Please, no more mugs shaped like lenses. No more photography pun t-shirts. Photographers, filmmakers, and content creators; send this article to the gift givers in your life for some handy hints on what gifts you would actually like to receive.

Dear Generous Gift Givers

We know that it can be hard to buy gifts for the creative people in your life, who do seem to self-gift regularly with a variety of gadgets all year round in the pursuit of perfecting our images. It seems like we already have it all, but actually, we don’t! Photographers, whether they are professionals or passionate hobbyists, are always in search of the latest tools and accessories to elevate their craft. At MPB, photographers can buy, sell, and trade equipment as a means to keep their equipment up to date without breaking the bank. We have hand-picked some ideal gifts and contained them here together as a handy guide to help choose the perfect gift for the camera enthusiasts in your life that will leave them wondering “How did you know!”

For the Portrait Perfectionist

There is nothing quite like an 85mm lens for portrait work. Portrait photographers love nothing more than the 85mm lens because this particular focal length offers a flattering perspective that minimizes distortion and facial exaggeration. The Sigma 85mm f/1.4 Art lens excels at producing a beautiful background blur that isolates the subject from the surroundings, creating a dreamy, professional look. Its versatility allows photographers to work comfortably in a variety of settings, making it a sought-after choice for both studio and outdoor portrait photography.

For the Enthusiast Who is Ready to go Professional

A light meter is an exceptional gift idea for a photography enthusiast who is ready to elevate their practice to professional level. This indispensable tool allows photographers to achieve precision and consistency in their exposure settings, ensuring that every shot is perfectly exposed, whether shooting with natural light or with strobes in the studio. This Sekonic L-758DR Digitalmaster Light Meter is highly regarded for its accuracy. It is pocket sized for on-the-go reference when needed.

For the Smartphone Shooter

Smartphone filmmakers need some extra tools in order to achieve the best results. Consider investing in a gimbal stabilizer, which helps create smooth, cinematic shots. This Zhiyun Smooth 4 3-Axis Handheld Stabiliser, combined with the ZY Play app enables Android and iOS users to control both gimbal and smartphone camera functions such as focus, zoom, time-lapse, and still photo settings. The Smooth-4’s controls reduce the need to touch the phone screen, thereby minimizing unintended jostling while recording. 

For the Filmmaker in Your Life

A set of professional-grade LED lights can make all the difference in low-light shooting situations. These Rotolight AEOS Location lights are very popular due to their high quality and color accuracy and are sure to be a well-received gift. For great quality lighting on the go, these lights are a great investment.

For the Content Creators and YouTubers

These creators often spend hours in front of the camera, and good audio is crucial. A high-quality external microphone can significantly enhance their recording and streaming quality. The Rode NT-USB Mini microphone brings the world renowned sound quality of Rode’s studio mics to a compact usb platform. Compact and crystal clear, what more could content creators want in a microphone?

For the Adventurous Types

If your photographer is an adventurer who loves capturing action-packed moments in the great outdoors, a GoPro camera is an excellent choice. These compact cameras are built to withstand tough conditions and capture stunning action shots, whether they’re skiing down a mountain or on horseback. MPB has a selection of GoPro Hero11 Black models to choose from.

For Landscape Photographers

Working in all kinds of terrain, it is best to pack as light as possible. With this in mind, tripods can add considerable weight. That’s where the Manfrotto 190go! MS 4-Section Tripod will afford some steady shots while on the move without overloading on weight. Measuring at only 45cm in length when closed, and weighing only 1.35kg this is a compact and lightweight solution.

For Music Photographers

Music photographers often want to add a creative touch to their shots. Consider gifting them a star filter which can create beautiful starbursts around points of light, such as stage lights or sparkly stage costumes.

For the “Little Bit of Everything” Photographers

A versatile zoom lens is a sure-fire hit. Who doesn’t want a new lens for Christmas? This will expand their creative possibilities, enabling the capture of a wide range of subjects with a single lens, from street photography to child portraits. The Fujifilm XF 18-120mm f/4 is versatile, high quality, and sure to delight anyone unwrapping it as a gift. 

