Great Gifts for Photographers
2024 Guide for Nature and Wildlife Photographers
As the holiday season approaches, it’s time to find those perfect presents that will inspire and delight the nature photographers in your life. Whether they’re capturing sweeping landscapes or the intricate details of wildlife, selecting the right gear and accessories can elevate their craft. In this gift guide for photographers, we’ll explore a variety of cool gifts for a photographer that celebrate their passion and creativity, ensuring they have everything they need to capture the beauty of the great outdoors. Get ready to discover thoughtful and innovative ideas that will make this holiday season unforgettable!
Please Note, all items in this guide are things which I use in my photography and can recommend without hesitation. I am not paid or sponsored by any of the companies below however the price links go to Amazon, and if you buy something from this article I receive a little money which help with the costs of running this site.
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Gifts Under $50 | Gifts Under $150 | Gifts Under $500 | Gifts Over $500
Gifts Under $50
SmallRig Tripod Fluid Head Pan Tilt Head with Quick Release Plate for Arca Swiss
This is a small fluid head that is remarkably sturdy and stable for its size and price point. I use this head exclusively with my spotting scope mounted to a tripod, and it’s a much more stable platform than the flimsy heads and tripods scope companies sell.
Mastering Composition: The Definitive Guide for Photographers
I’ve read a number of books on composition, but this is by far my favorite and often pull this book out to review when i’m having periods where I feel like i’m struggling. Whether you’re a landscape photographer or specialize in wildlife, there is something in this book to help take your images to the next level.
LensCoat Memory Card Wallet
Most serious photographers typically have several memory cards with them when in the field. This card wallet from Lenscoat provides a simple folding wallet to keep them all. It folds down thin and doesn’t take up a lot of space, plus it has a leash which can be tethered to a backpack so you never need to worry about losing those expensive cards. Note: This is the “CF” version, but they make wallets for other types of memory cards.
Peak Design Cuff Camera Wrist Strap
Peak Design make camera straps and accessories. I’m incredibly fond of their anchor system (the little red/black button). I have them on all my cameras and most of my lens feet. While I don’t use their camera straps, I do use this wrist strap quite often. It fits well around your wrist and is magnetic, so when not in use it can wrap around your wrist like a bracelet so it won’t flop around and annoy you the way some wrist straps might.
The New Big 5: A Global Photography Project for Endangered Species
This phenomenal book by Graeme Green is a collaboration with 145 of the world’s greatest wildlife photographers with the goal of using photography to raise awareness of the incredible challenges these creatures are facing.
Flammi Mosquito Net Hat Safari Hat
It may not be the most stylish thing on earth, but if you spend hours outdoor making nature photographs you’ll be happy you have protection from the biting insects. It also packs down small and is easy to travel with.
MERIWOOL 100% Merino Wool Neck Gaiter
When photographing in cold weather, I leave the scarf at home and grab this warm wool neck gaiter. It’s long enough to be able to be pulled over my face when cold and I don’t have to worry about losing it or having it blow in the wind.
A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail
Bill Bryson is probably one of my favorite authors and this is probably my favorite of all his books. It’s a hilarious story of two out of shape, middle age friends who decide walk the Appalachian Trail without any training. Bill has tremendous reverence for nature and really researches his books, so while it’s comedic book, there is plenty of interesting facts about the trail and the amazing bio-diversity of Appalachia.
BLACK DIAMOND Equipment Spot 400 Lumen LED Headlamp
Whether photography sunrise, sunset or the milky way at night, a headlamp is an indispensable piece of kit. This is one of my favorites because it also has a red light, which is important for astro photography and helps preserve your night vision.
Gifts under $150
BLACKRAPID Sport X Multi-Terrain
This is easily my favorite camera strap that i’ve ever owned. It’s well padded on the shoulder and has an underarm strap to keep the camera in place. The strap alone is great, but when paired with the ProMediaGear QDP1 listed below its a great combination.
ProMediaGear QDP1 - QD Quick Release Plug Connector
I’m a nut for all things ProMediaGear and have even been asked if they sponsor me (they don’t…hint hint). In my opinion they make the best tripods, heads and accessories in the world. Some will argue this is expensive for what it is, but if you use the QD quick release system and have a $5000 camera dangling from a strap, you want to be sure you’re using the best connector. I think this is the best!
Datacolor Spyder X Pro – Monitor Calibrator
Have you ever edited a photo and sent it to a lab only to get the print back and have the colors look different? Getting the color settings on your monitor perfect is a crucial element in making great photo prints. This is the calibration I use and it works great.
Montem Ultra Strong Trekking, Walking, and Hiking Poles - One Pair
Nature photographers spend a lot of time hiking and lugging a heavy pack of gear while trying to find the perfect subject to photograph. I take these poles with me everywhere, they’re incredibly sturdy (made of aluminum), adjustable and are very affordable compared to other brands. I’ve had the same set for about 4 years and they’re still going strong.
