Best Gifts for Photographers
Photography books, an instant camera or a useful piece of kit. These are gifts I’d choose for a photographer.
Gift recommendations
Photography books
A photo book is the gift I’d start with. Here are nine of my favorites, from Robert Frank to Elliott Erwitt.
Fujifilm Instax Mini 41 instant camera
The Instax Mini 41 makes small physical prints you can hand to someone straight away. Add a pack of Instax Mini film so they can start shooting when they open it.
Aputure MC Pro light
A pocket-sized light for a photographer who likes experimenting with color, close-ups or video. The Aputure MC Pro is small enough to bring along when a full lighting kit would stay at home.
Popular gift categories
Want to go a bit bigger?
Give them a year inside Underexposed, my photography marketing course and community. Explore Underexposed →
Give an online Photography course
Three photography courses I’ve watched and enjoyed: Alec Soth, Joel Meyerowitz and Steve McCurry. Pick the photographer whose work they’d most like to learn from.
Alec Soth’s photography course
Alec Soth is a legendary photographer and together with Magnum Photos, he has developed a 5-hour photography course on the art of photography. Do yourself a favor and study this class.
Joel Meyerowitz’s photography course
If you’re into street photography this class is a must-see. You get 34 episodes and more than five hours of material with one of the most iconic and accomplished photographers alive, Joel Meyerowitz.
Steve McCurry’s photography course
Another iconic photographer, Steve McCurry - famously known for his portraits of the green-eyed ‘Afghan girl’. In his class, he teaches how he has developed his style and shooting technique.
Peak Design Everyday Backpack V2
Side access makes it easy to reach a camera without emptying the bag. The adjustable dividers leave room to arrange lenses and everyday things around it.
LaCie portable hard drive for backup
A LaCie portable hard drive gives a photographer somewhere to back up their growing library. For editing photos and video directly from a drive, I use a portable SSD.
For the difference between a backup hard drive and a portable SSD for editing, see my photography gear guide.
Amazon gift card
If you’re completely lost for what to buy as a present for a photographer, grab an Amazon gift card and make him or her decide for themselves
A photo book as a gift
See the complete collection of iconic photography books.
If none of the equipment here fits the recipient’s needs, choose a photography book that matches their interests. See my recommended photography books for ideas.
My complete list photography gear
A useful photography gift does not have to be an expensive camera. Start with the recipient’s interests and budget. Books and film can be simpler choices than equipment that must fit a specific camera system. For a larger gift, compare my Fujifilm cameras and Fuji lenses or Leica cameras and Leica lenses, along with my best Sony cameras.