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*This giveaway has now ended. Thanks to all who entered!*

Winner is Rowe Timson. We will be in touch!

I would never call myself a gear head. I’m not into gadgets much at all, even photo gadget. Although I know my share of the technical info I need as a photographer, it’s never been first on my mind. I am a believer in trial and error, learning while playing, experimentation and happy accidents. I encourage women to use intuition, feel their way and shoot from the heart. Anyone that has visited my blog and/or Shutter Sisters can attest to that.

And yet, without the gear and the technical side of photography, we wouldn’t have it at all. It got me thinking about my own relationship with my equipment and it dawned on me; I really do love my gear. My camera is like a part of who I am. It’s a daily companion, a confidant, another set of eyes. It helps me see the truth, clarity, beauty and love. It makes me appreciate my life from big events to small moments. I wear my coveted teal camera strap long and carry my beloved by my side, ready for any and every occasion. It is always there for me. I truly love it. I really really do.

I only have a few lenses but I love them too. I cherish each for it’s gifts. My 50mm Compact Macro, which rarely comes off my camera is gentle and kind, bringing the most intimate details to me, revealing so much. She whispers her poetry and I listen like I would my most tender and compassionate of friends. And the there’s my 24-70mm 2.8, who offers a broader view, the bigger picture and bringing into the light a kind of clarity as she translates the world in her open style. No apologies from her. Just the truth. I have a playful companion too in my Lensbaby Superwide that takes all the serious stuff and tosses it on it’s ear and helps me look at life as the swirling mystery that it is. He (yes, I think it’s a “he”) always reminds me to lighten up. I am thankful for that.

I have gotten to know each piece in my arsenal like a cherished friend. I have put my time in. I’ve both coddled and pushed boundaries. I’ve nurtured and been nurtured in return. And even though someone else might have some of the same gear as I do, I believe that each is unique and brings with it it’s own creative spirit that is awakened somehow when we hold it, own it, handle it, cradle it, talk to it, test, try and shoot. There’s an alchemy between photographer and gear that happens after some time together and I know that when I’ve got my trusted companions with me, we can make magic happen.

found

Shutter Sisters:
www.shuttersisters.com

Blog:
www.traceyclark.com

Twitter:
www.twitter.com/traceyclark

give

What better way to honor your beloved gear by having a perfect bag to put it in? I am thrilled to announce that Epiphanie Bags has offered one of their amazing camera bags to a lucky reader today!

I want to win the Epiphanie Bag giveaway from
@thecreativemama & you should too! http://tinyurl.com/258l4pr

I adore mine and am sure you will too! xoxo, Tracey

About Angie


Angie is the founder and editor of The Creative Mama, who lives in the beautiful Bay Area, CA. She also blogs her own personal journey at angiewarren.com. When she isn't writing or taking photos, Angie can be found having tickle fights with her boys and frequenting the local Starbucks.

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  • http://bethcurtisphotography.blogspot.com Beth Curtis

    I don’t have a pet name for my camera but I have a very cute camera strap so it is for sure a girl :). I would LOVE to win that gorgeous bag!!

  • http://jburleson.com Johanna

    I am sure my pet name isn’t original…but I like to call her ‘Baby.’

  • http://jburleson.com Johanna
  • kim danley

    big mama… thats the name i gave my d300…

  • http://gabriellesmith.net Gabrielle Smith

    I have different pet names for all of my old cameras – I have a Brownie that I call Dinky, a little turquoise 120mm that my MIL gave me that I call Smalls, and an old Girl Scout camera still in the original box that I call Daisy. While I don’t often use my older cameras – I mostly use my Canon 40D which I just refer to as my workhorse, I love every single one of those cameras and I love sharing the stories behind how each one came to me. :)

    Just thinking about it makes me smile!

  • http://gabriellesmith.net Gabrielle Smith

    And I’m tweeted – I’m @SouthernILPhoto!

