If you know a photographer, Christmas might be the perfect time to get them something really great! Here are 21 Christmas gifts for photographers. Whether they’re funny gifts or serious ones, there’s definitely something here that will make Christmas more awesome for any photographer in your life.
"I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Full disclosure here."Christmas Gifts for Photographers
I’ve curated this list as a list of things I would love for Christmas…wink wink nod nod (jk, I already have a lot of these items). It might be a little skewed to landscape photographers, but I got a few general items in here as well. Let’s go ahead and get started!
1. Peak Design Travel 20L Backpack
Here’s an item I don’t quite have but have been obsessing over for a while now. It’s a great day carry bag for your camera, a couple of lenses, and maybe even a drone depending on your camera size/setup. There’s also a larger 30L that may suit you better. And just a heads-up, I love Peak Design products so this will not be the last product from them I recommend.
2. Fingerless Gloves
These pretty much go without explanation if you’re a landscape photographer, but for those of you not familiar with the struggle of long-exposure photography in the winter, these are essential! Sitting there in the snow or freezing cold trying to catch the sun rising before it has the chance to warm you.
With the camera on the tripod, one hand warm in a pocket, the other holding your remote shutter release or adjusting your camera buttons. With these, your key fingertips will be free to hit the necessary buttons but the rest of your hand won’t suffer.
3. Rechargeable AA Batteries
These things are amazing and always come in handy for photographers. Even if it’s not just for photography items. I use mine for my Nikon SB-700 speedlight flashes and my Zoom H6 audio recorder when producing video content related to my photography. They’ve even occasionally found themselves in Xbox controllers when not being used for my photography gear.
4. Smartwool 250 Base Layer
Continuing a trend of cold gear for photography, this is another essential item. Although not quite as flashy as a new strap or funny as a few items I’m mentioning next, your favorite photographer will appreciate this gift. Smartwool uses merino wool for its products, a non-itchy version of traditional wool. I have a few of their shirts and a bunch of their socks. It has great insulation and will even provide warmth when wet.
5. JOBY GorillaPod Mobile Vlogging Kit
If the photographer you’re shopping for wants to make content for their YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram Stories this would be a helpful gift to get them started. It includes a mobile rig for their phone, a mic for audio, lights for better visibility, and of course a mini tripod that can stand up, be held up, or even wrapped around obscure items for the best angle! If you don’t think they’re quite ready for the whole kit, I use my JOBY GorillaPod 5K a lot as a quick, easy-to-grab mini tripod. I’ll speak more about that later.
6. “Say People” Funny T-Shirt
Don’t think I need to explain myself much here. But this shirt gave me a little bit of a chuckle while I was researching this article. If it does the same for you or that special photographer of yours then be my guest. People!!!
7. Digital Picture Frame
All photographers love to see their work, this would be a great way to display it. Or maybe this special photographer is your spouse and you can use this digital picture frame to display family photos they’ve taken over the years.
8. Peak Design Slide Strap
Here’s another one of those Peak Design products I was promising to mention. This is one of their awesome camera straps. The first item I actually purchased from them and it got me hooked. Before I knew it, I had their little dongles all over my cameras along with various other straps and products of theirs.
This specific strap is perfect for replacing the strap that comes with most DSLRs. Peak Design makes smaller, thinner ones for mirrorless cameras, I’ve linked to that one here if interested.
9. Fujifilm Instax Printer
Great for printing phone images on the go. These aren’t gonna be as high quality as the print lab prints they might give to their clients. But these will produce fun little moments of what they capture with their cell phones when they’re out with family or friends.
10. Subscription to Lightroom (12 Months)
Perfect for the new photographer who might not already be editing their photos in Lightroom. Maybe they just bought their first camera and have been using the free software that came with their computer. Once they get used to Lightroom and what it can do, they’ll never want to go back to another free service. This also knocks phone editing apps out of the water!
11. Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer 2
More cold gear recommendations for photographers. This is easily my favorite piece of gear to bring with me on cold photography journeys. It’s a jacket that uses down to provide a ton of warmth so it’s super lightweight, super packable, and pretty badass looking if I must say so myself.
