MCO's Holiday Gift Guide: Epiphanie Camera Bags

*I received a complimentary camera bag for review in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions*

Epiphanie Bags was created four years ago by a professional photographer, Malie Wilson. She created Eiphanie after realizing that there were no cute camera bags for women! She hated carrying around a separate (and unattractive) bag on photo shoots and would end up covering her camera with whatever article of clothing was nearby and sticking it in her purse. Realizing enough was enough, she launched Epiphanie in 2009 with a list of 10,000 other photographers that were anxious to get their hands on one of these fabulous camera bags. 

My mom is a photographer and she's always going on and on about Epiphanie bags and how much she loves them. Last Christmas my stepdad and I went in together and bought her two bags that she had her eye on for quite some time. After seeing how much she loved her Epiphanie bags, I was over the moon when I got in touch with Epiphanie and they agreed to participate in our Holiday Gift Guide! Epiphanie was extremely generous and allowed me to choose whichever camera bag I wanted to review, and I couldn't resist giving my mom a call to see which bag she thought I should choose. After going back and forth for a bit, with the help of my mom I decided on the Madison in Teal and I couldn't have been happier once it arrived on my doorstep!

The Madison is a large bag that is perfect for not only carrying your camera, but for carrying all of the contents of your day to day purse! Why bring multiple bags when you head out with your camera when you could bring everyone in one stylish bag. 

The Madison features two shoulder straps that are actually slightly adjustable by the buckle, which allows you to make the shoulder strap shorter or longer depending on what is the most comfortable for you! The Madison also allows you to wear the bag as a backpack (more on that later) and you may choose to completely remove the shoulder straps for more comfortable carrying while it is in backpack mode!

On the front of the Madison there are two front snap pockets that are perfect for holding smaller items such as your keys, cell phone, and your lens cap while you're taking your beautiful photos! I love that the pockets have a snap closure because it makes it super easy to get in and out of the pocket while you're in a hurry! The buckle on the pockets is purely decorative but it does make a stylish addition to the bag!

If placing small items such as keys, your phone, and the lens cap isn't really "your thing", Epiphanie has included two roomy side pockets for you to stash your stuff in! The side pockets are a zippered so you won't have to worry about your belongings falling out if you had to bend over to pick something up, or if your bag tips over. In addition to the zippered pocket, the side pockets also have a pocket on the front of them that is left open so if you need to quickly access your phone or another small object you can do so without fiddling with any zippers or snaps.

The Madison does a fabulous job at keeping you organized while you use this bag for your photo shoots, for day to day, and even for traveling. In addition to the four outside pockets we just talked about, the Madison also has three extremely roomy pockets that conveniently blend into the bag. On the front of the bag you will find a zippered pocket that is large enough to hold a tablet, your wallet, miscellaneous camera accessories (extra batteries or battery charger, memory cards, etc). If you would prefer to keep your items in a snap closure pocket, you're in luck because the Madison also has a front snap closure pocket that you can keep your essentials in for quick access!

As if those two spacious pockets weren't enough, Epiphanie also included a large zippered pocket on the back of the bag as well! This bag is an organizers DREAM!

So lets talk about that backpack feature I mentioned above! The Madison includes two straps that are used to turn this gorgeous bag into a convenient backpack!

To transform it into a backpack you will need to take a look at the back of the bag and locate the four D rings. Two are located at the top of the bag and two are located at the bottom. 

To transform the bag into a backpack literally all that you have to do is clip the straps to the D rings! Within seconds you have a convenient (and beautiful) backpack to take with you on your photo shoots (or to the park, or anywhere else you may go with your little one!). The best part is, the straps are completely adjustable so you can change the length of the straps to fit you comfortably. 

When Epiphanie designs their camera bags, not only do they do an impeccable job at creating a bag that is gorgeous and high quality, but they really spend the time designing the inside of the bag to completely accommodate your photography needs. They have included four padded panels that can be quickly and easily adjusted to accommodate and protect your camera and lenses, regardless of their sizes. The inside of the bag is plush and ultra protective for your valuables, and the bag even has a padded area for your laptop so you can pull it out to show your clients your online portfolio during your consultation, or just to have with you while you travel! There is also a zippered inside pocket to store any extras you may be carrying on you whether it be for your camera or for personal! 

