Who is in the mood for gifting?
Hasn't been long since our family birthday month of September and Christmas feels just around the corner now, so the idea of presents is firmly on my mind.
I keep a Note on my phone with presents ideas for all my favorite people - collecting them throughout the year and acting upon some when time comes. Otherwise - who even knows what to gift their loved ones anymore?!
If you're in the market for a lovely gift for a person in your life that loves photography, I have a few fun insights for you. Some tried and tested, some I have been keeping my eye on for some time with hopes of buying someday... these are the top gifts for a budding or expert photographer you want to delight!
Ready?
10 Best gifts for photography lover in your life:
Yes, really! While this may sound like a shameless plug, I promise you I'm not doing a hard sale here... a family photo shoot truly is a gift that keeps on giving. Not only is the session itself an exciting event on its own, the beautiful photographs you walk away with, will delight and endear for many years to come. They can in turn be turned into further gifts - framed prints and keepsakes, like keyrings or mugs... I would be delighted to help you out here - check out my gift voucher shop.
This little gizmo is a flexible, lightweight tripod. It comes in different sizes, taking different camera weights and due to its mouldable ‘legs’, can be used in most awkward of locations - wrap it around a tree branch or set on some rocks. It folds into a compact and lightweight assistant and can easily be stored in a bag or backpack!
I own the 1K version and it works brilliantly with my smaller camera, so it’s a great companion for days out.
Camera Strap
Of course you get a strap when you buy a camera.
But I bet yours didn’t have a funky print on it or your initials tastefully monogrammed.
There are a variety of independent camera strap outlets out there (check out Etsy!) - make sure your choice suits recipient’s personality and is reliable.
...level up and get them a handcrafted leather harness - beautifu, trustworthy and timeless. I have one of those in navy and you'll rarely see me at a shoot without it.
Photo Album
For many people, the accessibility of capturing any brief moment easily has led to a decreased appreciation for photography..
Your photos likely stay on your phone, at best are transferred to your computer’s hard drive and stay there forever.... few may get printed, but it is unlikely that this is a regular occurrence (and if you do, let me know who you are, so I can high five you!).
So why not encourage your photography lover to print their work and display in an old school photo album! Photo books have become a version of this, but, to me, you can’t quite beat that feeling of sitting a print into an album wallet. Check out TKMaxx for some unique and quirky options. If a photo book is your preference of a gift of this kind, I cannot recommend MILK Albums enough. They feel luxurious, look timeless and would make a stunning gift for anyone that appreciates seeing their images on paper.
Education
No matter the stage of their journey, anyone can benefit from education. It might be Beginner Lessons on how to use the camera or editing, it might be a mentoring session with their favorite photographer (who could it be?..). It might be a day’s workshop with someone who does photography in a completely different style (because it’s always fun to try something different!) or a ticket to a Photography Convention!
Surprise the photographer in your life, ask them or take a direct request, I bet this gift of enlightenment will go down a storm! If you're at a loss of where to start, I would highly recommend a gift voucher for Click Photo School - it is an online educational platform that has classes of various length, intensity and themes. When I feel like I want to level up my skills or just to do something outside the box, this is exactly where I go.
Photo Frame
Similar to the photo album above, I am a huge advocate of printing and every time I print (my personal work or client images), I take a moment to admire the way they look and feel (!). So you can tuck some of the prints away into an album and display some of your favourites around the house in frames.
You can, of course gift a frame with a print in it or let your special someone choose their own.
How bad a- are these guys - Whisky Photo Frames
Digital Photo Frame
Ok, so I’ll compromise with you.
Imagine you had a session with me.
You receive 20 photos and just love them all and have to have them all on display... this is when you are ‘ok’ to not print them out, but display in a digital frame!
I actually find myself mesmerised by the ever-changing images of our family on my TV as I have it set to switch on a ‘screensaver’ from an online album, so it’s a similar idea and is just magical.
Magic
Once you see images produced with these babies, you'll believe in magic.
Prisms create magical special effects in images and can really add joy into the process of experimenting with photography.
Lensbaby Omni is a fun set to work with, but you can get a cheaper and simpler version of a crystal prism to eperiment with. I rarely use these for work, but when I photograph my kids around the house, especially at Christmas, with all the twinkling lights around, it sure comes in handy!
Fingerless Gloves
Yep - that simple! You can not go wrong with some hand-warmers - especially for those of us working outdoors!
My choice is Turtle Doves Fingerless Gloves - not only do they recycle cashmere jumpers to create their beautiful gloves, they have a vast variety of colors available to choose from - so why not go the extra mile and order them in brand colors? Too far? I think not!
Quirky T
Check out this creative resource for some of the most fun pho-tees (get it?) I’ve seen around!
Us photo-lovers appreciate a good pun and you just can never go wrong with a gift of quality humour!
Hope my list of suggestions has inspired you and one thing for sure - no matter what you chose to gift to your special someone - whether from this list or not, they will appreciate the gesture, you recognising their passion and your support for what they love.
Did list help you out at all? Let me know if you grab anything for an upcoming birthday or Christmas - I'd love to hear what you pick and how it is received.
Good on you for being a thoughtful gifter!
Don't forget, you can give a family photo shoot with me - grab the gift voucher right here! (right now :))
And here's something a little different, as I don't often do newborn photoshoots - enjoy this beautiful newborn session in northeast Minneapolis by my friend Michele!
Love the gorilla pod! The perfect gift!
This is such a great idea! The best gift for the photography-lover in your life—so perfectly thought out. Love how you’ve put this together.
Aw! I love these ideas! Thank you! :)
Great article! Love all those gift ideas.