The client approached me asking for a hand made camera strap. They wanted it to be made from leather due to its great tensile strength as well as its long lasting properties. In conjunction with the leather, they specified that they wanted the strap to be lined. 

I decided to jot down a few ideas and did a few simple sketches which helped me understand exactly what the customer wanted. 

I lined the strap with a blue and white polkadot material with a 30000 rub factor to ensure that it would last. I then joined the two together by hand stitching them with heavy-duty waxed thread. 

I got to work, making a few prototypes of shapes and patterns and user testing them in order to find the correct, most comfortable fit. I decided to go with a rounded strap that had no harsh corners which improved on its comfort when putting the strap over the neck or adjusting it. 

Next was to find the correct leather that would do the best justice to the task that was required. After considering a range of thicknesses, finishes and colours, I settled on a 0.3mm tanned eland leather. I showed it to the client and they loved it. The motivating factors were that it was thin and very soft as well as the fact that they enjoyed the colour.

I hope you enjoyed seeing this project. Please feel free to comment, like and share. For more of my leather work find me on Facebook @ Rieck Leather Designs and on instagram @rieckleatherdesigns. Also, please follow if you're keen to see more interesting projects of mine.