Carry On: Billingham 225 Shoulder Bag

2011 © Brian Adams

Before Louis Vuitton and after Domke, there was Billingham. If you see me with this bag, I am working. The Billingham 225 Shoulder Bag is my go-to bag for editorial assigments and weekend trips to Coney Island. I love my Domke bags, but in 2007, after using them for many years, I felt it was time to move on and try something new, so I bought the 225. The 225 has the perfect amount of storage space and all the durability and style you could wish for in a good camera bag. One of the many problems I come accross in most shoulder bags is that they're over-padded and over-designed. I will always prefer a shoulder bag that's simple, stylish and light as opposed to one that's complicated and bulky.

The photo above of Ash was taken during our first week of dating. She'd always wanted to shoot with a Hasselblad (the only medium-format work she'd done previously was with her Holga), so I set her up with the Billingham, Hasselblad 500cm, 50mm lens, film, and a light meter, and she was off! That's a big load for a little lady like Ash, but with the Billingham's great balance and forgiving material, Ash was able to tote that bag around all weekend with no problem. That's why I (we) carry on the Billingham 225.

Carry on, carry on.