Photography Gifts for the Stylish Photographer

Day Three of our Holiday Gift Guide for Photographers!

 https://youtu.be/Vg7vB2Lzuds

Ona Bags

The beautiful antique cognac Brixton Camera/Laptop Messenger Bag from ONA is designed to hold your DSLR with three lenses, a 13" laptop, and accessories. In addition, there's a rear open slip-pocket that's large enough for a 10" tablet. Movable interior dividers allow you to configure the bag to accommodate your gear. Dual front accessory pockets fit small, quick-access items such as lens caps, batteries, and a smartphone.Buy from B&H Photo $439  Shop all Ona Products from Ona 

Cecilia Gallery Straps

Hand-woven from Peruvian wool and featuring full-grain Argentinian cowhide, the charcoal Baby Alpaca Wool Camera Strap from Cecilia Gallery features a wide 1.5" neck to comfortably hold a DSLR with an attached lens on adjustable black leather strap ends. Attaching to the side camera lugs, the durable strap ends are comprised of a triple layer build and are rated for a 250 pound resistance, allowing this strap to accommodate bigger and heavier lenses. This 52" long designer strap features Zamac hardware, which is a zinc-alloy held to higher industry standards.Buy from B&H Photo $90 

HoldFast Gear Money Maker Two-Camera Harness

The Money Maker Two-Camera Harness by HoldFast Gear is made of chestnut English Bridle leather and holds two cameras comfortably at your hips. The straps of the harness lie in an "X" pattern across your back for added support. The Speed Clutch mechanism allows the camera to slide along the harness to eye level easily.Buy from B&H Photo $215

Photography Gifts under $75

Day Two of our Holiday Gift Guide for Photographers!

https://youtu.be/UJAkG21umnc

Keyboard covers

The KB Covers' Photoshop & Lightroom Keyboard Covers for MacBook, Air & Pro (Unibody, Black Keys) is a durable, ultra-thin silicone keyboard cover with custom editing buttons for a default keyboard layout in Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Lightroom. The cover allows you to improve your workflow by spending more time working on your project and less time memorizing the program shortcut keys.Buy from B&H Photo or direct from KBCovers.com

Triggertrap

Create advanced triggering setups all from your smartphone or tablet with this Triggertrap Mobile Kit, Triggertrap allows users to quickly and easily connect their cameras to their smart phones or tables and via the FREE triggertrap app offers a variety of different sensor triggering options, such as sound and vibration, time lapse modes, HDR imaging capabilities, and standard cable release settings.Buy from B&H Photo $37

Ona Insert

The Roma Camera Insert and Bag Organizer from Ona is a unique approach to organizing and carrying your gear. It fits inside many of today's medium-sized non-camera style bags. Designed to hold your DSLR with a lens and a few accessories like batteries, it's also made with five exterior pockets that will hold everything from pens, cell phone, wallet and passport.Buy from B&H Photo $69

Print gift certificates

Spend any sum of money for a gift certificate to print products at Adoramapix and the photographer in your life will be happy - it is special to have your own photos on the wall and a gift certificate can be a big nudge in that direction. We love the quality, consistency and diversity of products at Adoramapix.Buy from Adoramapix $10-150

Peak Design Field Pouch

Store your small camera accessories or smaller Micro 4/3 camera systems in the Field Pouch from Peak Design. Further organize your gear by utilizing the interior slip pockets and take advantage of the attachment point for Peak Design's Capture Clip. Keep your pouch in your bigger bag, or use the seatbelt style belt loops to wear on your belt. You can also attach the pouch to any Peak Design strap (sold separately) turning it into a lightweight sling bag. The felt padding provides light protection from everyday use, while the weather-resistant waxed 500D Kodra shell helps safeguard your gear from a sudden change in weather.Buy from B&H Photo Photographers can always use more space and this two pack of FAST cards from Lexar will satisfy nicely. Fast enough to handle higher bit rate 4K and nicelyBuy from B&H Photo $74.75

