Things that last

Investing in quality products is essential in our line of work, but the newest and greatest equipment or a trendy lighting tool are not exactly what we mean. Rather, we want to make sure we are purchasing and investing in items and services that will serve our needs well, and serve them for a long time. For example, early on in our career we needed some way of carrying our equipment around on wedding days and engagement sessions, after we unload them from our travel system. After researching all of the camera shoulder bags out there, we decided to go with the less expensive version since they were “just bags”. They did the job, but they were falling apart after just one year. Buckles were pulling away from the leather strap, metal wiring was poking through the base and snagging our dresses when we carried them. What we thought was a low cost investment turned out to be a waste of money. In the end, we had to toss the cheap bags that were falling apart, and invest in the quality ones anyway. We learned our lesson, and so when it was time to reevaluate how we were physically carrying our cameras while shooting, we didn’t shy away from investing in quality straps.

Enter, the Hold Fast Money Maker! It was a solid 3 weeks of researching online, calling companies, reading reviews, asking colleagues in the industry for recommendations and such before we landed on the camera strap system we knew we wanted. Over 4 years ago we purchased these camera straps, and we have worn them no less than 200 times since! Probably even more than that in reality, and almost 100 of those uses were at weddings where they were worn for almost 10 hours at a time. The price tag on these puppies was not low, especially for us at that point in our career. But we knew they would last, and we didn’t want to have to continue to buy new straps that would barely survive one wedding season at a time.

Now, almost 5 years later, with countless hours of wear and tear, these camera straps are still as sturdy as they were the day we got them. In fact, they got better over time. The leather morphed and adjusted to fit the shape of our shoulders and they became even more comfortable to wear with each wedding. Nothing has broken, and no parts of these straps have needed our attention. They seem to be immortal and we absolutely love that about them! This investment in quality was well worth the money, and they’ve saved us so much in the long run.

This is exactly what we work so hard to create for our couples. The people who invest in our photography are purchasing a product and a service, no matter how much anyone wants to romanticize wedding photography. It is a business and this is an investment from our couples. The investment they make should last a lifetime, and that’s what quality wedding photography achieves. A dress will tear at the seams, flowers live only days at a time, and guests remember far less about a wedding details than we all like to tell ourselves, but the photos… those become endless sources of joy. Photos of a wedding day will live on, they are what remain, and it’s why it’s so essential to invest in photography that is of the highest quality. We’ll continue to create things that last.