*Happy Holidays from TRP and Nauti Straps!

Hello and happy holidays!  Long time no write, eh?  Yeah, life.  So, while I’ve been largely absent on the blog here, I have been busy elf’n away on the life and biz side of things.  The Mettle Speed strap that I’ve designed in conjunction with my friend and fellow small business creator Randall at Mettlecycling.com is keeping me busy as well as being showcased in the upcoming Bicycling Magazine, so keep an eye out for Randall’s interview!  The Mettle Speed strap was designed for shooting one handed while riding, but it also works wonderfully for various outdoor activities.  I’ve used mine rock climbing, hiking, paddle boarding (with a waterproof gopro), filming while skateboarding and just out and about around town.  They’re awesome for small to mid size camera setups.

On the home front, I’m spending most of my time between work, adulting and building the Nauti Straps which has been going smashingly.  Thanks to all of you for that.  So many of you that I’ve been interacting with over the years have chosen my straps, and for that, I and the Squeeze clan are eternally grateful.  Thank you.  

New news on the Nauti Strap side of things is that I’m incorporating new colorways into many of my existing designs and will continue to showcase these as we release them.  We will be getting back into the monthly fundraising/donation schedule come the new year with us aiming to donate 10% of all our sales to a variety of causes and groups in need, so stay tuned for that. We raised hundreds of dollars for causes in 2017 with the monthly fundraising donations and while life required me to take a break in ’18, we’re gearing up for 2019 and looking forward to finding wonderful causes to support.

Our first new release is a silver, high tenacity polyester material with the same 3M reflective tracer we use in many of our Black w/3M straps (see above).  The HT Poly is smooth and silky to the touch, and the 3M material is a near identical color match to our silver strap material, so it is unnoticeable until hit with light.  A great compliment to those sporting a silver camera body and lenses, or liking to contrast with the black cameras.  The Silver Glow is available in the Tommy wrist, Vector wrist, Vector Excel QR wrist and Genoa shoulder straps, the Silver Glow w/3M is pretty tight.

As it is our second holiday season (officially as Nauti Straps, anyway), we’re going to offer ALL straps at 30% off through the end of the year as a holiday thank you.  If you need a gift idea or stocking stuffer for the shooter in your life, or would like to grab one for yourself, it’s a great time to do so and this way, I can potentially afford to buy Mrs Squeeze stuff for the holidays and her shortly after the holidays, birthday.  

Find us at www.nautistraps.com and don’t forget to use code “NAUTIORNICE” at checkout to get 30% off any and all orders.  We’ll be running it through the end of the year.

I wish everyone a happy holiday season, no matter what holidays we may celebrate this time of year.  I hope that everyone, along with your friends and families are well.  With all the anger and chaos in the world today, it is a great opportunity to focus on the good and do our best to shelter those in less fortunate situations, from the bad by being positive, giving, and a contradiction to the garbage that is going on by example.  As Bill and Ted once brilliantly said, “be excellent to each other”.

To all out there reading, here’s to another year nearly in the books.  I look forward to what the future brings, and if you have any ideas on collaboration, reviews or just want to say hi, hit me up on the Contact Me link, or via the socials below.


Find Nauti Straps on Instagram HERE, or Facebook HERE and share your shots using the hashtag #ishootnauti to share with all of us, and for a chance to win future giveaways.

Thanks, happy holidays and happy shooting,

Tyson and Rachael

*Nauti Straps are 30% off, sitewide!!! Use code “NAUTIORNICE” to save on any of our camera straps.

I don’t know about you all, but I’m already tired of blackfridaycybermondaysmallbiztuesdaysale™ season.  That said, it is the time of year that retailers attempt to capitalize on those of us looking for deals for the holiday season.  In that vein, Mrs Squeeze and I are jumping on that train and offering 30% off of all hand built camera straps that we make.  I mean, the kids have gotta eat, right?