JOBY Gorillapod SLR Zoom

Ultralight but ultra useful  - the Gorillapod is a Flexible joint tripod you can wrap around fences, tree branches, etc.  This allows you to carry an extremely small tripod capable of any height you want- I recommend buying with the small ball head as this does give you additional flexibility in setup and use.Buy from B&H Photo

Westcott 5-in-1 Reflector Disc

The Westcott 40.5" 5-in-1 Collapsible Reflector is versatile in the field and in the studio, providing shadow-lightening detail in your subject, using available, or studio lighting. It starts out as a translucent white disc -- perfect for softening direct sun, or lights without diffusion. Use the removable, reversible zippered slipcover to reflect light into shadow areas of your subject. Your choice of color -- silver, gold, white, black mix -- will be determined by the lighting conditions, and your personal preference.Buy from B&H Photo $39.90

Photography Gifts Under $150

We have put together 12 lists of recommended holiday gifts for the photographer in your life.   Today's list is gifts under $150.   Check back each day for the next list.https://youtu.be/gp85r4Cv4uw 

Spider Camera Holster SpiderPro Hand Strap

Extremely comfortable, form fitting and adds a bit of security to the gripBuy from B&H Photo $65.00 

Lume cube

 Really tiny cubes (about the size of a GoPro Session) that allows you to produce a constant beam of light or use as a flash/strobe.  Adjust the settings via the app or manual control on the light and waterproof to 100'Preorder from B&H Photo $79.99 

A Prime Lens

Almost every manufacturer offers a prime lens under $150.  If the photographer in your life doesn't have a prime lens this is a great gift that can help them get more creative and explore low light photography in a way not possible with slower kit lenses.Buy your prime lens from B&H Photo 

One year of Creative Cloud

A one year subscription to Lightroom and Photoshop is always a useful present- this always updated package provides all the software and power a photographer needs to post process their images.Buy Direct / Download Card from B&H Photo

External Drives from WD

Keep your photos safe and backed up - external storage is cheap! We love these smaller, travel friendly drives or the larger 4TB desktop drive- all for under $150WD 2TB Elements Portable Hard Drive $76.99WD 4TB Elements External Desktop Hard Disk Drive $109.99 

Fujifilm instax 210 Instant Film Camera

If you got a friend who's not super serious about photography but still enjoy taking pictures or casually taking pictures, the Fujifilm instax cameras are a great choice.  The Instax 210 is great for general photography and includes a close-up attachment.Buy from B&H Photo $72.85

MeFOTO BackPacker Travel Tripod

we travel often and the very portable MeFoto BackPacker Travel tripod has done everywhere with.  Folding down to just 12.6" and weighing only 2.2lbs - small enough to be tossed into all of our camera bags.  I first reviewed this tripod in 2013 and despite my rough handling- and an unfortunate canoe incident where it spent 3 days under water - it continues to work well!Buy from B&H Photo $144.99 We will be back tomorrow with our next gift list and for the next 11 days!  Stay tuned.

