I have planned to put off buying this cutie of a camera bag for the longest time but alas, resistance was futile... last week.

Got the more "feminine" green colored camera bag for them party events.

The trusty camera backpack for them long photo days.

Thought I got it all covered. Until one day while I was gearing up my camera to its minimal. A D90 body with 50mm lens. No battery grip. For them days I just wanna chill but still my cam with me. Times I call "days off" or "days I just want some blog photos".

I surely didn't have those covered. Not with my ordinary shoulder bags.

So the hunt was on.

For the perfect 1-dslr 1-lens camera bag.

The 4 Million Dollar Home Camera bag from Crumpler.

Available in several different colors, including black, I opted for the brown/ orange combo. Would go with anything I'd wear. This beauty would also be perfect for events where I am NOT the official photographer.

It doesn't look like a camera bag. Waterproof! Yep, it's the one in the middle of the Million Dollar Home series of Crumpler (I got the green 6M). The bag is equipped with the usual Crumpler bag features, pockets on the sides, a meshed compartment in the interior and 2 removable compartments. Plus a velcro silencer you can just slide out if you wish for a more quiet opening and closing.

As you may notice there is no shoulder pad on the straps. I'm guessing I would not be needing one. The purpose for this bag is for days when I want to 'go light'. And hop, skip, run with my gears safely in place...

Putting my dslr with 50mm lens allowed me a spacious compartment for 2 cellphones, wallet and the usual armory of cosmetics.

For P 2850, this is indeed for keeps.

(Tested the 70-210mm for this shoot. Sharp and pretty! Look at the bokeh...nice.)

HO! HO! HO!

It's the time of the year once again when I shamelessly post my Christmas wishlist for all the strangers to see!

HA! HA! HA!

Every year I come up with the things I had been drooling over, both the needs and the wants. I mean, hey, it's Christmas...and wish-list. No need to go practical on the wishes...hehehe.

1. A Flip camcorder. No matter what the nay sayers think, I still think it's cute, handy and useful. It's HD. No matter how low they go on sale, I still couldn't find myself being able to afford it.

The brighter the color, the better. Makes finding it in the pits of my bag a breeze. I like my gadgets and cases of different colors.

Then I bump again into this. First saw it when my friend used it when he went biking. Pretty cool actually. And very very small. I figured, too industrial. I'm not really going extreme. Ok, so it was a mistake to think that. Handy, check, coolness, check. Price range...well, on the pricey side of P12,000 plus. The GoPro HD Helmet HERO. Will mount unto just about everything. Professional quality 1080p/960p/720p HD resolutions. 2.5 hours of recording on a single charge. With its removable polycarbonate housing, it is waterproof to 180'/60m and shockproof. Sure beats the occasional jerking away of the camera whenever little kiddos decide to do a cannonball into the pool... hmmm.

2. A black belt bag. For work. I usually don't favor lugging around my camera bag during event photography. I wouldn't know where to stash it safely. You just can't be too careful. So I wear a belt bag. But my last one got busted. This looks perfect. So ok, I don't really need an expensive designer belt bag. It's just the perfect shape and size. I can walk and run freely not worrying about whether my camera is still there or not. This is where I'd keep extra batteries for the flash, extra SD cards, asthma inhaler, headache medicine, a lipstick, 1 cellphone and lens wipes.

3. Wonder Woman MAC compact mirror. It came out very very limited. It would be very hard to find this even in Hong Kong. I just love it!

4. Tamron 70-200mm f2.8. Would be so cool for events. I just found out this is the more affordable brand.

It was actually a tie with the Nikkor 80-200mm f2.8. I mean, hey, it's a Nikkor. (Im a Nikon user). Just more than double the price. So ok, ok, I take it back, it's not a tie. The remarkable price difference doesn't allow it to be a tie. Hehehe... well, afterall, this is a wishlist right?
5. Lowepro Micro Trekker 200 Camera Backpack. Lightweight. Really nice look. Better for my back. What else can I say? Oh, US$ 139, that's what. Hehehe

6. Built NY Spicy Relish Lunch Tote. Isn't it a beauty? I could give this to my first grader. Would be too cool. It's a new product by Built NY. It has my ever beloved strap! US$ 29.99 ...

7. Cath Kidston Itouch case in polka dot.
8. Fitflops! With straps y'all! Love it love it! You know I'm not much of a fan of flipflops worn just about anywhere. But this!!! Oh, it is so lovely...and expensive. Ahihihi...all the benefits of Fitflops with a twist of being a little less "too casual" (than the usual thongs)

...and while we're on the subject of Fitflops... isn't this cool? I actually wouldn't mind having this pair. I can picture myself in skirt or jeans...

