big magic

Christmas Gift Guide for Photographers 2016

 

A guide for any level of photographer. All of my personal favorites.

Practical gifts
1. These Rocket Air Blaster:  are pretty awesome. They blow out air but won’t suck it back in. Awesome to clean those little dust spots on lenses or mirrors. I have 2.
2. SD Cards  So simple, yet so necessary. You can’t get more practical than that.
3. Domke Protective Wrap makes it super easy to take your camera or lenses on the go and keep them protected.
4. When I travel I like to keep all my cords and electronic things together. This Travel Electronic Organizer  is perfect.
5. It’s important to stay hydrated and comfortable while out shooting. The Swell Water Bottle will help keep your water tasty.
6. Gorilla pod tripods are cool because they can support the weight of DSLRS but I’d still be a little careful with it depending on the lens. Super fun to get creative angles with this.

Fun gifts

7. Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert is about you and your creativity. 5 stars. Highly recommended.
8. These Personalized Greeting Cards by Moo are such great quality. I mean the paper is so nice and thick plus they have lots of other great personalized gifts.
9. I love this JBL Speaker. I listen to it all the time while editing my images and blast it when I’m in the shower.
10. Another essential to keeping comfortable while taking pictures. These Rainboots are comfortable to walk in all day.
11. Fujifilm Instax Printer I have S-1 but the S-2 looks even cooler. I love being able to take pictures on my phone but print them out on this Polaroid film.

All photos available for print and licensing >

I finished reading Big Magic a couple of weeks ago and it’s a book that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about since. If you haven’t read it then I’d highly recommend it. It’s a book for creatives but when it comes down to it, it’s a book for everyone because we all have hidden treasures inside of us. You just have to be brave enough to seek them out. (A little tidbit I learned from the book.)

One of the biggest ideas that I got from this book is that there are other people out there like me! Sometimes you get frustrated or discouraged by your art and sometimes it can be labeled as suffering for your art. Another word to use instead of “suffering” is “dedication”. Dedication to what makes me happy and also what keeps me feeling alive. If an image I created is less than perfect, it’s ok. I’ll still keep on working on it because it’s what I love to do.

“My work loves me as much as I love it.” – Elizabeth Gilbert, Big Magic.