By Charlotte Lowrie
If you are looking for gifts for the photographers on your shopping list, or if you're looking for some new gear for yourself, here are a few things that I have or would like to buy.
* The Lowepro Pro Roller x200 Camera Bag (Black)
is handy for it's size and wheels. This bag fits neatly in the overhead compartment on planes, and it includes a lock and cable system for security. What's more, it has an internal feature that lets you turn the main compartment on-the-fly into a backpack.
* Bolt Cyclone Power Pack for Canon Speedlites. This is the ticket to get fast 1-sec. recycle rates from your Speedlites for up to 400 cycles. And as of this writing, it is on sale at B&H Photo with free shipping.
* The small but seriously cool Sima SL-20LX Ultra Bright Video Light - Black
are a great way to add continuous light on the fly. You can mount these small lights on the hotshoe, or use them on a bracket. You can use one, two, or more depending on how much light you want to add to the scene. Buy them individually for less than $25. Great for both still shots and video shooting.
* iPhone Posing Guides are also a good gift. Search the iTunes store, and you'll find a wide variety of posing guides. They
vary in price, but The Portrait Photographers Posing Guide comes in at an affordable $5.99. Alternately, you can also buy lighting guides for your mobile devices.
* If you're buying for a macro photographer, then the Cowboystudio Macro Focusing Rail Set with 4 Way, Fine Control and Camera Focusing Rail for Macro Photography
is a nice addition for precise focus control.
* Give the gift of learning by giving a book on the photographer's camera. I have a variety of books available on Canon DSLR cameras. Alternately, you can give the gift of a photography course. I highly recommend the BetterPhoto.com courses, including the four courses that I teach.
If you are on a budget, you can try your hand at getting bargains on some nice cameras and gear on QuiBids.com, but I recommend reading the help topics on the site, and going to YouTube to learn how to increase the odds of winning auctions. You can lose a lot of money otherwise. Another option is to buy used gear. I recommend the buy and sell boards on the FredMiranda.com Web site.
These are some of my favorite things for my work, and I hope that they will give you a few ideas for the photographer on your shopping list, or for your work.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.