I’ve had two versions of this jacket, one with the hood and one without. The hood can be a bit noisy when worn and might be annoying when combined with another hooded layer, but when it proves its worth when standing behind a tripod and you need as much warmth as possible…Highly recommended!
12. Peak Design Travel Tripod
Yet another Peak Design item, the Peak Design Travel Tripod (full review here). This is their version of a tripod, built from the ground up with many thoughtful designs and features. It comes in two different versions, Aluminum, and Carbon Fiber. Both are a bit on the expensive side, but if the photographer is looking for a tripod upgrade and wants a tripod that is lightweight, has a quick setup/breakdown, and a small footprint this is a great fit.
13. SD Card (32GB)
32GB IS My go-to size SD card, not too big or too small…but just right for photography. I’ve two 128GB SD cards if I really need them, but have approximately 8-10 of these in my camera bag. They’re also a great price and pretty easy to find.
14. Fujifilm Instax Camera
Another product from Fujifilm makes the list. This would be more so a novelty item for photographers. Or a camera to keep around the house for fun friends/family moments. Your cellphone could easily fit into this role, but let’s face it, this is a lot more fun. I test-drove one of these for a month or so before gifting it to my brother for his family.
15. Manfrotto PIXI Mini Tripod
This is a super tiny tripod, primarily for desktop or handheld vlogging with a cellphone or smaller cameras. I’ll use this combined with a cell phone holder when recording photography-related content on my phone or the below-mentioned JOBY GorillaPod 5K when recording with a big camera. This little guy comes in handy, but heads up, it doesn’t go all the way vertically. They would need to depend on the cell phone holder for that.
16. Smartwool Socks
Last cold gear item on the list. But again Smartwool is the king of warm and toasty socks. I make sure to get at least a pair every Christmas, as well as gift them out to the family.
I’ve got thick ones for winter landscape photography. I’ve got thin ones for summer landscape photography. I’ve got ones with cool designs for family photography sessions. Alright, might’ve gone a bit far there….but really…I only have one of those pairs.
17. 5-Hour Energy
The secret of my photography kit, and maybe more geared towards landscape photographers. But these are my bread & butter when waking up at the crack of dawn to drive to the mountains or beach for sunrise.
They’re quicker to drink than coffee and they can fit in your pocket. I might be addicted but I can attribute a lot of my great images to being highly caffeinated by these guys. Thank you 5hr Energy!
18. Camera Lens Coffee Mug
Feel like this is on every “Christmas Gifts for Photographers” list so I won’t want to disappoint anyone. Amazon highly recommended this one to me so I’m passing that recommendation along to you. Looks cool! Although I am more of a Nikon guy myself.
19. Ansel Adams: 400 Photographs
Every landscape photographer knows who this guy is. His work is awe-inspiring and motivating. This book shows off a large amount of his work. And would be a great addition to any photographer’s bookshelf.
20. JOBY GorillaPod 5K
As mentioned earlier, JOBY GorillaPod tripods can wrap around obscure items like poles, fences, railing, etc for that perfect angle. Even though I have a nice lightweight traditional tripod, sometimes I want something smaller and easier to transport.
The 5K model supports heavier camera setups, but you can choose smaller ones if they have smaller camera setups, like these here.
21. Peak Design Cuff Camera Strap
How very fitting to finish off this list with another Peak Design item. I use the Peak Design Cuff for my smaller camera, the Fujifilm X100F. It’s not a full-functioning shoulder strap, just a little strap meant to give you peace of mind if you’re worried about dropping your camera. I
‘ll use mine in street photography moments or when hanging out with friends and family. It can quickly detach from the camera and be worn as a bracelet/watch so you won’t have to take off the whole strap every time you remove your camera.
Wrapping Up
I hope this list helps you find the perfect gift for your photographer friend or family member. I know they’ll love whatever you ended up picking out. Even if it’s the “Say People” shirt. Merry Christmas and happy shopping (said with a slight wink).
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