Gift Guide 2016: For the Photographer in Your Life

Do you have a photography-obsessed friend? A camera collecting relative? Or you are simply buying for a secret santa and the only thing you know about the person is that they sometimes take photos on their phone? Never fear, this list will help you find the perfect gift (or gifts!) for the photographer in your life.

For the Novice

This list is for the phone-photographer, the Instagram artist, and the friend in your group who never fails to capture the moment in any outing.

Gorilla pod, $15 (photojojo)

gorilla-pod-1

For anyone who’s ever struggled with the selfie stick, this is the perfect solution. A gripping tripod that can fit in a handbag or backpack, made for transport and fits multi-sized phone sizes.  Shop this item >>

Firefly clip string lights, $20 (URBAN OUtfitters)

urban-outfitters-photo-lights

Does your photo-fiend have thousands of developed pictures just lying around their house? Too many to ever frame? Than this is a perfect gift to give them. Help them decorate their home without worrying if you’ve got the right frame size or room for frames.  Shop this item >> 

The power wallet, $20 (Photojojo)

power-wallet-phone-charger-4a83-833x555

As any phone-photo-app-using photographer knows, nothing drains a camera’s battery quite like photography apps on the phone. Help save your photographer the pain of having the 10% battery life moment happen in the middle of an outing! This wallet is the perfect gift (even for non-photography users) and well priced to boot!  Shop this item >>

For the Student

They already own the cameras, they may have even taken some classes, but it’s definitely not just a hobby. The student is ready to learn and you can help them!

instagram friendly books, $18 – $37 (Artifact Uprising)

artifact-uprising-instagram-books

For the curated instagrammer in your life – this is the perfect gift. Make a book of their best shots, or a collection from this year, or make up your own theme. Artifact Uprising does an excellent job of taking instagram shots and making them into professional-looking books.  Shop this item >> 

Fundamentals of photography by tom ang, $26.95 (URban outfitters)

urban-outfitters-photo-book

For those interested in learning the how and the why’s of how to frame a shot, how to light a subject, how to properly identify and understand their camera, there is this book from Tom Ang that does an excellent job of breaking down these core concepts in understandable and relatable terms.  Shop this item >>

A year’s subscription to skillshare, $96/year, $8/month (Skillshare)

skillshare-photo-calss

Does your photographer love learning new ways to capture the moment? Are they working towards a specific goal? Give them the gift that keeps on giving – a year subscription to Skillshare. An online teaching site where students can actually interact with the teacher, share ideas and work with a class and really learn the skills they need to grow.  Shop this item >>

For the Professional

Maybe this is their day job, or a side gig, or even just an obsession. Whatever the degree, the Professional has multiple cameras, knows the name to each and every aspect of the camera and can tell you what ISO to use the moment they walk outside in the morning. They probably have a website or blog to share their work and may even have printed some books to catalogue their past work. Whatever the case, these gifts below are ones they will truly cherish.

vsco film preset packs, $59 (vsco)

vsco-preset-films

If you have a photographer friend – they’ve most likely heard of VSCO. VSCO is a company that makes exceptional digital films that allow a digital photographer to utilize styles from manual cameras and films that no longer are made. If you know your photographer uses Lightroom or Photoshop, then I recommend getting them one of the films above, or more if you’re feeling generous!  Shop these items >>

gallery frame photo, $65 (Artifact Uprising)

artifact-frame

Do you have a favorite photograph by your photographer? Why not get it professionally framed for them? Artifact Uprising does an incredible job framing photographs on high quality paper, with or without matte and with your choice of frame. Framing work can get expensive, so you don’t see a lot of photographers framing their own work for personal use, or not in any large quantity.  Shop this item >>

InstantFlex TL70 Instant Camera, $389 – $419 (PHotojojo)

photojojo-instantflex

For those of you willing to splurge or looking for a big ticket item for your gifttee – look no further. Medium format cameras are an homage to the great photographers that have driven forward the aesthetic ideal of what photography means as an art form. But this camera uses the body of a medium format but the guts of a polaroid and voila, old meets new, and new meets old. For the retro photo lover in your life.  Shop this item >>

And that’s all for this year! I hope this list has helped you out. And if you are a photographer – what gift would you like to receive this year? 

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