For the Photographers Who Seem to Have It All Already

These are the types who crave every new photography gadget that comes to the market. You might think that these are the hardest to buy for as they seem to have parcels delivered all the time with new photography gear, but trust me, these photographers still have a list of wants and needs as long as their arm. For this type of photographer, you can’t go wrong with gifting a high-quality camera bag, such as the Think Tank Airport TakeOff Rolling Bag which will hold 2 DSLR bodies, up to 7 lenses, 2 flashes, a 15” laptop, and tablet. 

For the Fussy Photographers

When you don’t quite know if your gift will fit the needs of the photographer in your life, you can always rest assured with MPB’s generous return and exchange policy, and a 6-month warranty as standard to provide peace of mind when buying used equipment. This ensures that the recipient can exchange or return the gift if it doesn’t quite meet their specific needs or preferences.

Whatever you decide, MPB has options for a wide variety of photography-related gifts to make this Christmas a truly special one for the photographers in your life. From specialized gear to versatile accessories, there’s no shortage of ways to make their photography dreams come true. So, this holiday season, surprise them with a thoughtful gift that will not only bring a smile to their face but also enhance their creative journey behind the lens.

Capturing meteor showers with a camera demands patience and technique. Tailored for DSLR or mirrorless cameras, these tips also apply to some point-and-shoot cameras with manual controls.

Meteor showers, occurring regularly, are named after stars or constellations close to their apparent origin. Ensure clear weather and avoid bright Moon or clouds.

Dimming the camera’s LCD screen helps eyes adjust to darkness and prevents image flooding. Meteor showers peak after the new moon, providing a moonlight-free sky.

Photography requires long exposures, and even steady hands can’t eliminate all shaking. Tripods, even lightweight, help, and sandbags add stability. Propping a camera securely without a tripod is an option.

Wide-angle lenses increase sky coverage, enhancing meteor capture chances. A tripod reduces camera shake, and self-timers or shutter release cables avoid button-induced shaking.

Autofocus struggles at night, so set focus to infinity and fine-tune using test images. Repeat adjustments until satisfied. Zoomable electronic viewfinders may help.

Meteor showers radiate from specific sky points, following the 500 Rule helps avoid star trails. Divide 500 by the lens length in millimeters for the maximum exposure time before trails appear.

Set shutter priority based on the maximum exposure time and adjust aperture and ISO manually for improvement. Changing one setting at a time enhances understanding.

These tips, coupled with a touch of luck, can reward photographers with stunning meteor shower images using their DSLR, mirrorless, or manual point-and-shoot cameras.

When is the Leonid Meteor Shower peak?

The Leonid Meteor Shower is currently active, running from November 3 to December 2, 2023, with its peak on November 18, offering around 15 shooting stars per hour.

Unlike some meteor showers limited to specific regions, the Leonids can be viewed starting at midnight local time from virtually anywhere.

NASA recommends lying flat on your back with your feet towards the east and looking up to observe the shower. Alternatively, heading to a dark-sky location like a National Forest enhances the experience, providing a darker backdrop for the shooting stars.

It feels like a year has passed in the blink of an eye, but somehow, we’ve reached November 2023. I was first introduced in the Yakima Herald-Republic in November 2022, which means this month marks one year of my column, “Wandering Central Washington.”

I’m very grateful for this opportunity to come full circle with my childhood dreams of pursuing photojournalism while also utilizing my conservation background. Being able to communicate and share information and stories with you has been one of the great honors of my life.

Over the last year I’ve found myself actively seeking out different perspectives and tidbits that I can share with our community. I approach even the simplest act, such as going for a walk, with a new perspective. I’ve noticed that I’m much more aware and inquisitive to things around me – such as staring at the changing leaves outside my window and imagining what the inside of a leaf looks like as chlorophyll breaks down. Having the ability to share these thoughts and musings with my community has made me more positive and outgoing. It’s given me purpose and I believe it’s changed the way I approach most days, even the not-so-great ones.

