Yes, my friends, it’s that time again (well, actually, it’s a little bit late this year, but let’s not dwell on that), because here it is — it’s my “18th Annual Gonzo Holiday Photo Gear Guide.”
No one is more surprised than I am about that whole “18th Annual” part. When I wrote the first one, Calvin Coolidge was President, Gunsmoke was a prime-time TV show, and the Spice Girls had just released their epic Hotel California album. It was a wild time, folks. Wild time.
Anyway, there is, once again, some really cool, fun, and tasty gear in this year’s guide. So, it’s time to unleash this year’s “gonzoness” upon you. Here are our three gift categories:
- Stocking Stuffers
- Great Value Gear
- Cha-ching! (the more expensive stuff)
Just remember, giving one of these gifts by itself isn’t enough. The real magic of the holidays is when you can make others feel inadequate by sharing what you got on Facebook. It’s what separates us from the animals. So, without further ado, I present to you my “18th Annual Gonzo Holiday Photo Gear Guide” and guided path to financial ruin.
Important Note: Before you buy anything on this list, if you’re a KelbyOne member, don’t forget to check the Discounts page on the KelbyOne member’s site (it’s under Perks in your Dashboard). A lot of companies have offered special deals just for KelbyOne members, and there’s nothing wrong with saving a buck or two when buying these gifts.
STOCKING STUFFERS:
These are the perfect gifts for people you don’t really care that much about, but it would be awkward if you didn’t get them anything:
Gear Labels from Field Made Co
This is a really nice one because it’s easy-to-read, stick-on labels that the photographer on your gift list attaches to their lens caps so, they can easily see at a glance which lens is which in their camera bag (as seen above). This is a can’t-miss stocking stuffer.
Price: $29 for a 45 sticker set. Comes in nice packaging.
For Nikon (link)
For Sony (link)
Note: They have most other lens brands, too.
Think Tank Photo Battery Holder 4
I so love mine! It holds four batteries of the most commonly used size for most cameras these days, and it keeps things neat and organized (no more digging around your bag trying to find a fresh battery). I can’t tell you how simple and awesome these are. This gift is a guaranteed hit!
Price: $19.75 (link)
Vello BL-HS1 Low Profile Bubble Level
It’s a very small, super-low-profile bubble level that slides right in their camera’s hot-shoe mount and lets them see at a glance if the camera is level. With this handy little gadget, they’ll finally stop submitting landscape images with crooked horizon lines for the monthly blind critiques episode of The Grid. But I digress. This is such a great gift at such a great price.
Price: $11.99 (link)
B&H Photo Gift Card
What could be better than a gift card to the greatest camera store in the world? Whatever the photographer on your gift list wants, they have it in stock, ready to ship. They’re the magical unicorn of camera stores. Get them a gift card from here, and they’ll follow you anywhere (which may or may not be a good thing).
Price: Starting at $25 (link)
A Roll of Gaffer Tape
I’ve listed this stocking stuffer many times before because it never goes out of style, and it’s better than just a “roll of tape.” It was developed in Hollywood for use in movies and TV shows because this tape does something very special: when you remove it from a wall, some equipment, your mother-in-law, etc., it doesn’t pull off paint (or skin) or leave a sticky residue. That’s why photographers love it; it’s easy to tear, easy to use, and doesn’t mess up stuff when you’re done.
Price: ProTapes Pro Gaffer Tape 2″x 55 Yard Roll: $19.95 (link)
My Book, The iPhone Photography Book
It’s still my bestselling book for these past few years. I took the principles of taking great photos with a regular DSLR or mirrorless camera and showed you how to apply those same techniques using the camera on your iPhone. I uncover all sorts of great tricks, tips, and settings that’ll help you take images that will have people saying, “You took that with your iPhone? No way!” But oh, yes. Way.
Price: $18.99 Paperback (a buck less for the eBook edition. I don’t make the eBook pricing).
The Platypod Grip (for iPhone shooters)
There are a lot of iPhone holders out there, but I think this one is the best bang for the buck (you can’t believe how expensive good ones like this can be). You can mount it on a regular tripod (the bottom of it fits standard Arca-Swiss type mounts), or you can mount it on the Platypod Base (which is what I do — it’s $9.95), and it’s so easy to use and so well made that this is one mount you’ll actually use.
