Photo: Ben Sasso
If there is a special woman in your life who loves taking photos you may want to get her something great but find it beyond your pay grade to figure out what she will love. The good news is that there are tons of fantastic options ranging from stocking stuffers to big items; from must-haves to really fun; from gear to classes to bags. With so many great options you are sure to find her the perfect gift.
Clickn' Moms Membership: Clickin' Moms is a great resource for photographers of all skill levels and offers many different ways to learn from forums to interactive classes to timely blog posts and more. The photographer in your life would very likely enjoy (and benefit from) a monthly, yearly, or even lifetime membership or a subscription to their print magazine Click.
Camera Bag: Anyone who has a camera needs a bag to carry it in. There are plenty of options available in every type of style. One nice option is the edgy 24/7 Traffic Collection Messenger, a sleek bag that is well-equipped with pockets for a laptop and other gear and even comes with a padded insert that can be used to carry a camera in any bag if she wants something different. If the photographer in your life wants something a little more colorful she might enjoy a bag from the National Geographic Mediterranean collection.
Memory Card Notebook: Memory cards have a habit of multiplying with a photographer in the house. The cards are small, but important. Make sure the special photographer in your life never misplaces one with special memories with an adorable Memory Card Notebook from Ketti that has room for multiple cards plus a notebook for jotting down information about the cards or ideas.
Get Fearless and Framed: Photographer Marie Masse is committed to documentary and lifestyle photography and teaching others how to document families - weather its their own or clients' - in an authentic way. Masse has put together a lot of useful information ranging from "session sparks" to give ideas for activities families may want to document to how to photograph family stories and maternity sessions in a meaningful way. Her signature workbook, the Goodbye, Posing Guide
New Practical Skills: I first came across Tim Cooper's name in a forum about learning some advanced photography techniques. His Perfect Exposure video may sound simplistic but its in-depth exploration of the Zone System can transform how images are captured in a way that is especially relevant for those who photograph moving children. Cooper has a series of videos that are simple to understand on other topics as well.
Editing Tools: Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom are the go-to programs for photo editing. The latest versions of Photoshop Elements 14 and Lightroom 6 are available for purchase with some nice upgrades or give her the gift of a $10.00 a month subscription to Adobe's Creative Cloud and she will get access to the editing software she needs with automatic upgrades every time a new feature is added. Many photographers are reluctant to take on the Photoshop challenge. Make it easy with this class from Ben Whitmore on Creative Live that explains how to tackle the powerful program - all in segments of about thirty minutes of less. Wacom Tablets are on the wish-list of many photographers. Intous tablet for photo editing is on the wish-list of many photographers. The Intuos Pro and Intuos Photo are two great options in the Wacom line-up for taking more control over editing and being able to do those precise photo edits that give photos an extra "wow" factor.
On-Demand Classes: Creative Live offers a ton of classes that air live at no charge. But, chances are the photographer in your life can't always watch when the class she wants to see is on. Luckily, Creative Live offers replays at affordable prices that can be viewed on demand in short chunks - making them perfect for busy Moms. Does she want to improve posing and using any location? Try Location, Posing, and Execution with Roberto Valenzuela. Has she been wanting to explore wedding photography? Try Tyler Wirken's Documentary Wedding Photography: Capturing Reality. Kirsten Lewis' Family Photography: Modern Storytelling is a great way to learn the ins-and-outs of documenting family life for herself or for clients using the approach of a photojournalist.
Breakout Sessions: Breakout Sessions are a truly affordable way to give the photographer in your life a lot of useful, fun information in a small package. With most archived sessions running about $30.00 from Clickin' Moms, Breakout Sessions are very popular short workshops on focused topics ranging from the creative to the personal to the technical. As we enter the darker winter months a good choice is Sunlight and Shadow: Exploring the Depths of Your Home with Stacey Haslem focusing on using available light to create meaningful images. Another Breakout many photographer-Moms are likely to enjoy is Up Close and Personal: Artistically Capturing the Details and Emotion of Everyday by Tiffany Kelly exploring how to use natural light and interaction with children (your own and clients') to create emotive pictures. Because Breakout Sessions are instantly downloadable they make a great last-minute addition to share either electronically or by printing out the PDFs or the materials.
A Huge Fanbase: Chances are the photographer in your life wants more people to see her work. Help her get there with Ben Sasso's classes on Social Media to get her a larger following on Facebook and Instagram and Style and Brand to help her define her art and business. Ben's classes can be accessed anytime and are presented in manageable sections with lots of practical information.
Photo Storage: If the special Mom in your life likes to take photos chances are she has a photo storage problem. The Bevy is a great solution that allows users to send photos straight from their phones to the device with an app and for photos taken with a "real" camera it can be attached to a computer for back-up or an SD card can be inserted directly for transfer. She will appreciate the ease and peace of mind she gets with this sturdy back-up and storage system.
Creative Lenses: Lensbaby is known for lenses that allow for incredible creativity and gorgeous, dreamy images. They have beautiful options for portraits, like the Velvet 56, and have recently introduced a much-anticipated line for mobile phone cameras to allow her to get images like no one else's right from her phone.