Product Showcase; BlackRapid RS Sport sling camera strap

Ok...here we go. 

This will be my first review of an item from the photography world, the BlackRapid RS Sport sling strap. I didn't just purchase any old BlackRapid RS Sport sling strap, I purchased the Jared Polin, Fro Knows Photo, I Shoot Raw Special Edition BlackRapid RS Sport sling strap in red!

  FroKnowsPhoto/BlackRapid RS-Sport - I SHOOT RAW Edition 

I started with just the standard Nikon neck strap that comes with the camera. That was good for like a week. No matter what the strap is made of it wears on the back of your neck. For me, it got in the way when I was walking around with the camera hanging, especially with larger glass mounted. You have to kind of bow as you squeeze between people or physically tilt the camera down so you don't drill someone in the back with the lens.

I did some research on the different straps and the BlackRapid had some really good reviews. Now I understand why.

The BlackRapid RS Sport is a cross body shoulder sling type strap. The camera is attached to the strap via the tripod mount. It is secured with a hefty screw with a rubber washer between the screw and camera. The screw is than attached to a screw lock carabiner which is affixed to a free floating slide on the strap. The shoulder area is pretty wide and well padded and has a strap which wraps under your arm to lock the entire shoulder piece in place. There are length adjustments on both the main strap and the underarm strap as well. The main strap also has two adjustable stops to limit the cameras movement on the strap.

I have been using the strap for about 2 months now with a couple of  long camera carrying events thrown in there. A seven hour PonyCon event in Brooklyn, 4 hours at a Sportsman Show in Boxborough Mass, and a 4 hour swim meet to name a few. It is very easy to wear and pretty comfortable even for extended hours. The camera is easily accessed and when not in use stays out of the way, even in crowds. You can wear it for just about any activity, with the exception of wrestling of course. It can be worn while riding a bike, hiking, climbing etc...you get the point. The camera stays close to your body when not in use but right at your fingertips when you need it. The camera moves freely on the main strap and you can literally drop the camera from your shooting position and it will just slide right down to the carry position. The shoulder strap does not "ride up" or move around and it does distribute the weigh pretty well.

Long and short of it, I love it and would recommend the BlackRapid RS Sport sling to anyone looking for a cross body sling. It is comfortable, easy to use and keeps the camera at the ready at all times. 

This is an actual product I have purchased for my own use not something that was sent to me to evaluate and review.

As always, thank you for playing along!

E

How I started

Back in 2014, my wife Rachael started a conversation about our family vacation. She told me she didn't want to go to Walt Disney World again this year as we usually go every year. Rachael instead said, what if we go to the Sport-fishing Capitol of the World, Islamorada. I kind of gave her a hard time about it but I really was all for it. One of my stipulations was, I needed a GoPro if we were going to go to the Florida Keys.

I purchased my first GoPro Hero 3+ Black Edition in May of 2015 and fooled with it all summer to figure out what I could and could't do with it and what the limitations of the camera were. I got a lot of great images in the process too. I did have an issue with the camera but the customer service at GoPro was fantastic and I had a new camera in no time.

So we flew to Ft. Lauderdale in November of 2014 and headed on down to the Keys. If you have never been there before you really need to go. It is a very relaxing place and there are a lot of great things to do there, or you can just do nothing at all.

I took an overwhelming amount of pictures there and I was surprised by the images I was able to get. 

In posting my pics on places like Facebook and Instagram I received a lot of comments and prompts to try to sell some of my work. So I did. 

I took my GoPro everywhere and got some really cool stuff. I learned to edit my images on the fly and compose my images on my own. 

I honestly believe that learning with the GoPro, which has no viewfinder or LCD screen, helped me with my composition. I have to "picture" the image as I want it without "viewing" it. 

I had a supporter and friend approach me to shoot a Celtic Festival for her in 2015 (Pipes in the Valley) as she really liked the images I was able to capture. So at that point I purchased my GoPro Hero 4 Silver Edition camera and went to work.

All of my images from 2014 and 2015 were taken with either the GoPro 3+ Black or the 4 Silver. I still use theses cameras frequently but I have now moved on to what I call a "real" camera. In December of 2015 I purchased a Nikon d5300 which is an entry level DSLR but a whole nother animal. I felt like I wasn't being taken too seriously because I was not using a "real" camera. I guess I succumbed to "peer pressure". 

So now I primarily use the Nikon but I do not forget one of the GoPro cameras either.

What Am I Doing

What am I doing?

So... I have always been interested in taking pictures and have been told I had a good "eye". I had hoped I had two good eyes but I guess one is enough. So now I am following the photography path.

What am I doing you ask, I am trying to get noticed. This is not a simple task. I have a few diehard supporters but as much help as they are, I need to be seen.

One of my images was in a special display in the Lourve and another was on display in California. I had a display at a Pop Up Shop over the holidays. I have an account with Fine Art America on line with over 28,000 visitors from 7 different countries. I recently signed up on a site named Viewbug, where in a month I gained over 150 followers. I have a Facebook page, Instagram account, a Spotlight account etc.

I am working on building a website where one can view and buy my images in several different medium types.

I have spent 50 times more than I have sold.

What am I doing?

I am simply trying to get seen. All it takes is that one opportunity.

Other than that, I'm not quite sure.

Evolving II

Kind of funny how things work out.

I have been thinking about writing again over the last few days. Last night I decided to start blogging more so I logged on with the intention of talking about photography and looked at my last post. It is exactly one year ago that I wrote about evolving. Well, more of that has taken place.

First the fishing part; I am no longer the Massachusetts Bass Federation President. I am still a member of my first "Federated" fishing club, I did not fish at all in 2015, I no longer have any sponsers but...I was nominated and accepted a position on the TBF National Board of Directors for the TBF, The Bass Federation. http://bassfederation.com/

I plan on fishing a lot in 2016!

Now for the photography part; I have been taking pictures like crazy! I have purchased 2 more cameras since the last time I checked in here. (more on the equipment at a later date)
I have been unsuccessful on Fine Art America http://fineartamerica.com/artists/erik+kaplan which I have been on for a little over a year. I sold one pillow.
I was asked to set up a display at a local brewery, Old Burnside Brewing Company http://oldeburnsidebrewing.com/ , covered a Celtic Festival, Pipes in the Valley, for a friend in Hartford Connecticut http://pipesinthevalley.com/ and participated in my first Pop Up Shop in Springfield Massachusetts http://www.artistspopupshop.com/. This has all been a wonderful learning experience and I thank those who gave me the opportunity to display my work and take shots for them. I also would like to thank my wife Rachael, daughter Rylee and all of my family and friends for their support and critiques.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot! In 2015 I had one of my images displayed in a gallery in Palo Alto California for winning a runner up spot in a photo contest. Here is a link to that image. http://fineartamerica.com/featured/annes-beach-kite-surfer-erik-kaplan.html
I also had one of my images in a special display in the "Sky" catagory in a little know gallery in France, The Louvre. Here is a link to that image. http://www.viewbug.com/photo/60357915

My role in the fishing industry is evolving. My skills as a photographer are evolving. My edits are evolving and my photography art work is evolving.

Our family life evolves as well.
My daughter is still swimming competitively and we have been fully immersed in the swimming "culture". Rylee's skills are evolving, getting better, faster. My wife is involved in fundraising and other aspects of the team. I am on the board for the team and our roles as swim parents have evolved.
 Life is about evolving and the need to keep moving forward.

"Around here we don't look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things, because we're curious...and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths." Walt Disney