Photographers Gift Guide 2011

My Annual Gift Guide First and foremost I would be happy to chat with you about gift ideas – Lenses, Bags and Even cameras are a possibility if I know a little more about you or who you are buying from so use Chat or leave me a message on facebook or G+ and I will be happy to provide some guidance.


		Studiohut Hot Shoe Three Axis Double Bubble Level You can always fix your Horizon in post but it is certainly nice to get it right straight out of camera and if taking a series for panoramas its critical to keep your horizon straight.-Reader suggestion – Thanks Gene B.
		Giottos AA1900 Rocket Air Blaster Large – Black Perfect for cleaning lenses, sensors(gently) and anything else that gathers dust.
		SanDisk Memory Card Carrying Pouch I have crammed four cards in cases in here. though it is tight, those little memory cards are precious and if for a few bucks you add a layer of protection that lets you keep your cards from flying out of loose pockets you should do it. Buy two and color code for used/formatted cards.
		Sandisk Flash Memory Card Case / Holder (SDAC-13) for SD, CF, MS, MMC, XD, MicroSD When you want to offer a bit more protection of your precious media. tip: put used cards in face down, fresh cards face up.
		Tiffen Filter Wallet for up to 6 FiltersSame idea as the card wallet, keep all your filters in one place and nicely organized. Then again if you follow my advice you might only have one filter
		Hot Heads Glomitts! Its a glove..and a mitten! If you can get past the silly name these are great for shooting in colder weather.
		Domke F-34L 19-Inch Protective Wrap Personal protective wrap for your camera or other gear. The largest will just fit around a DSLR- use them for backpacking or turning a normal messenger bag into a camera bag
		The Travel Coffee Mug/lens Cup/thermos in a Shape of Canon EOS Ef 24-105mm F4 Lens with Stainless Steel IneriorStraight up Silly! Reviews are not stellar and sharpness is very low
		Fotodiox Thermo Lens Cup with Stainless Steel Insulated Tumbler, Coffee and Refreshment Mug, 1:1 Nikon Lens imitation Thermo Cup (Modeling 24-70mm F2.8G Lens), 16ozHas better reviews than the canon version – just so folks don’t think I am a canon fanboy.
		I love blurb, prices are reasonable and the products excellent. What photographer doesn’t love seeing their work in print. Recently Blurb began offering notebooks, take just a few photos and make your own custom notebook. Blurb will offer Free Shipping valid 12/1 through 12/9 with promo code AFFILIATEFREESHIP and 15% off all Blurb Books valid 12/1 through 12/31 with promo code AFFILIATE15OFF.
		Understanding Exposure, 3rd Edition: How to Shoot Great Photographs with Any CameraSpeaking of books, it was an earlier edition of this excellent book that helped it all click for me (pun intended In plain language this book helps you understand how your camera sees the world and really understanding that is a huge step toward taking better photographs.
		The HDR Book: Unlocking the Pros’ Hottest Post-Processing TechniquesMaybe you or the photographer in your life has the basics down and is looking to explore the World of HDR, this text will guide the HDR curious to the next level.
		Canon PowerShot ELPH 300 HS 12.1 MP Digital Camera (Black)This camera has been my go to pick for the last year, it is still excellent and now that it is selling for less than $200 it is an amazing value. So tiny with HD video, stereo recording, snappy responsiveness and fun slow mo movie mode.
		Eye-Fi Explore X2 8 GB Class 6 SDHC Wireless Photo & Memory Uploads EYE-FI-8EXStick this in your camera and you suddenly have a network connected camera that can stream photos to another computer, the internet or a smart phone almost as fast as you can take them. I reviewed this version a few months ago but there are also cheaper models that offer all the functionality with 1/2 the storage for about 1/2 the price
		Dolica AX620B100 62-Inch Proline Tripod and Ball HeadThere are cheap tripods that I wouldn’t trust with a Fisher Price Kid-Tough Digital Camera and then there is this Dolica – I have loved the value and utility of this tripod for years
		Sony DPF-D1010 10.2-Inch WVGA LCD (16:10) Digital Photo Frame (Black)You got a snazzy digital camera show off those photos in a snazzy 2011 way, and although I am not usually a fan of Sony P&S cameras they did do an excellent job with this photo frame. resolution is good, USB or memory card slots to load your images and lots of options with the display.
		Gift CardsThey may not be the most exciting present to give but are always appreciated.
		Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3Fantastic software that makes it easy to get your photos in and then out to the gallery of your choice, or make a slide show or publish a collage or the list goes on.
		PhotoFrame 4.6 Professional EditionThere are times where a subtle texture or rough edge can really add to your images and for those times PhotoFrame is the program! -Reader suggested- Thanks Alan R.
		http://www.smugmug.com/,http://www.zenfolio.com/ How about a gift of some place beautiful to store, share and organize your photos. I use both Smugmug and Zenfolio and have nothing but great things to say – helpful support, multitude of customization options and privacy controls. Get your photos off Flickr and get them someplace where the people care
		SanDisk Flash Memory Vault 16 GBA neat idea for backing up your most precious photos- certainly much longer lasting than a DVD- which usually fails within 10 years.
		Related to the above but of a more immediate nature- the fast 16GB class 10 Transcend cards are now just $19 a piece – that is loads of storage for little $
		Energizer Ultimate Lithium Headlight (Batteries Included) If the photographer in your life heads out before sunrise, after sunset or during the night for star trails- having a headlamp for hands free illumination can be so. . . handy (sorry This headlamp has a red light mode that can save your night vision, perfect for setting up compositions in the dark. If you want to go smaller/lighter/cheaper take a look at thEnergizer Trail Finder 7 LED Head Light (Batteries Included)