Before you buy a gift for a photographer, you need to know this one thing; they are very picky!
It’s not an insult, it’s just a fact, and one I learned because I first realized it in myself. But I have a secret for finding the perfect gift for the photographer or videographer in your life. So keep reading.
Are you looking for the perfect Christmas gift for a photographer? Maybe it’s a birthday present for someone who loves photography, or just a thank you gift for a photographer. What do they want?
think about it. A photographer is ready to spend hours waiting for proper lighting; descend to the ground or climb high just to get the angle rightor spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on the camera lens.
If you still don’t believe me, read some photography discussion forums. You’ll also notice very quickly that photographers tend to be opinionated. Although if you know a photographer you probably already know that 🙂
Jump straight to our list of the best gifts for photographers of all types
Don’t get me wrong, I am NOT saying photographers are narcissists or perfectionists all the time. Personally I’m shy and content enough to fend for myself. While other photographers are more adventurous and charismatic. There is no particular personality model that fits all photographers.
This also means that there is no single perfect gift for all photographers. However, regardless of their personality type, you can find the perfect photographer gift by using one of the three types of categories below.
If you want, you can jump straight to the list, or keep reading to really understand how to choose the perfect gift:
The Secret to Finding the Perfect Photographer/Videographer Gift
So, want to know the secret to buying gifts for photographers? It’s very simple, picky!
That’s right, as the old saying goes, “if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.”
I’m no mind reader but if you take the time to look up something like; “What should someone who loves taking pictures get?” or “What do you buy a nature photographer?” then you have a hard time finding a gift for the photographer in your life.
Maybe mom or dad who likes photography. A boyfriend or girlfriend who takes some photography. Or you have a friend who is a photographer and helps you do something, so you want to buy them a thank you gift.
Whoever it is, I promise they’ll appreciate a thoughtful gift with just an eye-catching gadget.
To put this article together and create this list of photographer gifts, wehave seen hundreds and hundreds of items and other recommendations. There are good ones out there. However, there are also some long lists, filled with just about anything that might be related to photography so they can say something like, “Over 100 of the best photography gifts…”
All I found were slow loading pages, annoying popup ads, and a long list of gift ideas that I guessed were they good or not.
Remember, the secret to finding the perfect gift for a photographer is to be picky. It means they have something in mind that they really want.
To help you ‘filter out’ the hundreds of items you DON’T WANT to buy, we’ve found these three categories to make it very easy to ‘focus’ on what you do want (Filter and Focus pun intended).
How to Choose the Perfect Photographer Gift
Using these three gift categories makes it very easy to narrow down the prizes your videographer or photographer will love. It doesn’t matter if you’re looking for a photographer’s birthday gift, a special Christmas gift, or just a meaningful thank-you gift. We’ll quickly cover the why behind each category and then we’ll get into the list of each.
Photography Equipment and Videography Equipment
This is truly the gift every photographer wants! It is also the only gift for you can not really buy for them. But wait, isn’t this a photography gift ideas post?
Remember that we studied photographers picky. This is especially true when it comes to their gear.
They want it, but they want to choose.
So just go with it. Unless they specifically tell you what they want, do not try to buy them any photographic equipment.
This means no cameras, lenses, studio lighting, camera bags, etc. If you do buy them this thing I’m sure they’ll be grateful, but they’re also hoping you get ‘the other one’ that does that slightly different thing.
This doesn’t mean you should skip this giveaway category, just that you can support their ‘add photo gear’ in a different way.
Again, this category is the prize they really want.
Despite sometimes having a reputation as ‘a gift for being unable to think of anything else’, gift card is really the perfect choice here.
For the most part, your gift budget will be modest, so you won’t splurge on that $1500 lens. So gift cards help lower the cost they would have to spend on it.
It doesn’t have to be boring and our list of gift ideas below provides some creative ways to look at these as well as some tried and true gifts they’ll love.
Practical Photographer Gifts
Many photography gift idea lists go into lots of eye-catching items that claim to solve a variety of problems. It’s often hit and miss.
Finding a practical gift for a photographer is a little more difficult because You should know a little about the type of photography they do.
If you’re not a photographer this may not make sense, but you don’t want to buy an ND filter for a portrait photographer. But an ND filter might make a great gift option for a landscape or nature photographer. However, at that point you need to make sure that you get a filter that fits their lens. Therefore, once again, why did we mention above that we do not recommend buying special equipment.
Our list of practical photography gifts below will cover what type of photography they are best for. This will make it easier for you to identify if it might be right for the photographer you know.
Since we’re a bit more specific here, we’re also providing free equipment advice. So if you have any questions about what to get, don’t spend hours looking, just ask us.
Gifts That Spark Creativity
This category is a bit looser than ‘practical gifts’ because the idea is get them something they might not have thought of buying themselves.
With this list we focus on unique photographer gifts. Gifts they may not buy for themselves but which they will happily use anyway.
In this list we will focus more on the budget. We’ve selected inexpensive photographer gifts under $25 to more expensive photographer birthday, Christmas, or anniversary gifts.
All of these options are pretty universal in sparking the creativity of the photographer you love.
Although Best Photography Gear will get a commission if you buy certain products/services through our affiliate link We only post items that we feel are of high quality and will fulfill your search intent.
