One of the most important things that every photographer knows is that it’s important to feel comfortable when you’re on a long shoot. There’s nothing worse than lugging around heavy camera equipment and having a sore and swollen neck and shoulders to show for it at the end of the day. I hate lugging around heavy and bulky camera equipment, but since I discovered Black Rapid straps, I haven’t minded the load so much.

Black Rapid, a Seattle-based company founded by a professional photographer by the name of Ron Henry, creates innovative camera straps that screw into the tripod mount on your camera or on the lens. Instead of having your camera hang down around the front of your neck, Black Rapid Straps allow your camera to hang upside down at your side or in the small of your back for quick and easy access. There’s even an adjustable bumper system that keeps your camera in place and allows you bring your camera up quickly while you’re walking. Whether you’re shooting with the RS-W1 women’s strap, the Black Rapid RS-4 or the Black Rapid RS-Sport, the core features of each strap are essentially the same.

I received a Back Rapid RS W1 as a gift from cultural photographer Craig Ferguson when it came out in summer 2010 and it’s honestly one of the best photography gifts I’ve received. (Thanks, Craig!)Sure, it’s nice to get a new lens or two, but I didn’t realize how much I hated my camera strap and how much I’d been missing out on until Craig’s gift arrived in the mail. I received it just in time for me to try it out for an outdoor wedding in the rugged landscape of British Columbia, Canada, and I was particularly impressed by how comfortable it was to wear and how it stayed in place even when I was hiking and climbing on rough terrain.

The RS-W1 is specifically made for female photographers. The curved front pad is designed to curve around the breasts and it has a mesh underside for comfort and practicality. The padded shoulder strap is also a bit narrower than the RS-4 and RS-Sport, so tit fits my shoulders and body shape in the way that it’s supposed to. The shoulder pad is also designed to stay in place rather than slipping and sliding around when the weight of the camera isn’t holding it down. At first I was a bit hesitant to have my camera hanging from just a single point of attachment, but I quickly discovered the Black Rapid system is unique and secure. I would find it very difficult to return to a regular camera strap after using the Black Rapid System.

The Black Rapid RS-Sport features an across the body style strap and an additional attachment that fits under your arm to keep the strap in place. If you’re a photographer that moves around a lot, this is a great strap to use as it keeps everything securely in place. You can achieve a similar effect with Black Rapid’s other straps with a modification strap called the BRAD. The BRAD is a detachable strap that attaches easily to your RS strap to allow extra stability.

Last, but certainly not least, Black Rapid doesn’t just cater to SLR photographers. If you use a point and shoot camera, Black Rapid has a couple of cool options that are the perfect solution for carrying your camera around. Their new 3-1 SnapR10 comes with a padded bag, sling strap and hand strap. Te bag features their sling strap concept so that your camera rests upside down, attached to the strap, and ready to glide into shooting position. You never have to worry about dropping or forgetting your camera.

To sum up, I would strongly recommend using Black Rapid’s strap system. Have a look at the different strap options on their website to see what’s available. They’ve got almost every angle covered.

If you’re interested in giving one a try, why don’t you enter my Black Rapid Giveaway on My Several Worlds? The contest is open to Taiwan residents only.