It's that time of year again where the long suffering partners of landscape photographers franticly search for gifts for us miserable awkward bunch without any idea of what we actually need or want.
So this year I thought I would do a blog about Christmas gifts that are actually useful and also the cheapest place I can find to get them !
I will try and cover all price points so you have a good few choices.
Im not affiliated with any of the links or products, these are just honest ideas and the cheapest places I could find them for your convenience.
Photoshop Shortcut Keyboard Skin £2.99 upwards
Get it from Ebay
These are unbelievably handy for photographers who have ventured into the world of Photoshop. It shows all the keyboard short cuts so they can be quickly and easily utilised and helps the user learn much faster, with the added advantage of keeping your keyboard free from dirt, Perfect stocking filler ! Just make sure you know which computer they have as the keyboards vary in size, Usually better suited to Mac users.
Zeiss Lens Wipes (200 Pack)
From £4.00
Get them from Amazon
Handy little individual lens wipes which you can put in your bag and remain sealed until you need them, really handy product and a great stocking filler.
A Phone App From £4.00
Get from App Store or Android
There are some invaluable phone apps for landscape photographers which will help them no end and they are cheap as chips ! Several I would recommend include The Photographers Ephemeris (Shows sunset & sunrise times, positions arc of cover, stores locations etc...) Photopills, Much the same as the Photographers Ephemeris but does a little more, MeteoEarth (A fantastic weather app that can monitor the cloud cover coming in, rain clouds etc... This has helped me nail numerous extra shots. Don't underestimate the power and usefulness of these apps !
Lee Filters Lens Cloth £4.99
Get from HERE
Few things can have as much use to a landscape photographer as a lens cloth, If you photograph the coast you will be all to aware of the seas spray that ends up on your filters & lenses and which causes degradation to your image, not to mention flaring and all sorts of general bad news.
The Lee Filters Lens cloth is the daddy of them all, really good size, super soft and very absorbent !
This one is a Must Have.
A Remote Cable Shutter Release from £4.99 +
Get it on Ebay
This is is invaluable and every landscape photographer should have one, essentially it will enable to to take a picture without touching the camera, thus reducing any vibration and shake, but do remember these aren't "one size fits all" products, you will need to find the specific one to go with the camera your partner has, Where possible try and get a genuine canon, nikon one etc as they last a lot longer than cheap aftermarket ones
SD Card holder £5 up
Get it on Amazon
Photographers usually have a few SD cards which soon end up scattered around in tiny holders which open and get the card scratched. One of these little beauties will keep their SD cards safe and dry and fully organised for good so you won't have to put up with them moaning that they have lost one ! Genius !
Lee Filters Lens Cap (3Pack) £6.99
Get it HERE
Now this one only applies if the person you are buying for uses Lee filters for their photography, these awesome little covers allow you to keep the filter ring on your lens rather than screw it on every time you use it, simple product that makes a massive difference ! and cheap as chips too !
Hot Hands Hand Warmers £7.60
Get it HERE
You simply can't put a price on keeping yourself comfortable and warm while taking pictures outside, You never quite know when the wind will get up and these are really handy to have in each pocket just to keep the edge of the cold. They are no replacement for a decent pair of gloves but they are really handy and cheap !
Lee Filters Clear Filter Cleaner £7.99
Get it HERE
This kind of goes hand in hand with the above lens cloth but once you have used it you will never be without it, one spray on a filter and a decent wipe with the lens cloth and it will remove all grime, sea spray etc..... Essential !
Easily the best one I have used of these.
Highly recommended !
Lee Filters Cleaning Kit £12.95
Get it HERE
Essentially the two above products in a kit, one of the most handy and functional products out there, guaranteed to be of real use to any landscape photographer and a perfect stocking filler.
Maglite Torch, From £12 upwards
Get from Ebay
These torches are almost indestructible, no problem if you drop them or step on them or leave them in the bottom of your bag ! They are metal based and are so handy and will keep your partner safe. Mini ones are great but a slightly larger one is better, but dont go to the really large sizes as these are heavy and cumbersome. I would suggest a maximum of 10 cm size would be ideal
Giotto AA1900 Rocket Air Blower £13.50
You simply cant put a price on these little gems ! Every photographer needs one.
Ideal for blowing away dust from lenses or sensors or simply sticking in a fellow landscape photographers ear to annoy them ! Priceless
A Base Layer Top £15 upwards
Base layers are more than just a T-Shirt, they have a function to them.
Designed to wick moisture away from the body keeping you fresh and comfortable while out hiking chasing the most elusive light. Far better than any cotton T-Shirt for the purpose of being out in the elements. superbly comfortable. This is not a thermal top, more of an all season essential to be the under garment worn next to the skin.
Great brands include Rab, Berghaus, Mountain Equipment
Limited Edition Print
Starting at £19.99
Available HERE
Well I have to give myself a little plug here but these fine art prints really do make a great gift, Make sure you get them printed on fine art paper and with premium pigment inks and they will last a lifetime and have no fade plus provide a little inspiration to landscape photographers.
