Leather Rucksack – Black Fable Floral $429
I wanted to LOVE this bag so much! I love this company and what they stand for! I ordered this bag last winter on pre-order. When it arrived, it was as beautiful as pictured on the website. I could easily fit all my gear into the bag. I had a solo wedding just a couple weeks later, and it was nice all my gear was in one place. However, it was difficult to get in and out of quickly. I could not see my gear in the bag and I had to dig for what I needed. While the inside was cumbersome, the outside was great because it was easy to find my backup batteries and memory cards because the pockets allowed for easy organization. So I wouldn’t use this for a wedding if I could avoid it but it would be amazing for anyone who travels or does portraits.
Full Leather Rucksack – Black Fable Floral
Kelly Moore The Daniela – Full Grain Leather Simple Tote $229
This is the bag I used this past wedding season. I looooove this bag! While I wasn’t able to fit two bodies in it, it worked because my second and I split the gear between our bags. I can set this bag down and easily see inside it and what I need to grab. It has a TON of organization and room for wedding day necessities. This was also perfect for a portrait session, it had what I needed and was super easy to carry all day. I take this and my most current bag to EVERY Wedding day.
The Daniela – Full Grain Leather Simple Tote
Drum Rolllll Pleassssse!!!!
This is the BEST BAG I HAVE EVER OWNED!
Kamrette Lyra Backpack $199
Not only does this bag have an incredible price tag, but it also has an incredible layout. I can fit all my gear into this bag. I have to full-size DSLR’s 4 lenses, flash with its case, batteries, memory cards, chargers, water, my iPad and any incidentals I may need. I can unzip the bag and grab what I need easily and quickly. It organizes everything so I know where to find any item I may need. This bag is also super comfy to wear on your back for the entire day. Eventually, I will have two of these, one for work and one for play!
{all this fit in my bag with ease}
