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.

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.

The variable most photographers overlook is composition. The only variable in a photograph is the subject. Set the correct exposure, then choose the focal length. Make sure the aperture gives the right amount of depth of field. Set the shutter to stop motion or add blur. Oh. One more thing: put your camera on a tripod.

Composition is a variable

Shooting handheld is the epitome of every photographer in movies or television. From Thomas, the fashion photographer in “Blow Up,” to an uncountable number of creators on YouTube, it is common to see them taking pictures while waving the camera all around the subject. Massive variable, that!

In the 1966 movie, Thomas shoots handheld. When he works as a professional, he uses a tripod. The photo above is wrong in so many ways. The lens is too long a focal length to focus that close. The film had much slower ISOs than today’s digital cameras. Shutter speed was limited. The lenses had smaller maximum apertures. And squatting like that to get a sharp image? Please!

“Blow Up” is still one of my all-time favorite movies. I recommend it.

Downsides to hand-holding cameras

“I want to be spontaneous, fluid and move when I shoot,” says practically every photographer living. It’s not surprising, but no human being can handhold a camera in precisely the same point in space ever. Camera movement can throw off the composition, focus and even miss or cut off what the subject is doing. Holding a camera in your hands makes directing a person very difficult.

Lock down everything else so it’s only you and the subject.

How? Use a tripod

Mount your camera on a tripod and the composition is locked down. Your subject moves within the frame. Nothing else moves. This is perfection itself for working a composite in Photoshop. With the background frozen, closed eyes can be replaced with eyes from another shot.

Deliberate composition

A tripod slows down the process of making a photograph. This helps you be more deliberate about the important other variables. Camera shake goes away. Now, the shutter speed is set to stop the subject’s movements. Holding focus on the eyes is easier with wide-open apertures needed to create charming and alluring bokeh.

Step back from the viewfinder or monitor screen. Look at the subject with just your eyes. Check out what the camera sees again. Is it exactly what you want? If not, change the position until the composition looks right. Tripods are easy to move. Even heavy ones.

Give your tripod a shot

It takes practice to get used to using your tripod. When you work with it often, it becomes more natural. Photographs of your envisioned work are the payoff for the extra work needed to use your tripod.

Given the choice, I always opt to use a tripod. I pack one in my suitcase when I travel. Will you give your tripod a shot or two?

In 2016, legendary New York street photographer Bill Cunningham died, aged 87. The fashion industry, and everyone who was lucky enough to be photographed by him, collectively remembered how he captured the best fashion show there ever was: the one on the street.

Cunningham began taking photos in the 1960s, after shutting up shop as a milliner and a brief stint in the army. Rising to prominence in the 80s with his On the Street column for the New York Times, it is clear just how expertly Cunningham sees pavement and pedestrian crossings as a catwalk of their own.

The 2010 documentary Bill Cunningham New York reveals the man behind the camera. Filmed in his 80th year, the documentary follows him around on his bicycle – easy to spot in his signature blue worker’s jacket – as he darts between yellow taxis, nimble and quick, and ready to do anything for the shot.

Cunningham’s no-fuss personality played a huge role in his ability to spot the best leopard print, or the coat with the nicest collar. He was famously not interested in the status of stars, and mentions early clients in his hat shop – Ginger Rogers, Joan Crawford and Marilyn Monroe – offhandedly. While attuned to the who’s who at society events, he is described as a true egalitarian: for him, it was only about the clothes.

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Of his many high-profile subjects that are interviewed in the documentary – including former magazine editors Iris Apfel (always eccentrically dressed, even now at 102) and Annette De La Renta – it is Anna Wintour who says it best: “We all get dressed for Bill.”

When he was not on the street, he was in a cubicle in the New York Times offices, where we see the painstaking process of composing Cunningham’s pages. Perhaps this week is all about graphic print T-shirts or “shoes and legs”, but Cunningham’s eye demands the layout be perfect and best serve the reader. For them, he is identifying trends (after all, he saw them first) – the denim dresses and leggings of the 80s, the fanny packs and baggy pants of the 90s.

While he often photographed extravagance, Cunningham’s life was simple and private. His flat is crammed with fashion books and filing cabinets full of negatives of every photo he has ever taken. His clothes hangers hang off cabinet handles; his bed is on slats in between shelves. He has never owned a television, and has no kitchen.

By the time the documentary is being filmed, Cunningham is hard of hearing, but his joy lays in what he sees. His energy is infectious: it is more than enough to make you never look down when you’re walking again, in case you miss a fashionable passer-by.

Dispersed throughout are stories from those Cunningham photographed most, like one man who made his pants from the fabric of an old ottoman, and the matching suit jacket out of a sofa. There are also pivotal moments from the fashion world: sitting in the front row of shows at fashion week in Paris – a city that he says “educates the eye” – Cunningham takes photos with rapturous energy even though he is old enough to remember Yves Saint Laurent’s first ready-to-wear show in the 60s, where he was also taking photos. How times changed.

