In the wedding photography business, being able to move fast is important. Being able to move fast carrying all your gear is REALLY important. I started my business while I was pregnant with my second son. Pregnancy wasn’t kind to my already messed up back. So hours on my feet, straps around my neck and carrying bags was… let’s just say… not fun. I loved my job, hated how it made me feel. I was sure that once the pregnancy was over, things would get easier. I was also sure that my second son was going to be as easy as my first. You know the one that slept through the night at 6 weeks old and only cried when he needed food or a diaper change. I was wrong on both accounts. Going into a full wedding season with a colicky newborn, a jealous toddler, and back pain (and resultant migraines from that) was a new kind of self inflicted torture I wasn’t exactly prepared for. So I did what everyone else does… I bought things to help me through. I tried padded straps, straps that go across your body, straps that are really belts… you name the device, I tried it.
At first I tried all the pretty things. Because I am a wanna-be fashionista. No really. I am. I like to look pretty and dress up to shoot weddings. So balancing finding something that LOOKED good and FELT good was practically impossible. Nothing that looked good worked for my back. And for that matter, nothing that didn’t look good did either. After every wedding I would come home barely able to move, sleep 4 hours and then be up at the crack of dawn for the day with my rooster children. Every Sunday was dubbed “Mommy’s got a migraine day so let’s put on this movie and play quietly day” in our house. After spending a small fortune on things that didn’t work, I saw a friend wearing the MoneyMaker. Of course I wanted it. Partly because I am a self-proclaimed gear junkie and partly because it LOOKED SO GOOD. I mean, it was so wicked cool looking. So, being the impulsive buyer that I am, I bought it. Who needs money anyway, right?
A week went by and the MM was delivered to my house. It was love at first sight, but I wasn’t holding my breath about the functionality. Something so pretty can’t actually FEEL good too. That would be silly. So I used it at an engagement session 45 minutes after I took it out of the box and was pleasantly surprised that I liked it. Ok, test 1 was a success. That weekend I had a 12 hour wedding. I wore my favorite dress and rocked the MM. All night long I was getting complimented. No one ever complimented my utility belt. They addressed the batman-esque look of it, but never an outright “wow, that looks so cool, I want one”. It took a little getting used to because I had to move around differently with my cameras on the MM, but it wasn’t a long adjustment. The wedding went by and when I took the MM off, I realized for the first time that day that my back was sore (I mean, it WAS a 12 hour wedding) but I wasn’t in PAIN. Big difference there. When I woke up Sunday morning, I didn’t have a migraine. And I could pick up my kids without grunting. Needless to say, I was in love. So much so that I bought the roamographer just to match my MM. I have to stop myself on almost a weekly basis from buying the MMs in every color. But I doubt my self-control will last much longer, because, you know, fashionista and all…
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Thank you for your response on the comment I made to Hold Fast's FB page last week, Christina! Getting your feedback was super helpful and I'm hoping to invest in one of these myself!
Wayfaring Wanderer - happy I could help. I really do tell everyone about the MMs. I am happy I found something that works so well for me! Hope you love it too!
Looking fabulous!! I love my MoneyMakers for the same reasons. I even add some significant weight to the straps at receptions (flash battery packs) and I'm STILL good the next day. Comfort and all that delicious leather... you couldn't pry mine from my cold dead hands.
EM Pogo - I know right? Even with my medium format beasts, the MM does so well!
Wow, this is really accurate, I mean, no one knows the pain of having to work and be pegnant as much as women do, you ladies make us your sons and daughters really proud. :)
Julio - Awwww, thanks! ;)
Looks great !
Any takes on wearing only one camera with the money maker ? How does it feel ?
Thinking about buying one but handing one camera to an assistant quite frequently during the day.
Hey Max, works incredibly well with one camera. The best way to carry a single camera is to tighten up the side with no camera 1 or 2 notches tighter than the side with the camera. This anchors it in place.
Thanks for your post! Like you, I'm a bit of a fashion fiend and will only pick things that look chic to wear, even if it's uncomfortable -- I was wondering how it'd look over a dress. CUTE CUTE CUTE! Placing an order today.