  • Lisa

    My nickname for my baby is just that… my baby. As in, be careful, that’s my baby you’ve got there! (in the very rare instances when I let her out of my hands!)

    Thanks for this giveaway! I LOVE the Epiphanie bags! Fingers crossed :)

  • urban housewife

    No name yet, I just bought my camera in March. I always wanted a dslr, but being a stay at home mom with not much extra money I never thought I would be able to afford one. Last August I stopped thinking I would never buy one and started saving 20 bucks her and there and eventually I saved enough for one. I would really love a beautiful Epiphanie bag for my camera.

  • http://kristacampbell.blogspot.com Krista Campbell

    Not very original, but “Mark” is my dependable love. I adore him. And he doesn’t have a home at the moment so a gorgeous Epiphanie bag would be an excellent gift to us! :)

  • http://www.emilykuphoto.com Emily

    This is really generic, but I call it “my baby.” I don’t have kids yet, so I joke with my friends that my D700 + 70-200 is similar to the weight of a baby, so my arms will be ready the day I have to carry a real baby all day!

  • Angela

    I finally got a dslr for my birthday this past June. So, I’ve nicknamed it “my big girl camera.” I just hope I can learn to take some great photos with it–and I’d love to protect it in one of those fabulous Epiphanie bags. Thanks for chance–

  • Melissa

    Hmmmm… I’ve never thought about naming my camera. Now you’ve got me thinking!! :)
    I’m thinking something SASSY!!
    My DSLR doesn’t leave my side! I am always taking pictures of everything!
    I was at my parents house for dinner with the whole family, and of course taking pictures of everything, my father had asked me if I was going to eat dinner, or just shoot it! LOL! It made my day!

  • Melissa

    Hmmmm… I\’ve never thought about naming my camera. Now you\’ve got me thinking!! :)
    I\’m thinking something SASSY!!
    My DSLR doesn\’t leave my side! I am always taking pictures of everything!
    I was at my parents house for dinner with the whole family, and of course taking pictures of everything, my father had asked me if I was going to eat dinner, or just shoot it! LOL! It made my day!

  • JillR

    What a great blog post. I love my epiphanie bag! I hope I can win another! :)

  • Jennifer McMorran

    I’ve never thought about naming my camera…but it is my right hand. Last year, while pregnant and juggling a toddler, I left my camera, bag, and 4 lenses on an airplane. By the time I realized that my bag was missing, it was too late…I was physically ill. It was the most depressing vacation of my life. Not only did I lose my most valued possessions, I also missed out on some great shots. A year later, I’ve replaced my camera, but my lenses and bag are luxuries not yet obtained.
    A new bag would be amazing!!!!!!

  • http://www.mkpimages.com Mary

    Just tweeted it : )

  • http://www.mkpimages.com Mary

    @MKPImages

    I want to win the France Photography’s Boutique Biz Bundle giveaway from @thecreativemama & you should too! http://tinyurl.com/26hnrrm

  • http://www.mkpimages.com Mary

    sorry….here’s my tweet:

    MKPImages

    I want to win the Epiphanie Bag giveaway from @thecreativemama & you should too! http://tinyurl.com/258l4pr

  • http://www.mkpimages.com Mary

    sorry….here\’s my tweet:

    MKPImages

    I want to win the Epiphanie Bag giveaway from @thecreativemama & you should too! http://tinyurl.com/258l4pr

  • Sukhi

    It’s totally cliche but my camera is my 4th “baby”. I have to always know where it is, know it is safe, know it is clean, know it is taken care of and am scarily possessive of it. Sigh. I guess I really do have 4 children in some strange way. Wait, 5 kids counting the hubby as he was my first “child”! :o)

  • http://www.freelandphotography.wordpress.com Carrie F

    tweeted Freeland_Photo
    http://twitter.com/Freeland_Photo

  • Sukhi

    just tweeted!

    handle = sukhi1975

  • http://www.freelandphotography.wordpress.com Carrie F

    I most often refer to my camera as my “5th baby” :)

