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My Christmas list: 5 gifts a photographer like me would REALLY like, from £1 to £259!
Okay, I’m a photographer and I’ll be the first to admit – buying a Christmas gift for a photographer is hard work! It’s a famously complicated hobby, for starters, and a famously expensive one, too.
So not only do you have to wrap your head around all kinds of technical jargon but, once you do, you’re probably going to be greeted with a price tag that makes your eyes water.
This is the difficult bit. Unless you’ve got a few hundred bucks lying around for a lens, or a few thousand lying around for a camera, buying somebody the obvious bits of kit is too big an ask. Which means that you’re left looking at things like camera lens cleaners – and while they’re undoubtedly useful, they’re not going to be the first thing a photographer puts on their Christmas list.
I play this game every year with my family (well, twice if you count my birthday) so I’ve danced this dance before! Here, then, is a list of gift suggestions that I – as a photographer myself – would be absolutely over the moon to receive, from as little as £1 all the way up to £259!
Custom hot shoe cover
From £5.67
When it comes to camera gear, I have a little bit of OCD in me. I can’t abide lens caps being put on with the logo upside-down, and I absolutely hate it when cameras don’t have hot shoe covers! A lot of cameras these days don’t even come with them any more, which is doubly infuriating.
However, this is a gift that’s really cool even if the photographer in your life doesn’t have a dash of obsessive-compulsiveness. A custom hot shoe cover is a funky and affordable way to add a bit of much-needed personality to a camera.
There are dozens of different kinds, from cute plastic animals to pricey laser-etched brass sculptures. But some of my favorite designs are from Etsy seller JoanMadeGifts, which makes a range of unique, interesting and affordable hot show covers (as well as soft shutter release buttons).
If you’re looking for a gift that won’t break the bank and is sure to bring a smile to someone’s face whenever they use their camera, take a look at .
Lensbaby Spark 2.0
From £199
www.lensbaby.com
It may not be “Secret Santa cheap”, but it’s very cheap for a camera lens – so if you have a couple of hundred quid in your budget, you can give somebody a really unique and creative camera lens that they’re guaranteed to go out and use!
Lensbaby lenses are an acquired taste, and a lot of photographers simply don’t give them the time of day because they have a reputation of being gimmicky. However, the Lensbaby Spark 2.0 is one of my very favorite lenses – and everybody I know who has used mine has had an absolute blast with it!
There’s a phrase in the videogames industry when a game is so compulsive, so engrossing, so moreish, that players simply can’t put the controller down: these games are called “sticky”. And this is the stickiest lens I’ve ever used! Like all manual focus lenses it’s a thoroughly engaging, enjoyable and inspiring experience to shoot with it, free from all the automation and assists of modern optics.
On top of that, it’s a special effect lens that requires you to squeeze and pivot and play with the spring-loaded lens in order to focus and position the effect in your frame. Take a look at my review for my full thoughts, and some sample images of the results it delivers. But trust me – it’s a lens that any photographer will have a hard time not fiddling with!
Pocketalk Voice Translator
From £259
www.pocketalk.com
This is a fantastic gift for anyone who travels, but for traveling photographers in particular it’s an absolute godsend. The Pocketalk Voice Translator has become an invaluable part of my kit bag, and I recommend it to anyone who travels with a camera.
For example, like a lot of photographers, I shoot street portraiture of folks who have a great outfit, an incredible expression, or who are doing something interesting. Street photographers just snap the scene without asking permission, but those of us who take street portraits like to interact with our subjects, chat to them a bit – maybe ask them to pose a little, or move to a more photogenic part of the location. And this is hard if you don’t speak the language!
Using the Pocketalk, you can break through the language barrier and build some rapport – indeed, the device itself is a great talking point! It’s an incredible translation tool; you select the appropriate language, speak into it, and a few moments later it translates your words into the local tongue via the built-in speakers (or the included headphones). And yes, it really works! Sometimes it gives a more literal translation than English speakers might be expecting, but you will certainly be understood – and in almost real-time.
Whether you want to ask subjects to pose, chat to other photographers you meet, ask directions to the camera shop if you need a repair, heck – maybe you just love striking up conversations with strangers in foreign countries – I’m impressed with how smoothly the Pocketalk Voice Translator works. It supports 82 languages, has a screen to show a written translation, and packs a camera to provide text translation for words, signs and clear handwriting.
Pivo Max
From £259
www.pivo.ai
Ever wanted your own, personal camera operator to film you while you’re shooting video? That’s exactly what the Pivo Max is! I’ve always been intrigued by these automated panning devices, but I’ve always been a little skeptical about them. However, when my colleague Rod awarded it 4½ stars in his review, I needed to check it out myself.