Price: $39.00 (link); Platypod Basic Plate: $9.95 (link)
How to Make Money While You Are Sleeping: A Photographer’s Guide to Passive Income and Other Savvy Business Strategies by Rick Sammon
Rick has written a string of bestselling books for photographers, and this is one that would make any photographer happy, because who doesn’t want passive income? Rick is a great writer and always shares such helpful information, so this would make an awesome stocking stuffer.
Price: Print: $14.95; Kindle: $9.95 (link)
Pocket Tripod Pro
This is a little engineering miracle — it’s a tripod for your iPhone (or Android phone) that fits in your wallet. It’s about the size and shape of a credit card, but with a twist and two clicks, it transforms into a shooting platform for your phone, and well, it’s just so darn clever and super-handy. It’s also really well made.
Price: $35 (link)
A Couple of Spare Camera Batteries
Even if they have a spare battery, every photographer would still love another one (or two). It’s one of those can’t-go-wrong stocking stuffers.
For Canon EOS R5 & EOS R6 Mirrorless Cameras: $79 (link)
For Nikon Mirrorless Cameras Using EN-EL15c Style Batteries (Most Nikon Mirrorless & DSLR Bodies): $59.95 (link)
For Sony Alpha a9 II, a9, a7R IV, a7R III, a7 III, & a6600 Cameras: $78 (link)
Rogue Flash Gels: Universal Lighting Filter Kit
Most photographers hate cutting gels for their flash, and storing them for future use is even worse, which is why they’ll love these precut, super-easy-to-use, and clearly marked gels for hot-shoe flash. They’re very cleverly designed to make putting gels on their flash quick and easy, and the gels come in their own storage wallet with a tabbed organizer to make finding the right gel easy. Super-cool gift for the flash user on your list.
Price: $39.95 (link)
ON1 NoNoise AI Plug-In for Lightroom Classic and Photoshop
ON1 NoNoise AI is one of those must-have products for anybody who shoots high ISO, or at night, or anytime you might need to shoot in low-light situations without a tripod. This plug-in wipes out noise from your RAW files, making images shot at 6,400 ISO look as if they were shot at 400 ISO. The best part is that you still get a RAW DNG file after it processes out the noise. Did I mention it’s super-fast, too?
Price: $59.99 (link)
GREAT VALUE GEAR:
These are gifts that fall into that sweet spot of looking like they cost a lot when, in reality, they’re really pretty inexpensive, so you look like a champ, but in reality, well, you can fill in your own blanks here. Good stuff and cheap. Well, cheapish.
Platypod Traveler
A buddy of mine bought this for me this year as a gift, and I have to tell you, I’m mightily impressed with its build quality, size, and weight. Just a beautifully built piece of essential photography gear that the person on your holiday list will love like you cannot believe. Get them the medium size with the knob clamp (comes in different colors, too). They run out of stock often, so don’t dilly-dally (I don’t even know what that means, but I’ve heard old people say that).
Price: $39.95 (link)
A SlickPic Online Portfolio
Every photographer needs an online portfolio, but the process of getting and creating one has been either really limited, complicated, or both. SlickPic is a site designed exclusively for creating photography portfolios, and if you buy the photographer on your gift list a “Bespoke Classic” level account, SlickPic assigns a professional designer to help them get their site up and running fast and looking great. I switched my portfolio over to SlickPic years ago, and I love it (though I didn’t need to use their designer as their templates are really easy and intuitive).
Prices:
Pro: $19.95/month billed annually;
Bespoke Classic: (They design the site for you from scratch) $45.95/month billed annually (link)
Westcott 5-in-1 Reflector Disc
This is one of those gifts that seems like it costs way more than it does, and that’s partially because what it does is worth way more than it costs. It has four reflectors with an all-important 1-stop diffuser zipped inside (for people who shoot outdoors in natural light or who use flash without a softbox, but want to soften their light big time). You get a white, silver, black, and gold reflector, plus that diffuser, and it all collapses down into a small pouch that they can toss into their camera bag. Everybody needs one of these.
