Ica Insight: The Best Gifts For the Photographer in your life
Ever wonder what to get the photographers in your life? It was my birthday just a week ago & it made me think about past gifts that really celebrated my love for photography or gifts that helped me or encouraged me to build my photography career. Though I am not a “gifts person” myself, I would rather spend quality time with people & receive words of affirmation, but whether it was for my birthday or holidays, these gifts were always such a blessing to receive.
I hope that this list helps you celebrate the photographers in your life. I know that receiving any of these gifts was such an encouragement to continue to pursue photography & when it came from a loved one, it makes it that much more special.
A camera bag!
Kelly Moore Bag - Riverdale Right now I’m currently obsessed & never without my very own red, Riverdale bag that I received from my brother in law this past Christmas. It’s a beautiful every day bag, but it’s also a padded camera bag that can squeeze in my Nikon d750 + a 50mm 1.4 lens if they are *not attached. It’s a very petite bag, & I love that because I’m a very petite women.
When I’m out with friends & family I often long to have one of my cameras on me but HATE the bulkiness of it in a purse or around my neck. So squeezing it into my Riverdale means keeping a petite profile with a fashionable bag, that doesn’t scream “Come rob me, I have a very expensive camera is in here!” like lots of standard cameras.
Or a work bag!
Maybe I’m old school, but I’ve still got a deep love for my classic & faithful, Shoot Sac. My husband gifted this bag to me while we were still dating & while I was just starting my business. This shoot sac has been faithfully by my side over the past 10 years & it still looks as solid as the first day I got it.
This bag is a work horse & it carries all my lenses on a wedding day so comfortably. I see most photographers these day opt for more fashionable camera bag during weddings and portrait sessions, and to each his own, I just find myself never wanting to give up the comfort & durability of my shoot sac.
2. And awesome camera strap!
I’ve acquired a number of camera straps over the years, some handmade with love, others mere replacements of my original Nikon straps, but none compares to my HoldFast moneymaker straps.
Every time I wear this I always get complimented on how cool I look with this leather goodness on, most especially when it’s tethered to two cameras. But I also just love it for the “backpack” feel that helps distribute the weight of my camera off of my neck and onto my shoulders and back instead. One of my best friends almost gifted this to me, but I purchased it before she could surprise me with it.
3. A starting lens
This gift isn’t such a great gift idea for any seasoned professional photographers in your life, because they most likely already own a lens similar or even better than this lens.
BUT for the hobbyist photographers or brand new photographers in your life, this is a pretty sweet gift to receive. When I was just starting out I purchased this lens on my own, but most of my peers just starting out with me were receiving this lens as a gift for their first holiday or birthday after pursing their photography journey. It helps that this lens is great glass but not a bank breaker.
3. A fun camera!
Sometimes carrying my professional camera turns on a switch inside my brain & makes me go into “work-mode Ica” even when I don’t want to, like when I’m on vacation or just going for an adventure in the city with my husband. So a few years ago my husband gifted me my Fuji Instax camera (and the entire collection of 15 other vintage Polaroid cameras I own).
Whenever I can remember to buy film & have it ready for our adventures, I use it for fun personal memories & it brings me right back to the simple joy I get from capturing life’s sweetest moments. Shooting with this toy camera helps me remember why I love photography so much! And having instantly printed photos is a plus too because we don’t print our photos enough these days!
4. Memory Cards
Maybe you need ideas for filling a photographer’s Christmas stocking next Christmas, or if you have a limited budget to spend on the photographer in your family (we all have an “Uncle Bob” character in the family who is never without his camera & his flash at every family function), these are such little but thoughtful gifts to get the photographer in your family.
I would have never thought about giving memory cards as a gift, but man my best friends gifted me some memory cards the year I started growing my business & it was one of the most thoughtful gifts I received that year. By receiving memory cards from them, I felt their encouragement to keep capturing beautiful photos & fill them up with memories! But make sure to ask the photographer in your life what size & what kind of memory cards they use so that you don’t get them cards they can’t use. Thankfully my besties knew exactly what I use.
And honestly, photographers can never, ever have too many memory cards.
Memory cards have such a limited shelf life, having new ones & extra one never hurt.
Want to learn how to
take care of your memory cards?
If you are a pro or even a hobbyist photographer, wouldn’t you love to receive these items as gifts?
Please feel free to comment below, other recommendations you have for gifts for photographers.