If you, or any beloved photographer you know are needing a gift idea for the holidays, we’d be happy to build you a camera strap that is not only fashionable, but remarkably strong and beautifully functional.

Find what we do at NautiStraps.com HERE, and use code “NAUTIORNICE” at checkout to receive 30% off any and all straps, be they wrist, sling or shoulder.

We’ve also added a worldwide express shipping option for those who may be in need of these quickly (3-5 days delivery) through DHL Express.  As always, we have the free US shipping (normally 2-3 days delivery) and an economical flat $10.00 international shipping rate option as well (transit time usually ranges between 1-3 weeks, depending on where in the world you are).

Wherever you may be, and however you may celebrate, from our family to yours, we hope all is well and that this season will find you and yours happy and healthy.  

Happy shooting,

Tyson and Rachael

 

*Topaz drops deep discounts on all plugins for BF! 75% off all Topaz plugins in the Complete Collection.

It’s that time of year.  Lights are strung, holiday music plays on loop, egg nog flows and consumerism kicks into overdrive. Well, one great benefit to this is that there are truly many great deals to take advantage of on things we actually use, or can actually use.  Topaz Labs is offering its entire suite of plugins for 75% off (over $1,000.00 worth of plugins) for $249.99 this week. As has been showcased on the blog here over the years, I’m particularly partial to ReMask, Clarity and DeNoise.  Three plugins (of 17 total) I find to be absolutely indispensable.  Glow is a wonderful artsy plugin, and speaking of, Impression is a spectacular art media conversion software creating digital paintings from your image files with a few clicks.  Adjust, Detail, Simplify, ReStyle, Texture Effects, etc, etc, etc.  All a lot of fun, creatively and commercially useful to boot.  I’ve already used Clarity and DeNoise today to finish off some files for large prints that will be gifts, so, there’s still time for that as well before we end up having to panic shop.

See the 75% off sale of the Complete Collection, as well as Topaz Studio HERE

Use code BLACKFRIDAY17 to get 75% off through November 28th.

Happy holiday season to all, and may we all make it through unscathed.  

All the best,

Tyson

*New Nauti Straps Speed 2 Sling Straps, adjustable and ready to go!

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The Speed sling strap has been a mainstay for me, but over the last year, I’ve gotten feedback that an adjustable version would be something of interest to many.  Well, I sourced a lightweight, but sturdy cam lock buckle to fit the strap material, re-designed how I was splicing the clasp on, and locking the strap, and boom.  New Speed 2.  

Weighing in at a mere 2.2 ounces, and utilizing the same high strength materials, stainless steel quick release clasp and proprietary hand built design, the new Speed 2 sling strap is perfect for mirrorless and compact cameras, for on the go photographers.

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Available in Blue/White, Yellow/Gray, Orange/Gray, Red/White, Black/White and a new Solid Black with 3M® reflective tracer, the new Speed 2 is ready to go over at NautiStraps.com now.  The straps can adjust from 16″-29″ (the original Speed sling strap was a fixed 25″) and are designed to wear across your body as a sling, attaching to the camera via a quick release spring clasp and 170lb test split ring (included).  I like being able to switch between a Speed sling, and other straps using the quick release clasp.  Especially handy when wanting to get straps out of the way on the tripod.

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Available now for $48 including delivery (in the US), and for blog readers you can get a 15% discount for the next week (discount runs through Sunday, February 12th) using code “SPEED2” at checkout, these guys are ready to rock.  As always, shipping via the US Postal Service is free within the US, and is a flat $10 rate for anywhere outside of the US.

Thanks for all of the support over the last year as I’ve been working on all of these straps.  It means a lot, and I greatly appreciate the feedback and conversations I’ve had with many of you guys over this time.

I hope everyone is well.  Connect with me via  Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and Instagram.  

To stay up on new articles, you can add your email address at the top of the page (via standard browser) or below if viewing on a mobile platform.

