What's in my bag? | Street Style Essentials

For the best part of a year, my red Zatchels satchel has been my go-to bag for street style photography and fashion blogger escapades. Though it may not be as infinitely cavernous as a woman's handbag (which I have discovered can hold all manners of things, much like Mary Poppins' carpet bag), it is the perfect size for all the tools and equipment I require to shoot the stylish folk of London, or wherever I happen to find myself.

The essentials for street style photography can vary from person to person, depending on one's style of photography, as much as their budget. The most important - and often the most expensive - piece of equipment is, of course, the camera. Since last summer, I have been shooting with a Canon 6D. At little over £1,000, this model is one of Canon's pricier products, but it is worth the expense. The combined performance of a full frame sensor, 20.2 megapixels and high ISO levels allows me to carry on shooting towards the very end of the day, in low-light environments, without compromising on quality.

But a DSLR camera is nothing without a lens. Having made a sufficient dent in my wallet, I equipped my camera with the cheapest lens on offer, the Canon 50mm f/1.8, or the "nifty fifty", as it is fondly known. Lightweight and versatile, its wide aperture offers plenty of light, while producing a pleasing bokeh, thus drawing all your attention to the subject in the foreground. It is a great starter lens for anyone with a DSLR camera, let alone a street style photographer.

During the fashion week season, I also like to carry around a heftier lens, the Canon 24-105mm f/4, which I find is useful for shooting fashions shows, parties and exhibitions. Its telephoto capability does not stretch as far as a the standard 100-300mm, but the zoom and fixed aperture does allow for candid photography, if required. It is equally useful for macro photography, which is limited with the 50mm lens.

Outside of the electronic gizmos are my note-taking utensils, a Field Notes notebook and a ballpoint pen. The notebooks were freebies from one of the first press days I attended, yet I am only just finishing up the fourth book. Often stuffed in my pocket, or soaked by the rain, they do not receive the best care and attention, but the creased and dog-eared pages only add to each notebook's character.

If I forget my notepad, my iPhone is a handy alternative. For the most part, however, my phone is kept away in my bag, as texts and tweets can be very distracting. That said, my iPhone is useful for sharing the cool places I come across during my adventures, often via Instagram or Twitter. It is decorated with a custom case from Caseable, featuring one of my own street style photos. A phone box on a phone case is appropriate, don't you think?

After I take a photo of somebody, I like to direct them to where their photo will end up, which is why I carry around a small box of business cards. These double-sided cards from Moo.com have printed all the necessary contact details, including e-mail address, Twitter handle and blog URL. There is also a QR code, so the person I photographed can access my website there and then with their smartphone. When I shoot street style, I meet all sorts of interesting people, therefore business cards are tremendously effective for both networking and increasing my readership.

If you dabble in street style photography, or you think it is something you might like to try out, I would love to hear from you. You don't need an expensive camera to start off with - you can do well with a compact digital camera, provided you have the confidence. You never know, I might be bumping into you on a street corner very soon.

Zatchels press day & Jacky Tsai collaboration

Satchel company Zatchels has launched a limited edition collaboration with Chinese artist Jacky Tsai. This exclusive collection of "wearable art" follows on from Jacky's previous fashion exploits, including Alexander McQueen spring/summer 2008 menswear and his own range of cotton t-shirts.

 

Each of his designs has been digitally printed onto the leather with pinpoint accuracy, offering unbroken artwork. The collection features his iconic floral skulls, which will be exhibited at Harvey Nichols in Manchester for Vogue Fashion's Night Out. Jacky Tsai is hopeful that consumers will appreciate both his art and Zatchels' craftmanship in these statement accessories.

Zatchels has also previewed another new addition to its colourful collections, the 7-inch Micro Satchel. The bag can be described as dinky in comparison to its larger siblings, with only enough room for the bare essentials - purse, phone, keys and perhaps a couple of cosmetic products. It is a minimalist accessory for a pop of colour.

Zatchels satchel

It was inevitable. I, like hundreds of others, could not resist the Zatchels half-price flash sale, and consequently I ordered a beautiful leather satchel. This red model is a compact 13 inches wide, which is ample space for my street style equipment and a small packed lunch. I expect it will be a regular accessory at events to come. 

When the weather is not so miserable and I do not have a dissertation submission lurking over my shoulder, I will get into the swing of shooting outfit photos again. Although on this occasion, I reckon this sexy satchel may look better on Maddy than it would on me.

Christmas gifts and accessories

When it comes to birthdays and Christmas, my family have often found it fairly difficult to buy me gifts. Gone are the days when Power Rangers toys would keep me entertained; I am now a collector of fashion. However, buying the correct size has always been tricky. Depending on the garment and the retailer, I range from XXS to S. Therefore the items which are guaranteed to suit me regardless are accessories.