  • Tammy

    My family recently went on vacation together to celebrate my parent’s 30th wedding anniversary & my 30th Birthday;) Of course I had my canon everywhere I/we went. After only the 2nd day of a 7 day trip my Dad started calling me the paprazi, lol. My camera, my love, is now called Pap (pronounced “pop”) ;) Not the cutest of names, but it sure fits and it always makes me smile. If I won….Pop would no longer have to live, sheltered in a childrens shoe box for safe keeping! Lol;)

  • Tammy

    My family recently went on vacation together to celebrate my parent\’s 30th wedding anniversary & my 30th Birthday;) Of course I had my canon everywhere I/we went. After only the 2nd day of a 7 day trip my Dad started calling me the paprazi, lol. My camera, my love, is now called Pap (pronounced \"pop\") ;) Not the cutest of names, but it sure fits and it always makes me smile. If I won….Pop would no longer have to live, sheltered in a childrens shoe box for safe keeping! Lol;)

  • Tammy

    My family recently went on vacation together to celebrate my parent\\\’s 30th wedding anniversary & my 30th Birthday;) Of course I had my canon everywhere I/we went. After only the 2nd day of a 7 day trip my Dad started calling me the paprazi, lol. My camera, my love, is now called Pap (pronounced \\"pop\\") ;) Not the cutest of names, but it sure fits and it always makes me smile. If I won….Pop would no longer have to live, sheltered in a childrens shoe box for safe keeping! Lol;)

  • Tammy

    I’m sorry for the multiple posts! It said invalid security code & my post wasn’t showing up. My huge apologies:)

  • Caroline K

    I recently moved to Seoul, Korea and one month in my camera just stopped working. The battery was fully charged but the battery would flash empty and the camera would turn off. I bought a brand new battery and the same thing would happen or it would try to take a picture and the shutter wouldn’t go it would say error 99. I took it to the Canon store and they guy in broken English said if the motor was broken it would be $450 dollars to fix. (insert very sad face here:( He said he would take a look at it and then call me. A week later I got a text in Korean which I can’t read or speak, so I went in and a different girl was there who spoke no English. She handing me my camera and I tried it and it worked!! Then I asked how much and she said “up suh yo”(nothing) and made an x. They fixed my baby for free!!! I have no idea what was really wrong but now she is back!

  • Caroline K

    I recently moved to Seoul, Korea and one month in my camera just stopped working. The battery was fully charged but the battery would flash empty and the camera would turn off. I bought a brand new battery and the same thing would happen or it would try to take a picture and the shutter wouldn\’t go it would say error 99. I took it to the Canon store and they guy in broken English said if the motor was broken it would be $450 dollars to fix. (insert very sad face here:( He said he would take a look at it and then call me. A week later I got a text in Korean which I can\’t read or speak, so I went in and a different girl was there who spoke no English. She handing me my camera and I tried it and it worked!! Then I asked how much and she said \"up suh yo\"(nothing) and made an x. They fixed my baby for free!!! I have no idea what was really wrong but now she is back!

  • Caroline K

    I tweeted! Twitter name: cnkcnk

  • http://artcupboard.blogspot.com/ Diana Martin

    I don’t have a great and interesting story but I hope to one day!! As for a name for my camera, I really never thought of giving it a name but if I win an AWESOME Epiphanie Bag, I would so name it after one of those beauties {Lola (black), Lola (red), Ginger and pretty, pretty Belle} !! xo

  • http://artcupboard.blogspot.com/ Diana Martin

    I don\’t have a great and interesting story but I hope to one day!! As for a name for my camera, I really never thought of giving it a name but if I win an AWESOME Epiphanie Bag, I would so name it after one of those beauties {Lola (black), Lola (red), Ginger and pretty, pretty Belle} !! xo

  • http://artcupboard.blogspot.com/ Diana Martin

    GGGRRRR….sorry about the double post, it told me my code was wrong but must have published it anyways…..