A Book £20
Don't under estimate the power of a book for learning potential and inspiration, Far better than reading online and something to treasure. There are so many good books available for landscape photographers, inspirational works from some of the worlds best photographers, instructional books designed to give a deeper insight into the workings of some of the best out there.
Books will inspire no matter what level of photography the person you are buying for is at.
Recommended tittles include.....
Joe Cornish & Roly Smith - This Land (A stunning look at landscapes that will inspire all who read)
Joe Cornish & Charlie Waite - Working The Light (Several of the worlds best and most inspirational landscape photographers, essential reading. These photographers have forgotten more than we will ever know)
Landscape Photographer of the Year (LPOTY) A collection of the years best images)
The Art Of Landscape Photography - A great book to inspire & improve any photographer from Dorsets own Mark Bauer & Ross Hoddinott.
Digital Picture Frame £30 upwards
Get them from any electrical retail store
Which photographer doesn't like to display their own work ?
A simple little product to go on their desk to remind them of their true love (photography not the wife & kids !)
They can easily put new pics on with a simple SD card or cable and you can always
hijack it and slip a family pic or two in !
Good quality SD Card from £20 up
Get them from any electronics store
A decent quality SD card of 64 gb for example will delight a photographer as you can never have enough storage ! Fast writing speeds are preferred and it should be at the very least a class 10 card. Sandisc & Lexmark are very good cards and worth looking at. Again, check they fit the camera you are buying for, but most cameras use SD cards these days.
Black Diamond Storm Head Torch £33.99
Get it HERE
Superb quality and ultra bright head torch giving you the added advantage of being hands free and the beam following everywhere you look.
No landscape photographer should be without one of these if they are shooting sunrise & sunsets.
Lee Filters Field Pouch £32.47
Get it HERE
If your photographer uses filters (Most landscape photographers do) then this field pouch by Lee Filters will be an awesome addition to their camera kit.
It holds up to ten filters in lovely soft velvety sleeves keeping them safe from harm and quickly accessible rather than the usual individually wrapped ones, I wouldn't be without mine.
A Custom Signature Photo Logo
$39.99 (roughly £30)
Get it HERE
If your partner doesn't already have one of these its an absolutely great buy.
In these days of photo theft its a perfect watermark on your pictures to protect them, it also adds a real touch of class and looks stunningly professional and will make your photographer partner absolutely beam with pride when they apply it to their work.
These have the added advantage that they can be used throughout their photography career on a web site, stationary etc.... and you can even use them in your day to day work as well ! Winner !
External Hard Drive From £39.99 upward
Get them at any tech store
The external hard drive is absolutely essential for any photographer, at some point in life they will experience that sickening feeling of having a hard drive failure and losing years of work, I know only too well having had it happen to me.
These simple hard drives are your safety net to keep all your precious hard earned pictures safe, and with the huge file sizes on todays modern cameras you will need one sooner or later ! Starting with a minimum size of 1TB but you can go up to all sorts, if your budget extends to it the 4TB is a nice size to have !
Magazine Subscriptions £30-40
There are a whole host of excellent landscape photography magazines available and a years subscription to one of these will delight any landscape photographer buy giving them advice every month, new locations to go to, in-depth reviews of products and insights into their favourite photographers workflows etc..... and its the gift that keeps on giving for 12 months !
A few of the magazines i would recommend are Outdoor Photography, Outdoor Photographer, Landscape photography Magazine but there are loads available. I would also highly recommend a local magazine, for example if you live in Dorset then Dorset Life Magazine would be a good bet as it will give them a lot of
information about their area and places to go plus the added advantage you can read it
too and not be bored by non stop photography talk !
A Spare Camera Battery £40 up for genuine one
Get it HERE
The amount of times your battery has died just when you need it right ?
Having a spare battery will be an absolute lifesaver but remember these need to be for the specific camera they own and I would urge you to buy genuine ones as they last longer, don't leak etc and are better performers in general, more expensive than aftermarket versions but worth every penny in my opinion, you can never have enough !
Vallerret Markhof Pro 2.0 Photography Gloves €74.95 (Roughly £65)
Get it HERE
These are lifesavers ! Nothing worse than having cold hands while out shooting but regular gloves make camera operation almost impossible. There little gems have a foldable finger and thumb cap and super grippy palms and are designed by photographers for photographers, hence they actually work and do the job perfectly ! Toasty hands means your photographer will enjoy their time out shooting much more and come home happy, again priceless !
Gore-Tex Walking Boots £75 upwards
Get them at any outdoor pursuits centre
I absolutely love a good set of walking boots, they will provide ankle support which will mean you can walk further and in far more comfort than the trainer style footwear.
Goretex boots are 100% waterproof and 100% breathable and this is what makes them so valuable to the landscape photographer.
