The shooting business, when compared to, say, the music industry or banking, is likely to be found at the pragmatic end of the spectrum. It is mostly populated by middle-aged men of a conservative outlook with whom the abstract or the fanciful finds little favour; however, there are some aspects of the way the industry presents itself where that pragmatism may not do it any favours. This was demonstrated in a recent review of the Swazi topcoat which appears in the current issue of Sporting Gun magazine. The magazine’s editor, Dom Holtam, gave the coat a thorough going over. So far, so good, but it is at this point one sees how the often cost driven pragmatism of the industry lets the whole thing down. For Swazi having gone to the trouble of carefully designing and manufacturing a tough, hardwearing garment for the outdoor enthusiast and Holtam having assiduously tested it, the resulting carefully crafted peon of praise was immediately undone by the image accompanying it which managed to make the wearer look like the sort of person who hangs around the stairwells in multi-story car parks mumbling.
Holtam did his best but can hardly be described as mannequin material and whilst it would be ludicrous to see shooting gear being draped over the frame of the usual emaciated catwalk dandies, neither is it best served by (in this case) lending the wearer the aura of someone for whom the words “restraining order” are all too familiar. Where clothing is concerned a few more bob spent on decent photography is nearly always worthwhile investment.