10 Gift Ideas for your content creator
/The gift-giving season is upon us, and with so many forced to shop online, I thought that this was a perfect time to address what to get that special someone for the holidays.
With that said, I will be tossing together a list of things that you could consider getting someone this holiday season. There is a caveat to all of this though, I will not be putting together a list of expensive camera bodies, expensive lenses, etc. This is going to be a list of items that are usually less than a few hundred dollars. Some things might be $10-$20 and some might be $300. The point of this list is that these are things that every content creator usually needs. Another thing I will address before starting, I have zero affiliation with any camera company, manufacture, or retail outlet. Lastly, I will not be using Amazon for any pricing on this list. I don’t trust ordering from Amazon when it comes to gear. The list will exclusively utilize Adorama and B&H Photo.
Think Tank Photo Secure Pixel Pocket Rocket - $21.75
Something that every content creator should own is a place to keep their memory cards. It doesn’t matter if they are a photographer or videographer, they are going to have memory cards. I have personally used and continue to use Think Tank products and love them. Help them keep all that valuable content in a central location. What I love about these is not only space but the leash that is included. It allows you to clip on to your bag, purse, etc., and not worry about losing all your cards.
Extra Batteries - Varies
I don’t know how many times I have gone somewhere and another photographer or videographer is complaining about dead batteries. Now, this is something that the price will vary depending on what equipment you are buying it for, but I promise you that they will love to have extra power ready to go when it is needed.
Lume Cube Panel Mini Kit with Ball Head Shoe Mount $62.95-$63.96
Do you have a photographer or videographer that does a lot of video and or stills in low light and they are always complaining about needing more light. Well here is a basic solution for them. The Lume is small, yet powerful and with the ball head shoe mount, they can mount it right to the camera for constant lighting. This is a great tool for low light close-ups, for still photos, or even for those using anything with a hot shoe (where you mount a flash) to create content.
External Hard Drives - Prices Vary
The one thing that I tell everyone that I help teach in this field is to always back up your work, and never store it on your computer or laptop. I had the personal misfortune years ago of losing a lot of files because I didn’t back up my files. What I recommend now is that if you are traveling, you have one travel hard drive and at least one hard drive that never leaves your office/home. Now prices will vary depending on manufacture, size, speed, type, etc. A standard hard drive, like the Lacie Rugged, that is offered for less than $100 in a 2TB format via Adorama or B&H Photo is a great start to your external storage solutions. If you want to step up in speed and reliability, look at the G-Technology 1TB External SSD Drives for $189.95. The G-Technology SSD drive is going to be much faster, and while it is a tad more expensive, it doesn’t have moving parts and will last much longer. Those can be found at both Adorama as well as B&H Photo also. I personally replace my portable unit after each season and start with a new one. Make sure that you also look at something like a WD MyBook as another backup that never leaves home as well.
Epson Expression Photo HD XP-15000 Printer - $349.99-$402.00
If you have a photographer that you are buying for and they are still using someone else to print all those 8x10’s, or you have someone that is just getting into photography and they don’t have a quality printer, this is what you need to get them. All those amazing photos do absolutely no one any good if they are getting sitting on a hard drive, stored away somewhere. This is a printer that I personally own and use. I print anything from 8x10 all the way up to 13x19 on this printer. It is an absolute must-have for the photographer in your life that wants a great printer at an even better value.
Ear Buds or Headphones - Price Varies
This is something that every single content creator appreciates. Not only will they use them while they are editing content, but it is something that they can use in everyday life. Personally, I have used multiple different items in this category. Whether it be Beats wireless earbuds, Jaybird Earbuds, or Beats Headphones. I love the fact that this is something that I can use every day. Since I am in the market, I personally plan on getting a set of Airpod Pros for everyday use and researching a set of over the ear headphones for video work.
Shoulder Bag/Messenger Bag - Prices Vary
To be honest with you guys and gals, this is something that I never thought I would own. I never saw myself as that person with a shoulder bag. I was 100% wrong! Earlier this year I picked up on a great deal for a Temba shoulder bag that was on clearance. It was normally like a $350 bag that I picked up for $120. It has a removable insert with dividers for smaller camera gear, or when removed, I can easily toss my 15” MacBook in it along with cords, chargers, hard drives, wallet, keys, etc. It makes such a great compliment to my Think Tank roller bag. If you have a creator who travels and takes a laptop etc. with them, a nice canvas messenger style bag is a must-have. You can find a ton of them at Adorama or B&H.
Touchscreen Gloves - Priced from $20-$50
The reason that I don’t list a specific glove is that it depends on where you do work and what you are using. Thick gloves when attempting to utilize a DSLR or Mirrorless body is a giant pain in the ass. A thinner glove is something that I prefer as I can wear them under thicker gloves as well. This allows me to not go bare handed while shooting, but thin enough that I can put thicker gloves on while setting up or moving to locations. This is a gift that I would look to Amazon for. Why a touchscreen glove set? It allows you to operate a lot of features on a camera and/or smartphone while staying warm as well.
Think Tank Sunscreen V2.0, Pop Open Sun Shade that Works with Laptops up to 17" - $89.75
A sunscreen, what am I thinking? Am I editing on the beach? Well, the simple answer is that this nifty little tool, which I still have to purchase also, is perfect for any content creator. Most of us don’t work in a dark room. You have an office with windows, you have another area that you work in with windows, be it your car, the race track, etc. This helps to eliminate that glare and the strain you get on your eyes because of things reflecting off your screen. I would rate this gift as something that anyone not working in a darkroom must own.
A gift card
When all else fails and you are frustrated that you can’t find what they may want, or that everything is out of your budget, the perfect failsafe is a gift card. With that said, it better not be the only thing that you get them, because no one likes just a gift card. Add a teddy bear or something. There are three places that a Gift card from will light up the face of any content creator. I recommend gift cards to one of the following three places: Adorama, B&H Photo, or LensRentals.
So there you have it. Ten gifts that will work for the content creator on your list. While obviously there are thousands of things out there that a content creator would love, a lot of those things are not gift type items, or they are very personal items. Things like roller bags, tripods, lenses, camera bodies, etc. I hope this gives you a little direction this holiday season.