Let’s admit it: With a few exceptions, digital cameras are kind of boring-looking. After purchasing her first DSLR in 2010, photographer and Steampunk fan Momo Lee realized she could use her talents to trick out digital cameras and, with encouragement from fellow photographer and Steampunk fan Trey Ratcliff, she created CameraPunk, a Kickstarter-funded line of eccentric, Steampunk-inspired lens caps, camera cases, camera straps, and other fun accessories.
What, you may ask, is Steampunk? It’s a kind of Renaissance fair, but the time period is the late 1800s and early 1900s—and everything from mode of dress to gadgets used is inspired by a steam engine, industrial-era design. Some Steampunk fans will dress head-to-toe in leather, spikes, and carrying backpacks made of overhauled brass tanks and more.
It’s deliberately over-the-top, tongue-in-cheek, and all for fun… and everyone involved with Steampunk seems to be in on the joke. Think Thomas Dolby’s “Blinded by Science” video and you’ll get the idea.
In the case of Momo Lee’s CameraPunk accessory line, this translates into brass-and-leather covered lens caps with moving watch parts, Celtic and tribal symbols soldered onto caps and leather neck straps, winged symbols and turn-of-the-19th-century design and materials.
The products are all hand-made and are therefore unique, and considered usable artworks. Prices start at $45 but go up well over $100 for more intricate designs with moving parts. They are all available on Etsy.
Do you need one of these things? They’re not exactly crucial to your craft. But if your goal is to stand out from a crowd — or be the talk of the next convention — this is a fun way to express yourself. Got to CameraPunk’s page on Etsy to explore the wonderful weirdness.
