We’re so excited to host a Brooklyn camera bag giveaway with Jessica at What I Wore! Check out the details and be sure to enter by this Friday, May 18!

HERE’S HOW TO ENTER:

1. Please review the official rules and regulations below.
2. Visit the ONA Facebook page, check out the giveaway post and let us know which color bag you’d select. Important, for your entry to be counted, it must be on the specific WIW/ONA giveaway post, not the main wall!
3. For a bonus entry, you can tweet “I’m entering to win an @ONAbags Brooklyn camera bag on their Facebook page via a @whatiwore giveaway! http://bit.ly/JvqBx3 #ONAsweeps”
4. Winner will be selected at random on May 21, 2012 and announced on the ONA Facebook page!

OFFICIAL GIVEAWAY RULES:

1. The winner of the What I Wore contest will have her/his choice of the Brooklyn camera bag in either chestnut or black.
2. Giveaway is open to entrants with a U.S. mailing address only.
3. Giveaway period is open from May 14 to May 18, 2012.
4. Individuals may enter the giveaway by leaving a comment on ONA’s Facebook wall post on the What I Wore contest stating which color of the Brooklyn bag she/he would like to win.
5. An additional entry to the giveaway can be obtained by tweeting the following phrase exactly: “I’m entering to win an @ONAbags Brooklyn camera bag on their Facebook page via a @whatiwore giveaway! http://bit.ly/JvqBx3 #ONAsweeps”
6. Giveaway will close at 11:59PM EST on May 18. A winner will be selected at random on May 21 and announced on the ONA Facebook page. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, ONA reserves the right to select a new winner at random.

The thing that impressed us most when we were perusing Dylan James Ho‘s portfolio was how tasteful & appropriate his editing was. Some photographers can tend to over-process their images. Some can also tend to just “batch all” in Lightroom or Aperture and all of their images look the same. Dylan is able to capture the essence of a shutter click but then invites you to the enjoy the ambience of the surroundings.

DYLAN CARRIES THE UNION STREET MESSENGER BAG

ONA: HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN PHOTOGRAPHY? 

DJH: I first became interested in photography when I received a hand-me-down Canon manual camera during my high school years. I liked the idea of studying photography and decided I wanted to attend Art Center in Pasadena, California, but my parents felt that photography was more of a hobby than a profession and sent me to a 4-year college to explore a more “lucrative” field. I come from an Asian family if you couldn’t tell in my photo. In my college years, I still had the craving for photography and would photograph and develop my own film in the photo lab. 5 years later, I had a new-found love for food and documented everything I cooked and ate on my blog. While writing the blog, I met my wife, who has a food blog as well, and after years of following each other, married her. If it wasn’t for her, I would not have had this rekindled passion for photography because she was the one that pushed me to become better. Photographing our food and travels became so natural for us – it ultimately defined who we were. So here we are now, still photographing food and traveling together.

ONA: WHAT KIND OF CAMERA DO YOU USE? WHAT IS YOUR “GO TO” LENS OF CHOICE?

DJH: I shoot with Canon digital and film cameras, mostly digital for jobs. I’d like to shoot film more but it’s just too expensive to develop. Sometimes I’ll shoot with my Contax 645 if I have money to waste on film. My go-to lens is a 35 mm lens, which I think is the perfect travel lens. It’s wide enough to capture scenic shots and lets me get close enough to food or faces simply by moving back and forth. I don’t like relying on wide-zoom lenses because it makes you lazy.

ONA: WHAT SORT OF PROJECT DRIVES YOUR CREATIVE? WHAT IS YOUR DREAM PROJECT?

DH: Anything that deserves storytelling. I enjoy writing as much as I like to photograph and I will usually write and post photos on the blog. But sometimes a subject or situation can be so powerful and intense that words are unnecessary. Did that sound too National Geographic-cliché? My dream project is to traverse the Silk Road starting from China into Eastern Europe with my wife.

ONA: WHAT’S THE BEST THING ABOUT BEING A PHOTOGRAPHER? 

