15 Last-Minute Photography-Related Gift Ideas

Hey, it is the 11th hour! Are you like me (and many others) who cannot figure out what to get for all but your closest friends, family members, and romantic partners?

Well, here are a few ideas for those with the dreaded gift-giving block—some from my colleagues at B&H who told me what was on their last-minute wish lists!

1. 3 Legged Thing Travis Aluminum Travel Tripod with AirHed Neo Ball Head

Everyone needs support over the holidays. Family fun, family tension, big meals, inconvenient travel; you name it. Tripods come in all shapes in sizes, but you want your purchase to look like you did more than grab the first tripod you saw down the street at the big-box store. The stylish 3 Legged Thing Travis travel tripod, with its tasteful accents of color, will show that you put some thought into this gift. 

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2. Memento Smart Frame

Remember those digital picture frames you bought when you got started in digital photography? They would show a slide show of your best shots and have cool transitions between slides, right? Well, your photos now are worth more than a 3 x 5 or 4 x 6 digital display. See that bare wall over there? Put a 25" or 35"Memento Smart Frame on your holiday wish list and wow your friends and family with your art!

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3. Lomography Light Painter

Here is a product for almost everyone on your list, regardless of their hobbies or passions. The Lomography Light Painter is a cool little flashlight that can be used to find something in the dark, project a colored light in a dark room or, during a long-duration exposure, write messages across a photographic frame. Holiday fun and a practical tool all in one.

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4. Vanguard Alta Action 60 Advanced Tripod Bag

If the shooter in your life has a tripod, you might want to consider the simple, yet thoughtful gift of protection for that tool. Tripods get beaten up in transit to and from locations, and a bag not only protects them, but it also makes it more convenient to carry. You don’t have to have a Vanguard tripod to get great use out of the Vanguard Alta Action 60 tripod bag. It comes in many different sizes, for all kinds of tripods.

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5. LaCie 4TB F.A. Porsche Designed Desktop Hard Drive

Every photographer needs more storage. Every one. And, you can step up your gift game by giving a storage solution designed by Porsche, the LaCie 4TB F.A. Porsche-designed desktop hard drive that is packed with LaCie technology and features. Yes, you can give someone a Porsche for the holidays—one that is arguably more practical than the Cayman or 911 GT3 RS, and definitely more beautiful than the Cayenne.

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6. The Nifty 50

Many photographers, and lots of our photographer friends are, as we speak, walking around the street with kit zoom lenses that give good—but not great—performance. There are expensive ways to upgrade a kit, and there is an inexpensive way—the 50mm lens. One of the best lenses any photographer can carry in their bag is the inexpensive 50mm f/1.8 prime lens. And, they are very inexpensive in the world of expensive gear. Check out Canon’s and Nikon’s latest offerings for a fantastic lens at lower-than-expected prices. For the shooter who already has a 50mm f/1.8, the upgrade to a 50mm f/1.4 lens might be a holiday dream come true!

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7. Instant Film Cameras

Fashion and design are often cyclical, but one area of photography has been enjoying a resurgence of late—the instant camera market. This was not predicted by the experts since they all had their eyes bloodied by counting pixels in the digital world. Led by the Fujifilm instax, there are now a handful of brands making instant cameras that take instax and other types of instant film—including the Polaroid remakes by Impossible and even the legendary Leica brand.

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8. Artisan Obscura Soft Shutter Release

You might think the photographer or photographers in your life have everything, but they probably don’t have a beautiful soft shutter release from Artisan Obscura. Handmade from different materials like wood, bronze, silver, and more, these beautiful soft shutter releases allow your photographer to make their camera truly unique.

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9. Light Modifiers

Here is an idea that is off the beaten path. If your photographer is a lover of artificial light and is often seen with a speedlight strobing atop his or her camera, consider giving them a light modifier. There are an infinite number of ways to shape light—softboxes, domes, diffusers, and more. Some of them are very reasonably priced to give your favorite shooter a great value gift and help them improve their flash photography.

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10. Carson HookUpz 2.0 Universal Optics Adapter for Smartphones

Does your favorite gift recipient already have a smartphone? Do they also have a telescope, microscope, spotting scope, or binoculars? Give them the ability to share what they see via text or social media with the Carson HookUpz 2.0 optics adapter. In today’s world, sharing images has become part of the mainstream of our social lives. Sharing photos is even cooler when you are sharing photos of things only seen through scopes! For more information, check out my review of the HookUpz.

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11. Apple 64GB iPod Touch

For some folks, laptops and tablets are too big for their travel packs. How about the iPod as an alternative? You can save hours of music and videos and more on the device, surf the Web, make VoIP calls, and just about everything you can do with your smartphone, minus make cellular calls.

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12. Luxli Viola

Here is an innovative product that will change the way your photographer will do photos and video, moving forward. The Luxli Viola 5" On-Camera LED light can throw out a lot of continuous light and change colors with its onboard controls, or by using an iOS mobile application. Check out this video that shows off the Viola’s capabilities.

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13. JuicedLink Little Darling Distributed Audio Recorder

Is your friend or loved one using their DSLR or mirrorless camera to make movies? Are they using a shotgun mic mounted on the camera or, worse, the built-in mics? Hook them up with the ability to hook up the talent with a JuicedLink Little Darling audio recorder that, when coupled with a mic, gives them great sound for their video or home movies.

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14. Tether Tools Case Air Wireless Tethering System

Many studio pros shoot “tethered.” Basically, the camera is connected to a computer that allows others to see what the photographer is seeing and capturing while they are working. With a wide capability across many camera platforms, the Tether Tools Case Air Wireless system lets you transmit your camera’s live view scene and captured images to a mobile device or computer while you shoot. The fact that it works with multiple brands means it can be shared, or used for a long time to come.

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15. Film

What photographer doesn’t need film? Well, the digital photographer does not, but what about that family member or close friend who has an old film camera on the closet shelf? Give them a great surprise, and a happy one, with a package of Kodak Porta 400 or Tri-X film. You could be the one that causes them to fall back in love with the type of photography they left behind, for right or wrong, years ago. If you want a gift that has the power to change someone’s creative and photographic life and get them out of the digital dungeon, get them film.

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What are your ideas for last-minute photography gifts? Let us know below, in the Comments section.