Price: $39.90 (link)
A Fast External Hard Drive for Backing Up When Traveling
A perfect gift for the photographer who travels a lot and wants to be able to back up their images while still on vacation — check out the SanDisk 2TB Extreme Portable SSD drive. Super-fast, super-small, and lightweight. I’ve carried this one for years, and it’s just the perfect size, speed, capacity, and price. They’ll love you for this one!
Price: $142.90 (link)
My New Book, Crush the Composition
It just came out, and the entire book is dedicated to turning the photographer on your gift list into an absolute composition shark! This is (in my opinion) one of the two most important, most critical, and most essential parts of photography. This book is about all the stuff beyond the traditional “Rules of Composition” we’ve all learned for years and years. This is all that other stuff that makes all the difference in the world. The first published review of the book said: “This is my favorite Scott Kelby book ever” (which, as you can imagine, I was thrilled to read). I promise they will dig this book, which has one foot on the coffee table, and one foot in the classroom.
Price: $39.27 print (eBook, about $2 bucks less) (link)
Tether Tools Rock Solid Tripod Roller
Nobody else will have this hidden gem in their gift guide, which is partially why it makes such an awesome gift (and one that will make their friends jealous). It’s a super-portable and collapsible base onto which you put your tripod, and it becomes — wait for it, wait for it — a rolling tripod. You can’t imagine how great this is until you use one (I’ve been using one for years). It looks and acts like it costs a lot more, and they’ll be the envy of every studio photographer everywhere.
Price: $79.99 (link)
A One-Year KelbyOne Pro Membership
If you really want to bowl your photographer over this year, get them a KelbyOne Pro membership. They’ll have access to more than 1,000 full-length courses (with a new course released every week) along with an incredible worldwide community of photographers helping each other improve. They’ll have full access to all the courses, including the incredibly popular “Photographer’s Fast Track” for accelerated learning. They’ll love you (and so will I).
Price: $19.99/month; $199/annually (link)
2-Pack of Lexar Professional 1800x UHS-II SDXC 128-GB Memory Cards
Memory cards are like batteries — you can never have enough of them — and you can get some high-capacity, super-fast cards at a great price this year. How about this Lexar 2-pack of memory cards at a price that’s hard to believe? These faster and higher-capacity SD cards will be so welcome by the photographer on your gift list. Photographers are always putting off buying new cards, so when you buy these for them, it’s hero time. Plus, these are so inexpensive now you can’t go wrong (and they’ll think you spent a lot more)!
Price: $64.99 (link)
Send Them One of Your Prints
I think this is one of the best, most personal gifts you can give, and it’s something he or she can’t get anywhere else. Go to BayPhoto.com (the online photo lab I use), upload your photo, choose a large size (like a 16×24″ print), and they’ll do the rest. They can even ship it directly to them. This is a can’t-miss gift.
Price: Choose one of their 16×24″ Fine Art Prints on Hahnemuhle FineArt Baryta Satin paper for around $68 (link)
Note: If it’s your first time ordering from BayPhoto, sign up for their email newsletter, and you can save 25% off your order.
Send Them One of My (Scott Kelby) Prints
Ya know, you could always gift them one of “my” prints. This one’s called “A Night at the Opera” (the photo is an interior image of the Opéra Garnier in Paris,” and it’s sold (in various sizes) exclusively through the Yellow Korner gallery. It would make a lovely addition to any photography collection (said the photographer who took it, so his opinion is somewhat, if not totally, biased). If you purchase one, please post a pic on social media and tag me in it, so I can also share it.
Price: Starting from $140 (link)
CHA-CHING!!!!
These are my picks for the gift you’d buy the photographer on your gift list who is a personal injury attorney, anesthesiologist, or perhaps a crypto miner (nobody actually knows what that is; especially the miner). Before buying any of these items, the process will go faster if the bank has pre-approved you for a specific loan amount.
