Last year I published a list of holiday gifts for your favorite camera owner. I still love all of those recommendations, but here’s a new list for 2009.
The GorillaPod is an incredibly innovative portable tripod. It’s small enough to fit into a camera bag or backpack, so your favorite photographer can always have it handy. The articulating legs allow it to be used as a tabletop tripod, or to wrap around the nearest tree branch, street sign, or whatever else is handy. While it’s not the only tripod a photographer could ever need, it’s incredibly brilliant at what it does.
There are several models of GorillaPod to choose from. Be sure to choose one that’s right for the camera it’s being used with. Many of the smaller GorillaPods are designed for small, lightweight point & shoot cameras, and they won’t do a very good job of holding up a dSLR. The SLR model is excellent if your photographer friend uses fairly small lenses, but step up to the SLR Zoom model (pictured above) if they use long lenses, or if you aren’t sure. A little bit of sturdiness won’t hurt.
In the age of the high-tech digital camera arms race it may seem strange for me to recommend a cheap film camera, but hear me out.
The Holga 120N is exactly that– a cheap Chinese-made plastic film camera. It’s low-tech. It leaks light like crazy. It vignettes, and the cheap plastic lens often distorts like nobody’s business.
And that’s what makes it fun! Sometimes it’s nice to take a break from the exquisitely flawless photography of the digital age and do something messy and imperfect. The Holga is the classic camera for that. If you don’t believe me, check out the images in this Washington Post article, including an award-winning photo of Al Gore on the campaign trail.
The basic camera above is a great place to get started. Amazon also sells a Lomographic Holga Starter Kit, which includes a Holga with built-in colorflash, a book, and a roll of film.
The book Light, Science, and Magic is a little bit more advanced than I would usually recommend here, but I’m doing it anyway. It’s a fantastic book!
Photography is all about capturing light, and Light, Science, and Magic is the best I’ve ever encountered about photographic lighting. There is plenty of material that is accessible to a beginner, but also enough depth that the book will grow with them over time. This isn’t just one of the best photography books I’ve ever read, it’s one of the best books on any subject. Really!
If your photographer friend is still trying to remember that they have to take the lens cap off before they shoot, or most of their pictures come out blurry, this book will be a bit too advanced for them. However, if they’ve mastered the basics of their camera and seem interested in learning to take better photos, this could be just the book they need.
And finally, one thing photographers like to do is show off their photos. There are so many digital photo frames on the market that I can’t even begin to recommend a specific one. You can find some that are keychain-sized, and others that are 17 inches or more.
Happy holidays from Stop Shooting Auto!
