wish list for december

Hooray! It’s a brand new month and you know what that means. It’s time for a new word for our December One Word Project. And since it happens to be the season of holiday magic, why not Wish a little? Or a lot.

That being said, we present you a Shutter Sisters’ holiday Wish List full of cool gifts and gadgets (for every budget) for the photo enthusiast in all of us:

Stephanie is wishing for a 30mm f/1.4 lens and a Funky Camera neck strap.

Jen is wishing for The Super-Wide Conversion Lens for her Lensbaby Composer and a Polaroid Camera of any kind (with film).

Irene is wishing for a print from chocokat and one from Alicia Bock and the book Little Italy by Jenifer Altman.

Paige is wishing for a Mod camera neck strap.

Kristin is wishing for the Golden Half Green Trees Edition half frame toy camera.

Meredith is wishing for a GetReadySetGo messenger bag for gear and a mountain of film for her Kodak Brownie Hawkeye.

Maile is wishing forthe Fuji instax-camera.

Chris is wishing for the same Fuji instax-camera as Maile.

Sarah is wishing for a hand-knit, generously cushioned dSLR camera cozy in robin egg blue (know where she can find one?) and a super secret spy lens from Photojojo.

Alex is wishing for the Mona Kuhn: Native book, Polaroid 600 film & 120 film for her Holga and the Polaroid Frames from Photojojo.

Tracey is wishing for the Fisheye Optic for her Lensbaby Composer, a Camera Necklace from Urban Outfitters and the HP MediaSmart Server.

And while we’re wishing…here’s a few more wish-worthy ideas for Shutter Sisters everywhere:

The Shutter Sisters Flash Bulb Necklace (with the brand new sparkly chain!)

Maile’s new Camera Bags (a little bird told us that if you're on the mailing list, you'll be notified as soon as the holiday gift cards are available for these coveted bags. OMG!)

The Dreamy Diana lens at Photojojo

Digital Mini Case at Delight.com

Kirsty Takes a Bow (it might not be a book about photography but there are lots of amazing photos in it which is good enough for us!)

Seat Belt Camera Straps at Photojojo

Lightware Compact Flash Media Wallet

The Emma Photo Ring by Kimbra Studios

We encourage you to send the url to this post along to friends and family with the subject line ‘wishes' or 'hint hint' or some such thing. They’ll get the idea! And if you're wishing big this year and hoping to get some new photo equipment, send them to B&H Photo before the holidays. We pretty much guarantee they'll have what you're wishing for!

So, let's have it. What are you hoping to find under your tree this year? Come on, you can share your wish with us. Wishes are a wonderful thing!  B&H Photo sure thinks so and are giving away 2 gift cards (for $25 each) to 2 of you today to help your photo gear wishes come true. Isn't December starting out grand? Just leave a comment to be entered in the random drawing. Yay!

And we’ll be watching for your Wish images in our OWP Flickr Pool all month long.  If you’ve never participated in the One Word Project, we do wish you would join us! With all these wishes swirling about, some are bound to come true!

It's Not About the Camera

Shot with my Apple iPhone.

I love most everything about the conversation of photography with the exception of this question, "What do you shoot with?" I say that because for me, photography is not about the camera. It's like asking an artist what paintbrush she used or what brand of paint sits on the canvas. Compelling images are created by people, not cameras. In fact, I'm shooting with my iPhone more and more these days. Clearly, there are limitations when shooting with a camera phone... I have no control over light and depth of field. I have very little control over focus. But I have total control of composition. Imposing these limitations on my vision is actually quite fun.

So let's see what your camera phone or inexpensive camera can do.

fashion+function=a new camera bag

*EPIPHANIE CAMERA BAGS FOR WOMEN*

I've been working for almost two years on a line of camera bags for women. The idea first came to me when I found myself constantly wrapping up my $2000 camera (not to mention the $1700 lens) in a hand towel, and throwing it into my purse. Because who wants to carry an ugly old camera bag IN ADDITION to your regular one?! I started talking to other photographer friends. And they all had their own stories about what they used to wrap up their cameras: sweatshirts, pot holders, wash cloths, bubble wrap. I realized there was definitely a need in the market place for a camera bag that was as FASHIONABLE as it was FUNCTIONAL. So I embarked on the VERY LONG, SOMETIMES FRUSTRATING, BUT TOTALLY WORTH IT journey of MANUFACTURING my own camera bags.

Pictured here, are three of the five different styles. On the interior, they all have velcro-removable panels so that you can arrange each compartment to fit your specific bodies and lenses. It can be a straight-up camera bag. OR, it can be just a purse with a compartment for a camera. This makes it perfect for PROFESSIONALS and/or SCRAPBOOKERS. Not to mention just GIRLS WITH NICE CAMERAS. It's really that flexible!

