The best gifts for photographers are things they use up, lose or put off buying: cleaning supplies, memory card cases, backup drives, prints of their own work, books and time to learn or shoot. Avoid cameras, lenses and anything that has to fit a particular camera unless you know exactly what they use. If you are unsure, a gift card for a camera store, a print lab or a class lets them choose.
Photographers are hard to buy for because most gear is personal and specific. A strap, bag or tripod that suits one person annoys another, and a lens or battery for the wrong camera is useless. The ideas below are sorted so you can find something that will actually be used, whatever your budget and however much you know about their camera.
Before you buy: three things to find out
- What camera they use. Look at the name on the front, or ask a friend or partner who can check. Batteries, remotes, lens caps and many accessories only fit one make or model.
- What they photograph. Landscapes, portraits, sport, travel, family and film photographers all need different things. A glance at what they post or hang on the wall usually tells you.
- What annoys them. Ask what they keep running out of, keep forgetting, or wish they had on their last trip. The most welcome gifts fix a small, recurring problem.
Gifts that fit any camera
These need no knowledge of their gear, so they are the safest choices.
- A cleaning kit. A rubber air blower, a lens brush, a lens pen and a pack of microfiber cloths. Everyone loses cloths, and smudged lenses are a common cause of hazy pictures. Do not include sensor swabs unless they already clean their own sensor; see how to clean a camera sensor for why.
- A memory card case. A small, hard or padded wallet that keeps cards organized and protected from knocks and water.
- A backup drive. An external hard drive or solid state drive for copies of their pictures. Many photographers know they should keep a second copy and never get around to it. The photo backup guide explains why one copy is never enough.
- A rain cover. A simple clear sleeve that slips over the camera and lens. Check that it is long enough for their longest lens.
- Weather gear for the photographer. Thin gloves with fold-back fingertips, hand warmers and a headlamp with a red light setting are ideal for anyone who shoots early mornings, winter scenes or the night sky.
- A small notebook. For locations, settings, ideas and the names of people they photograph. See keeping a photographer’s sketchbook.
Gifts made from their own photographs
Many photographers have thousands of pictures and none on the wall. Printing their work shows you have looked at it, and it is something they rarely do for themselves.
- A large print. Choose a favorite of theirs, ask for the full size file with an excuse, and have it printed and framed. Photo paper finishes and canvas or paper help you pick the surface.
- A photo book. A year of their pictures, a trip, or a single project, laid out in a printed book. Photo book design covers layout and sequencing.
- A print lab gift card. If you cannot get the files, let them choose and print their own.
Learning and experiences
Time and skill often matter more to a photographer than another gadget.
- A class or workshop. A local evening course, a weekend landscape or portrait workshop, or a printing class. Match it to what they want to get better at, and check the dates suit them.
- Photography books. Monographs by great photographers and books on seeing and composition age well and get reread. Photography books lists ones worth owning, and the masters of photography can help you choose whose work to give.
- Exhibition tickets. A photography show at a gallery or museum, ideally with you along.
- A trip or an outing. Drive them to a location before sunrise, look after the children for a day so they can shoot, or plan a weekend somewhere photogenic.
- Your time as a model. For a portrait photographer building a portfolio, a willing subject is genuinely useful.
Buying for someone who has just started? How to learn photography sets out what to learn first, which makes it easier to choose a book or class that fits.
Ideas by kind of photographer
- Landscapes: Good gifts: Headlamp, fingerless gloves, hand warmers, a polarizing or neutral density filter, a guidebook to a region. Check first: Filter thread size, written on the lens front or inside the lens cap.
- Portraits: Good gifts: A folding reflector, a small battery LED light, a workshop on lighting. Check first: Whether they already own lights or a reflector.
- Travel: Good gifts: A packable daypack, a power bank, a card case, a backup drive. Check first: That the power bank can charge their camera.
- Family and everyday: Good gifts: A photo book or framed print of their own pictures, a cleaning kit. Check first: Nothing; these always fit.
- Film: Good gifts: Rolls of film, prepaid developing and scanning, a darkroom class. Check first: Film format (35mm or medium format) and favorite film type.
- Editing at a computer: Good gifts: A monitor calibrator, a pen tablet, a large backup drive. Check first: That the device works with their computer.
Filters are a good gift only when you know the size. Camera lens filters explains what each type does, and the polarizing filter is the one most landscape photographers use. For editors, monitor calibration explains why a calibrator makes prints match the screen.
Ideas by budget
Small gifts and stocking stuffers
Microfiber cloths, a lens pen, an air blower, a memory card case, hand warmers, fingerless gloves, a rain sleeve, a notebook, a roll or two of film, or one framed print of their work.
Mid-range gifts
A complete cleaning kit, a backup drive, a comfortable strap they have mentioned, a folding reflector, a small LED light, a monograph by a photographer they admire, a photo book of their pictures, or a large framed print.
Larger gifts
A workshop or course, a monitor calibrator, a trip, or a contribution toward a lens or camera they have already chosen. For bags and tripods, give a gift card and let them pick: fit and weight are personal, and choosing a camera bag and choosing a tripod show how many details matter.
Looking for one of the safe choices? Each link opens an Amazon search for that kind of item: camera cleaning kits, memory card cases, fingerless photography gloves and folding reflectors. These are paid links.
Gifts to think twice about
- Cameras and lenses. Expensive, very personal and tied to a camera system. Only buy one the photographer has named exactly.
- Batteries, chargers and remotes. Each fits particular models. Check the exact model first.
- Memory cards. Card type, speed and capacity have to suit the camera. See choosing a memory card before buying one.
- Cheap tripods. A flimsy tripod shakes and ends up in a cupboard. A gift card toward a good one is more useful.
- Novelty gear. Lens-shaped mugs and camera-print socks are fine as a joke, but pair them with something they will use.
Questions people ask
What do you get a photographer who has everything?
Print and frame one of their own photographs, or make a book of them. Experiences also work: a workshop, an exhibition, or a trip to a place they have wanted to photograph. Consumables like cleaning supplies and backup drives are always used, however much gear someone owns.
What is a good gift for a beginner photographer?
A beginner class or a good book on composition, a cleaning kit, a memory card case and a backup drive. These help whatever camera they use, and none of them goes out of date when they upgrade.
Is a gift card a good gift for a photographer?
Yes, especially for expensive or personal items such as lenses, bags and tripods. A camera store, print lab or class gift card lets them choose exactly what they need, which they will appreciate more than a guess.
What should you not buy a photographer?
Avoid cameras, lenses, batteries, filters and memory cards unless you know the exact model or size they need. Cheap tripods and generic accessory bundles also tend to go unused.