Stocking Stuffers & Gift ideas for Travel Photographers

 

Shopping season has begun…

Looking for ideas you can pass on to family members bugging you for a gift list?  Bet they’d appreciate some ideas to buy online!

I’ve compiled a list of products fitting for those of us who LOVE photography and travel. Many are practical. Most are appropriate for any ability– beginner to advanced. Some products came out in 2018, others are older products that I continue to use and recommend. Click on the highlighted product to learn more!

 

10 Stocking Stuffers for travel photographers:

Headlamp

This is the one that I use any time I go out at night whether photographing stars or hiking back in the dark after sunset. Standout features: adjustable beam, and the 2 buttons that easily separate red from white light (without having to scroll through other light settings or hit the wrong one by mistake). Using red light is important for night photography — allows you to see your camera settings but won’t be too bright to disturb your vision from being able to focus on dark subjects.  Around $15.

 

 

 

 Camera strap OP TECH/USA

I love this neck strap. Not rubber like the Up strap which always got caught in my hair. This is soft and supple neoprene that has some stretch to it, and is extremely easy to attach/disconnect with quick releases. (No frustrating, wasted time trying to thread this strap to your camera body.) Perfect $20 gift.

 

 

 

SanDisk memory cards

This 128 GB Extreme Pro card is the one I use for everyday travel. Has lots of space to hold pics and decent write speed (95MB/s). But when I need a reeeally fast card (writes at 300MB/s) to capture fast moving subjects or HD video I like to use this Sony 128GB card (worth the splurge!) Around $45-220.

 

 

 

Neoprene lens pouches

These are handy protective pouches for individual lenses. This 4 pack set fits small to long but slim telephoto lenses (check sizes of your specific lenses). Great for times when you just want to throw an extra lens in a day pack or purse and not carry around your whole backpack or camera bag. Also have used as extra protection on camping/backpacking trips, or in the trunk of my car.  Around $14.

 

 

 

Rain sleeve 

I’ve used many elaborate rain protectors over the years. But this simple, inexpensive rain sleeve is the one I actually use! Takes up NO space, easy to use — throw over a lens hood and tighten the drawstring. Easy-peasy! Around $7.

 

 

 

Memory card holder 

Holds 8 SD cards in a compact durable aluminum case. I love the bright blue case–the color stands out and is easy to find in your bag. Other colors available. Around $10.

 

 

 

K&F Variable ND filter 

Create silky smooth waterfalls, blurred clouds, traffic or people in your shots with long exposures even on bright sunny days. Simple rotate the filter to decrease light in the scene from 2 to 8 stops. You will need to know the filter size of the lens before you buy, as it screws on to fit. (Not intended for use on lenses wider than 24mm as it will cause strange distorted color banding.) This K&F brand has a slim design and is very inexpensive, around $55 depending on your filter size. I also have the top quality Sing-Ray VND filter, but it is bulkier and sells for $340. I personally haven’t noticed color shifts between the 2 filters. $20+

 

 

 Vello Shutterboss II

Triggers your shutter to take pictures you so don’t have to! Great for time lapse or capturing star trails (set up to take 30 second pics for 30 minutes). Set up specific time delays and intervals to take pics whenever you want. Just make sure to buy the version that goes with your specific camera. Around $50.

 

 

 

Zomei Graduated ND filter

This GND16 graduated neutral density filter is equal to darkening the sky 4 stops. Perfect for capturing sunsets when the sky is so much brighter than the landscape. This 100x150mm size is large enough to cover wide angle lenses and fits the Pro Z Cokin holders. But you don’t need a holder if you have a tripod. Just hold over the lens and click away.Around $17.

 

 

 

Circular Polarizer

This is the only other filter I use other than the G/ND filters. Great for landscapes to darken blue skies and make white clouds and colors pop. Removes glare from water such as wet leaves and allows you to see what lurks in the water. This B&W polarizer has a slim design and doesn’t vignette (no polarizer should be used on lenses wider than 24mm to prevent strange distortions). While GND filter effects can be created in PhotoShop, it is very difficult to replicate polarizer effects. That’s why a polarizer always goes in my bag. There are more expensive filters with higher quality glass but I’ve not noticed any issues with this one. Around $60+

*Make sure you buy the polarizer that fits the diameter of your specific lens as it screws on.

 

 

 

10 Gift ideas for travel photographers:

Lowepro Passport Sling bag 

This is what I use almost every time I go out whether at home or travel. Holds camera with lens attached, 1-2 additional lenses or flash. Unzips for full storage capacity or zips up to a more compact size to carry just one camera and an additional lens. I use it as my carry-on “personal item” when I fly and can fit my Sony a9 (mirrorless) or Sony a99 (DSLR) with 50mm lens attached, hefty 16-35mm lens, portable hard drive, iphone, wallet, passport. Plus has large pockets for magazines or an inflatable travel pillow. Around $40.

