Are you thinking about taking the plunge and making photography a hobby?  Congratulations, and on behalf of photo nerds everywhere…We would love to have you!  You are in the Christmas Day phase of the hobby…buying all your gear.  It is exciting and a little nerve racking at the same time because there are so many options out there.  From what camera brand to go with to which lens or lenses should I buy…it can be a little overwhelming.  One thing you should not neglect is what you are going to be lugging that camera gear around in.  Your Camera Bag.

Your camera bag is a very important piece of gear itself because not only will it house and protect your equipment, but it can also make a statement about your personality.  Again, there are a ton of different options and brands of camera bags out there.  But there are really only a handful of different styles and that is what you want to focus on.

1.  The good ‘ole shoulder bag – The tried and true bag used by camera enthusiasts and photojournalists for decades.  This is a Domke bag.

2.  The messenger / satchel bag – A relative newcomer.  The functionality of the shoulder back but a little more slim-lined.  This is a Crumpler brand messenger camera bag.

3.  The backpack – If you are into hiking, traveling, or more active type photographers.  This is a Lowepro camera backpack.

4.  The rolling case – Slightly more professional.  Great for traveling or for wedding and event photographers.  This is a Lowepro rolling case.

5.  The waist bag – Yes, the waist bag is a distant cousin to the fanny pack.  But, it will save your back and shoulders from seeing a chiropractor if you need to carry your equipment for long periods of time.  This is a Tamrac waist bag.

And ladies, you will be very happy to know that there are several lines of camera bags that are made especially to fit your lifestyle.  Purses and satchels with a more designer look to them have gotten pretty popular these past 2-3 years.  You may pay a premium price for them, but hey it can be a purse and a camera bag.  So you really are getting 2 for 1 when you think about it.  There are a few great brands out there.

Epiphanie – I have met the owner (Maile) and she is super cool and I think offers a fantastic product.

Kelly Moore Bags

Jill-E Designs

*Emera Bags

Now that you know the different styles of bags out there let me give you a few tips on what to look for in a good camera bag.

1.  Excellent interior padding.  (note: exposed foam will deteriorate over time and will leave nasty black residue on your gear)

2.  Buy a little bigger than you think you need.  You never know…you may need that extra room when you start expanding on your lens collection.  This is also a good idea because there is nothing worse than trying to pry your camera out of a stuffed little camera bag and you end up missing a photo-op.

3.  The ability section your bag based on your gear (ie moveable separators).

4.  Made of durable material.  Make note if the exterior is padded too.  You may not need that option, but in case your lifestyle is a little more rough and tumble it is good for the bag to be able to absorb those shocks.

5.  Accessibility – how quickly can you get into your bag and your camera and lenses without missing the shot.  This is where the shoulder and satchel bags have an edge.  You can quickly unbuckle and grab your camera as where a backpack you have to take off and unzip.

6.  Comfort – This is where backpacks take the cake because you are dispersing the weight across two shoulders rather than one.

7.  Style (the cool factor) – If style is important to you than don’t overlook this important option.  If you want to go really out of the norm than check out Etsy and look for some homemade camera bags.  Then you will really stand out.

There you go.  Now you are in the know when it comes to buying the bag that your camera gear will live in.  It can be a daunting choice so hopefully it was made a little easier or at least more bearable.

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We at Canvas Press understand that everyone has different computers and software they like to use for editing and sorting their digital images. So, we’ve created a series of videos to help you make sure you’re getting the best images from your photos.

This video is about using iPhoto for all you Mac users out there. So sit back, relax, and enjoy!

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Summer is in full swing, and most of you by now are snapping away on your mobile devices. At Canvas Press, we like to think it’s one’s duty to document life with photography. Most of us now have mobile phones. In many ways, it’s become far more convenient to take a picture with your phone instead of your point and shoot camera. Plus with social media like Facebook and Twitter, many of us are spreading our summer-loving photos all over the internet, sharing them with family and friends instantly. But with all the mobile apps out there, which one should you choose?

Enter Instagram. A fun-loving, easy way to snap photos, apply cool effects, and see images of other people you follow. Plus, you can geotag your images as well as post them to Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites. All from within one cool photo app. 

For those of you who are social media savvy, Instagram offers an entire online community of photo enthusiasts who can view your photo stream, as well as “Like” and comment on your images.

If you’re familiar with Twitter, then you’ll feel right at home using mentions and hashtags from right inside the app, allowing you to tag people in your images or categorize them. There’s even a stream for popular photos, allowing you to browse some of the most interesting and inspiring images created by other Instagram users.

And the best part about Instagram is that it’s free! Yup, you heard right. It doesn’t cost a dime. The only shortcoming is that currently it’s only available for the iPhone. But there are rumors that an Android version might be in the works.

Customers of ours are already sending in their Instagram photos to create square Gallery Wraps of their favorite candid moments. Everything from snapshots of friends to cool vacation photos.

What better way to document your summer than by snapping away and sharing your retro candid photos than with Instagram?

Do you have any Instagram photos you would like to share? Post the link to it in the comments section below along with the title of your image. Happy Summer!