Photo Mish Mash Ep 39 - Quirky

We talk about the best selling cameras on Cyber Monday, properly show you all the goodies in the next giveaway, talk about the 7D Mark II sensor, let slip that we are not big sports fans and share our holiday gift list.Photo Mish Mash Ep #39 Date: 12/5/14Sponsor(s): Greece Trip Join us in Greece: http://mckaylive.com/greece-2015/2:40 Week in review:Most popular items sold on Cyber Monday at B&H Photo VideoFF DSLR List: http://bhpho.to/1rVN2osAPS-C DSLR List: http://bhpho.to/1pZYhLbMirrorless: http://bhpho.to/1ylunUFRugged Compact: http://bhpho.to/1ySND9FAction Cameras: http://bhpho.to/1232in5Sigma 18-300 Review and Vs Tamron: http://youtu.be/ykWP-Gv9yA8Tenba Bag: http://youtu.be/0McCXOzTxDwGiveaway!!! http://bit.ly/DPR14giveaway2Tenba bagBenro TripodBlack Rapid CurveFP GearMishMash Roots:Tao Tronics Lamp - http://geni.us/TaoTronicsLampWeek ahead:2nd Opinion the Fuji Xt-131:20 News:ClarkVision- Mathematical Formula on upgrading and Review of Canon 7D Mark II http://www.clarkvision.com/articles/exposure.and.upgrades/index.html7D Mark II studio samples - mirroring what I have seen. http://bit.ly/1vmx7djCanon getting serious in 2015 with a full frame mirrorless camera http://www.canonwatch.com/canon-going-serious-mirrorless-2015-full-frame-milc-coming/Selfie cam with a weird namehttp://www.engadget.com/2014/12/04/casio-exilim-mr1-selfie-camera/Top ten instagrammed locations of 2014http://petapixel.com/2014/12/03/count-top-10-instagrammed-locations-2014/51:16 Discussion:Holiday Gift ListToby's Guide: http://digital.photorecommendations.com/recs/2014/11/holiday-gift-guide-2014/Christina's Guide: http://digital.photorecommendations.com/recs/2014/11/christinas-gift-guide-2014/1:04:00 Reader Questionshttps://www.facebook.com/Digital.Photo.Recommendations/photos/a.10150222907829855.334190.233048999854/10152910704544855/?type=1

Christina's Gift Guide 2014

Christina's Corner of the Holiday Gift Guide (aka - what she wants)

Christina is a professional wedding photographer and co-host on our weekly Photo Mish Mash podcast. You can see more of her work at http://christinabernales.com/ or Instagram/Christinabernales

	ONA Bag Insert - This insert is awesome for when I'm traveling light and I want to bring along my DSLR, a few extra accessories and my daily items. At $69 it's a very well-made, versatile accessory for the photographer in your life. Buy from Amazon or B&H Photo Video
	ONA Presidio Leather Camera Strap - This camera strap is stylish and the leather is long-lasting and it just gets more and more comfortable over time. ONA has canvas straps, too, but leather is a classic look that will look great through the decades. $99 Buy from Amazon or B&H Photo Video.
	HoldFast Dual Camera Strap in Bison Leather - Are you seeing a theme here? I really dig leather goods. Like the neck strap, this dual camera strap is the most comfortable (and stylish) way to carry two cameras at once for hours on end. The bison is ultra-soft but all the leathers soften overtime and mold to your body for the perfect fit. $300 - $310 Buy from Amazon or B&H Photo Video
	ONA Brixton Messenger Camera Bag - This bag is beautiful functional, and like with all other ONA products, solidly built. I'd be elated to see this beautiful bag this holiday. $279 Buy from Amazon or B&H Photo Video.

	Lensbaby with Edge 80 Optic - This is a super fun way to get creative with those cool tilt-shift photos without breaking the bank. This is my favorite Lensbaby Optic of them all. $499. Buy from Amazon or B&H Photo Video.
	Lensbaby Composer - Don't want to splurge on the Edge 80? This Lensbaby Composer kit is perfect for anyone looking to get started. You can always add the Edge 80 Optic on later. And don't forget Lensbaby makes these fun lenses for just about all camera mounts! $199.95 Buy from Amazon or B&H Photo Video (Instant savings at B&H brings price down to $159.95
	Sigma Art 50mm F/1.4 Lens - This is probably my favorite lens ever. Its sharpness is unmatched and its price cannot be beat. They say it rivals Zeiss glass and it's true. It's the best. $949 Buy from Amazon or B&H Photo Video
	Sigma Art 35mm F1.4 Lens - Same as the fifty but a little wider. My second favorite lens. $899 Buy from Amazon or B&H Photo Video

Christina's Camera Picks

	Fujifilm Instax 210 - Fuji makes several of these but the 210 landscape version is my favorite. This is a great gift for just about anyone - friends, siblings, cousins, nieces, nephews, or significant others. These Fuji cameras bring photography back to being the tangible piece of instant nostalgia that it was during the Polaroid era. $58.49 Buy from Amazon or B&H Photo Video
	Panasonic Lumix GH4 - This camera is a videographer's dream. It's silky smooth to focus and offers amazing video and photo quality at a very good price. I want it. Do you want it? Cause I want it. Recent price drop to $1497 (B&H includes a few freebies too) Buy from Amazon or B&H Photo Video
	Fujifilm XT1 - The electronic viewfinder on this camera is as dreamy as the image quality. It looks like a vintage rangefinder without having to worry about developing any film. Definitely on my list. $1198 Buy from Amazon or B&H Photo Video
	Canonet QL7 GIII - And for the analog photography lover in your life. Here's a super cool, affordable fun camera. ~$50 Buy on ebay

