What's In My Grafea Camera Bag?
This bubblegum pink beauty of a bag gets so many compliments, and many a person asks me where I got my 'satchel' from. When I tell them it's actually a camera bag they're always surprised that it's not the boxy cross-body bag they thought it was. But, reader, it's such an awesome bag that it not only houses and protects my DSLR when we go on blogging adventures, it's also a handbag for all my lady things. In fact, there have even been times when Nick the Nikon stayed at home (wait, if I had actually given the camera a name - I haven't - I would want it to be more like Nicodemus or Nicaragua), whilst I used my camera bag for anything but a camera, enjoying it's beguiling colour and shape as a boxy cross-body bag.
This work of art (okay, calm down Sarah) is from Grafea - a UK based online shop (also available on ASOS) who have won the hearts and minds of bloggers and fashionistas across the land. Mostly known for their rucksacks in pretty pastels and bright hues, they also do holdalls and camera bags; each one a well crafted leather gem. I was looking for something that would look good at events and soirees, but could also carry my camera, my phone, and the other array of things I need to blog with and use to look half-decent. The bag has two moveable dividers inside, which you can use to fashion the compartment sizes you desire, or you can detach them to go crazy and have one big space inside. I made a slightly bigger space for my DSLR, and often I'll take the other one altogether if I want two equal size compartments. If I have some expensive equipment like a lens or battery pack I'll keep it in as an extra cushion. The inside is soft and felt-like, giving you piece of mind that your camera equipment will be padded and protected.
I also take my diary around with me - yeah I know, it's 2015 (it says so on the diary!) and no one has a paper diary anymore, but I just like holding pen and paper. What can I say? Lets say nothing and leave me to my old-fashioned note-taking ways. I also have to keep a stash of business cards in there, appropriately adorned with cameras on them! Wow, I know right. I've explained just how essential business cards are to bloggers, which you can catch up on here, and I carry a small pack of them. My portable battery pack is essential because I have the iPhone 5 - a.k.a the phone with the most ridiculous battery life known to man. I keep a cable for that, and my earphones for when I'm trying to block out London's noise and make my own soundtrack for walking along to. I use the front pouch of the bag for easy access to my keys, phone, Oyster Card and lip balm, and use the canny side pockets to store small makeup essentials for the day - Chanel blusher, Urban Decay eyeliner, tweezers, whichever lipstick I'm wearing, and Anna Sui blotting papers. This is truly a brilliant camera bag, an utter essential for the blogger who wants to do stylish and practical. A camera bag that masquerades as a handbag so that it doesn't scream "I've got an expensive camera in here, muggers!". One that will let you hold everything you need for the day whilst being compact and protecting your camera. And it's pink. Thank you, Grafea - you win at camera bags!
How do you transport your DSLR around? What do you think of this one? Let me know in the comments x