Happy Thursday, friends!! I am so excited about today’s blog post because I am sharing one of my favorite purchases from last year! Let me preface this by saying that one of the most overwhelming things for me as a business owner is making money decisions. It’s hard for me not to constantly worry about whether I’m making wise purchases or not. However – let me tell you, this was one of the best investments I’ve made and I’m so excited to share why I love my Hold Fast Money Maker strap on the blog today!
I purchased the Hold Fast Money Maker strap last spring right before wedding season started, and it served me SO well for a multitude of reasons! A little backstory – I went to the chiropractor fall of 2015 complaining of awful headaches for 1-2 days following a wedding day. For awhile I thought it was just a normal part of a “wedding photographer hangover” and that I just needed to push through. However, apparently carrying 15lbs of equipment in a cross-body bag for 10+ hours isn’t awesome for you. He recommended trying to find some way to even out the weight I was carrying on a wedding day, because otherwise it was causing my shoulders to be uneven and give me awful tension headaches! Praise Jesus for the inventors of the Holdfast strap, because this thing was a LIFE changer!!
Last year (2016) it was rare that I would leave with or get a headache after a wedding and it was absolutely incredible! But headaches aside, there are few huge reasons why I ADORE (and highly recommend) buying a holdfast strap!
First of all, it gives me peace of mind!!
Unfortunately, we live in a world where things break. For no rhyme or reason, iPhones won’t turn on, cars won’t start, dishwashers go out, etc. I’m not naive enough to think that my camera couldn’t do the same thing! Camera shutters can go out or stick – making it impossible to take a photo. Which is why you ALWAYS have backup equipment (of course) – but what if your bride is walking down the aisle right then?!
You have another camera. On your body. Ready to go. If that doesn’t give you peace of mind, I don’t know what will.
Secondly, you can shoot faster and more photo journalistically on a wedding day.
I know that some photographers shoot on amazing zoom lenses, and that’s amazing! But for the girl who is in love with prime lenses and doesn’t own one single zoom lens (hey, that’s me) having two different angles available at one time is incredibly handy. Long gone are the days where you missed that quick hug because you had your 50mm on in the middle of a super tight room. My go-to lenses that are almost always on my cameras is my 35mm 1.4 and 50mm 1.2. The 50 is my preference depending on the situation, but sometimes I adore not only the photo-journalistic feel of the 35, but the ability to capture those quick, up close moments.
Bonus tip!
I’ve come to realize that if you can win over the groomsmen, they are more cooperative that you could ever imagine. And let’s just say that a camera strap that looks like an old western gun holster is a pretty good way to get them to trust you! If you’re cool and take cool photos – they want to be a part of that. It’s a win-win scenario, y’all!
But in all seriousness, I have no complaints whatsoever about the holdfast. My back gets a bit sore towards the end of the day, but I don’t expect to leave a wedding feeling like I’ve been to the spa. ;) For all the craziness that a wedding day holds, my trusty holdfast has pulled through for me over and over! Oh, and ladies with shoulder length or longer hair – I would highly recommended getting the Holdfast WITHOUT the D-rings! Otherwise you’re going to be dealing with your hair getting caught and pulled, and nobody has the time (or patience!) for that!
Here is the link to the exact strap I have if anyone is interested! I have a small in the chestnut color.
I hope this is helpful for those of you who have been considering the Holdfast or have been on the fence about it!! 10/10 would recommend. As always, feel free to shoot me an email at hello@jessica-lauren.com if you have any questions at all!!
Much love,
Jessica Lauren
