Domke Metro Messenger Camera Bag Review

Gear, Tech stuff, Thoughts

Photojournalist Jim Domke designed the first Domke camera bag in 1975 while he was on staff at The Philadelphia Inquirer. The bags haven’t changed much over the years (for good reason) except for the new Next Generation line that just launched. I had a chance to try out the Domke Metro Messenger and I’ll tell you a little bit about it in case you’re considering this or similar bags.

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The first thing you’ll notice is that this is a really sexy bag. Credit to Domke for creating this military green color and using the RuggedWear material. The RuggedWear is a waxed and oiled cotton material that looks a little like leather but seems to be more durable and weatherproof. It’s not waterproof, but I’d be comfortable spending a day with this bag while shooting here in the Seattle rain.

The metal clasps on the bag look great and feel like they will last forever. I’m a bit disappointed about the plastic clasps that attach to the shoulder strap and I’m not sure why they chose to go that route. Perhaps the plastic was a lot lighter than metal.

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The interior is a perfect size for me, as it fits two DSLR camera bodies with space for lenses, a flash and plenty more (read: snacks). It comes with moveable dividers and customizable pouches, which is pretty standard nowadays, but still awesome. My 15″ Macbook Pro fits perfectly in the “tablet” sleeve, which I think would even fit a 17″ laptop without issue.

The bag weighs in at 5.25 pounds, which isn’t light. I absolutely love the 2.2 pound Tenba Messenger bag, which was given to me at the Eddie Adams Workshop in 2008 (read: humblebrag) and is still my workhorse. The two bags are very similar in design, except … the Domke bag is way cooler. It’s going to weigh more but it has a much more classic, and classy, look. And don’t get me wrong: It is still extremely practical and built for working professionals.

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All in all, I do really love this bag. My guess is that Domke wasn’t worried about the competing Tenba, Think Tank, or LowePro messenger bags, because Domke sells a ton of bags and has nothing to worry about. What I think the designers wanted to do was compete with the Filson line of bags co-designed by Magnum photographersDavid Alan Harvey and Steve McCurry. Those guys are awesome, and Filson is awesome, and they are making pretty cool bags with a similar look. But, if I am going to shlep my gear around the city all day on assignment, I would probably lean toward a Domke bag.

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Hopefully this review was helpful, and just let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for reading.

Bag reviewed: Domke Metro Messenger in RuggedWear Military (also available in RuggedWear Black and Cordura Black)
MSRP: $499.99
More info on the Domke Next Generation bag line: http://tiffen.com/products.html?tablename=domkenextgen

Photos: Indigenous Peoples’ Day in Seattle | Recent Work for Getty Images

Diversity, My work, photojournalism, Published work, Seattle, Still photography

Columbus Day is no longer Columbus Day in Seattle. Happy Indigenous Peoples’ Day. There was great celebration in Seattle after Mayor Ed Murray signed a resolution enacting the name change.

 

A man points to the sky during a celebration marking Indigenous Peoples’ Day at the Daybreak Star Cultural Center on October 13, 2014 in Seattle, Washington. Earlier that afternoon, Seattle Mayor Ed Murray signed a resolution designating the second Monday in October to be Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

 

Reneé Roman Nose addresses the crowd.

 

Nikk “Red Weezil” Dakota (R), from the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, celebrates with others from various tribes.

 

There were some great performances.

 

A man sings.

 

People cheer while listening to a speaker.

 

Tobacco bounces on a drum.

 

Rapper Nataanii Means (R) performs while Nikk “Red Weezil” Dakota (L) does an impromptu dance.

 

Men celebrate in front of Haida artwork.

 

Daybreak Star was packed.

 

People sing and dance.

 

More song and dance.

 

Celebrations lasted more than five hours. This was a big deal and an opportunity for a diverse gathering of American Indians from across the country.

 

Reneé Roman Nose receives a hug after leading an emotional closing prayer.

Kids play football in near a mural.

 

Austin Whiteraven Hehman stands near a grill covered with fresh coho salmon.

 

 

 

 

New Mobile App Gives Great GIFs

My work, Seattle, Tech stuff

(Announcement: In related news, this post is also featured on The Huffington Post, as I will now be blogging for them on occasion. Follow my Huffington Post blog entries here!)

 

Phhhoto is an oddly named and extremely fun iPhone app that is the answer to all the visual questions you didn’t know you had. How can I share motion without worrying about audio? GIFs! How can I fall in love again with exploring the world like I did so long ago through photography? GIFs! There’s a certain magic that I’ve discovered with this app, and I really do feel the same as I did when I first picked up a camera and explored the world by making pictures.

 

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(Broad Street & Beaver Street, New York)

Simply point your camera at something, press the shutter once, and Phhhoto will take a brief series of pictures to create an instant GIF. It’s amazing. Make a caption and click share, and then go find something else to GIF (I think GIF is going to become a verb soon, FYI).

The social side of the app seems to be modeled after Instagram, so when you browse others’ posts, you can like them and make comments. Also, you can save the GIF as a video for sharing on Instagram and other social media platforms. The original GIF is always saved as a GIF on your phone, and it is a nice surprise to see that the motion in the GIF actually moves if you are to send it to someone via the iPhone’s messaging app.

The app is quite new, so I’m sure it will improve, but one thing that bugs me is that you are forced to shoot verticals. Also, there is a bit of a delay after hitting the shutter button. Regarding the social side of the app, the network seems to be growing but the creators haven’t yet implemented an alert system. Once I’m able to know when people like and comment on my GIFs, I will be very pleased 🙂

I’ve included a few GIFs I made below. Download the free Phhhoto app and follow me: @davidmryder.

 

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(Blue Moon Tavern, Seattle)

 

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(My garage, Seattle)

 

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(Fishing for coho in the Duwamish River, Seattle)