Camera Bags - What a Strange Fixation
Bag Reviews seem to have infested my feed like nothing else. But why are they so captivating to us?
I think it’s because they are very personal. The type of fabric, material, and style can instantly reveal a lot about a person: their interests, hobbies, lifestyle, even status. A person’s bag is akin to a personal traveling companion. A single person can go through many bags in their lifetime, looking for the right one.
The internet has made it extremely easy to get your hands on any bag as quickly as the next day. That has removed some of the novelty of finding the right bag for your personal needs, but it has also opened the floodgates for overconsumption.
At the same time, influencers are filling our heads with imaginary potential:
“I use this bag to live this lifestyle. If you buy it, you too will live a similar lifestyle.”
Peak Design Everyday Sling 6L, Black (Primary bag I use to carry gear around)
Or at minimum, give off the appearance of living it and a lot of the time, that’s good enough.
These days, bags don’t seem to be about storage or convenience anymore, they’re about identity and prestige. Ever notice that? You finally buy that new bag, wait for it to arrive, and when it does… something’s off. Maybe the laptop sleeve is a little too snug, or the pockets don’t hold what they were meant to. It’s almost like these companies aren’t designing practical storage solutions anymore, they’re selling lifestyle props that make you look like part of the “creator class.”
The truth is, the average person carries way more than they’ll ever need. Ever see those guys walking around with flashlights, multitools, and flash drives dangling from their belts? That used to be me, and trust me, there’s a time and place for those things. I just wish I used them as often as I thought I would.
Peak Design Everyday Sling 6L, Black
A minimal setup forces you to be intentional with the gear you do bring. And when you’re intentional, you create better art. You can’t capture the perfect shot if you’re constantly fumbling with gear, switching lenses, or fighting with ND filters. Keep your setup small and compact, and you’ll find yourself shooting more often and actually capturing the moments you intended to get.
The bag, in the end, becomes an excuse. If your camera is always in your bag, how can you expect to get any real work done?
Early on, I used to take my camera with me on walks but kept it packed away in the bag. I’d come back with only a handful of photos or clips and none of them had any sense of harmony. Why? Because I only pulled out my camera when I found something really interesting. There was no buildup, no context, no story.
Think of it this way: if Harry Potter started with the final battle against Voldemort, it might be exciting, but it wouldn’t mean anything without the story that came before. The same goes for your photography. Those smaller, in-between shots are what give meaning to your “main” shot. That’s how you build a better portfolio that clients want to see, a portfolio that gets accepted into galleries and wins competitions.
So, bring the bag, because its important but not THAT important. Use it to transport your gear to the destination the LEAVE IT BEHIND.
Peak Design Everyday Backpack 20L, Charcoal (I hated this bag so much I returned it)
