As you might have noticed (no pressure), I’ve been working on getting my photography skills a bit beyond the range of “out-of-focus selfie”, and somewhere closer to “barely presentable”. In that pursuit, my photographer-in-residence (aka Hubs) recently picked out a very fancy new camera for me to start practicing on. Mind you, calling this an uphill battle is a serious understatement – my patience for learning about new technology is roughly on par with my dog’s patience for learning to shake paws.

{Sidebar: It’s actually pretty hard to take photos of your camera inside your camera bag. So, these are sub-par iPhone photos. Which is sad, because my new camera actually takes pretty fantastic pictures, even with a Luddite like me behind the lens.}

But, the one thing I’m really good at? Accessorizing it! As you might expect, I immediately started my usual obsessive hunt for the perfect camera bag. Which, as it turns out, is harder than I thought. You see, this is a big-girl camera, and as I quickly learned, those twee little “camera bags” you’re seeing at department stores aren’t actually camera bags at all. Too small, no padding…it’s a trick!

Then, I happened on Lo & Sons, and I swear to you, it was like the clouds parted. Started by two sons when their mom needed a travel bag that wouldn’t injure her back, this is a brand that’s devoted to making a few things, and obsessing over them until they’re perfect. My kind of people!

Case in point: this beautiful Claremont camera bag. It’s deep enough for my big-girl camera, with room for an extra lens if I get fancy (or room for my wallet and keys if I don’t). And I could easily – easily – tote this around even the most fashionable city without shame. In fact, I’ve even been stopped a couple of times with compliments for it. By people who had no idea it was a camera bag. Read on →