LensCoat Raincoat 2 Pro
It’s not always going to be sunny when out with wildlife and some of the best shots happen in the rain. This rain cover by LensCoat will protect your gear from the rain while offering sleeve openings to allow you to work your camera and lens. It also packs down small in its own case for easy travel.
Free Fly Men's Lightweight Hoodie
When the summer sun in beating and the bugs are swarming, I reach for this sun hoodie by Freefly. It’s made of lightweight bamboo, is moisture wicking and SPF 20 rated. They’re also incredibly soft compared to other brands i’ve owned. One note, be sure the check their sizing guide, they tend to be smaller sized than other brands.
Creative Cloud Photography Plan 20GB
If you shoot thousands of photos per year, you need a good solution to organize and edit the images. The Adobe Photography plan is probably the best value in photography. A 12 month subscription gets you both Lightroom and Photoshop and in my opinion are required for any photographer.
DJI Osmo Mobile 6 Gimbal Stabilizer for Smartphones
The perfect accessories for any aspiring social media star. If you’ve ever tried recording video on your phone you know that having good stabilization is important. This handy device is a 3 axis gimbal designed to help capture amazing stabilized shots on your phone.
Gifts under $500
Vortex Optics Diamondback HD 12x50 Binoculars
A good pair of binoculars while out in the field spotting wildlife are invaluable. There are far more expensive brands on the market, but for their optical quality and price point these are my favorite.
MindShift Gear BackLight 36L Backpack
A high quality backpack which protects your gear and allows you to hike to the perfect photo location is incredibly important for photographers. This is one of the best on the market. Large enough to hold multiple lenses and 2 bodies. It also features a great tripod holder and can store up to a 16” MacBook Pro.
SanDisk Professional 4TB PRO-G40 SSD
This solid state hard drive is an essential when traveling. They’re very rugged and give you the ability to download images and clean your cards while in the field or back at the hotel. It features a thunderbolt 3 connection which gives very fast transfer speeds. I would recommend having two of these, one for downloading photos and another as a backup to the primary drive.
Nanuk 935 Pro Photo Kit - Waterproof Carry-On Hard Case
Nanuk is a Canadian company that makes hard cases which I prefer to Pelican brand. They have great hardware and are very rugged. This model has roller wheels, padded camera dividers and is sized to store in an airline overhead compartment. The case is not deep enough to store large glass, like a 600mm F4 lens, but is the perfect size for camera bodies, smaller lenses and accessories.
Gifts Over $500
DJI Mini 4 Pro Fly More Combo Plus with DJI RC 2
This is one of the best small drones on the market. It’s under 249 grams so does not required registration with the FAA. It features an excellent camera for stills and video and the advance controller makes flying a breeze. Also, it’s just fun to fly.
Vortex Optics Viper HD 20-60x85
It may be a stretch to say this is a needed item for a photographer. However, this scope is always with me when i’m out west searching areas of wide expanses for wildlife. It’s a wonderful scope and you can buy accessories to attach your smartphone to the view finder to take pictures, which is a cool feature. One thing I would not recommend is the Vortex tripod/head system for their scopes. It was incredibly flimsy I returned it almost immediately in favor of a real tripod and the fluid head mentioned above.
ProMediaGear Pro-Stix 34 Series 59" 4 Section Carbon Fiber Tripod
I mentioned above that i’m pretty much a PMG fanboy. I’ve owned many other tripods before this, and some were many hundreds of dollars. They were either poorly crafted and didn’t last long or were flimsy and I never fully trusted their stability. This tripod is incredibly stable and built like a tank. Yes, it’s expensive, but I honestly think this will be the last tripod I ever buy. Also, I own the 71” version of this tripod but rarely extend more than two legs (i’m 6’ 2” for reference). This 59” version will probably work for most folks, but use your best judgement.
ProMediaGear GKJr. Katana Junior Telephoto Gimbal
If you’re going to own the best tripod on the market, you might as well get the best gimbal to go with it. Don’t let the “Jr” in the product description fool you. They do make a larger version, but this version is compact and relatively light which make it perfect for travel. It moves smoothly, locks tightly and has zero wobble in the movements and easily handles my 600mm F4 lens. In short it’s perfect.
NiSi V7 Professional Kit | 100mm Square Filter Holder, 82mm Ring
I’ve used a few different filter systems in the past, but this is my current favorite. I recommend the professional kit which include several neutral density filters, three graduated neutral density filters, a circular polarizer, a holder, case and adapter rings. Some will say this is expensive (and it is), but if you’re a nature photographer having high quality filters is almost a requirement for great landscape photos.
