Picture This: Gifts for Shutterbugs
Presents for the photographer in your life don’t have to break the bank.
By Earl Nottingham
Finding the perfect Christmas gift for the photographer who has everything can be a daunting task and an expensive proposition, especially for big-ticket items like camera bodies and lenses. However, there are many fun and useful items available online or from your local camera store that will make your shutterbug happy this season without breaking the bank. Here are just a few suggestions.
Photojojo can best be described as an online toy store for photo geeks. It carries lots of whimsical yet useful photo gifts and gear. My personal favorites are the insulated mugs and Thermoses that look just like Canon or Nikon lenses. ($24-$35 at photojojo.com/store)
Scott Kelby is a photographer, designer, trainer and award-winning author of The Digital Photography Book, Vol. 1 (Peachpit Press). Although he has since published Volumes 2, 3 and 4, this best-selling version contains a wealth of timeless concepts and tips for beginning as well as advanced photographers. ($13.18 at www.amazon.com)
For the high-tech equivalent of a stocking stuffer, consider “gifting” a smartphone camera app such as Camera+ through iTunes for only 99 cents. Camera+ adds additional controls and creative effects to your existing smartphone camera. To purchase the app as a gift, simply log into iTunes, search the iTunes Store for Camera+, choose the arrow next to the “Download” button and follow the option to “Gift This App.”
Speaking of smartphones: Every photographer knows that a stable camera is vital for a sharp image, especially for long exposures, time-lapse photography and quality video. Several manufacturers offer universal and brand-specific tripod adapters for smartphones. Some adapters even come with short, flexible tripod legs, which allow the camera to stand alone or be mounted to various surfaces. Check out the GorillaMobile system. ($10-$30 at joby.com/gorillamobile)
Now that you have hundreds — or thousands — of images in your computer, the question becomes “How do I manage them all?” Probably one of the most comprehensive and useful software applications for managing photographs is ACDSee 15. It does just about everything that a photographer would need in terms of organizing, viewing, editing and sharing images. ($49.99 at www.acdsee.com/en/products/acdsee-15)
Please send questions and comments to Earl at earl.nottingham@tpwd.state.tx.us.
Related stories
Picture This: Video for Everyone
Picture This: Shooting Fall Color
Picture This: The Art of Seeing
Picture This: The Rule of Thirds
Picture This: Sensors and Sensitivity
Picture This: There's an App for That
Picture This: Photo Contest Winners
Picture This: Keeping Your Camera Steady
Picture This: Retiree's Photo Sessions Reflect the Nature of the Day
Picture This: Getting Colors Right With White Balance
For more on TP&W magazine photography, go to our Photography page
