One sure way to get immediate respect from your photographic peers is to have a camera bag that, quite frankly, has seen better days. A shiny, new, pristine bag is one that hasn’t been used very often, and so begs the question, just what exactly have you been doing with your time Sunny Jim? Not out taking photos that’s for sure.
So it’s quite easy to get a bit paranoid about your camera bag. Obviously it wouldn’t do to have a bag that’s about to fall to bits on you. But at the same time, there’s no need to replace it just because it has a certain…threadbare charm.
With that preamble out of the way, I’m proud to report that my current bag now has a decidedly ‘ingrained mud’ look thanks to a recent encounter with a slippery, dirt slope. There’s mud in the pockets. There’s grass in the zipper. And, joy of joys, there’s a slight rip in the fabric. Finally, I can hold my head up high and not be made fun of by any other landscape photographer.
My only hope is that the rip doesn’t develop further. Being forced to use a new bag wouldn’t do my credibility any good at all. So I suspect a spot of gaffer tape here and there won’t go amiss. Forget the photography, a repair job like that could really increase the respect due.