Gift Cards

	Amazon Gift Card - All but one of the items on this guide can be purchased on Amazon. If you're not ready to commit to gifting any one of these things, why not just nudge them in the right direction with an Amazon gift card?  Amazon is offering $25 towards a digital camera if you buy someone a $100 Gift Card.
	BH Photo Video Gift Card - Almost all of the items on this guide can also be purchased at B&H. You'll also get brownie points for it being a photography-specific gift card from one of the biggest camera stores in the world. Seriously, you can find just about anything at that store.
	Artifact Uprising Gift Card - Few things are more rewarding to a photographer than seeing their images in print. Artifact Uprising offers a range of really beautiful and simple products to help bring photos from the digital world into the tangible world easily. Better yet - why not make your loved ones a photo book from one of your adventures with them? That's a gift they'll love forever

 See my Gift Guide for 2014

Photographers Gift Guide 2012

 My Annual Guide to Gifts Appropriate for the Photographers in Your Life.First and foremost I would be happy to chat with you about gift ideas - Lenses, Bags and Even cameras are a possibility if I know a little more about you or who you are buying for so use chat or leave me a message on Facebook or twitter and I will be happy to provide some guidance.   I'd love to know what you want to receive this holiday season - feel free to leave a comment here or on Facebook. 

		A bit silly but cheap enough to throw in the stocking or wrap around another gift. Rubber bracelets with lens markings!
		TriggerTrap- Time lapse cable for iOS and Android phones.  Now I love the simplicity and affordability of the Neweer time lapse controllers but the TriggerTrap taps into the brains of your smartphone giving you loads more options including eased time lapse, HDR lapses, drive lapse (distance triggered) and more.   Beyond the phone you need the dongle and the cable that matches your camera model.  Feel free to give me a shout if you want help picking the one.  A few months back I bought their original dongle that didn't work with my phone, Lucy at TriggerTrap was awesome and sent me a newer dongle free of charge and it works perfectly.    I plan to have a full writeup on this soon.  Triggertrap Mobile
		Card Safe Wallet- Waterproof, dust proof and virtually crushproof. I love the peace of mind I get when I store my cards in here.  I have connected a small lanyard to the eyelet and looped it into my camerabag. Seriously reduces my worry about my cards filled with precious photos.
		Not directly photo related but plug your camera battery charger or smart phone charger and stop wasting electricity.  The Belkin Conserve Socket allows you to set a time that shuts off power after 30 minutes, 3hrs or 6hrs.  3hrs should cover most camera battery recharging.
		It is no secret that I love the Ey-Fi cards but in previous models (and gift guides) you had to make sacrifices with speed and space but with the latest model you get a fast card plenty big for photo and video.   For those wondering what is special about these SD Cards, They are 16GBs plus a tiny wireless chip that lets your camera upload photos, as you take them, to your computer, social networks, your smartphone or tablet.  Those last two are my favorite - using direct mode you can be out in the woods or in the case of this image on top of a fire tower at dawn and using direct mode I sent the image to my phone and then shared it with the world -necessary? No. Fun? You bet and the image was scientifically 65x better than the one my phone could take.
		Now if you pick up an Eye-Fi card and you go around beaming images to your phone or tablet you want a program that lets you edit those photos.  Two options iPhoto for the iPad or Photoshop Touch for iOS or Android.  Both have interfaces that get out of the way and let you do some serious editing.
		Auto white balance does a fine job most of the time and if you shoot RAW you can easily correct the WB in post processing but that does take time and shooting with a calibrated white balance card will reduce that time and give you more accurate results.  This sturdy little card comes with a clip and lanyard.  Throw it in your back and pull it out for tricky situations
		Having your photos printed in a professionally created book is really wonderful, last year I recommended Blurb - I am sticking with Blurb again this year but am offering you all the easy way out, give the photographer in your family a gift card, Maybe include a note that says you cant wait to see ___________ in print.  Fill in the blank with vacation, kids, your photos etc.
