How To Surprise Photographers on Christmas and Make Them Happy?
Photographers are that kind of a group which is rather hard for to shop for gifts. With Christmas coming up, you may be wondering what to gift your partner, child, or a friend, who is either a professional or amateur photographer. Or you are wondering what to be gifted, like me.
Gifting a photographer may very well mean you’ll blow out your whole Christmas budget on one item. Cameras and lenses cost hundreds and thousands of dollars. Moreover, choosing these is hard enough for photographers themselves, not to speak of the ones thinking of a photographic gift.
There are other items, which I believe carry more value for photographers than acquiring new gear. I call them photographic self-investments. They advance a photographer himself, not his gear. These gifts will carry value over time. They don’t depreciate. Choosing experiences over products carries such values.
Pro or not, here are a few ideas, other than the gear itself.
Books
One of the best ways how to train a photographic eye, other than practicing photography, is to look at other people’s work. Obviously, this has become a daily activity for most of us, just think of Instagram. As good as the platform may be for inspiration, it just cannot provide a true value in terms of large bodies of work, printing order, communicating stories in deeper, more meaningful ways, or showcasing a work spanning several decades. The fixed layout of social media, its algorithms, and other elements simply do not equal the experience one gets from reaching out for a well-thought-out coffee table photo book. Here are a few ideas:
Sebastião Salgado — Genesis
This beautifully produced book features the work of one of the greatest living photographers, Sebastião Salgado, and is an attempt to document a world still untouched by mankind. Covering over 30 countries, the mono imagery is simply breathtaking and highly recommended.
You can get the book here.
Steve McCurry — Untold: The stories behind the photographs
As well as keeping every copy of the magazine or newspaper his images first appear in, Steve McCurry has kept his own personal journals, train tickets, maps, press passes, and itineraries from his assignments. Over 1,000 of these items have been scanned to bring to life the extraordinary stories behind over 200 of McCurry’s most iconic photographs.
This book offers a fascinating insight into the life of this prolific photographer over the past 30 years.
You can get the book here.
Photography: The Definitive Visual History
From the first black and white photograph to modern digital imagery, photography has been one of the most fascinating developments in the past 200 years.
This is the perfect photographic coffee table book for budding photographers, seasoned professionals, and anyone fascinated by the history of photography.
You can get the book here.
Ansel Adams in the National Parks: Photographs from America’s Wild Places
The most comprehensive collection of Ansel Adams’s photographs of America’s national parks and wilderness areas, with more than 200 photographs — many rarely seen and some never before published.
You can get the book here.
Robert Frank: The Americans
One of the more famous entries to this list, but no less worthy. Robert Frank’s work perfectly captured an era in America that is enticing and fascinating whether you’re an American or not.
You can get the book here.
Vivian Maier: Street Photographer
If you haven’t heard of Vivian Maier, I’m not going to ruin the story for you: go look her up or watch the documentary “Finding Vivian Maier.” One of the most mysterious photographers of all time, intensely private, and with an almost unparalleled eye for street photography.
You can get the book here.
Courses
What good do cameras make if we don’t know how to use them? Alternatively, what good do they do if we don’t know why? Photographers will not stand out without two things: knowing how to use their gear, but more importantly, without having a visual and creative concept to their work. These courses might help in that direction:
Photography Masterclass: A Complete Guide to Photography
Looking for something structured and easy to navigate, a step-by-step guide for beginners? This course just might be the one. Check out the course here.
Annie Leibovitz Teaches Photography | Masterclass
The first woman to be named chief photographer at Rolling Stone, Annie shows us that what makes a picture stunning isn’t the gear or technology — it’s the story. Annie teaches you her philosophy: how to develop concepts, work with subjects, shoot with natural light, and bring images to life in post-production.
Check out the course here.
Jimmy Chin Teaches Adventure Photography | Masterclass
Jimmy’s images have been featured on the National Geographic cover page multiple times. Now he’s taking you on location to teach you techniques for capturing breathtaking shots. In his photography class, you will learn different creative approaches for commercial shoots, editorial spreads, and passion projects.
Check out the course here.
Travel
Some of my best images come from nowhere near I live. The experience of travel, excitement of new, unfamiliar places ignites our brains and stimulates creativity. Together with new exciting experiences, travel elevates your photography. In my own photographic journey, I realized the money I spent for traveling always brought me more joy and satisfaction than buying a new camera or lens.
Time
Creative people love creative gifts. One of the resources every creative person craves is more time. Being fixed in terms of quantity, time is one of the most valuable items you can gift your photographer. How to give it? Offer to take over some of their responsibilities to free up their calendar, take care of their kids, agree on specific times or dates when they can dedicate their attention to photography, or encourage them to spend time with their craft, guilt-free.
Photographers are hard to shop for. They are a specific bunch desiring specific items. Surprising them with photography gear is mighty hard and even the most thought out piece of gear might fall short of expectations or needs. Therefore think different. Buy outside photography to support the within.