Good soles will keep you safe of slippery rocks too. Good boots are well worth spending money on so get the best pair you can afford but absolutely make sure they have a Gore-tex membrane as in my opinion its the best available (I use Scarpa Terra II Gore-tex boots)
A Photography Workshop £Various
Get it HERE
You could treat your partner to a do with a pro ! They would learn a lot and hopefully get some fantastic pictures.
Research your photographer very well though and make sure they are taking the type of pictures your partner wants, and that they have a good pedigree to themselves.
You do get what you pay for but their work will speak for itself.
You can learn multiple aspects of landscape photography from field work to post processing.
Shameless plug but I offer a range of workshops should you be interested.
Adobe Photoshop Subscription £120
Get it HERE
If your partner doesnt already have it then a years subscription to Adobes Creative Cloud is perfect ! You will get Lightroom & Photoshop for around £10 a month and there are free tutorials on there too, This is a REALLY good gift for any landscape photographer, but make sure they don't already have it !
Lee Filters Landscape Kit £150.00
Get It HERE
If your partner doesn't have filters then this is the kit they will want, its one of the number one most wanted items for landscape photographers. Even if they do have filters they might not have them from "Lee Filters" these are the daddies ! absolute top spec filters that make the world of difference as they are neutral and don't give a colour cast plus they can add other filters and build on this base
I wouldn't be without mine
Datacolor Spyder X Pro £159.99
Get it HERE
This wonderful little device is designed to calibrate your monitor to a neutral state so you know that what your seeing is what you're going to get when you print and it really makes the world of difference. It doesn't matter if you're purchasing it for someone who doesnt have a printer because it will give them a better result with their pictures online too.
I absolutely love this device and its the only product I have ever given a 100% score when I have reviewed it, such was the difference it made.
Wacom Graphics Tablet
£160 upwards
This is more for an advanced user of Photoshop/Lightroom, if they dont use those programs then its not as much use.
What this tablet will do though is replace the mouse and enable the user to use a pen instead which is pressure sensitive and will allow really fine adjustment and control of their picture editing.
This is next level game changing stuff for photographers who post process their images.
My personal recommendation is for the Wacom Intuos Pro in size Medium, But a Small will also do the job nicely.
Book a cottage for a week in a photo location £180 Plus
Depending on the time of year you can rent a cottage for a week in a prime location for as little as £180.
Treat your other half to a trip to a stunning location like the Lake District, Cornwall, The Peak District, The Brecon Beacons etc.... They will be in their element and the best thing is, the whole family can come along too !
This is an all round winner for everyone
just pick your times wisely and you can save a
fortune and have a happy partner.
Now i've given you a guide to all the really handy things I will tell you what to avoid at all costs !
Photographers are notoriously fickle and choosing just the right pice of photography gear can be an exceptionally personal thing and what the salesman tells you is a good tripod or a good camera for example can be the complete opposite of what your partner is after, Give the bulky expensive items a wide berth unless you know a fair bit about it yourself or your partner has been dropping hints all over the place (Canon RF 15-35 F2.8 just saying in case anyone is reading and feeling generous !)
There are of course the novelty gifts which I really hate, and people seem to get me them every year (Oh the joys) but i'll list a few for you just because I don't want to be the only one to suffer this Christmas ! So if you're one of the photographers who gets one of these, well it sucks to be you !
Roll of Film Toilet Roll Holder £3.99
Get it HERE
Well I guess its amusing ! but there is no accounting for taste but at £3.99 its a cheap novelty that will either raise a titter or an eyebrow
Polaroid Style Toilet Roll Holder £10.99
Get it HERE
Again not my taste but relatively cheap and might bring a smile to a mundane task !
Camera Cufflinks From £6
Good selection HERE
Simple camera cuff links for a subtle bit of photography love or a cheeky way to display your love of light !
The Lens Mug £6
Get it HERE
I must have about 5 of these now, the go to gift from non photographers for photographers ! sigh.....
But at least you can enjoy a hot coffee out of one of these so its not all bad !
Especially good to get this design if the end user has a Nikon (They will get it !)
Well this little lot should give you a few good ideas, if any of you are stuck then feel free to message me to help with identifying your partners kit and for further suggestions, id be only too happy to help.
Perhaps the greatest gift you could give any partner though is that of encouragement, freedom & support to nurture their creative side. You simply cannot put a value on having a supportive and understanding partner who will "Put up with you" when your being a right pain cause the clouds look great and your stuck at a family dinner !
In return you need to support your partner, realise photography isn't the be all, end all thing out there and that your partner and family always come first.
Give and you will receive back double.
A little understanding and enthusiasm goes a very long way with a loved one, and its all for free !
Thanks to everyone who has supported me this year and read & shared my blog, Wishing you all a very merry Christmas and a very happy new year.
As always, Happy Shooting.
Daniel Wretham