I’m really, really glad that I did! As someone who films a lot of content both for YouTube and sites like Digital Camera World, I’ve always wanted to add a little dynamism to my videos. With the Pivo Max, even when I’m shooting solo with my camera locked down on sticks, I’m no longer limited to static shots – this little thing will track and follow me as I move around the scene.
Simply plonk this little pod on a flat surface or, even better, mount it to a tripod (the official Pivo Tripod works a treat if you don’t already have one) and insert your phone into the clamp. Set things up with the easy-to-use app and, hey presto! As well as recording on your phone, you can attach a dedicated camera and lens (up to 2kg) and mount the phone on the hot shoe for tracking purposes.
This little motorized marvel will keep you in frame through a full 360°, which is fantastic if you’re shooting content on location at an epic landmark or beautiful landscape, or indoors at a cool venue, and want to show viewers the whole scene around you. My partner is a yoga teacher, and this would be perfect for someone like her who teaches physical classes where you might need to get up and move around to demonstrate. A magic little device for the content creator in your life.
Gift cards (yes, really!)
From £1
(Various)
Real talk: they may feel like the least thoughtful presents, but gift cards and vouchers are the most useful presents you can get a photographer! As noted, it’s a notoriously expensive pastime and we’re always in need of something.
Whether it’s something small like a memory card or a lens cap, or something big like a camera bag or a lens, we always appreciate having a voucher to put towards the next thing we invariably need!
So then, what gift card should you give? Well, Amazon vouchers are the most universally useful since you can get pretty much anything from there – so you really can’t go wrong with one of these. However, giving a gift card from a dedicated photography retailer lets your loved one know that you’ve put a little more thought into giving them something for their special interest.
Amazon eGift Card (from £1)
Amazon Gift Card in mini envelope (from £10)
Amazon Gift Card in gift box (from £25)
Clifton Cameras Gift Voucher (from £5)
Park Cameras Gift Voucher (from £5)
Wex Gift Voucher (from £10)
Need more inspiration? Take a look at the best cameras for beginners, the best instant cameras, the best cameras for kids and the best books on photography.
My Christmas list: 5 gifts a photographer like me would REALLY like, from $1 to $269!
Okay, I’m a photographer and I’ll be the first to admit – buying a Christmas gift for a photographer is hard work! It’s a famously complicated hobby, for starters, and a famously expensive one, too.
So not only do you have to wrap your head around all kinds of technical jargon but, once you do, you’re probably going to be greeted with a price tag that makes your eyes water.
This is the difficult bit. Unless you’ve got a few hundred bucks lying around for a lens, or a few thousand lying around for a camera, buying somebody the obvious bits of kit is too big an ask. Which means that you’re left looking at things like camera lens cleaners – and while they’re undoubtedly useful, they’re not going to be the first thing a photographer puts on their Christmas list.
I play this game every year with my family (well, twice if you count my birthday) so I’ve danced this dance before! Here, then, is a list of gift suggestions that I – as a photographer myself – would be absolutely over the moon to receive, from as little as $1 all the way up to $269!
Custom hot shoe cover
From $7.10
When it comes to camera gear, I have a little bit of OCD in me. I can’t abide lens caps being put on with the logo upside-down, and I absolutely hate it when cameras don’t have hot shoe covers! A lot of cameras these days don’t even come with them any more, which is doubly infuriating.
However, this is a gift that’s really cool even if the photographer in your life doesn’t have a dash of obsessive-compulsiveness. A custom hot shoe cover is a funky and affordable way to add a bit of much-needed personality to a camera.
There are dozens of different kinds, from cute plastic animals to pricey laser-etched brass sculptures. But some of my favorite designs are from Etsy seller JoanMadeGifts, which makes a range of unique, interesting and affordable hot show covers (as well as soft shutter release buttons).
If you’re looking for a gift that won’t break the bank and is sure to bring a smile to someone’s face whenever they use their camera, take a look at .
Lensbaby Spark 2.0
From $129
www.lensbaby.com
It may not be “Secret Santa cheap”, but it’s very cheap for a camera lens – especially since it’s currently slashed to as little as $129 – so you can give somebody a really unique and creative camera lens that they’re guaranteed to go out and use!
Lensbaby lenses are an acquired taste, and a lot of photographers simply don’t give them the time of day because they have a reputation of being gimmicky. However, the Lensbaby Spark 2.0 is one of my very favorite lenses – and everybody I know who has used mine has had an absolute blast with it!
