Hello fellow photogs!

What do you want for Christmas (or the holiday)?  My pat answer is usually, “I don’t know.”

Wrong!

Tis that season to blurt out a definitive answer to that age old question. Here are some ideas for photography buffs (like us) and an ideal response.

Gary Fong

Gary who?  The Gary Fong light defuser has been around for quite a while and is a definite must have for all indoor portrait work.  Turn that washed out, direct flash photo into a beautiful, softly lit photo.  Lose the back shadows that often come with a harsh flash photograph.  And it’s lightweight and easy to transport!  

NEW to his line of great flash defusers is the Lightsphere Collapsible.  The defuser collapses down to a 1.5″  thick ring which allows for easy storage and transport.

Gorillapod Flexible Tripod by Joby
The revolutionary little tripod is strong and remarkably flexible.  The legs allow it to securely wrap around pretty much anything, be it a post, bicycle handle bars, railing, or tree branch (hence its catchy name). The magic stems from its two-dozen-plus leg joints, which not only bend but also rotate 360-degrees.

It’s a bona fide miracle of modern tripod engineering. You can twist the legs into any shape you like without worrying that they’ll buckle or break. And if you just want to set it up like a standard tripod, rubberized balls at the end of each leg make for a rock steady mount. Meanwhile, a small quick release clip that can remain attached to the camera lets users snap their shooters onto the stand via a secure locking mechanism in less than a second.

I have one of these little tripods and it has come in handy on several occasions.  It is light weight and easy to throw in the camera bag.  Add this to your ‘Holiday Wish List’.

Books and Magazines

There are so many cool books geared towards photography that it is a daunting task to try to choose just one.  So ask for several!  Photography is a visual art and is well suited for the printed page.  Shop around the depths of Amazon.com.  You’re sure to find a few that interest you.  Maybe something technical?  Or instructive?  Or just one with pretty pictures of your favorite photographic subject to rival your own portfolio.  Get some books on your ‘Holiday Wish List’.

How about a monthly subscription to a photography magazine?  A few years ago I subscribed to Outdoor Photographer magazine.  I love it.  It arrives each month and is loaded with all the latest and greatest outdoor photography information, techniques, equipment, stories, contests and field trips.

Outdoor Photographer is just one of a multitude of monthly photography periodicals that offer insight into your favorite subject matter.  Do some research to help out your gift-giver and add one or two to your ‘Holiday Wish List’.

Remote Cable Release

Attention gift givers!  Here’s a piece of equipment that I bet your photographer knows they need to have or always wanted to have in their gear bag but don’t.  There’s a simple reason for this.  Us photographers are easily distracted by the really high-end equipment and toys when we walk into a camera store that our eyes glaze over, our brains go to mush and we forget to add the simple, less attractive Remote Cable Release to our shopping cart.

Camera manufacturers make it easy.  Just plug the cable end of the RCR into the USB port on the camera. You’re ready to shoot without shake.  And, you will Get more natural poses from your subjects and sharper images due to less shake of the camera.  This is on my ‘Holiday Wish List’ .. hint, hint.

Photography T-Shirts (By CafePress)

Clever play on words on a classic ‘T’ always make great gifts.  Express your inner giggle when wearing any of the great designs by CafePress.  All sizes, colors, styles and sayings for any photography buff are affordable and make for great gifts.

Lenses

This category is for ME!  I would LOVE a Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS lens or a Sigma APO 50-500mm F4-6.3 lens, in case my gift givers ever read this post.

Happy holidays and above all, happy unwrapping!