9. Hunter Wellington Boots. So once again, let me remind you this is a wishlist. And I have yet to catch a falling star --before Christmas. My Hunter boots. Hahahaha! The more affordable original tall Wellingtons in black. The figure is affordable at 69.99. The currency, well, a discount would be helpful: EUROS.

Rain may come in the middle of the day I can still trek my way to a jeepney or taxi. I could just even walk all the way home.

And for the books? Is the Hunter Wellies by Jimmy Choo, US$395. It's not really officially on this wishlist, I just wanted you to drool with me.

...so I'm short 1 more wish. Somehow tradition dictates you should have 10 in your wishlist.

Oh hey, of course I have one more, and not necessarily the least...

10. "...and WORLD PEACE."

And here goes... it's just one backpack. Not too big coz that would make me look like a "backpacker". hehehe, no offense.
I'm sure I'd be able to fit these into it...



And of course, my gears. It's gonna take a lot of wrapping with my extra scarf and shirt...


Who needs 4 different shades of lipstick on a 24-hour city tour anyway?
All us ladies actually. HAHAHAHA...

BAM!!!

This is what hit me a few days ago.
Enough said...

Thank YOU.
Thank you for making this possible.
Thank you Joel!

Seriously.
I actually wouldn't wanna call it a bad weekend. Let's just call it a trying time. Challenging. A time relentlessly calling on my patience and sanity. Hehehe. Seriously.
Sunday. Last week.
Two days prior, the video card of my trusty and newly updated/upgraded desktop goes bonkers on me. Okay, I just didn't have to time to run off and get a new one installed. Was just too busy editing. I transferred all my files to Joel's laptop with a deadline snapping at my heels. And of course, with my luck, I put on too much graphics on it, an unknown virus and a trojan. So there! Emergency much?


Vista confuses me. XP is more friendly in my opinion. But I had no choice. Fixing about the problem could take more than a day. It was All Saints' Day. The next day was going to be a non-working holiday. Every technician was going to be on a holiday. Afterall, it was a long weekend. Running off to get a new video card and install it on my busted desktop proved to be the quickest solution. So off to the mall the whole family went. Joel and the kids go off to errands and for some snacks while I sit on the shop waiting for the CPU. What a weekend ha? Hehehehe. I knew it was going to be alright. I'd be back editing on my desktop that night for the self-imposed deadline on Wednesday. Every problem's got to have solutions. And a lesson learned.
LESSON 1: Just because the monitor prompts you that your usb is full and image could no longer be saved, it does NOT mean that you cannot try your OTHER usb over there just sitting pretty on the table. HAHAHAHAHA! Coz when your laptop suddenly shuts down with the CS3 running, the destination folder you were about to save your edited image into WILL BE DELETED and CANNOT be found anywhere in your system!!! Believe me! HAHAHAHA. So constantly save externally.
YIPEEEEEEE! New video card! I was back in business! In fact, I finished the project a day before my deadline.
LESSON 2: check your gears at least 24 hours before schedule.
What do I find the night before a scheduled shoot at noon the next day? Dead battery. What to do? Drag your husband/benefactor to the only opened camera shop in town with tears almost falling from your beautiful eyes. HAHAHAHAHA!!!
That's Joel holding my old busted battery.



All's well that ends well.
I actually looked up to the heavens and said, "Ah come on..."
I meant it to be a joke of course. I knew the BOSS would never forsake me. I had to shake away hard my habit of panicking and going blank in the brain. As Jimmy Neutron would say,"Think...think...think."
Thank you BOSS for the hurdles. For helping me think of the solutions. For not panicking. Hehehe. Well, I was almost in tears. I did go blank for a bunch of minutes. Hehehe. I even passed on coffee. Did I? Oh, no I didnt. HAHAHAHA!
Thank YOU for the lessons learned. I needed them really.
Any silver lining ahead? Yep. A new phone from our cellphone network provider. Free. You know, that retention reward thing. This phone I chose:



Red was my priority. Makes it easier to locate in my bag. They only have blue available. Suits me just perfectly, the blue one. Two weeks more. I'm hoping I'll have it sooner though. Simple phone is just A-OK for me.
Biggie thanks to Joel!
Biggie thanks to YOU, BOSS.
May everyone have a solution for their problems. May everything run smoothly.
World peace.
HEHEHEHE.
Seriously.