So we're aiming to have the website done in about a month, which is when I'll post details and measurements and all that jazz. But for now, if you'd like to be on the FIRST TO KNOW list

CLICK HERE

SPECIAL TREATS AND DISCOUNTS WILL APPLY. And THANK YOU. Because if I'm honest, I kind of feel like I'm wearing my heart on my sleeve today. I've held this project so closely for the longest time. And now it's out there for everyone to see. Please be nice.   :)  

And we'd love to hear your stories today about the craziest thing you've ever used to wrap up your camera?

***UPDATE*** (12-26-2010)

We've been in business for over a year now. Please visit us at EPIPHANIE BAGS.

Wish Lists (let's talk photo equipment)

-me with my Rebel XT before I got my wish and upgraded to a divine Canon 5D (pre Mark II).

We so rarely talk photo equipment here—there are so many other more delightful things to talk about—but let’s face it; we ALL use this stuff every single day. We thought it might be fun to dream a little and share some of the goods we’d eventually like to add to our photo arsenals.

Andrea, Maile and I all have our sights set on the Canon 5D Mark II. Purrr.

If you’re looking to purchase your first digital SLR we think the new Canon Rebel T1i kit is a great way to go (comes with the body and a lens).

On the other hand, Sarah and Karen think the Nikon D700 would be the bee’s knees. And Nikon has the entry level SLR kits too which are a great way to start.

Sarah’s also coveting a few new lenses; the Nikkor 135mm 2.5 and the

Nikkor 70-200 2.8.

Kate longs for a wide angle like this one and at the same time would adore getting up close and personal with a macro like the 50mm 2.5 Compact Macro. Let me recommend this sweet sweet little baby from personal experience. It’s the lens that rarely leaves my camera. I would never forsake it...except maybe for this Canon 100mm Macro. I borrowed one the other day and was in heaven. And yes, it’s on my wish list.

Paige is looking to get flashy with this Canon Speedlite Flash (great flash, I use one and highly recommend it for Canon users).

Karen would like to try her hand at Aperture. 

Stephanie’s getting ready for the Picture Hope trip with Jen and they are interested in this Lowepro Dryzone Waterproof Camera Backpack for the road!

Did I mention that Kate was looking to spruce things up with a new funky camera strap? Remember we mused on straps in a recent post? Well, Jessie of Designs my Jessie has offered up two of her awesome camera straps for a couple of lucky readers today! Check out her smart and sassy designs at her Etsy shop. The built in lens pocket is so clever!

So, let’s have it...what do you have your photo sights set on. Maybe if we put our collective wishes together we can make things happen. Afterall, it is our passion. Why not wish big?

For a look into our camera bags to see what we are using right now to capture the images featured at Shutter Sisters, check out the Equipment List page.

And if you want to win the camera strap, you must comment here before Sat at midnight. Good luck!

in photo fashion

We all have our own unique style and flair in the way we use our cameras; how we shoot, what we shoot...each of us a little different; distinctly us. And the longer we shoot the more into our own groove we get. But what about our photography accessories?

To be honest, I never really thought about it for the majority of my career. It was what it was. Black camera, black strap, black bag. Period. Style? What style? You mean there are choices?

Unlike 15 years ago, when there really weren’t many choices, today there all sorts of cool options. Companies are beginning to recognize us women more and more and –hallelujah—are even designing photo equipment and accessories with us in mind!

Spending time last summer with some pretty hip photo chicks, I noticed that I was one of the only ones without a nifty, personalize camera strap. Hey, wait a minute, what’s going on around here! You mean I can actually choose a strap of my very own? And don’t get me started on cool camera bags!

My search took me straight to Etsy which is loaded with amazing choices for girlie photo gear (and when I say girlie I am not just talking pink) most of which are hand made. And then there is the unprecedented PhotoJojo Store. Take their latest addition; the recycled seat belt camera strap (shown above). This baby is obviously not just for women but it does deliver that something funky I was looking for. And I am LOVING my teal beauty not only for its funk but for its function. It can be quickly adjusted so that my camera actually sits at my hip level (you can wear it like you would a messenger bag) which is ideal because I literally shoot from the hip as much as I do looking through my view finder.

What do you do/have/wear that gives your equipment a little pizzazz? Anything out of the ordinary? Do you have any discoveries to share? Leave a comment here and you could win one of these fine seatbelt straps courtesy of our friends at PhotoJojo.