 

 

 

Canon Backpack

This is an old staple that I’ve used for years. Love the small compact size. Since I’ve switched to Sony’s little mirrorless a9, my lenses are smaller, so all my photo gear fits inside! Plus my Surface Pro computer fits in the outer zipped section easily. This and the Lowepro Sling bag can usually squeeze under the seat in front of me when I fly. I like having all my photo gear in sight and reach. $40

But if you travel with long lenses and mega gear for shooting wildlife or birds than this little backpack won’t do. Think Tank Photo Airport Takeoff V2 is a wheeled camera bag which has space for much more gear with an interior space of 13″ W x 18.5″ H x 6″ D. It can fit 2 DSLRs with attached lenses plus up to 4 additional lenses, including a 400mm f2.8 (and some 600mm depending on the size of the lens). A 17″ laptop fits inside the zippered front pocket. Around $390.

 

Lightweight daypack

This waterproof nylon bag folds down to nothing in your luggage, yet is strong enough to hold up to 50 lbs of gear. Great for long day treks where you need to pack warm layers, food and your camera gear. I put my extra lenses in the padded neoprene pouches (#4 above) to keep them protected. Comes in lots of colors. Around $20.

 

 

 

Sirui  Carbon travel tripod and K-20 ballhead.

It supports up to 22 lbs of weight, yet is super lightweight— just over 2 lbs! Easy to use (legs twist to lock) and collapses down to 15.7″ to fit in luggage. Can add weight to center hook to strengthen stability on windy days. This is a welcome change from my 6 lb Manfrotto travel tripod! Also has foam padding on one leg which is nice in cold weather from touching cold metal.  Around $200 tripod /$120 ballhead.

 

 

 

Seagate Hard Drive

Back up your photos on the road with plenty of storage— 1 TB. This slim design transfers files fast with USB 3 (but also works in USB 2). Works on any computer/Surface Pro. Around $50.

 

 

 

GoPro Hero 5

Sweet 12 MP waterproof travel camera with a touchscreen. Perfect for action and water sports. Takes 4K HD video too. There are newer, more expensive models but what more do you need? (Don’t forget to add a $15 battery. And a Micro SDXC memory card.)  Around $240.

 

 

 

VidPro LED-300

Want an easy way to light your subjects without buying and messing with a flash? This ultra slim video light has 200 Watts of power to light up your subject, even during the day! Other LED lights I’ve used never pulled that off! Great for illuminating your subject in a dim room or outdoors at night. It has variable power that you can diffuse or add warmth with snap on filters. Portraits: put it under a inexpensive shoot through umbrella to widen the light source and add a nice glow. Or use for lightpainting at night.  This is my current favorite and includes a rechargeable battery. Around $75.

 

 

 

Wescott 5-in-1 Reflectors

Use the sun to bounce light onto your subject with this collapsible panel. Add or subtract light without using a flash. Comes in white, silver, gold, black and translucent. This size is 30″ which is a little easier to stuff inside a camera bag pocket and carry around when traveling. Make your subject stand out! Great for portraits outdoors or near windows indoors. Around $30.

 

 

 

Lensbaby Composer Pro II with Sweet 50

Looking for a way to expand your creativity? Consider a Lensbaby. This rather strange contraption creates creative blurred effects. I use mine for flowers, still life, food or portraits. Move the lens around to put your subject in the circular sweet spot and let the rest of the image blurs. The Composer Pro II is much easier to use and manipulate that the original version (still have mine). But still takes time to frame the shot, and patience to find the perfect focus spot! I also have the Edge 80 lens. With this lens, the focal point is a straight line in the frame (depending on where you manipulate it to be). Interesting for architecture or portraits (at f2.8 only one eyeball is in sharp focus in an otherwise dreamy image). *I’ve provided hyperlinks to these lenses to show their features, but make sure you buy the appropriate model that fits your camera. Good gift for someone who likes an artistic bent to their images & likes to learn something new. Composer Pro II with Sweet 50 lens around $300/ Edge 80 lens $250.

 

Books

Photographers are visual people…what better gift than picture books for inspiration? Journeys of a Lifetime is a huge, heavy book highlighting places around the world. Where to Go When offers travel suggestions based on a given month, including festivals and special events. Scenic Drives in America is a great source for 120 different road trips.  Atlas Obscura is heavy book chock full of strange, odd or weird places to check out (was my gift last year). And of course you can’t go wrong with Destination Guides for a particular region. For aspiring travel photographers: Bob Krist’s Spirit of Place: The Art of the the Traveling Photographer is almost 20 years old. But aside from film references, the information remains the best overall introduction to travel photography that I’ve seen, and can be picked up used for $2. Another excellent book for budding travel photographers is Steve Davey’s book Travel Photography 2nd edition. Ranging from $2 to 40 and up.

 

That’s it for my recommendations for stocking stuffers & gift ideas for travel photographers. What am I missing? What’s on your wish list???

 

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