    I tweeted: http://twitter.com/dideemartin/status/18421014953

    xoxo

  • Tori

    This was a letter I wrote to my current camera last year:

    Dear Camera,

    I don’t know how long a time I will spend with you. To me every camera after my first DSLR doesn’t match up to her. She was a wonder. To my untrained eyes then. It made me unsatisfied with each new camera I got. I had to take pictures that were better than the first but it seemed like I couldn’t get it ‘just right’.

    I have learned that there is no such thing as ‘just right. Even a ‘spoiled’ can turn out to look like a masterpiece. You have yet to come a long way to match up to my first camera whom I shall now dub as ‘Precious’. I hope she is happy with her new owner. Her owner of more than a year already BUT I’ll never know if he sold her.

    But I’m happy with you now…you seem rather sturdy-not exactly pretty but just plain sturdy. That’s good. Plain and simple. But please, tell your boss, Canon to make you a little lighter. Obese babies aren’t in the running.

    For now, I’m happy with you. But I think we are both still on probation.

    Love,

    Your owner.

  • Christine Edwards

    My camera doesn’t have a name…I feel so neglectful now. Guess I’ll really have to ponder and come up with a good one. Thanks for the fab giveaway!

  • s.patel

    I feel like a bad camera mommy b/c mine doesn’t have a name!! I always have it with me, though, so I guess I’ve never felt the need to call it anything besides my “good” camera (vs. the little p & s that I carry when I absolutely can’t carry the larger one). :) One of these bags would really make it easier and prettier to carry her around!!

  • http://www.nydiakehnlephotography.com/blog Nydia Kehnle

    I uncreatively call my camera baby. Pass me my baby. LOL.

  • http://www.gypsytreephotography.net amy cutler

    i call my camera “my love”

  • http://www.gypsytreephotography.net amy cutler

    i call my camera \"my love\"

  • http://www.gypsytreephotography.net amy cutler

    tweeted = amybcutler

  • Kathy

    I bought my Nikon D90 with the bit of money I inherited after my dad died last summer. So that’s what I think of every time I pick it up. He enjoyed receiving pictures of his kids, grandkids and great-grandkids and he would have loved buying the camera for me. When anyone asks about my ever-present camera–I love saying “my dad bought it for me.”

  • http://zollarsfamily.blogspot.com Jenny

    I was able to purchase my camera thanks to Christmas money my parents gave me, so every time I pick it up I think of them and am grateful to have it.

  • http://Mjensenphoto.bloodspot.com Michelle Jensen

    I call my camera faith…because that’s what I’ve had to rely on through my photography career…when fear and uncertainty try to get the best of me I remember to trust and have faith that this is what I’m called to do. Thanks for this giveaway!

  • http://www.catherinejeannette.com Cathy R

    Twitter.com/photographycj

  • http://www.debbsga.etsy.com Debbie E

    I love my holga. I call her Lilly (well I have two now) lilly and lola. I had flickr friends even help name the 2nd one. I love my cameras.They are family to me,so why not name them. Heck if one died id prolly be as upset as,,well ok maybe not as a person but id be upset. My cameras keep me seeing more and more in the world and im greatful for that

  • http://www.catherinejeannette.com Cathy R

    My Nikon is “my boyfriend” My husband tends to get jealous time to time but he totally understands the relationship LOL

  • http://Mjensenphoto.bloodspot.com Michelle Jensen

    I tweeted! Twitter.com/Jensen_Michelle

  • michelle riebeek

    I don’t have a pet name. But I am going to think of one now! I love epiphanie bags hope i’m not late to enter!

  • michelle riebeek

    I’m so excited for this giveaway! I want an epiphanie bag so bad! tweeted: http://twitter.com/michelleriebeek/status/18443831136

  • michelle riebeek

    I\’m so excited for this giveaway! I want an epiphanie bag so bad! tweeted: http://twitter.com/michelleriebeek/status/18443831136