There’s a phrase in the videogames industry when a game is so compulsive, so engrossing, so moreish, that players simply can’t put the controller down: these games are called “sticky”. And this is the stickiest lens I’ve ever used! Like all manual focus lenses it’s a thoroughly engaging, enjoyable and inspiring experience to shoot with it, free from all the automation and assists of modern optics.
On top of that, it’s a special effect lens that requires you to squeeze and pivot and play with the spring-loaded lens in order to focus and position the effect in your frame. Take a look at my review for my full thoughts, and some sample images of the results it delivers. But trust me – it’s a lens that any photographer will have a hard time not fiddling with!
Pocketalk Voice Translator
From $249
www.pocketalk.com
This is a fantastic gift for anyone who travels, but for traveling photographers in particular it’s an absolute godsend. The Pocketalk Voice Translator has become an invaluable part of my kit bag, and I recommend it to anyone who travels with a camera.
For example, like a lot of photographers, I shoot street portraiture of folks who have a great outfit, an incredible expression, or who are doing something interesting. Street photographers just snap the scene without asking permission, but those of us who take street portraits like to interact with our subjects, chat to them a bit – maybe ask them to pose a little, or move to a more photogenic part of the location. And this is hard if you don’t speak the language!
Using the Pocketalk, you can break through the language barrier and build some rapport – indeed, the device itself is a great talking point! It’s an incredible translation tool; you select the appropriate language, speak into it, and a few moments later it translates your words into the local tongue via the built-in speakers (or the included headphones). And yes, it really works! Sometimes it gives a more literal translation than English speakers might be expecting, but you will certainly be understood – and in almost real-time.
Whether you want to ask subjects to pose, chat to other photographers you meet, ask directions to the camera shop if you need a repair, heck – maybe you just love striking up conversations with strangers in foreign countries – I’m impressed with how smoothly the Pocketalk Voice Translator works. It supports 82 languages, has a screen to show a written translation, and packs a camera to provide text translation for words, signs and clear handwriting.
Pivo Max
From $269
www.pivo.ai
Ever wanted your own, personal camera operator to film you while you’re shooting video? That’s exactly what the Pivo Max is! I’ve always been intrigued by these automated panning devices, but I’ve always been a little skeptical about them. However, when my colleague Rod awarded it 4½ stars in his review, I needed to check it out myself.
I’m really, really glad that I did! As someone who films a lot of content both for YouTube and sites like Digital Camera World, I’ve always wanted to add a little dynamism to my videos. With the Pivo Max, even when I’m shooting solo with my camera locked down on sticks, I’m no longer limited to static shots – this little thing will track and follow me as I move around the scene.
Simply plonk this little pod on a flat surface or, even better, mount it to a tripod (the official Pivo Tripod works a treat if you don’t already have one) and insert your phone into the clamp. Set things up with the easy-to-use app and, hey presto! As well as recording on your phone, you can attach a dedicated camera and lens (up to 2kg) and mount the phone on the hot shoe for tracking purposes.
This little motorized marvel will keep you in frame through a full 360°, which is fantastic if you’re shooting content on location at an epic landmark or beautiful landscape, or indoors at a cool venue, and want to show viewers the whole scene around you. My partner is a yoga teacher, and this would be perfect for someone like her who teaches physical classes where you might need to get up and move around to demonstrate. A magic little device for the content creator in your life.
Gift cards (yes, really!)
From $1
(Various)
Real talk: they may feel like the least thoughtful presents, but gift cards and vouchers are the most useful presents you can get a photographer! As noted, it’s a notoriously expensive pastime and we’re always in need of something.
Whether it’s something small like a memory card or a lens cap, or something big like a camera bag or a lens, we always appreciate having a voucher to put towards the next thing we invariably need!
So then, what gift card should you give? Well, Amazon vouchers are the most universally useful since you can get pretty much anything from there – so you really can’t go wrong with one of these. However, giving a gift card from a dedicated photography retailer lets your loved one know that you’ve put a little more thought into giving them something for their special interest.
Amazon eGift Card (from $1)
Amazon Gift Card in mini envelope (from $10)
Amazon Gift Card in gift box (from $50)
Adorama Gift Card (from $25)
B&H Gift Card (from $25)
KEH Gift Card (from $25)
Need more inspiration? Take a look at the best cameras for beginners, the best instant cameras, the best cameras for kids and the best books on photography.
