Getting started with photography is not always a very smooth ride for aspiring photographers. No, we’re not talking about making a profession out of photography but rather simply about how expensive this can get even as a hobby. Having to get lenses, batteries, and other almost essential items can take a toll on anyone’s pocket.
So, if you know someone who is just getting into photography and want to help them out a little this Christmas, here are 10 cool gifts you can get for them to help improve their work:
- Luminar 3
Photo editing software is crucial for photographers who want to get better at their art. Such software allows you to get creative with your photos and the ability to edit raw files really helps photographers out. With Luminar 3, you’ll be gifting them an easy, yet highly advanced, piece of software that they can use not only for making a cool Christmas background but also for fixing exposure and contrast, setting white balance, applying filters, and removing objects, among much more. So, if you’re worried about what gifts for photographers are the best, Luminar 3 should be on your list.
- Polaroid Snap
If your photographer friend is more into creative, fun photography, consider getting them a Polaroid Snap. This instant camera is one of the coolest-looking ones available and features a retro-modern design. Any street photographer will fall in love with the idea of taking a person’s photo and handing them a print right in the moment.
- Clip-On Lenses for Phones
For those photographers who are trying to hone their skills by using their phone cameras, miniature clip-on lenses can make a great gift. These lenses come in various focal lengths and often as sets of different ones. Such a set, with a wide angle, fish-eye, and telephoto lenses can help make phone photography much more fun for your friends.
- A Portable Printer
There are few things better for an aspiring photographer to see prints of their photos and analyzing them to work out how they can improve. They can then gift these prints to others as well, hence making meaningful connections with people. If you like this idea, then consider gifting your photographer friend a portable printer this Christmas.
- A Leather Strap
Sometimes, all a photographer wants is a cool-looking leather strap for their brand new camera to make it look more personal. This doesn’t necessarily provide too much value in terms of added functionality, but can be a much appreciated gift from your side.
- Camera Bag
There are many DIY gear storage ideas but every photographer needs a functional camera bag for carrying all their stuff. Merging function with form, the Peak Design Everyday Camera Backpack is made for photographers who appreciate style. It’s a minimalist bag, with multiple pockets for different items. It’s not cheap though, but the value you get is worth the price.
- Ring Light
For selfie-enthusiasts, a ring light can really make the difference between ‘meh’ selfies and really cool ones. Ring lights are also very helpful in product photography because they provide very even light for the scene. Macro photographers also benefit highly from ring lights as many of them can be mounted on front of lenses, and hence getting much closer to small subjects.
- A GorillaPod
GorillaPods are awesome gifts for just about any kind of photographer. These are small tripods that have flexible legs that can be wrapped around practically anywhere from pipes to benches to lamp posts. This kind of stability is something that beginner photographers can really make great use of for long exposures, self-portraits, and much more.
- Rocket Air Blaster
If your photographer friend is new to cameras with interchangeable lenses, they’ll soon find out that dust particles on the camera sensors are some of the most annoying things they have to tackle. With an air blaster, you’ll be gifting them an easy and quick way to blast these pesky particles off of their sensors.
- Camera Lens Mug
And at last, we come to the mug that looks like a camera lens. This is cool-looking and very inexpensive gift for any beginner photographer because, well, why not?
And with that, we conclude our list of the 10 Christmas gifts that should be on your list if you have an aspiring photographer in your family or friends. Of course, if you’re feeling really generous, you could get them a new camera body or a lens, but if you want to get something not-so-expensive, these are some great choices that would make any beginner photographer happy.
