give-away!

What's your latest epiphanie? Leave a comment here, and enter to win a free camera bag of your choice. Or read details here to find out how you could win a brand new Canon Mark II or a $2500 gift certficate to Southwest Air.

Have fun and good luck! :)

**UPDATE**

Chosen by random integer generator: The winner of a new camera bag of their choice is Christina from My Topography!!! Congratulations! Thank you everyone for playing! I had so much fun reading through all these really thoughtful posts. :)

Comments

[Chris]

Hm...lastest ephiphanie - take the time to enjoy the details of life. Every picture doesn't have to be a portrait. And, I need to style it up a bit. I think this bag could help. :)

[Melissa {PhotoMom}]

These bags look great. Great job and good luck Maile!

[Deborah West]

My latest "epiphanie" was that sometimes I just have to shoot for me!

[His Hands Photographs]

These bag as so awesome!!!

[Hannah]

My latest epiphanie is that I have a choice! I can choose to get caught up in something or I can choose to take a step back and observe! It's wonderful to have options. :)

[Patricia]

My epiphanie is - now that my kids are grown i can vagabond my way around the world soaking up life, experiencing other cultures, taking fun pictures of daily life somewhere new whenever i want. it is in fact never too late to live your dream. we all have different dreams and this is mine! timing is everything after all, i can work from anywhere, right? and share my passion from anywhere! our passions uplift everyone!

[Teresa Gilman]

My latest epiphan!e is that I am starting to see people all over the world really paying attention to how everything we do makes a difference, and when we do good things, good things happen! Nice contest. I would love to win one of the bags. They are beautiful!

[ToniM]

Those bags are absolutely beautiful!

[sarah]

my epiphanie,
life is short say i love you every chance you get,
you may not another chance.

[Antique Mommy]

I tried to comment on my itouch, but I don't think it took, so this may be a duplicate...

My epiphany? Read the camera manual. Its an investment in time/effort/energy/education/aggravation.

[~ kristina ~]

ooo, they look lovely!

[Caroline]

My epiphany can in mid-January when I was in a creative rut. I starting feeling like photography was not what I was meant to do. It was really affecting my mood one eveing. I sat slumped at my dinner table, watching my daughts eat mac n chez and considering my options when it came to me... Pick up your damn camera, girl!! The results moved me to bring my camera everywhere I went for the next few days. Those pictures of my girls are a look into our silly, messy lives and I cherish them. They helped me to realize what I want to deliver to my clients. When I'm struggling, I will look to my camera for guidance.

[Christina Upton]

Life is short. Take a lot of pictures.

[devan]

Love, love these bags! My latest epiphany is that it really is ok to say no to some things.

[Lisa]

I love your bags! Thank you for this fun give-away. I really enjoyed reading everyone's epiphanies. My most recent is that I applied knowing my photography will not be everyone's "cup of tea" to my personal life. I have more loving friends and family than I could count and I no longer am going to give any energy to the few people I worry are judging me or don't like me. The professional me liberated the personal me :)

[Renee]

Wow! I started to leave a comment because I was excited for the chance to win such a great bag - no I am so thankful that I did because many of the comments and epiphanies above have totally blessed me! Thank you Amy for the comment on 'cheating' - I struggle with that too. Thank you Angie for the great joke! and Thank you Claudia for reminding me that its not rocket science - it just takes guts!
I am new to ShutterSisters, but man, I love this place :)

[Cara]

My latest Epiphany is that I love these bags! If I don't win one I will have saved enough money to get one soon!

[Jill]

I had an epiphany that substituting coffee or tea for food was still putting things in my mouth all day and not breaking bad mindless eating habits.

Love the bags!

[Heidi]

Wow. I didn't know such bags for women existed. This is great news!

[Debbie S.]

I love their bags, please count me in!!

[carolyn]

my epiphany has been to stop judging my work in comparison to that of others. to trust that being myself is ok, and usually when i can "let go" and just be me, THAT is what is most satisfying.

[Bree]

Oh...lovely, lovely, lovely! My epiphany...love is stronger than opinion.

[Roberta Boyle]

It's okay that I don't take a picture everyday. Or even every week. Sometimes the thought process in the design, setup, and treatment is still part of the joy of photography. Sometimes getting inspired by just looking at others fabulous photos is also part of the joy of the hobby. Going back to take the photo with new inspiration and ideas is refreshing and more fun than taking shots just for the sake of taking shots.

Sometimes even an obsession needs a new perspective.

[Linn]

those bags are beautiful! I make my own cloth camera bags, but it would be so nice to have a leather one!

[Sarah A]

i love the bags! I'm just waiting until my birthday before I get one!

