Doing a little happy dance over at my desk because IT’S FRIDAY, Y’ALL! Now, I’m not 100% sure why I get so excited about Friday these days… after all, I do work weekends and definitely don’t have Monday off for Labor Day, but I just can’t help it! Everyone is ALWAYS so happy on Friday, and it means that I (usually) get to work with a sweet couple the very next day. (this weekend, I get to work with THREE sweet couples!) SO… even though my Friday’s don’t necessary mean the end of the workweek for me, CHEERS to the it being weekend eve! 

Now… onto today’s topic! You may have noticed a new grey accessory that I wear on wedding days and at (most) sessions. I’ve gotten quite a few questions about it recently and wanted to share a few reasons for why I started shooting in an apron and why I absolutely love it. I recently bought a long, custom apron from Oatmeal Lace (Find the listing on Etsy here!!), and to say that I am a little obsessed would actually be a huge understatement.

I just wanted to let you know before we get started that this post is in no way sponsored or paid. I simply LOVE my apron so much and wanted to create a post to help others looking into purchasing one with their decision. I remember feeling a little on the fence about the investment, but once my apron arrived, I never looked back! So… let’s get this party started!!

I may look a little nerdier than I did before, but this apron is just so cute that I can’t help but get excited each time I get it on to shoot! I tend to load up my apron with #allthethings (ya know, timelines, pens, lenses, snacks, memory cards, batteries, business cards, groomsmen’s phones… you get the idea), so I am so happy that I opted for the thicker ribbon waistband. I usually wrap the ribbon around my waist and tie it in the front for a little extra support. Today, I’m running through FIVE reasons I have fallen in love with my apron.

Everything I need is always right at my fingertips… no need to deal with zippers.

I found that, when I worked out of a bag, I literally always left the zipper wide open. Backpacks, side body bags… all of them. It wasn’t the safest thing for my equipment, and I knew I needed something that would allow me access to everything I needed, without fiddling with clasps and zippers. Now, I have everything I need right on hand, right when I need it. It has been amazing to know that I can quickly change a lens, memory card or battery.

Wedding season was not being kind to my back.

I am a former dancer and have the lifelong, chronic injuries as proof. My back has not been my friend during this wedding season… my hips rotate out of place and I have slight scoliosis, meaning that, after carrying heavy bags AND heavy camera equipment all day long, I was in A LOT of pain at the end of the night. Most, if not all, of the entire next day of the earlier part of my season was spent in full recovery mode. One day, I realized that, since I’m working on just over 30 weddings this year, I would be spending over ONE FULL MONTH of this entire year JUST recovering from feeling like I got hit by a bus during a wedding day! Nope… not going to happen! Ain’t nobody got time for that. While back pain is pretty much unavoidable for me, keeping everything around my waist and eliminating my strap from my camera has done wonders for my post recovery. Now, I feel a little more human while shooting and into the next day. I am so thankful!!

I have pockets to keep everything organized.

Your girl loves pockets, and now she has THREE separate pockets to keep everything organized on a wedding day. On the right, I keep what I call my life items: timeline, family lists, snacks, pens, business cards and phone. I keep prime lenses in the middle pocket (and items that I confiscate from the wedding party during formal portraits… looking at you groomsmen phones in the front pocket during wedding party portraits). In the pocket on my left, I keep shooting accessories like batteries, memory cards. Now, I don’t need to worry about buying dresses with pockets because they are literally built into my wedding day system! It is amazing!!

I don’t have to lug an entire extra bag to a wedding that will just be set down in the grass.

If I wasn’t leaving my bag unzipped on my shoulder, I was usually leaving it somewhere in the grass or on the edge of the dance floor–again, not the safest thing! Before, I typically brought my ThinkTank bag and unloaded all of my shooting accessories into another bag at the start of a day. This bag would either sit on my shoulder causing back pain or on the ground somewhere. Now, I still bring my ThinkTank bag, but I’ll stuff my apron in on top. Throughout the day, I’ll unload accessories and lenses from my ThinkTank and will keep it in a safe place where it won’t be touched. This system has challenged me to be more thoughtful with the equipment that I am choosing to use throughout the day AND has cut one bag from this crazy bag lady’s wedding day haul. PRAISE.

I can incorporate a bit of my branding without being overbearing. 

I opted to include more of the neutral tones in my branding on my apron because, while I often wear navy or black on a wedding day, I do wear color from time to time! I wanted a piece that could flux between being brand neutral and on brand for CKP and that would also coordinate with most, if not all, of my shooting outfits. I opted to have my monogram embroidered, partly because I am actually obsessed with my monogram and partly because I didn’t want my logo or business name to be overbearing while I was shooting for and helping out other photographers (that wouldn’t be cool!!). Just so you know, you CAN have your logo digitized and embroidered on your apron. They look absolutely amazing!

BONUS: I have used it as a backdrop for detail photos in a pinch! 

Once, I was shooting grooms details in a super dark basement, and the only spot with a sliver of good light had a dark red brick background. I knew the color wouldn’t exactly jive with the sweet couple’s color scheme, so I quick whipped off my apron, emptied the pockets and set up the groom’s shoes, tie and boutonnière! Problem solved.

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