12 Christmas gifts for the photographer - Blogmas Day 7

Christmas is about so much more than the gifts. However if you do have a photographer to buy gifts for, I give you 12 Christmas gifts for the photographer in this post.

Do you want to know what gear I’m currently using? Check out my gear page!

It doesn’t have to be expensive

Now you might be thinking that Christmas gifts for a photographer has to mean it’s going to be expensive. That’s really not the truth. There are so many things that comes in handy that really doesn’t have to cost much. Let’s start with three Christmas gifts for a photographer that will cost you less than 20 dollars (200 kr).

A model or photo assistant gift card

I don’t know how many times I’ve had ideas for images where I need either a model or an assistant to be able to get it right. Hiring models or assistants can be quite expensive, so a great gift could be to offer your services either in front of the camera or assisting your photographer with whatever is necessary during a shoot. You can make the gift card however you find most suitable and I’m sure your photographer will appreciate it highly!

Field notes (or any other small notebook)

I always bring a notebook in my camera backpack. Within a year I don’t know how many field notes I go through, but it’s not few. I use them to scribble down ideas for locations, images, sets or edits on the go. If I’m traveling I use them to write down thoughts on the images I capture, to better convey the feeling I had shooting a image through my edit once I’m back at the computer. Field notes are an essential part of my camera setup, and I’m sure your photographer will be happy to get a fresh notebook to start off a new year.

Peak Design anchor links

This was a major discovery for me. You see I’ve always hated having the bulky camera straps take up too much space in my camera bag. Now I simply have one camera strap that I really love and I connect it to all my different cameras using the Peak Design anchor links. It makes it easy to switch between cameras and effortless to take the camera strap off the camera once I put it on a tripod. I think the anchor links have actually helped make me a much more effective photographer in the outdoors. Can’t recommend them enough.

However sometimes you want to spend just a bit more, right?

Sometimes you do want to spend just a little bit more. Maybe the photographer in question is your person with a capitol P and you just want to treat them to something extra this year. Well let’s just say you have a lot to choose from, here’s some Christmas gifts for the photographer you’d like to spoil.

You can never go wrong with the nifty fifty

If there’s one lens every photographer is going to have a lot of fun with, it’s the nifty fifty. I’m a Canon shooter, but whatever camera system your photographer is shooting with a fast 50mm offers a great deal of fun. Canon just released their RF version of the 50mm f 1.8, but the good old nifty fifty still does the trick. And even though it costs a bit more than the other gifts on this list so far, it still is an affordable lens considering how fast it is.

Can a photographer really have too many camera backpacks?

The answer to this first question is off course yes. However the struggle to find the perfect camera backpack is real. Carrying a lot of heavy equipment takes a toll on your back, and a proper backpack can aid some of the strain. Right now I own a Mindshift Gear Rotation 180 Horizon and I love it. It’s an expensive backpack, but it’s is actually the only camera backpack I own. Other backpacks that have gotten great reviews are the Peak Design Everyday Backpack, the McKinnon Camera Pack and the Shimoda Action X30. Since all the backpacks are a little heavy priced I suggest getting friends and family to chip in on one joint Christmas gift for the photographer.

Mittens for that freezing winter photography

As a photographer you don’t want to miss getting an image due to cold hands. I have missed my fair share of shots just because I couldn’t endure the freezing cold fingers any longer. So this gift is one that is high up on my wish list right now; Skadi Zipper Mitt PSP from Vallerret. Being able to shoot with full control of the settings and being warm and toasty at the same time; the dream.

But I just need some stocking fillers, ok?

Ok, just some stocking fillers you say? No problem. Finding photography gadgets and gear to fill those stockings is no problem at all. Here’s six of my favorite Christmas gifts for the photographer that will fit perfectly in that stocking:

That’s todays blogmas post. Later during blogmas I will post some tips for Christmas gifts for the videographer, so please consider subscribing if you don’t want to miss that! Also follow me on Instagram for Reels, stories and images during blogmas. I would really appreciate it!