DJH: Photographing people. My wife and I travel internationally a lot and when there’s a language barrier, it’s all about earning someone’s trust. You never know how someone will react to you and that’s one of the things that keeps portrait photography interesting. It’s one thing to walk around with a camera in a foreign land, it’s another thing to point that same camera at someone who does not know your intentions. In Shanghai, I’ve had a man run up to me angrily after he saw me photographing his food. In Los Angeles, I’ve had a street taco vendor mistaken me for the Health Department and freak out. If you don’t speak the language, the only thing you can do as a photographer is show that person that you’re not trying to exploit them but rather place them in a positive light. A simple smile, a head nod and a lot of times, a small purchase can change things around. When it comes to other culture’s food, people can get defensive/protective because its how they make their living. But if you tell them you like the food, they’ll be happy and be more than glad that you’re spreading the word. I also think the experience of photographing weddings really helped fortify our confidence and approach to shooting food and travel. For 8 hours, you’re photographing people you’ve never met and it is your job to make them look good. We learned to be comfortable with strangers pretty quickly.

ONA: DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE OF SHOOTING. 

DJH: It really depends on the situation, subject and the mood I’m in. I think a good photographer is one that can adapt to a situation and present it in an aesthetic way. For me, it’s critical to create mood and I’m able to do that best when I’m traveling. I like being out of my realm and forced to shoot things in raw form, not interfering with the pace of life. 

ONA: IN ONE SENTENCE, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A NEW PHOTOGRAPHER JUST STARTING OUT? 

DH: Never stop improving yourself. I learn something new every time I shoot. 

ONA: HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT ONA? 

DJH: My wife heard about Ona Bags through a fashion blog. I liked the fact that it didn’t look like a camera bag and bought it immediately.

CONNECT WITH DYLAN:

PORTFOLIO | BLOG | TWITTER | FACEBOOK

We asked our customers & fans to submit photos from the Supermoon this past weekend. Thanks to everyone who sent us the awesome photos below!

Above Photo by ROBERT NEMETI

Above Photo by BARBARA GILLIES

Above photo by CHRISTINE JORDAN

Above photo by FRANK KAUTZ

Above photo by PABLO FERRFINO

Above Photo by MARY LOUISE AMES

]]> http://www.onabags.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=3333 0 http://www.onabags.com/blog/?p=3307 http://www.onabags.com/blog/?p=3307#comments Tue, 24 Apr 2012 15:14:00 +0000 admin http://www.onabags.com/blog/?p=3307

Some quick shots submitted by some of our customers and fans. Want to be featured on our blog? Simply submit a photo onto our Facebook Fan Page of you and your ONA!

above photo by  Curtis Stahl

above photo by  Erin Leppo

above photo by  Nicole Wolf

We had a great time this week working on new styles and continuing to produce classic favorites, like our Union Street camera and laptop messenger bag. Below are a few photos I snapped of the Union Street in various stages of production as well as a new style being hand cut for sample making. Here’s wishing you a lovely weekend!

For this month’s photographer profile, I’m so happy to feature a close friend. Jessica Jackson and I have been friends for over 10 years and I’ve always been inspired by her infectious, creative energy. We also share a love of travel, so when she planned a trip to Australia earlier this year, I couldn’t wait to see pics and hear all the details. With her Roma camera insert tucked into a Longchamp tote, Jessica explored the land down under, snapping photos with Instagram and her new Nikon D3100.

Tell us about your interest in photography.

I’ve been interested in photography since I was a teenager and took my first photography class at school in 10th grade. Back then, I learned a lot about the basics and loved shooting in black and white and developing in the darkroom. But I didn’t have a driver’s license, so most of the things I took photos of included stuff like my mom’s plants or the trees in my front yard. Today, I thankfully get around a bit more, and I find myself taking lots of photos of people and the interesting places I visit — and still the occasional flower or tree.

What inspires your photography?

Life moves very fast, and I love the things photography can capture and preserve. Photographs communicate feelings, stories, beauty, truths. And I love how a photograph can take the seemingly mundane and transform it into something captivating.

Tell us about your recent travels! What was the most memorable part of your trip?

I spent two weeks in Australia this past January. What a beautiful place! Climbing over the Sydney Harbor Bridge and holding a koala are two of my favorite memories. I’m looking forward to getting back over there to explore more of the country.

What’s your favorite photo from the trip, and why is it a favorite?

It’s so hard to pick a favorite photo, especially since I tend to take 500+ photos whenever I travel. But my favorite from my Australia trip is one taken with my iPhone on Instagram. The photo was taken on a whim by a new friend I made on my tour bus. It captures a story and inspires me for the future.

Tell us about the gear you carried in your Roma camera insert.

The Roma is great for carrying around my Nikon D3100 and Nikon 55-200mm zoom lens. The equipment stays protected, and the pockets on the insert are perfect holders for my phone, passport and other documents I need to access regularly. I even stored a couple granola bars in there for my 14-hour flight! It was so easy to drop the insert in my bag and go, which made capturing photos pretty convenient.

