You ever thought about spending £160 or more on a bag? Some people would say this is madness, not us photographers when we want something we will pay almost anything and we understand the value of protecting our expensive camera gear.
These were my thoughts 6 years ago when thinking about buying my first Billingham bag, I had fallen in love with the Hadley series, I mean have you seen one! They're a thing of beauty, the stitching, the smell of the leather (and yes I know its a bag). The way these bags feel when carrying them. For me the most important thing is that they don't look like a camera bag, this is down to the fact that when Martin Billingham set out to design a bag it was with real passion and true love.
In this blog, I'm going to talk about my experience of using Billingham bags as a street photographer and how I fell in love with them (once again, yes I know it's a bag)
Photo by Chris Bracknall - instagram
Trying to find the perfect camera bag isn't easy, I'm not comfortable with a backpack plus I like to have quick access to my gear, so for me, there was only one choice, a shoulder bag. I wanted a bag that was lightweight, small, stylish, and practical, personally, the only manufacturer that fit that list was Billingham, trouble was I facing a bigger problem, which one?
There was so many to choose from, not just the different bags, but the colours so many choices (damn you, Billingham). I liked the loud colours, the problem is those are not very discreet on the streets of London or any city for that matter, however, they do look nice.
In the end, the choice came down to two colours, the all-black which was very stealthy or the khaki/tan which I feel is very stylish, I should point out here that I'm the least stylish person on planet earth (well, except for the wife); however, when it came to choosing this bag style had to be factored in, I went with the khaki/tan. Now, I was left with just one choice, which bag, I thought this was going to take me ages, see I'm not great at making decisions like this I go back and forth, but I found the decision easy once I had the bags in front of me and I could handle them. The choice was easy, in truth I wanted to buy them all, but, as I valued my marriage I knew I could only have the one. And it was to be the Hadley small, it was the perfect bag for my needs and I'll never see me and the Hadley small parting company, not until it's prised out of my cold dead hands at least.
A few months ago I was in Park cameras London and I got chatting to an amazing lady that works for Billingham, talking with Denise I found out so much about the bags and company. Did you know that each bag is handmade with over 100 components and from start to finish it's made by one specialist and there's a way to find out who made your bag, the photo below shows you a label that has a number written in pen, this is the person who made your bag:
I was telling Denise that I had been looking for a bigger bag, for when I'm traveling with my MacBook and I also like to be able to throw in extra bits when staying overnight in London. I'm honoured that Billingham sent me a Hadley Pro to use for a month, and I have fallen in love with it as it's perfect for my needs, I’ll be truly sorry to give it back. The bag has been to London and Cambridge with me repeatedly, and it has served me well, it is larger than my Hadley small but not by much, or at least it doesn't feel that way, it's not cumbersome and sometimes it's easy to forget I'm carrying a camera bag. I've tried other camera bags, and they've just never felt comfortable the Hadley pro; however, it is one of the most comfortable bags I've used. My sole complaint would be the lack of padding for a laptop, Billingham has addressed this with the Hadley One that has been made with a laptop in mind and I eagerly await trying one.
Why would you choose a Billingham bag over the other bags on the market, is it the look, and feel of them, the fact that they are practical for all styles of photography and all cameras, or the superb build quality, for me the combination of these factors makes these bags pretty difficult to resist.
Everyone you speak with that owns a Billingham will always say it's a bag for life and I like to disagree with this statement, I don't believe a Billingham bag is for life, NO, I believe it's a bag for my life, then my son's life, and maybe one day he’s son's and soon on, these bags are so well made that they would easily outlast three generations and beyond. I trust in how robust they are, not only are they well protected but they age just like a vintage wine. In short, the build quality is stellar and second to none and you know that your camera gear will be safe in the bag.
I never leave home without my bag, it doesn't matter if I'm just going to the shops or if I'm out on the streets shooting, the Billingham is always on my shoulder. I hope to be reviewing many of Billingham's bags over the coming months as I try to find the perfect fit for my street photography and my traveling. Billingham has been very kind to me, and I can't thank them enough for all the help and opportunities they have given me.
If you've never tried a Billingham bag I urge you to check them out, they have a bag for every need. If your looking for my information then head over to Billingham's website: Click Here