[hanna]

love the bag - my ephinanie came from looking a picture of my mom, myself and my 4 month old son on a plane. At the time I remember being really afraid of flying w/ him. What if he cried the whole plane ride? Would he do good? all those thoughts were almost so paralizing. The flight went smoothly and I got to visit my grandmother one last time before she passed away and she got to meet my son. What a shame I almost didn't go because of fear. So my ephinanie is to not let my life be ruled by fear, but to let go, trust in God and the plans he has made for me.

[Melissa]

My epiphanie: I may be a mother, a wife, a fiend, a daughter, a sister. . .but I am also me, and I can't let me get lost in all the things I am doing for others, all the people I am being for others. I am my own eye in the center of this busy life storm.

[Susan]

I love the bags! My epiphanie is that I need to use what I have, instead of thinking newer fancier equipment will make me better! I do think a stylish bag would help, however. :-)

[Sandy]

love their bags!

[Heather]

I love these camera bags. This is an awesome contest and I would be ecstatic to win!!! :D

[megan P]

wow gorgeous!!!
Megan

[GayleV]

My latest epiphany--I need more SLEEP ;)!!!! I have been drooling over these beautiful bags for months. Fun giveaway!!!

[Becki W]

We have been looking for a bag for our camera...how perfect!! love them.

[Christy]

My latest epiphany, I am not in the least bit excited about returning to work in three weeks. I'm determined to try to find a way to stay home with my children, at least part time.

[Shelly]

My latest epiphany is that I have to slow down and take the time to enjoy the things I have in my life right now...because you never know tomorrow will stop coming.

Thanks for the chance to win such a gorgeous prize!

[Jennifer]

My latest epiphany has been that staying positive in life makes life so much easier. Life is short and flies by, and wasting time being angry, upset, or mad about something wastes time that you could spend being positive with the people in your life! And so far, this has worked!

[Gillian]

My latest epiphany is really understanding the light meter on my camera. Sounds lame I know, but I have learned that with my camera I need to dial it down in many situations in order to achieve the look that I like.

I have been searching and searching for an amazing bag to carry my gear in. I LOVE their bags! So Cute!!

[Ann]

The bags look wonderful.

I realized last week that though I Iike my Nikon's vivid setting for landscapes, it's a bit much for people pictures and maybe accounts for some of the orangeness I've been seeing. Duh.

[Sarah B]

Holy smokes. These are the most gorgeous bags. Thanks for the chance to win one of these beauties.

[Kelly]

WOO HOO! what a great prize. I've been seeing this bag every where and it is moving higher and higher on my list

[nic]

Oh, I love these bags! Been swooning over them for ages. *fingers and toes crossed* xx

[Angela]

The other day I had an epiphany about the importance of taking pictures of my kids often. I was thinking about my daughter who is now almost 4 years old. I was trying to remember her as a baby and found that my mommy brain is not very reliable but my photos are! Suddenly after looking through the numerous photos of her it all started coming back to me! I heard recently of the 365 day photo idea and taking a picture every day of your kids - what a fabulous idea! With two toddlers under 4 years old it is hard to get them both but I know I will value these pictures when they are older! And so will they! Thanks for the wonderful ideas!

[Erin]

my latest epiphany was yesterday, and it was that while I wished I didn't have some regrets, i do. but i also realized that it was ok, and that the only thing i could do is move forward from here. I wish I could take photos of every moment in my life. that's what i thought.

[Sara]

They look lovely!

[Lisa A.]

Today's epiphany....Bringing a newborn baby home from the hospital is simultaneously, the most chaotic and most peaceful time in a woman's life. I did it four times and this was confirmed with each of my baby's homecoming. There was nothing like it.

[Tara]

you never actually see what you're photographing in the moment that you photograph it. you see the moment before you click the shutter and the moment after, but when the mirror flips up to allow light to hit your camera sensor or film, that 1/60, 1/125...1/500 point-in-time view is never visible to you, the photographer. there's this crazy irony going on of being truly present IN a moment that you have to skip over because you're trying so hard to capture it so that you can see it forever.

[Mama DB]

oooo, would be the talk of the town. I have been coveting the "Belle"

[Mama DB]

oops, hit create post a little too soon on that one. (too much caffeine today)

I need to take time for myself so that I can be there for everyone else. Yes, it only just dawned on me. :)

[Toni | Daily Vignette]

I'm a day late and a dollar short, but I've already got my bag so I'm good. Lovin' it, Maile!!

[Carly]

Mine was that I can use social media like Facebook to get support from ALL of my friends while I battle breast cancer... Trying on wigs was a little more fun knowing I could put a joke picture on my "wall" and get some love