Many of you know that one of my favourite things is macro photography and I’m interested lately in practicing product photography. I love isolating a subject, as I’ve done before, here:
I’ve stuck with predominantly white backgrounds but one of things I want to start investigating is other backgrounds.
Separate to this, I’ve been addicted to watching YouTube lately and quite enjoy watching VLOG-style videos, featuring peoples’ “February Favourites”, “Fashion Hauls”, “Home Hauls” etc. It is the ultimate list-making extravaganza.
So, I thought I would combine the two ideas and photograph some of my favourite things. Please join me if you have a favourite thing to share!
This week, it’s my new backpack. Most of you know that I’ve had some problems with my back and these are problems that I’ve had for years, resulting from many hours in the air, sitting awkwardly in those super comfortable airplane seats 😉
For so many years, I was searching for the perfect way to carry my laptop. We carry so much with us when we travel for work – computers, headphones, wallets, keys, phones, notepads and many other “essentials”.
I’ve tried crossbody, messenger-style bags (quite a few of them) and while they’re roomy and do tend to distribute the weight a little better than a shoulder bag, I always found that my back ached afterwards, from the strap pulling my shoulder down and my posture being twisted.
I also tried a rolling case, and while this is a great idea, they are usually very large and I find that you tend to fill what space you have. Undeniably, they’re great for travelling, but when walking from appointment to appointment, or when travelling to work by tram, a suitcase becomes bulky and cumbersome – not to mention having to carry such a heavy case up and down steps.
For the last few years, I ended up just using a large handbag – one that is carried on the shoulder. It was by no means ideal and still caused my back to ache.
I knew that I needed a backpack, but I couldn’t find one that I liked – silly I know, I should have just got one and moved on, but I knew that I wanted someting specific.
A few weeks ago (ironically coming out of a physiotherapy appointment) I popped into a store which stocked all sorts of items, from notepads, to jewellery, to bags and gifts. I came across this backpack and fell in love with it. It’s made of thick felt, it’s sturdy and structured, without being bulky. It has solid closures, a laptop compartment, spots for my phones and two zippered compartments as well.
I photographed it on my terrace. The day was overcast, but the light was still bright with strong glare. I wanted to keep the background minimal so as to showcase the detail in the bag.
The only thing missing in this backpack is a place for my bulky keys. They just swim about in the bottom of the bag and I have to dig around and fish them out – but I think I may be able to remedy this by attaching a pouch to the zipper inside.
The brand is called Mad Rabbit Kicking Tiger, which I think is a brilliant name – they are based in Los Angeles and make a variety of very cool bags for people on the go.
Do you have to carry a pile of stuff around with you? How do you cope?
x desleyjane
Musings of a Frequent Flying Scientist 
I’d love to hear from you!