The Best Gifts For Photographers

HAPTIC PRESS Box Bundle: Street Notes, Film Notes, Photo Journal

For this holiday season, here are the best gifts to buy for the photographer in your life, or the best present to buy yourself as a photographer.

HAPTIC PRESS BOX – Photo by @captivatingtheunseen

First of all, you must ask yourself:

What is the purpose of buying a photographer a gift?

My philosophy:

The purpose is to help motivate the photographer to shoot more.

VITRUVIAN CAMERA ARTWEAR by ANNETTE KIM x HAPTIC

For example, the best stimulus to motivate a photographer to shoot more include:

Photography books (either instructional or art books). An educational photo book full of practical assignments (like STREET NOTES) will give the photographer direction, and is like their private photography coach.
Art books: To feel inspired by the great photographers of the past —check out my list of 75+ inspirational photography books.
Experiences: Give the gift of a photography workshop, seminar, or experience. See this list of global street photography workshops, to buy that photographer in your life a private 1:1 session — to give them the inspiration to make better pictures in their life. Also gift them an ERIC KIM EXPERIENCE to help them fulfill their passion in photography, give them more creative confidence, and also give them the opportunity to meet other passionate photographers.
The gift of travel: Buy a plane ticket or jump in your car, and travel together. Rather than buying the photographer a physical something, buy them the experience of travel. Use your money to go away for a weekend, and find new novel places to explore, that will inspire the photographer to make pictures.

To sum up, the best gifts or presents to give a photographer are experiences —experiences that will stay with them forever, or anything that motivates them to make more photos.