Westcott FJ400 Portable Studio Strobes
These are the strobes I use in my own studio, and I love ’em. Love em! The design is awesome, the wireless trigger is really fantastic, and the price is ridiculously cheap for what it does. You need both the strobe and the wireless transmitter to put on your camera to trigger it, but they’re totally worth it, and the photographer on your gift list will follow you around like a puppy with unending adoration if you pick up this gift for them.
Price:
FJ400 Strobe 400Ws with AC/DC Battery: $599.90 (link)
FJ-X3 M Universal Wireless Flash Trigger: $99.90 (link)
Kase 77mm Skyeye Professional ND Magnetic Filter Kit with Front Caps & Case
When I held my travel photography workshop in Prague earlier this year, all the students were rocking these magnetic ND filters. Well, everybody but me, and let me tell you, I was mighty jealous. I did get to try them out, and I have to say, they’re awesome. They’re not cheap, but they’re really, really nice. They’re so easy to use (they’re magnetic), and the case and presentation are so nice they’ll think you spent more than you did. This set is for 77mm size lenses, but if they have a smaller size, you can buy a step-down ring so they can use them (most folks will never use the 88mm size, so unless you know for sure they have a lens that big, go with the 77mm).
Price: $299.67 (link)
Peak Design Travel Tripod
My big brother Jeffrey got me the Carbon Fiber version of their tripod last year for Christmas, and it’s my favorite tripod ever (though, I did swap out the ballhead). It is incredibly light and well-crafted (all the Peak Design stuff is very well designed, in function and looks), but it’s also the fastest and easiest to set up and tear down of any tripod I’ve ever used. They’re not cheap, but that’s why they’re here in the “Cha-Ching!” section. It has over 1,100 reviews on B&H with a 5-star rating, which is so rare.
There are two versions: the Aluminum version and the lighter Carbon Fiber version, which costs a bunch more, but either way, what a smokin’ holiday gift!
Price: Aluminum Travel Tripod: $379.95 (link)
Price: Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod: $599.95 (link)
Gravity Backdrops
These beautifully hand-painted backdrops are priced far below the competitors’, and yet their quality is spot-on. I have four of these now, and I don’t want to shoot on anything else. These are giving photographers access to a level of backdrops that were out of reach price-wise for so many people. You’re now buying and owning these backdrops at the price that we used to pay just to rent them for the weekend. Can’t recommend these enough.
Price: Based on size, but figure around $350 or so for a nice-sized backdrop. (link)
Tamron SP 150–600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2
I bought this for shooting air shows, but I can also use it for daytime sports or wildlife photography, and its size and weight make it ideal. It has fast focus, it looks great, it feels great in your hands, it’s really sharp, and you just can’t beat the price for this quality of a lens. My hats off to Tamron for what they did with this lens. This is a top gift idea; just so great for the money.
Canon: $1,399 (link)
Nikon: $1,399 (link)
Sony: Tamron doesn’t make a Sony version, but Sigma does. It’s $1,235 on sale. (link)
An 85mm f/1.8 Portrait Lens
If the photographer on your holiday list shoots people (you know what I mean), then they’ll lose their mind over an 85mm, and they’ll really only need the f/1.8 version, which is surprisingly affordable (well, it is when you compare it to an 85mm f/1.4 or f/1.2). The f/1.8 version has that creamy bokeh they’re looking for, without the extra weight or dynamic price (dynamic is a great word to use in place of “ridiculously high”). You’ll be a holiday hero if you buy them one of these.
Canon RF 85mm: (for mirrorless; it’s an f/2, not an f/1.8. Won’t matter) $549 (link)
Nikon NIKKOR Z 85mm S: (for mirrorless) $696.95 (link)
Sony FE 85mm: $548 (link)
STUFF FROM US AT KELBYONE:
Cool KelbyOne Swag
We have all sorts of t-shirts, mugs, hats, masks, and well, you name it, for the KelbyOne fan on your list, and best of all, 100% of the profits from the sales of K1 swag go to the Springs of Hope Orphanage in Nakuru, Kenya, so you’re getting a great gift, and helping some great kids. Plus, you can get 20% off your first order.
Price: Starting at $12.76 (with the 20% discount) (link)
Happy shopping, everybody, and here’s wishing you a happy holiday season. 🙂
-Scott