Bill Cunningham New York is about fashion, but it is also about a man’s devotion to his self-taught craft. What would New York have done without Bill Cunningham? He showed the city that on every street corner there can be something to see. In his own words: he who seeks beauty will find it.

• Bill Cunningham New York is streaming on Prime Video and Apple TV+. For more recommendations of what to stream in Australia, click here

An architecture photographer in California has been awarded $6.3 million after a jury found that a retirement community provider used 43 of his pictures without a license.

According to a report in Architectural Photographer Almanac, Scott Hargis has won a case that has gone on for years and has been awarded one of the highest amount of damages ever in a photo copyright case.

Pacifica Senior Living refused to settle with Scott Hargis Photo with the case being escalated to a trial by a jury who found every image to be a willful infringement and awarded Hargis the maximum $150,000 per image that copyright law allows.

Actual versus Statutory, Willful versus Un-willful

The case highlights the benefit of registering photographs with the United States Copyright Office (USCO). Photographers who do so can sue for statutory damages; which is what Hargis did.

If Hargis hadn’t registered his works with the USCO then he would only have been able to sue for actual damages which is equivalent to the market value of the image’s license.

Once a photographer has their works registered and an infringement has been found they must decide whether to sue for willful or non-willful. Non-willful carries a maximum of $30,000 in damages and willful has a maximum of $150,000.

Hargis’ case shows the value of registering works with the USCO. According to Architectural Photographer Almanac, the defendants claimed that there was no infringement but the jury disagreed.

Hargis tells Architectural Photographer Almanac that he is “thrilled” with the result adding that he “hadn’t quite processed it yet.”

Hargis is an experienced architecture photographer who, according to his website, lives in Oakland, California.

This time last year, a photographer was awarded $1.2 million after a company used his photo of a pigeon for over a decade without compensating him for it.

It has been a year of positive outcomes for photographers embattled in copyright infringement cases: In May, the United States Supreme Court released its opinion on The Andy Warhol Foundation v. Goldsmith case, finding in favor of Lynn Goldsmith and stating that Warhol’s use of her photo was not fair use.

Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – Some local students are turning photographs into opportunities, earning a Helping Hand from 12 News and Devaughn James Injury Lawyers.

These Gordon Parks Academy students have been working to master their photography skills. That effort led to a photo contest and an opportunity for them to take a trip to Paris.

“Delvyn’s work was submitted and his photo actually won second place — and with that, he won $75,” Gordon Parks teacher Mary DeVellchio said of one of her students. “That was huge, but then Mr. Cheers, who is putting on the contest, honored Delvyn with a full scholarship to Pars because of that photo.”

“I was surprised,” Delvyn said. “I didn’t even know I was going to win.”

Photographer Gordon Parks, the school’s namesake, also took students on a trip to Paris during one of his assignments, and now all of these photography students are raising money to help perfect their photography skills.

“This is life-changing,” DeVellchio said. “How many middle schoolers get this opportunity – how many adults get this opportunity to follow a legend like Gordon Parks?”

Copyright 2023 KWCH. All rights reserved. To report a correction or typo, please email news@kwch.com

Bored Panda reached out to the organizers of Nature’s Best Photography Awards, who shared when the competition started and what changes have happened since it began in 1995.

“Nature photographers travel the globe to document its beauty and diversity. They witness breathtaking landscapes, fascinating wildlife behavior, and surprising glimpses of Earth’s soaring peaks and mysterious ocean depths. The powerful images and stories these photographers bring home awaken our desire to explore, enjoy, and conserve the natural world.

In admiration and support of these visually driven storytellers and the important impact they have made since cameras were first invented, the Nature’s Best Photography (NBP) concept was born in 1995. NBP’s ambitious goals are to recognize, celebrate, and support this ever-growing body of work and the dedicated photographers of all ages, backgrounds, and levels of camera expertise behind it. All NBP initiatives strive to engage and involve global audiences, enhance artistic expression, promote outdoor education and personal well-being, and inspire greater public participation in the conservation and preservation of the natural world.

Over the years, camera technology has changed dramatically, from film to digital capture. Social media has given global platforms to photographers, enabling them to instantly share images and stories. These changes in technology and dissemination have transformed our awards program. High-definition computer monitors have allowed us to better process, review, and manage the increased volume of image submissions. Photographers now have better tools and greater access to destinations; their skills have improved through workshops, careful observations of pros, and research online.

With the growth of our awards program, our mission has evolved to become one of the most prestigious photography competitions of its kind. In 1998, we partnered with the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC, to exhibit our best photography each year—an alliance that lasted 15 years. Today, we reach an international group of nature photographers with a passion for wildlife and wild places who want to spread appreciation and inspiration for conservation practices, and exhibit the winning images in prestigious venues across the globe.”