A 10-Year Design Series Ends With a Final Set at Heath Ceramics
In 2013, Tung Chiang set a design challenge for himself. Each year, on a journey of exploration and evolution, the Clay Studio Director at Heath Ceramics asked himself, What is the future of design at Heath? The question has lead him to design ten collections, each one building on the legacy set in place by Edith Heath. In Tung’s 10th and final collection to the Design Series, he realized that he already had the answer: it was – essentially – himself.
Tung shares that if he had known then what he knew now, he would have modified his original inquiry to How do I evolve while staying true to Heath’s core? “The future of Heath is not solely in my hands but my work holds a piece of the ongoing legacy. Being true to myself and understanding what I’ve learned is a far more important outcome than completing the series or finding an answer to the question of what is the future of design at Heath,” the designer explains.
In a perfectly fitting conclusion (a pun in and of itself), Tung’s final Design Series 10 is called Between Open and Close, a series of lidded objects that open and close, a poetic metaphor to the new era of the Heath Clay Studio. Each piece comprises three quintessential parts: two forms and a split line that represents where the two touch to store the hidden secret inside. In this collection, however, the surprise is both the objects stored and the way in which it is concealed.
To further commemorate the milestone, Tung also designed Present Ten, a special collection of several pieces, each one housing ten objects representing the past ten Design Series. Woodwork by Eddie Aye perfectly encases each item.
What’s next for the upcoming era of Heath? While Tung has no plans to leave, he says that he will be focusing on his team, “helping [them] explore deeper and further with an open door.” That door is not a metaphor either. The Heath Clay Studio, originally on the second story in the Heath San Francisco building, has been relocated to the Boiler Room, aptly named for the pair of massive boilers from the 1930s. This new space functions as a gallery and an open showcase of Heath’s emerging work. It has, and will continue to, host workshops, tours, and daily visits from the public. “It’s an unforgettable space in look, feel, and experience that holds Clay Studio’s most unique work, with new shapes and glaze techniques going from kiln to gallery table. It’s not to be missed, which is why its doors are open,” Tung announces. On the gallery wall is a painted manifesto that declares the intention of the space:
How do you bring ideas to life? For us, it is with our hands.
Heath Clay Studio is a space dedicated to exploration and creativity. Within this space, a small team of craftspeople use their hands to bring objects to life, one piece at a time.
Meet Jay, Jeff, and Nora, our skilled team in the clay studio. Every day, they wheel the clay and dip into the glaze to create something truly special.
In this beautifully lit space we call the Boiler Room, we invite you to enjoy the silence of the wheel, the dance of their hands, and witness the beauty of the work that is created with love.
Yours sincerely,
Tung Chiang
Heath Clay Studio Director
Tung Chiang, Clay Studio Director at Heath Ceramics
Present Ten and the pieces from Design Series Ten: Between Open and Close are available at heathceramics.com.
Sculpture of Harriet Tubman and James Bowley planned for Georgetown library
The Georgetown County Library is memorializing Harriet Tubman and James Bowley’s local legacy with a permanent statue honoring the pair.
Lexus concept car displayed as a light sculpture in Miami exhibition
When you’re visiting car exhibit shows, you expect to see nothing but cars on display. The brands have to figure out how to make it a bit more exciting and innovative since looking at cars can become repetitive and if you’re not really a car enthusiast, it can get boring. But when you’re displaying a
Blond Makes Sustainability a Little More Sexy With Electric Air Heat Pump
There are only a few categories of products as unsexy by nature as a heat pump system, the highly efficient HVAC solution more households are integrating as energy efficient updates. The impetus for buying a heat pump is need, rarely desire; you do so with the very modest hopes they won’t exist as an eyesore. But Y Combinator-backed US startup Electric Air wants to change that perception, offering a residential electric heat pump system that we dare say might do for HVAC as the Tesla Powerwall did for residential energy storage: make them covetable.
Electric Air’s heat pump system comprises four modules: a Condenser, Air Handler & Humidifier, wall-mounted Air Conditioner, and a Thermostat. Reimagined by London-based design agency Blond under the direction of James Melia, the Electric Air’s all-electric heating and cooling HVAC system features a design language more attuned to home technology devices than traditional clunky HVAC hardware.
The condenser unit can either be mounted to a wall, or transformed to reveal its legs to ensure sound operation throughout unpredictable weather conditions such as snow.
Blond made special effort to neutralize the most conspicuous component, transforming the traditional form of the condenser with an aesthetic similar to a home battery storage system. The unit is designed to be mounted to a wall or set upon legs to ensure sound operation where inclement conditions are a concern.