Happy shooting,

Tyson

*40% off the Speed Sling Straps plus free shipping (in US) while they last!

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Happy Tuesday from an extremely cold, wet day in the Pacific Northwest.  Here in Portland, we’ve had more snow on the ground for a longer period of time than I can ever remember seeing in my years.  This has led to mass school cancellations resulting in a Lord of the Flies type atmosphere around here with our kids and the others in the neighborhood.  They’ve literally had one day of school since they had nearly 3 weeks of winter break.  Shit has gotten serious.  By serious, I mean seriously mental.  This may explain why I’m feeling the need to move some straps as I’ve also been home, working and staring at these things on the shelf.

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Normally $42, all Speed Sling Straps are available for 40% off when using code “SPEED40” at checkout which drops it down to $25.20 with free shipping in the US or a flat $10 international rate. (go to Nautistraps.com HERE)  Good while the stock I have lasts, and currently, I’ve got every color stocked up – solid black, black/white, blue/white, red/dk gray, yellow/dk gray and orange/dk gray.  

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The Speed Sling is a lightweight, comfortable shoulder sling style strap with one connecting point, worn across body and attaching to the camera via a 170lb test split ring and steel spring quick release clasp.  A great strap for compacts and mirrorless system cameras.  I use these with my Sony a7II and Panasonic GX8 all the time.  When wanting to switch it to a handheld, I wrap the strap a couple times around my wrist and it works wonderfully.  Find the Speed Sling, and all my other designs at Nautistraps.com 

Use code “SPEED40” to get 40% off the Speed Sling straps while I’ve got them in stock.

Find Nauti Straps on Instagram HERE, and tag me #ishootnauti to share with the NS fam.

Thanks and happy shooting,

Tyson

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*12 days of Topaz with @TopazLabs

 

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If you have been looking to pick up a Topaz plugin or two, Topaz Labs is running a promotion where each day they offer one of their plugins at a 40% discount with a new plugin each day, running for three days.  You can read more about some of my favorite Topaz plugins that I’ve reviewed HERE.  I’ll add each day of the sale and the showcased plugins as they’re released, so stay tuned and come back to see what shows up!

Day 1 – 12/12 is Topaz Detail use code DETAIL12 (running through Thursday the 15th) Find Detail for 40% off HERE.

Day 2 – 12/13 is Topaz DeNoise (best NR I’ve used!) use code DENOISE12 (running through Friday the 16th) Find DeNoise for 40% off HERE.

Day 3 – 12/14 is Topaz Simplify use code SIMPLIFY12 (running through Saturday the 17th) Find Simplify for 40% off HERE.

Day 4 – 12/15 is Topaz Impression  use code IMPRESSION12 (running through Sunday the 18th) Find Impression for 40% off HERE.

Day 5 – 12/16 is Topaz ReMask (I love this one!) use code REMASK12 (running through Monday the 19th) Find ReMask for 40% off HERE.

Day 6 – 12/17 is Topaz Adjust use code ADJUST12 (running through Tuesday the 20th) Find Adjust for 40% off HERE.

Day 7 – 12/18 is Star Effects use code STARFX12 (running through Wednesday the 21st) Find Star Effects for 40% off HERE.

Day 8 – 12/19 is Topaz Glow use code GLOW12 (running through Thursday the 22nd) Find Glow for 40% off HERE.

Day 9 – 12/20 is Lens Effects use code LENSFX12 (running through Friday the 23rd) Find Lens Effects for 40% off HERE.

Day 10 – 12/21 is Topaz Texture Effects use code TEXTUREFX12 (running through Saturday the 24th) Find Texture Effects for 40% off HERE.

Day 11 – 12/22 is Topaz ReStyle use code RESTYLE12 (running through Sunday the 25th) Find ReStyle for 40% off HERE.

Day 12 – 12/23 and finally, Topaz Clarity (one of my absolute faves) use code CLARITY12 (running through Monday the 26th) Find Clarity for 40% off HERE.