Anything else you want to share?

I’m certainly far from being an expert photographer, but I’m learning that–as with most things in life–practice makes perfect. That means taking my camera with me more often and making a habit of capturing the things I see. My Roma insert makes that a lot easier and keeps me from looking like the ultimate tourist.

Boss. We knew that whoever posted this Instagram of a Camps Bay backpack and Union Street messenger bag had to be one. And we had to find out more about him. We reached out and soon discovered that the photographer, 19 year-old Patrick Self, is an Australia-based freelance photographer whose talent has taken him all over his home country and to many countries around the world, including Japan, New Zealand, Italy and England. Check out Patrick’s stunning portraits and travel shots below. And if you’re a creative soul in need of a little spark for your inner muse, be sure to visit his blog.

Tell us about your involvement in photography: How and why did you get started?

In high school I discovered quickly that being a photographer had certain advantages. I was allowed to skip out of class to photograph the bands… I was invited to the parties that introverts don’t get invited to, and could use the camera as an excuse not to excessively drink. The camera became a reason for me to be involved in the community, it gave me a reason to meet people I otherwise wouldn’t, it gave me a reason to push my boundaries.

Eventually I became obsessed with learning everything I could about photography. I’d read photographic encyclopedias, scour the internet for what I believed to be the best work and regularly read the blogs of about a hundred professional photographers all over the world. It started as a bit of a laugh, but quickly it consumed me.

How long have you been involved in photography?

I’ve been photographing seriously since I was 16 and initially produced some truly awful work. Thankfully I improved and am now working as a freelance photographer in Brisbane, Australia. I focus on music portraiture and am aiming to move into editorial this year.

What kind of camera do you use?

I use Canon’s 5D Mark II commercially, a Leica M6 for personal work, and my iPhone every day.

What do you like to photograph? What inspires you when it comes to taking pictures?

The work that is most inspiring to me is about telling people’s stories. A great photo is able to show people simultaneously as they are, as they think they are, and as they want to be. If in a single frame I can tell something honest about a person, then I’m satisfied with my work.

I’m also inspired by travel and exploration: seeing different and wondrous places, capturing these places, and trying to communicate the wonder I feel. Photography is my career, but travel is very important to me personally.

How did you first learn about the Camps Bay and Union Street?

I admire the work of Jamie Beck and Kevin Burg, and I consider Jamie a personal role model because of how much she loves her work and what she’s doing. She gave the Camps Bay an honest (and glowing) review not long ago. I investigated further and found what I believe to be one of the best made and most stylish camera bags on the market. The most obvious thing I like about the ONA bags would be their excellent design, both in their usability and aesthetics. They’re understated, stylish, and timeless. The craftsmanship is excellent, the materials are of a very high quality, and there’s a great attention to detail.

Anything else you’d like us to know about you or your photography?

I believe we’re living in a very exciting time. A time unlike any before, where some teenager in Australia can learn from some of the best minds in an industry. I am incredibly lucky to be one of those teenagers. I can sit in my studio in Brisbane and watch Platon speak about how he created iconic portraits, or Vincent Laforet teach video for photographers, or David Hobby on lighting. There’s this amazing information freely available to people like me, and I am very grateful for that.

After traveling extensively with his Union Street camera and laptop bag, international street photographer Eric Kim offered this detailed review of the bag, complete with a ton of photos. Many thanks, Eric, for this thorough review.

It’s New York Fashion Week! It’s fashion, it’s photography, so it’s no wonder the whole thing makes us a little giddy around here. This afternoon, I was excited to get a behind-the-scenes look at the Ohne Titel runway show at the renowned Milk Studios.

The show was great, and I also enjoyed witnessing the behind-the-scenes process of it all, including watching the mass of fashion photographers and videographers prepare to do their thing. Just for fun, here are a few backstage and runway images.

Model getting prepped for the show.

More prep.

Makeup.

No stress here. Just taking it easy before the big show (smiles).
Putting the finishing touches on a model’s makeup.

Look! It’s Scott Schuman of The Sartorialist.

Pretty blurry (sorry), but shows just a few of the many photographers and videographers covering the show.
Gorgeous pieces from Ohne Titel.

More beautiful designs from Ohne Titel.

Ohne Titel designers.

Hanging out backstage with artist Katrina Olson-Mottahed.