For Christmas, I was fortunate to be treated to a number of fashionable gifts, including a John Lewis leather wallet, ASOS satchel, stripy socks from Next, and yet another pair of Spitfire sunglasses. I was also gifted a fantastic book - The World's Top Fashion Blogs. Published in November this year, the book will not only be of strong interest to me personally, but also of great benefit to my dissertation.

adidas NEO: What's in my bag?

Having decided that my "NEO face" was sufficiently wonderstruck, Adidas NEO have put me through to the second round of their Miami competition. Two lucky bloggers will win an all-expenses paid trip to Florida to meet the face of Adidas NEO, Justin Bieber, and the chance to report on the entire experience.

For this second task, I have been set a "what's in my bag?" challenge, for which I should present creatively the essential items I would take to Miami. To help me out, I have been generously sent a plaid rucksack from Adidas NEO's autumn collection.

Thinking outside my usual parameters, I decided on a stop-motion video. I will admit the final result isn't the pinnacle of perfection, but the desired illusion of my essential items crawling into the bag proved successful. And although it involved six hours of shooting, editing and uploading, the potential prize is worth every minute.

Miami essentials include (in order of appearance): laptop computer, Sony α DSLR camera with Carl Zeiss 28mm lens, Minolta 100-300mm lens, Sony α 18-55mm lens, Adidas NEO notebook and pen, shorthand pad, wallet, passport, phone, Spitfire sunglasses, business cards, Amazon Kindle, Fish Soho styling gel and wax, comb, toothbrush and toothpaste.

Of course, there is so much more I would take with me to Miami, but these are the items I would be sure to take for reporting duties, networking, leisure, and maintaining a decent appearance. I just hope the means of presentation succeeds in impressing the team at Adidas NEO Label - wish me luck!

(P.S. You can equally try your luck at winning an all-expenses paid trip to Miami, in the 'Find My Gold Shoes' competition. Visit the Adidas NEO Facebook page to learn more.)

Bags of Love

My aim in the long run is to turn Unlimited by JK into a recognisable brand, rather than purely a fashion blog. At present, it does not get much better than flashing my logo (or trademark, as it were) on a personalised shopper bag.

Courtesy of 'Bags of Love', a company specialising in personalised gifts, the bag has the Unlimited by JK logo superimposed onto its canvas sides - a sure albeit subtle means of promoting myself while out and about. After all, a trademark or logo tends to be more memorable and iconic than the name of the brand it emblamatises.

However, my blog's logo was not the only image I considered having printed onto the shopper bag. Bags of Love did offer me an unlimited choice, that being any photo I sent them. If you try their service for yourself, you will find you can upload virtually any image to feature on their range of products. Hence I toyed with the idea of having my favourite street style photo printed onto a laptop case.

But evidently, the shopper bag won me over. Its dimensions are 35cm x 35cm x 13cm, which provides ample space for my computer and camera equipment (ideal for London Fashion Week!), or even for a spot of high street shopping. The bag is also made with my choice of black patent vinyl, plus black leather handles, making it strong as well as stylish.

I suppose one could say this shopper bag is one-of-a-kind, which is perhaps the greatest benefit of any personalised product. So thank you, Bags of Love, for gifting me with such a lovely accessory. I look forward to taking it for a spin.

(RRP: £55.00 + £3.85 delivery. You can see more products at www.bagsoflove.co.uk.)

Green without envy

When one still has birthday money to spend, one tends to become overexcited at the promise of an ASOS sale. A few hours of browsing followed by a few clicks of the mouse, and I had ordered myself two new accessories, both coincidentally in the colour green.

The first purchase is a JanSport backpack, made with patterned wool outer and suede finishings. It is true I usually favour a messenger bag over a rucksack, but I have recently been suffering from shoulder- and back-ache, due to carrying too many heavy items all at once in my satchels. Therefore I opted for the practical solution of buying a backpack, however without compromising on fashion.

The bag is strong and extremely comfortable, even when loaded with my notebook computer, camera, additional lenses, and a packed lunch - handy for a day at London Fashion Week! I also find it to be very stylish in its green and black checked aesthetic, although the suede does mean I cannot wear it in the rain.

The second purchase was more of a treat than in anyway a necessity. These are a pair
of green suede derbies with leather soles, the second pair of green shoes I now have the pleasure of owning - the other being Converse trainers. But when it comes down to smart footwear, I am finding the routine black and brown leather to be slightly boring at times. These suede shoes are a snazzier alternative, and in their forest green shade, they work remarkably well with all my formal attire. Not to mention they match up perfectly with my new JanSport backpack!