Buying gifts for photographers is never easy. It’s especially hard if you’re not a photographer yourself. Luckily, One of the best things about buying gifts for photographers is that there are always a little tool or handy photography accessories that they could use for their kit!
Photographers tend to be creatures of habit, sticking with their tried and true equipment for as long as possible. So why not introduce a new bit of kit to help them get those creative juices flowing again?
Photography Accessories & Gifts for New Photographers
I’m not going to lie, as a photographer, I’m not easy to buy gifts for. None of us are… In fact the only thing harder than choosing the right gift for a photographer is buying a gift for a traveller. Knowing what photography accessories the photographer on your list needs is difficult but not impossible!
Below, we’ve pulled together some of the best gifts for the photographers in your life. This way you can get them something that offers value to their hobby or business this Christmas season.
Hard Camera Cases
Every photographer needs a strong, sturdy camera case to protect their beloved camera and kit. With photography equipment being pricey, it is important to take care of it in the best way possible.
A hard case like the Peli Camera Cases will not only keep your equipment safe from damage, but it will also help to protect from water damage and keep away dust. These camera cases also come with a lifetime guarantee, so it will be the gift that keeps on giving!
That guarantee is no lie, I use Peli Cases for more than just photography. From cases bolted on my motorcycle to moving firearms around my Peli cases have stood the test of time. Never once have they let water or dirt inside. (even when I fully submersed my motorcycle once, but thats another story).
A Camera Drone
A drone is a piece of equipment that you will find more and more within a professional photographer’s kit. Drone photography has become increasingly popular, especially amongst those that also dabble in videography.
There is so much you can do with drone photography now that the technology has advanced for consumers. If your photographer friend or family member enjoys landscape photography in particular, then a drone may be the perfect gift this Christmas.
I own and fly a DJI Mavic Pro 2. This drone is lightweight & folds up small enough to take on my adventures around the world. It also creates stunning images and video of the places I visit and the smart flight modes let me go ‘hands free’ as it follows me around!
External/Portable Hard Drive
Photography, especially high quality photography, can take up a lot of space on a photographer’s laptop. You can never have enough external hard drive space. High quality image files have large file sizes, so aiming for a 2-3 TB external hard drive will be perfect.
I’d suggest a ‘mobile’ external hard drive that can be plugged straight into a laptop, rather than having to be plugged into wall power as well. This means that your photographer will be able to travel a lot easier and not have to worry about finding multiple plug sockets in order to edit their work.
I almost exclusively use the Lacie Rugged hard drives, not only do they stand up against the rigors of travel but they’re also amazingly fast (something that makes or breaks a drive for me!) the 4TB Rugged USB3.0 hard drive is the de facto storage solution for many travel photographers I know personally.
If you’re looking for something even more durable than the Lacie Rugged, take a look at Sandisk’s Extreme Portable SSD. Not only is it rain, splash, dust and spill proof, but packed inside is a stable solid state drive (SSD). It’s fast read and write speeds offer quick access to your images out in the field.
64GB Class 10 Memory Card
In keeping with the gift of memory, 64GB Class 10 memory cards can also be the perfect photography accessory. The prices on memory have fallen so far that most photographers will always keep as many memory cards on hand as possible. My camera shoots to two memory cards at once, So I keep plenty to use as backups & to ensure I never run out of space when out shooting.
A 64GB card can not only store a huge quantity of high-quality images, but it can also be perfect for those looking to record a lot of video footage. The ‘class 10’ specification details how quickly the memory card works. If your photographer is shooting on a camera that takes images in RAW and also 1080p or 4k video footage, they will need a memory card that is extremely fast and reliable.
Here at Adventographer we’re huge fans of the proven performance and track record of Sandisk ‘Extreme Pro’ series of products. I can count at least seven of their 64GB 300Mb/sec SD memory cards sitting in my kit bag right now (plus two more 128GB cards).
Memory Card Holder
For all of their memory cards, why not get them a memory card holder? There’s nothing worse than rummaging through your camera bag looking for your memory cards. Memory cards are small and light, making them very easy to lose or misplace. Losing a memory card can cause huge amounts of stress and regret. Especially if it is filled with memories of a recent trip or photos from a paying job.
A memory card holder/case is a photography accessory that’s always overlooked but is extremely useful. I prefer a hard sided memory card case like the Pelican 0915 Memory Card Wallet. Hard sides and a good seal keep my memory cards from getting crushed/broken or wet.
Filter Kits
If your photographer enjoys experimenting with photography, then getting them something more creative, like a filter kit, can be a great gift. Filters allow for creative effects not easily achieved in their absence.
Filter are pieces of colored or tinted glass that the photographer can screw on the front of their lens. These filters can help to better balance light or even add a tint to an image. Being able to properly expose a sunset or landscape shot with a Split ND filter. Or create smooth flowing waterfall photos with an ND Filter is an exciting step for a budding photographer.
I prefer to spend a little extra and get top of the line B+W filters but the more budget friendly Tiffen Filters will work just as well in 90% of scenarios.
The Take Away
If you are looking for the perfect gift for the photographer in your life, you can’t go wrong with the above gift ideas. So steer clear of the lens-shaped coffee mugs and opt for something a little more practical that they will both love and use!
