Camera bag

Last weekend Mike and I went to LA for Mike's bother's graduation. I am trying to take more pictures and use my camera on normal and special outings. One problem I run into is that I don't what to carry around a camera bag when I am already carrying my purse. Plus, carrying around a camera bag is just screaming "look at my camera bag filled with expensive equipment come rob me". So a week or so before we left I spent a couple days looking up stylish camera bags and found a few options I liked but all of them were on the pricy side. But I do have to say if I was to find a camera bag I LOVED I would spend the money on it. So fast forward to 2 days before I left for LA I was still camera bagless. During my search the week before I stumbled across a couple options for DIY camera bags. One suggested buy a purse you like and just buy these wraps for your equipment. The problem with these for my short timeline was I was unsure what size would work and I kind of wanted my protection built in. I want to be able to just reach in my bag and grab my camera. I did not want to have to grab my camera and unwrap it, then use it, then when I am done with it wrap it up and drop it back in my bag. Plus I want to have lens options and with a camera and couple lenses freely floating in my purse seams to be a little messy. But I don't think it is a bad idea to have a couple wraps for other purposes, like packing your camera for a vacation and putting it in your luggage.

So the other option was to make a camera bag myself. Leave it to me to come-up with a new project just before we go on vacation. I am notorious for this and Mike LOVES me for it:) So anyways, I found this blog posting and figure what do I have to loose? Either I try this out and be successful and have a camera bag for my trip or try it and fail and be where I was currently, camera bagless. So I began my search for a bag I liked and materials. What I needed was a large bag that had a top zipper, some sort of foam mat and fabric. 2 hours later I was set to start my project and after one hour of work I had a camera bag!! YIPPIE!. The only change I made was I used hot glue instead of sewing. I had no time to sew and I could not wrap my brain around how to do it and make it look nice.

The final product!


Actually this is a picture of the second bag I made. The first bag I made was HUGE!!! I love it but I needed something a little smaller as well (girls love their options for purses) so I found a purse I had in the closet and converted that. It did not have a zipper but for a smaller option I think I will carry less in it so there is less potential for small things to fall out. So imagine the camera itself in the middle section of the bag. I have enough room for my camera with lens, 2 extra lenses, my wallet and small odds and ends. It worked out GREAT!!

I actually want to find a black bag now and convert it into a camera bag in the near future... my mind never rests...