Our Mission & Values

The mission of the LemurStrap is to transform your life as a photographer: reducing frustration and taming your unruly camera so that you can focus on getting the shot and telling the stories you’re meant to tell.

At LemurStrap we stand for:

Thoughtfulness

We believe in being thoughtful in every aspect of our work. Every decision we make and have made—design, manufacturing & all other aspects of the business—is intentional. We never compromise on quality or treating people and our planet right.

Respect for the whole team

We know that every person in the process of creating and selling our product is valuable, and that’s why we make sure they’re all paid a living wage (at least). We only contract with companies, including the factory that produces the straps, who pay their workers fairly and treat them well.

Sustainability

We are dedicated to implementing the most sustainable practices possible. The LemurStrap is built conscientiously and durably—designed to be used for a long time. We do everything we can to reduce shipping emissions by ordering from the factory in bulk, and our packaging is entirely free of single-use plastic. Recycle the mailer and the cardboard backing, and save the velcro straps, they’re really handy for cord management, attaching string lights to your deck, and a huge variety of other uses.

Telling powerful stories

We believe that photography can be a very powerful storytelling tool. We want to enable photographers to better tell important stories by simplifying their job. The LemurStrap allows photographers to focus more on their work, and less on taming their unruly camera.

Why Lemur?

We are grateful to lemurs for inspiring a better way to carry our cameras. Lemurs move hands-free through the tree canopy, as their pups cling to their backs, just like your camera does with LemurStrap.

Lemurs habitat is exclusive to Madagascar, and they are the world’s most endangered mammal, with 98% of lemur species at risk of extinction and 31% critically endangered (Lemur Conservation Network).

As a company that cares, we want our namesake to remain an inspiration to countless generations. That’s why we’ve partnered with Mikajy Natiora, a Madagascar-based conservation organization. Check out their work at www.mikajynatiora.com

Our Origins

The idea for LemurStrap was born from our founder Jim’s frustrating experiences trying to carry his camera everywhere he went - especially while hiking and biking. It was always swinging around awkwardly, getting dinged up and scratched, and the strap was always bunching up his clothes. He knew there had to be a better way. As a general contractor, artist, architectural designer, and compulsive inventor, he was well-equipped to solve this design conundrum.

Meanwhile, his friend Andy Mann (professional photographer, film director, and conservationist) was experiencing nearly the same thing. One day Jim showed Andy a rudimentary version of the LemurStrap: a piece of metal screwed to the bottom of his camera, with a piece of webbing attached with string. Andy saw the potential immediately, and naturally the two teamed up.

Over five years, they embarked on a continuous process of rigorously field testing the product and refining each detail. 

Today LemurStrap continues to evolve and grow. We are so grateful for everyone who got us here and we’re excited for what’s to come.

  • The first baseplate prototype

  • The evolution of the baseplate

Our Factory

When it came time to select a factory to produce our straps, we talked to some other startups in the Boulder area and were directed to a small factory in Southern China. Their team has been an instrumental part of the process, and have diligently implemented each design change.

Factory owner Army Wu is dedicated to running her factory in an ethical way, providing a stable livelihood for everyone who works for her. It is also a goal of hers to build schools for girls in the rural, often forgotten countryside of China.

The factory team (from left): Army (factory owner), Luna (project manager), and Cici (prototyper)