2011 Holiday Gift Guide for Photographers

Tomorrow is Black Friday. Get your gift ideas ready.
If you’re shopping for a special travel writer this season (or looking for things to add to your own list), check out our favorite travel writer’s wish list items.
If you’re shopping for a photographer (hey, that might also be you), take a look at some of these ideas — as well as the gear on our favorite professional photographers’ wish lists — below…
HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS
1. A new camera bag ($59.95).  A lot of our workshop attendees show up with these bags and they love them.
2. An Eyefi memory card (starts at $49.99).  These memory cards automatically transfer your images to your computer when you’re in WiFi range.  Just turn your camera on and the card does the rest.
3. A new camera strap ($53.95).  Typically, I’d recommend something with some neoprene bounce but a lot of the pros are using camera slings now and I love them.
4.Canon or Nikon lens mug ($24).  These look very realistic.  I’ve given them away as gifts before and they’re really cool.
5. Photo-opoly, the game ($29.95).  You can give this to a photographer to fill in themselves or you can fill it in with your favorite photos and then give away the game to someone else.
6. Underwater Mask/Camera ($49).  Great for underwater photography.
And here’s what’s on our pro photographers’ wish lists this year…
>> EFRAIN PADRO, Freelance Editorial Photographer
** 1. I’d like some Honl Flash Gels. These are colored plastic that you can put over your flash to balance it with the light in the room. They run about $20.
** 2. I’m also looking for a bubble level for camera hot shoe. It’s a tiny level that you stick on your camera to make sure that it’s level when you’re shooting from a tripod. This one’s under $3 from Ebay, plus free shipping.
** 3. And I think the Sun Surveyor smart phone app, about $6.50 would be really useful. The app provides information about sun and moon phases — perfect for planning a shoot outdoors when you want to predict the light.
And, of course, my fourth wish is: Peace on Earth.
>> RICH WAGNER, Professional Fine Art Photographer
** 1. I couldn’t help buying these for myself, but if I hadn’t they’d still be on my list — my two favorite photographer iPhone apps:
— “Golden Hour,” which gives sunrise and sunset times and highlights the golden hour of great light for each. It also shows the current angle and direction of the sun, all based on your current location or any other location you would like to enter.
— “f/8,” a depth of field calculator where you can enter your camera and lens combinations and see your depth of field based on any f-stop. Both are great, inexpensive tools.
** 2. And the real treat this year… I want an Acratech GP-s ball head for my tripod. This one’s around $400, but it’s worth every cent and it will last forever. It’s light, rock solid, works as a gimbal head for long lenses (so you attach your heavy lens to your tripod, instead of your camera), and, best of all, it can be used as a leveling base for perfect panoramic images.
>> BONNIE CATON, Creator, Breakfast Stock Club, Budding Stock Photographer
** 1. I really want a radio frequency remote shutter release for my camera, so that I can perfect my self-portrait skills. There are so many advantages to photographing yourself for stock… your model always shows up on time, always signs a model release, and never demands payment! Plus, you learn so much and you don’t have to be nervous about what the model thinks, since the model is you. You can find different ones on Amazon.com. Make sure you get one that works with your camera.
** 2. My dream gift is a Nikon 24-70 2.8 lens. No matter how far you zoom it, you can still shoot at 2.8. I’ve rented it a few times, and it’s super-fast, super-sharp, and super fun, though a little heavy. It’s expensive, at $1,900, but I’ve been saving my pennies, and this is going to be my gift to myself this year.
** 3. And since I travel to bright, tropical places with our photo expeditions (Maui, Bali, and Thailand, specifically), I’d like a polarizing filter for my new lens, so that I can get really deep blue skies when I shoot and cut down on haze in my photos. Search online or in stores for one that will fit the size of your lens.
Happy Thanksgiving!
[Editor’s Note: Learn more about how you can turn your pictures into cash in our free online newsletter The Right Way to Travel.  Sign up here today and we’ll send you a new report, Selling Photos for Cash: A Quick-Start Guide, completely FREE.]