One characteristic that is almost universal with any photographer is that they are creative.
If you don’t think of yourself as very creative, it might seem intimidating to find a gift for the photographer in your life.
Maybe it’s a photography gift for a boyfriend or girlfriend that you’re looking for. You’ve seen how clever and creative they are in making beautiful photos and wonder what you could possibly get for them.
It could also be that you’re looking for the perfect photography gift to give your mom or dad. As you’ve grown up you’ve seen how much they love photography and maybe feel like they already have everything they could need.
Or it may just be that you want to get a thank you gift for a photographer friend that took some amazing pictures of you or your family.
Well we are going to unlock the mystery of getting that really unique or perfect gift for the creative photographer you love.
Table of Contents
ToggleWhat Do You Get Someone Who Loves to Take Pictures?
To answer the question, ‘What to get someone who loves to take pictures?’ you’ve got to start with another question.
You should be asking, ‘What kind of reaction do I want from giving this gift?’
That answer can be broken down into two types of reactions: Smiles, Laughter, & Hugs; or ‘Sweet!’, Likes & High Fives.
Gifts that Get a ‘Sweet!’, Likes, & High Fives
Let me start here, because if this is the reaction you want, this isn’t the article you want to be reading. We have a how-to-guide that covers ‘What Gift Do You Buy for a Photographer?‘ that has a list of gifts that will get you high fives for days.
It gives you the secret to finding that kind of gift by teaching you one simple thing you need to know about photographers.
These are gifts more centered around the type of gear that every photographer needs. Camera equipment gifts helps them feed their ‘photography addition.’
Gifts that Get Smiles, Laughter, & Hugs
The gift ideas in this article are focused on getting that hug from your mom or dad or seeing that smile grow across the face of your friend.
These kinds of gifts are more everyday items that have a photography theme. From apparel and mugs to decor and cards.
If you’re sticking with us here let’s get to our list or feel free to jump over to our other post on the secret to the perfect photography gift.
Creative Photography Gifts for the Uncreative
Whether you think of yourself as a creative person or not it can be challenging to come up with a clever photography themed gift.
Luckily for all of us there are people that spend a lot of time coming up with creative ideas. And even more lucky for you is that we’ve scoured the web to find the best creative photography gifts and put them all in one place.
To make it even easier for you we’ve also tagged each unique photography gift idea as:
So you can quickly narrow in on what’s the best gift for the photographer you know.
We recognize that budget-friendly gifts are always a concern so every one of the gifts on our list is really affordable or even down right cheap (in price that is, not quality).
Although Best Photography Gear will get a commission if you purchase a particular product/service through our affiliate links we only post items that we feel are high quality and would meet the intent of your search.
Cute and Heart-Warming Photographer Gifts
These are the photography gifts that will get you that warm hug and put a smile on the face of your favorite photographer.
Camera Cookie Cutter
Details: If the photographer you know likes to bake this is a perfect photography-themed gift. Or you can get it for yourself and bake THEM some cookies.
Trying to Find My Balance Mug
Details: Balancing life may be a bit harder than finding the right White Balance for you image.
Camera Planter Pot
Details: Capture the beauty of your favorite floral designs with these camera pots.
Dad Photographer Mug
Details: This is a cute and heartwarming gift for a dad, husband, or brother-in-law that puts their family first.
Ornament for Photographers
Details: This is a special personalized wooden (Christmas tree or home office) ornament for photographers or photography lovers.
Fun and Funny Photographer Gifts
Looking for that laugh? These gifts are sure to get a chuckle, not only when you give them this gift but every time they use it.
If you’re still not sure what to get them, we are happy to provide more specific gift giving advice, free of charge.
I'm a Control Freak Mug
Details: For those that have to control every little setting on their camera, Manual Mode is where they live.
Recovering Control Freak Mug
Details: Fun photography pun for those that are trying to be less of a Control Freak.
Photographer - Photography shirt
Details: Choose Your Weapon (Camera Lens) T-Shirt – great funny gift idea for anyone who is a photographer!
3D Moon Lamp
Details: This light up moon lamp makes for a fun photography prop. Especially for some fun children’s portraits.
Personalized Photographer Caricature
Details: Even though a lot of photographers want to be behind the camera and don’t want to be in the picture, this makes for a really fun personalized gift.
Fujifilm Instax Mini 9 Instant Camera
Details: There’s something fun and nostalgic about a printed photo. And an instant camera adds a lot of fun to a birthday party or wedding reception.
Darth Vader Dark Room Mug
Details: The perfect photography pun gift for the Star Wars loving photographer.
Raw and Unfiltered Mug
Details: Great mug for the film photographers as well as those that only shoot in RAW format.
Thank You Photographer Gifts to Show Gratitude
Thank you gifts don’t have to be of equal value to what someone did for you. A sincere and thoughtful gift or card is always welcome and will leave both you and the receiver feeling great.
Amazon Gift Card
Details: Give them the flexibility of getting the gear they really want. You can get a traditional gift card to wrap or send a convenient eGift card. They will love it either way!
B&H Photo Gift Card
Details: If you’re not a photographer you may not be familiar with B&H, but they are a trusted source for all kinds of photography and videography gear.
Borrow Lenses Gift Certificate
Details: BorrowLenses provides Professional Video and Camera Gear Rentals. While you may not be able to give them that brand new $1000 lens, you can give them a gift certificate so they can rent it for a special event or vacation. Learn more about the benefits of renting camera gear.
Wedding Photographer Gift Thank You
Details: A beautiful and elegant thank you gift for your wedding day, Event Photographer.
Handmade Wooden Camera Business Card Holder
Details: This wooden business card holder that resembles a camera makes for a really thoughtful gift for a wedding or special event photographer.
Custom Camera Strap
Details: Personalized leather camera straps are gorgeous custom gifts for all photography lovers!
Camera Lens Coffee Mug
Details: Cool Replica Nikon or Cannon Camera Lens Coffee Mug. Great for the photography lover in your life!
Final Thoughts on Finding Creative Photography Themed Gifts
When looking for a gift for the photographer you know and love don’t be intimidated.
Remember you don’t have to be the creative one. And with the gift ideas above you don’t even have to spend hours researching what’s out there.
Even if it feels like ‘they already have everything’; one of the thoughtful gifts above will still bring that smile, laugh, or hug you were hoping it would.
And if we’ve learned anything from years of distancing, joyful time together is really the best gift we can give.
If you want to know the secret for finding the best photographer gifts, we can teach you something that is going to save you a bunch of time and frustration for next time you have to get them a gift.
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Read MoreFirst and foremost, I’m a husband and father. Then professionally I’m photographer, designer, blogger, and Esty store owner. My homebase is near the stunning Wasatch mountains in Utah but I love traveling with my family as part of our homeschooling journey. I also love teaching and helping out others. My faith is one of the biggest aspects of my life and brings be a consistent joy that I haven’t found in anything else. My main blog is BestPhotographyGear.com and I strive to make photography simple for anyone looking to learn or find gear for their individual needs. By nature, I like to study, research, and analyze things and I use that help provide the best advice and reviews I can.