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5 Minutes with HoldFast & Carry Giveaway
HoldFast was founded by Matthew Swaggart through a desire to create American-made camera carry that was a balance of tasteful aesthetics and thoughtful, functional design. Now the thriving brand offers everything from camera bags and straps to key fobs and wallets. To capture the essence of HoldFast we snapped up the opportunity to chat with the man who started it all…
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1. What key insights drive your stuff?
Form and function, these two must be equal at all times. If one outweighs the other then the product doesn’t work. We see far too many products that have high function yet poor style and vice versa. Whenever I design a product my guiding principle is that it needs to look as good as it works but it’s never only about aesthetics.
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2. Who else is doing rad things in the world of carry and why do you think they’re important?
YETI Coolers. I love that they took something as mundane as a cooler and had fun with it! What they are doing has totally registered on the popular scale. My current favorite is the Hopper bag that they make.
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3. Are there any things other brands do that you think are great or could be improved?
I’ve always loved how RL projected this image of an American Dream or story with their marketing and styling yet it all felt attainable. What they portray in their marketing feels dreamy yet within reach, and I love that. Marketing that seems to say “We’re so cool and better than you” doesn’t work for me.
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4. What’s next for you?
My wife and I just welcomed our third into this world, so now I need a diaper bag that fits my aesthetic and functional needs. That’s next on the list!
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5. What do you carry daily and how?
- The Leica M-P goes everywhere I go, usually carried on a MiniRuck or RuckStrap (MiniRuck pictured) so I can stack an extra battery and memory in the strap while on the go
- A few M mount lenses by Leica or Zeiss are always in the bag
- HoldFast Lenskerchief, they come in a pair and are useful for cleaning anything with a lens or screen. One of the pair is even large enough to wrap smaller lenses in which I do all the time
- A couple of knives, these are limitless tools that get use every single day. The pocket knife is a Limited Edition Damascus Swiss Army
- My sketch pad, it’s where my ideas start
- The HoldFast Indispensable Wallet carries my cards and cash
- The HoldFast Explorer Wallet carries extra cards, batteries for my cameras, a little first aid kit and my other small extras that I need
- My handmade Bible. Wisdom should be desired above gold
- Saddleback coin pouch full of quarters
- Leica SP-240 flash
- Custom Titanium 3 stage flashlight by McGizmo
- iPhone 6 Plus
- HoldFast Red Bison Camera Leash for my wrist when I want to go extremely simple yet still have safety
- Sony A7r with the greatest 85 1.4 lens ever made, the Zeiss Otus 85
- All of this goes into my American Bison Roamographer Small with removable insert. It’s a camera bag, it’s a weekender, it’s whatever you need it to be.
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Carry giveaway
Jonesing for some suave camera carry of your own? Well you’re in luck, as HoldFast is giving away one rad Ruck Strap. The camera strap features a classy combination of duck canvas and leather and carries more than just your camera – cash, cards, film rolls, batteries and pens are just some of the items you can haul with this versatile strap. Visit the competition landing page to find out how to enter.
WAYS TO CARRY