		Last year I recommended the excellent Understanding Exposure, 3rd Edition: How to Shoot Great Photographs with Any Camera But with all of the recent questions I have received around landscape photography I thought it would be nice to share one of the best books I have seen on the subject. Michael's book is approachable and full of information in clear language.
		We are finally starting to see USB 3.0 card readers come down in price and $25 for this Lexar Multiple Format Card Reader is great.  Speedy, doesn't waste your camera battery downloading photos and fits a variety of formats including SD, Micro SD and CF.
		I consider myself a careful and non-klutzy person but this summer a careless move sent my portable backup disk careening toward the hardwood floor, with cat like relfexs I lunged for the tumbling drive only to succeed in shoving it harder into the floor.  Suprisingly it still works but occasionally
		I am still a big fan of the value of the Dolica tripods but I was looking for something a bit more compact and have been happy with the Benroo MeFoto tripods - they come in snazzy colors but more importantly they are light, under 4lbs and pack down to portable 12.5" while still providing a stable platform for my heavier gear.
		Amazon Gift Cards let the photographer in your life decide what they need or use it as a form of contribution toward a bigger purchase like a lens.
		Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4 I usually try to keep each gift guide free of repeats and on a technicality can claim that last year I recommended version 3.  Version 4 adding the map and book modules and loads of improvements in the develop module.  I have used Aperture, iPhoto and Photoshop and none of them , in my opinion, make it as easy to import, tweak and export your photos.  And as mentioned above my geonerdiness is in love with the easy geotagging features of the map module.    Often an argument against shooting Raw is the time it takes to process your files.  Using import presets to process your images in no more time than it takes to import them.
		Everyone needs more storage and with prices for 16GB cards now dipping under $20 you should be stuffing the stockings full.  After testing a slew of cards I found the SanDisk Extreme to be great value.
		It isn't pretty but small enough and useful enough that everyone should have one in their camera bag.  Sometimes when the weather is ugly the photos are beautiful and spending $6 bucks for this SLR Rainsleeve will keep your gear protected and let you keep shooting.

Nothing on this list that interests you?  Review the 2009 Holiday Gift Guide, 2010 Holiday Gift Guide and 2011 Holiday Gift Guide  Looking for camera recommendations or deals?  Camera Recommendations | Black Friday/CyberMonday Deals and Shopping Advice

The Best Presents?

I have given loads of presents in my days - presents to little people, big people and everyone in between and those presents almost always elicit smiles but the only presents I have ever seen elicit smiles AND tears are photo books.  There is something about holding a book of images that is so much more than one image provides. The images and words that you have chosen - maybe it tells a story, maybe it is just a collection of special images, maybe it is something useful(like a daily planner) but with images you have carefully selected - it doesn't really matter what form this takes people find it wonderful and special.I have plans for at least two photo books this year and I will be using Blurb. Their online tools range from super easy, even my technology challenged mother could do it, (and she really did) to blank pages that let you design the books the way you want without getting your way.  In the past the books I created were fairly traditional - loosely telling the story of a vacation or summer adventures with the kids but you are only limited by your imagination. My 5 year old wrote a story last year and I had a friend and local artist illustrate, as a present I took his words and combined them into an actual book - the look on his face when he realized the book he was holding was his own words was priceless.  He has asked for another one this year.  This year I plan to make him his own comic book with photos from a story we created using his Legos.  My daughter will be getting a cookbook illustrated with scenes she created of her her little dolls cooking.   So- start thinking about ways that you can give photo books and take some time to look at Blurb- as I said their tools are excellent, their prices are always cheaper than I expect and the finished products really are quite magical.Blurb is offering 15% off with the code FALLTHANKS Deal ends 11/21/12