Happy, Merry everyone.  I hope all is well, and here’s to finally getting 2016 in the rearview!

Happy shooting,

Tyson

*Topaz Impression and Glow, both 25% off w/ @topazlabs

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Need a little artistic inspiration?  Try running one of your images through Topaz Impression, a beautiful paint and mixed media plugin and/or Glow, Topaz’ deliciously surreal fractal effect plugin.  These two offerings are both on sale for 25% off right now by using the code TOPAZART at checkout over at Topaz Labs HERE.  As always, Topaz offers full free trials for those interested, and I’d highly suggest checking them out if these effects suit your style.  You can download those free trials directly from Topaz HERE.  If you like them, jump on this sale before it disappears.

Come on in to see some more examples and thoughts on how and why I use these two awesome pieces of software in my own work.

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*@Topazlabs ReMask Prime?! A powerful standalone quick selection app for Mac users + FREE GIVEAWAY! (not an April Fools Joke)

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Firstly, this is not an April Fools ruse.  I am giving away activation codes for this new software 🙂 Technology can be embraced or ignored, it can be celebrated or feared, or it can fumble somewhere in between all those things.  I myself, really enjoy much of what is on offer, especially as a photographer.  I totally appreciate those that take a purist approach, but for me, I love playing with digital imagery using various software applications, and here my friends, is a very cool, very affordable piece of remarkable software.  Enter, Topaz ReMask Prime (click here to see in in the Mac App Store).  A fully functional, standalone desktop version of the irreplaceable ReMask software.  If you already own ReMask and run it as a plugin for PS, you’ll probably not need a standalone version (although, I’m starting to see a benefit), but for those who do not, this is a very cheap way to see the power of ReMask in all its glory.

Come on in to see some info and examples from Topaz ReMask Prime, a new standalone app built on the standard ReMask plugin…

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*Topaz Texture Effects, updated and on sale through the end of the month.

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For those who may have missed the introductory sale a few months ago on Topaz Texture Effects, it’s back, and includes 42 new textures, and 15 new effects along with performance enhancements.  Topaz has added to and updated the plugin, and is offering it for $20 off (available for $49.99, normally $69.99) through January 31st.  Updatable for those who already own Texture Effects, downloadable for those interested in a full free trial, or for purchase on sale via the Topaz website HERE, and if purchasing, use code “EASYTEXTURE” to get the sale price at checkout.

I reviewed Texture Effects when it was released HERE, and have continued to use and enjoy it.  Not an everyday plugin, but a great one if wanting to create a series of images, or enjoy adding some of that textured moodiness to an image or images.  Like all Topaz plugins, it’s intuitive, fast and creatively powerful.

Find me and share your results with us via the socials, via Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and Instagram. If you would like to receive email notifications as I post new articles, please feel free to add your email address at the top right of the page here as well.  Thanks for the read, and let me know if you have any questions on this new plugin, I’d be happy to try and help. 

Happy shooting,

Tyson

 

*The Topaz plugin half off sale is here with @topazlabs

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Starting today through the end of the month, Topaz is offering everything for 50% off.  The entire collection (normally $500) is available for $250 HERE, and as an extra added bonus, for those of us who already own some or many Topaz plugins, we can still take advantage of the sale by logging into our account via the Topaz Labs website (here) and gaining the 50% off on additional plugins by using the code “BLACKFRIDAY2015” at checkout.  The Complete Collection is already at a 50% discount from the full price for all plugins individually ($1,010), so really, if starting from scratch, this is really a 75% discount from purchasing the plugins one by one, which is kind of nuts.  

I’ve never shied away from praise for the various Topaz plugins I use regularly, and feel that there are a handful of irreplaceable plugins in my workflow.  The complete collection includes 17 plugins from DeNoise, ReMask, Adjust and Clarity to the brand new Texture Effects.

Come on in for more details and to see the full list of plugins… 

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