There’s value in writing and taking photos – even if it’s just for your own diary, a shared journal or a blog. The benefits of writing are far reaching.

According to Psychology Today, regular writing is beneficial for mental health as well as personal growth. Writing is known to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety, and can even be used as a form of stress management. While these statements may be more geared towards keeping a personal diary, I personally believe that these benefits can be achieved even with creative writing or photography.

Psychology Today goes on to describe the increase in creativity, improved memory and self-awareness as a result of regular writing. The act of writing can stir up unique ideas and insights, and writing down experiences and particular details can aid in memory function and serve as a reminder of the meaningful moments in your life.

Forbes detailed an entire article on the benefits of embracing photography as a hobby. Prior to the smartphone, photography was much less accessible. It was an expensive, time-consuming craft that required specialized equipment, especially if you wanted to develop your own film. Today, I find that one of the few benefits to owning a phone is having a camera in my pocket that is comparable to a low-end professional camera.

The article reinforces a few of my core practices. Taking photos every day and capturing small moments of happiness with not only family and friends, but also inconsequential moments of beauty throughout the day keeps me engaged and immortalizes the good times. Rather than fixating on the negative, I’m actively using photography to try to train myself to notice, capture and reflect on the positive aspects of life.

While you most likely don’t write for a newspaper, you can still write for yourself and perhaps even for others too. Organizing a low-effort photography or journal club that meets once a month can spur you to write stories, share experiences and seek out special moments within ordinary days.

Having a community to share thoughts, feelings and interesting observations with is a great way to encourage yourself to seek out new information. Have you ever driven down the road and watched the clouds float by and pondered over how they exist? I find that having a reason to write forces me to think of new prompts and research the meaning behind many everyday occurrences that I take for granted.

I hope that you find this as inspiration to pick up a pen and paper, a camera, or clack away at a keyboard to document some of your thoughts and experiences. Remember, you don’t have to be a professional or an expert to enjoy or benefit from a hobby.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you Yakima Valley for tagging along on all of my musings, rants, and thoughts, no matter how big or small, for the last year. As autumn turns into winter it’s my sincerest hope that you can get outside and muse about your own wanderings.

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John Lewis, 24, chair of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, in Michigan, 1964

Lyon became internationally known through his photographs of the civil rights movement. Hired as a photographer for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in 1962, he spent years immersed in the movement, documenting sit-ins, arrests, speeches, marches, and the great leaders driving the movement for freedom for black Americans

Photograph: Danny Lyon/Obscura Gallery

But since this episode aired, what more have they learned about Asahel Curtis?

“The response to the episode was amazing,” says Berger. “Viewers let us know that they had Asahel Curtis images in their scrapbooks at home. People were finding things like lantern slides in their garage. And so we suggested that people contact the Washington State Historical Society because they have the largest collection of Asahel Curtis images.

“And the head of collections, Margaret Wetherbee, said that they were about to embark on this project of digitizing 55,000 Asahel Curtis images … [their] entire collection. They’re working from the original glass plate and nitrate negatives, which they keep in a giant freezer because they’re so fragile.”

The digitization is going well but slowly, Berger reports: “They can do about a hundred images a day.” But amazing discoveries are being made already: “They’re finding everything from news photos [to] promotional photos of landscapes, pictures of all kinds of people in all walks of life.”

Berger offers a backstory for a few of the collection’s more striking images: “This is the old Washington Hotel in Seattle on Denny Hill. And of course, neither of them still exist. One was washed away and the other torn down.

“The hotel is rimmed in incredible lights. It’s a night shot. And this was part of a welcome for Teddy Roosevelt. In 1903 he visited Seattle, and the city fathers wanted the entire city lit up as a kind of welcoming beacon. And this hotel where Roosevelt stayed was the centerpiece … Taking a photograph like that at night, it’s pretty amazing.