As I mentioned before my mom is a professional photographer and was so jealous when I told her that I would be reviewing an Epiphanie bag. I personally do not have a fancy digital camera (although I would LOVE one) but I do have a very nice 'old school' camera that uses film (I know, right?), so when I told my mom I was ecstatic to be reviewing this gorgeous bag so that I could use it for my camera, she completely believed me. It wasn't until she came out a few weeks later to visit for Little Misters 2nd birthday that I surprised her by having the Epiphanie bag sitting on our guest bed with a note that said "Merry [Very] Early Christmas Mom, I Love You!". She was so excited that she started jumping up and down and couldn't wait to pack it up. I could have kept this beauty for myself but considering how often I use my 'old school' camera, I would have much rather have made my moms day and given her a beautiful gift.

I told her that since she would be taking this awesome bag home, I needed her to be my model for the photos and I also needed her to empty the contents of her camera bag that she brought (which was the Lola by Epiphanie) so she happily agreed. My mom is a pretty minimal person when it comes to packing up her purse and camera bag so everything shown in the photo below is what she carries in her purse on a day to day basis, and in her camera bag for a photo shoot, all combined into one.

Shown below is her camera, wallet, keys, phone, Macbook Pro, extra lens, flash, extra case (I forget what she keeps in there!), fully charged [rechargeable] batteries, and memory cards. 

My mom was the one who packed her bag up for the photos so that she could show you all what it would look like for her at any given time. She ended up removing one of the velcro panels to accommodate her camera, and used the other 3 spaces for her camera's flash, her wallet, and her extra lens. Her Macbook Pro fit in the laptop sleeve with no problems and the rest of the camera accessories she placed in the inside zippered pouch.

She also put her cell phone and keys in one of the front pockets. Even with all of those items she still had several available pockets and she could have easily stored more of her belongings in! She loved the amount of space that she had in the Madison and was extremely impressed by all of the pockets. Having been a customer of Epiphanie before she already knew what she was expecting in terms of quality, but since this is the first Epiphanie bag that I had ever been 'up close and personal' with, I have to say that I was very impressed at the quality and the detail of organization that comes with this bag. I loved that the inside and all of the pockets are lined with a soft material to avoid scratching your valuables and I really appreciated that the velcro panels and the laptop area are padded. Aside from this being an amazing camera bag I also think that this make a wonderful bag for a college student who always has to bring their laptop and/or tablet to class!

My mom was one happy lady with her new Epiphanie bag and she really loved that unlike her other two bags, the Madison could transform into a backpack. When she modeled the bag she chose to leave the shoulder straps on with the backpack straps because that is how she would be carrying it while on a photo shoot. She said "Sometimes it'll be easier for me to grab my bag by the shoulder straps  instead of putting the backpack on". When I asked her to elaborate she told me "When you're on a photo shoot you never know how quickly you will need to pick up and move to a different area at your location. If the lighting is perfect, you'll want to seize the moment".

Isn't my momma so cute with her new Epiphanie bag!?

Although my mom is a die hard fan of Epiphanie, having the opportunity to really explore one for my self has also made me a huge fan. If you have a photographer in your family, or if you just love to take beautiful photos and have a camera worth protecting, I highly recommend that you grab an Epiphanie bag! You will not be disappointed with the quality and will surely turn heads with how gorgeous they are!

Click Here to do Your Holiday Shopping With Epiphanie!

Entry-Form

The Giveaway will close late on the evening of December 7th. The winner will be chosen at random through Giveaway Tools. The winner will be announced both on Giveaway Tools form as well as notified by email and announced on MCO’s Facebook. The winner will have their prize sent to them by Epiphanie, Mommys Craft Obsession is not responsible for prize shipment. Must be 18 years and older. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google are in no way affiliated with this giveaway. No Purchase Necessary. US Only. This review is 100% original and in my own words. Everything written is from my own personal view point and opinions and I have not been influenced by any outside sources. What works for me, may not work for you. All photos have been taken by me unless stated otherwise. I have been provided with product to review by Epiphanie however I have not been compensated monetarily for this review. This disclosure is done in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 10 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

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