All four elements of the heat pump system exhibit a warm, minimal approach, with soft curved edges and monochromatic paneling done in either light or dark finishes, mixing matte, gloss, and textured surfaces to handsome effect. Crucially, the four modules are designed to seamlessly integrate into interior and exterior environments without becoming eyesores.
This warm minimalism is carried over to the brain’s of Electric Air system, the thermostat’s UI, which uses bold, rounded shapes, and an easily discernible typeface with contrasting color palette to improve legibility.
It’s obviously not all looks. Electric Air says their system is rated to be 3-5x more efficient than a traditional gas furnace and over the span of each year able to save hundreds to thousands of dollars with typical heating use.
The system includes a HEPA filtration system to control air quality and humidity and can be further upgraded with optional wall units eliminating the need for duct work.
Electric Air lists three tier of entry points of pricing for small, medium, and large spaces starting at $14,000 with installation (a 1-2 day process according to the company), including the Federal Tax Credit. The company is taking pre-order payments currently, with an estimated Winter 2024 ship date. For more information, check out electricair.io.
Ronen Engel, 54: Photographer, dad who was ‘always smiling’
Design Platform Modyfi Introduces Playful and Innovative Real-Time Animation Editing
If you’re looking for a new way to electrify your social media channels, explore dizzying generative animation tools to enhance your art practice, or have a tight deadline for a campaign that needs a mind-melting visual effect, there’s a new graphics tool to add to your arsenal – and you don’t even need to learn to code.
Modyfi is a brand new world class design platform based entirely in your web browser that incorporates intuitive vector tooling, team collaboration, AI-driven art direction, and now motion graphics. Best of all, it’s totally free.
Simply launch Modyfi and without writing a single line of code, you can experiment with a range of modifiers, tools, and helpful tutorials that send you on a playful path of serendipitous creativity. While myriad animation tools are currently available for hardcore designers and programmers, Modyfi demolishes the barrier to entry to create an accessible and intuitive platform where eye-popping visual effects are rendered in real-time right in your browser.
Piers Cowburn, for Modyfi
We invited composer and multimedia artist Simon Alexander-Adams to try Modyfi to create some of the pieces seen here.
“I can see this as being really valuable for somebody who doesn’t have a coding background,” Alexander-Adams shares. Using native tools like pixel sorting and heat shrink, he spent a week experimenting and generating new ideas. “There are a lot of features that, as somebody who uses this kind of tech professionally a lot, I really appreciate that this [tool or feature set] has exposed,” allowing for a more powerful and experimental approach to graphics editing only accessible with significant time and training until now.
Simon Alexander-Adams, for Modyfi
Of particular note is the release of several new motion-editing tools available in Modyfi today. Artists and designers can now manipulate compositions, modifiers, and parameters, and the animation will update in real time, an editing process more familiar to audio engineers, where all elements of a piece are editable at any time.
Modyfi co-founder Piers Cowburn shares that he enjoys endlessly experimenting with many of the platforms’ tools that are ripe for serendipity and accidental discovery. “Using the app now, the piece of motion design I end up with after just a 20-minute design session is often wildly different than the idea I went in with. And always better.” He emphasizes how easy it is to quickly and easily create rapid iterations around a single idea, while a new path of innovation waits around every corner.
You can begin exploring Modyfi yourself right in your web browser, totally free, or follow them on Instagram.
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Design Platform Modyfi Introduces Playful and Innovative Real-Time Animation Editing appeared first on Colossal.
Rest Your Book – and Not Much Else – on the Triangle Side Table
A clever design to help avoid the clutter that horizontal surfaces seem to invite, the Triangle Side Table all but eliminates the possibility. Designed by SouleWork, the side table does hold space for the book you’re currently reading – it will even save your place – and a ledge to put down the beverage of your choice. There’s a small, grooved indent for a writing instrument and an open interior space that can accommodate a few coffee table books, a plant, or even a small pet bed. Beveled edges, decorative yet functional splines, and a minimal base finish off the sharply shaped piece of furniture that any minimalist will love.
SouleWorks founder, Matthew Soule, shared that the Triangle Side Table was inspired by his three-year-old’s wooden toy blocks. “We would build many things, and the triangle caught my attention because it’s not something that shows ups very often in interiors,” he said. In the spirit of SouleWorks’ experimental and innovative approach to design, once he realized the shape could hold a book in a clever way, the piece was born.
[embedded content]Video by DOPE Productions
To learn more about the Triangle Side Table, visit soulework.com.
Photography by Design Imaging Studios.