You can follow us on Instagram by searching for username “canvaspress”. Here are some of our favorite Instagram photos:

Name: Wesley

Job:Sales

Experience: Engineering and Manufacturing Management, Technical Sales

Favorite Canvas Press Order: Black and White of my son, Logan

Funniest on-the-job Story: Shortly after leaving Freescale, I went to have lunch with an old friend at Whole Foods. After discussing my new opportunity with Canvas Press, suddenly Kristin and I were being paraded through the Whole Foods offices downtown, and we were introduced to some folks working on the office décor. My first sales call happened before I actually started working the new job!

Favorite Color:Bright Yellow!

Dream Vacation: Fishing and camping deep in the Alaskan wilderness. With a guide.

Pets: Gus, adorable dog and faithful friend to Logan and Skye. Siamese cats Toby and Phoebe.

Music: Shinedown and 30 Seconds to Mars

Reads: Favorite book is Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield. More recently Outliers by Malcom Gladwell was fascinating.

Last Movie Watched: Gran Torino – funny and a bit sad, but definitely worth watching

Guilty Pleasure: Sharing a bottle of wine and cooking a big meal!

On a Saturday I can be found: Playing tennis, running, and then undoing it all with a plate of wings at Plucker’s!

2009 Resolution: Try a new career outside of Freescale! And lose 20 pounds. Doing great on the first resolution – going backwards on the latter…

Name: Cassie

Job: Online Marketing

Experience: M.A. Advertising The University of Texas at Austin

Favorite Canvas Press Order: The 50+ piece order we did for UT, of course. Hook ‘Em

Funniest on-the-job Story: I vote Caroline’s story.

Favorite Color: Olive Green

Dream Vacation: Dubai & Japan as well as the Victoria Albert Museum in England. My minor is the history of fashion so any costume museum will do.

Pets: My boxer Mabel Rose

Music: Elton John

Reads: Click, The Social Network Business Plan: 18 Strategies That Will Create Great Wealth

Last Movie You Watched: The Reader – Kate Winslet is AMAZING. The moral implications presented in the film are hard to get out of your head. I am still thinking about it.

Guilty Pleasure: All things B Spears, celeb gossip sites, romance novels

On a Saturday, I can be found: landscaping my backyard

2009 Resolution: To see how long I could go without buying clothes. I lasted 2.5 months until I needed sweaters for an Angel Fire, NM ski trip.

Name: Caroline

Job: Operations – I handle the day-to-day business, customer service, image formatting & printing, sometimes even a little shipping.        

Experience: I have a degree in photography from St. Edwards University. I’ve worked as an assistant for several wedding & portrait photographers in Austin. Now I own my own photography business.

Favorite Canvas Press Order: There is a woman who travels the world with her husband. They always take a cute photo together in front of something iconic where they are. She then has them printed in black and white with red text saying the place and year. She’s ordered at least 10 canvases so far in varying sizes. I can only imagine how neat they all look together and I can’t wait for the next order to see where they have been!

Funniest on-the-job Story: I was the last one out and closing the shop by myself. I went to shut the loading dock door which is suspended about 20 feed in the air. I reached for the rope but it was not there. I looked up and it was neatly wrappe din a loop on the latch – also 20 feet in the air. I’m 5’3″….. looking at even our tallest ladder makes me uneasy. After moments of wondering what on earth I was going to do I called Renee – to chastise her for her superwoman strength – she had flung the door and rope so high. After a good laugh she told me to use one of the long stretcher bars to knock the rope down. Fortunately it worked!!!

Favorite Color: Green

Dream Vacation: Around the world trip/cruise – I’d like to see every continent, of course photographing it all.

Pets: An orange tabby cat, Rudy

Music: I am a huge Bon Jovi fan. I almost died when we got an order for 55 canvases of the band.

Reads: Why couldn’t I answer this a few months ago when I was reading something intellectual like Garcia-Marquez? Now I’m into James Patterson, one of the Women’s Murder Club books.

Last Movie You Watched: W. I finally got around to seeing it and really enjoyed it. Not too negative, not too positive – pretty good job Olive Stone.

Guilty Pleasure: Crime dramas – I could spend a whole day watching Law & Order, NCIS, Bones, etc.

On a Saturday, I can be found: vegging out

2009 Resolution: The clichés – lose weight, get in shape, get organized

Learn a few tips to getting great photos of your favorite subjects. Kids and pets, I think is safe to say are the most photographed subjects. Both hold a special place in our hearts, and they are always just so darned cute! There are a few things you can do to make the pictures of your children and pets turn out amazing.

Easily enough, most of the tricks to get better pictures will work on both kids and pets. Squeaky toys, favorite snacks and shiny objects are great for getting attention with small children and animals. I mean that in all seriousness, no offense intended. If you have someone to help you, have them try to get the subject’s attention while you frame your shot. (more…)

Integrate the convenience of wireless image transfers from your digital camera. Do you share your photos online? Even if you don’t, surely you download them to your computer. That usually means finding the right cables, hooking up your camera or plugging in a memory card… Then you have to copy all the files to the right directory… and then if you do share your photos on a website you have the additional time of copying and uploading.

(more…)