There are few gifts that can mean quite as much to a recipient as those that show how much you understand them, their passions, and what drives them.

Getting a gift that allows them to better engage with their hobbies and past-times is one way to do that. As such, if you have a snap-happy individual in your life, whether they’re looking to improve their skills, go pro, or simply have fun taking a broader variety of photos and footage, then here are some of the perfect gifts you might want to consider getting them.

A Great Camera Bag Is Always Important

Any photographer that takes their passion seriously will have a few pieces of equipment to take around with them, including their camera. As such, a camera bag can be a great gift to get them. As well as having all the space they need, it should be made of resilient material that’s able to handle the weight as well as being taken out on all kinds of journeys. It’s even better if it’s a little fashionable and doesn’t look entirely like a camera bag. Check out examples like the collections from Kattee Camera Bags. That way your photographer can go out feeling and looking inconspicuous, allowing them to catch some of the best shots.

Add Some Color And Flair To The Photos

There are plenty of tools that allow photographers to get creative and utilize elements that aren’t strictly in the shot as it is taken. Light painting is one of the most popular and dazzling ways to do this. There are a lot of amateur ways to paint with light, including using a sparkler to draw with. However, tools like The Pixel Stick can allow photographers to easily access lighting painting with a wide range of colors, allowing them to take on a whole new range of long-exposure photography products. If the photographer in your life is particularly fond of long exposure, then this might just be the perfect gift to get them.

Keep your Gear Light And Easy

As mentioned, a lot of photographers are going to be carrying plenty of gear with them. For outdoor or traveling photographers, the tripod is consistently one of the most cumbersome and annoying items that they have to bring with them. Many tripods are weighty, do not collapse very well, and take up a lot of space. However, there are also options like the flexible Joby GorillaPod that are designed to be light, compact, and easy to transport and set up. Just make sure that you’re choosing a tripod that fits the size of the camera that your loved one does. You can always just ask them about their camera, as most photographers love the opportunity to show off or brag about their gear.

Take It To The Skies and Find a New Perspective

As well as gifts that can help your loved ones take an even sharper image, and help them adjust and perfect the photography that they take, how about giving them the opportunities to take photos from an entirely different vantage point? When it comes to aerial shots, there are few tools that allow for access to new heights quite like a drone camera. There are plenty of drones that a camera can be mounted onto, but you might want to look closer at drones designed specifically for photography like the Mavic 2 Pro. You want to make sure that not only can they take pictures from the sky, but they can end up with quality photos at the end, as well.

A lot of photographers will never, or rarely, print their work. As such, giving them the means to do it on the fly, as conveniently as possible, could actually be quite the heartwarming gift. It gives them the opportunity to see their work in person, not just through a screen. As such, you might want to consider giving them something like an HP Sprocket Photo Printer. Not only can it help them easily produce glossy prints of the shots they like best, but they can also use it to customize photos on the fly, as well.

To some photographers, it’s not about being able to see their photos in physical form, but rather about being able to display those which they are most proud of, which can change a lot over time. As such, aside from printing off photos that they are particularly proud of, you can also look at products like the Aura Mason Frame. A lot of digital photo frames are relatively low quality, but there are some mid-to-high range options that offer a much more pleasing result, looking and feeling much more like a real photo frame rather than a cheap piece of light plastic. As with all digital photo frames, the photos display through it can be changed at any time.

Editing and Touch Up Is Important Too

For most photographers, the creative process no longer ends as soon as the snap is taken. Rather, for many of them, it also involves a lot of editing, helping to bring focus to an image, to highlight what you want, and to play with color and lighting in ways that aren’t possible with physical equipment alone. There are a lot of different kinds of photo editing software for photographers of all different kinds of skill levels. However, one of the most widely used is Adobe’s Photoshop. Because it’s as widely used as it is, it’s also quite easy for any photographer to seek tutorials to achieve whatever effects they are looking for as well. However, if your photographer has mentioned a certain software they would like to get their hands on, then getting them a license for it instead is a good idea, too.

Learning and Inspiration Never Ends

You don’t necessarily have to give your photographer tools if you feel like they might already have everything they need, or you’re worried that you’re not getting them something of the kind of quality and prestige that you want. You can also help them become better photographers by giving them materials to learn from and challenge themselves with. One of the books that all photographers should own, while learning, is the Photographer’s Playbook, 307 Assignments And Ideas. It’s full of challenges, stories, and assignments that can help you photographer improve their skills and consider new ways to take photographs that can expand their creative visions. Regardless of what point of their journey a photographer is in, there is always more they can do to improve and books like these can help with just that.

Photos Are Timeless ...

Some people don’t learn as well from direct lessons, but would much rather take inspiration from the masters who came before. Other photographers simply like to know their history. If you think your loved one is the kind of photographer who could get a lot out of looking at the work of some of the greats, then the book 100 Photographs That Changed the World, by Life, can be a great source of wonder, inspiration, and help them see sides of the art that they might never have thought about before. There are few things quite as good at fuelling creativity than getting inspired by some of the greats, after all.

Mobile Photography Is a Great Place To Start

Of course, not all photographers have equipment such as a stand-alone camera, and many are quite happy to use what tools they have. This includes those who love to take smartphone photos, especially as part of their push to become an online influencer or content creator. For those kinds of people, rather than teaching them how to use professional photography equipment, it can be more valuable to teach them to use the tools that they’re already using. As such, courses such as the iPhone Photo Academy can help them take even more professional pictures, teaching them how to get the best use out of their iPhone, as well as teaching them a few general photography tips, too.

Photography Magazines Are Great For Inspiration Too

If the photographer in your life is a professional, or simply an amateur with aspirations of going big, then getting them a subscription to a photography magazine could be just what they need. Magazines like those shown at Expert Photography could offer them everything they need. However, there are a lot of different magazines suited to those using different equipment and taking different styles of photos. Make sure you know what kind of photographer your loved one is before you get them a subscription. If you choose right, however, you can gift them a year’s worth of engaging and informative content that helps them get much more deeply into their hobby and be part of the conversation with the best in the biz.

You don’t have to be an expert in photography to know that you’re getting your loved one a gift that really works for them. With the tips above, you can ensure that you’re getting precisely the right thing.