Unique gift ideas for photographers

Looking for the perfect gift for a photographer? I’m sharing my personal favorite photography essentials and camera gear that I use as a wedding photographer. Great for any photography lover, whether they’re a beginner or a seasoned professional with all the gear.

Low-quality gear is my biggest pet peeve so you won’t find any cheesy gifts here. This gift guide includes everything from inexpensive, practical gifts to high-end, luxury presents that are perfect for a birthday or holidays.

Looking for a thoughtful thank-you gift for your photographer? You can’t go wrong with a good candle, a relaxing spa day, or a treat or two.

✨ Quick gift list

Here’s a quick list of my favorite gift ideas that I use and love as a wedding photographer.

• Instant print camera
• iPad Pro
• Camera harness for carrying multiple cameras
• 50mm lens
• Camera clip for your backpack
• Loupedeck+
• Quality memory-cards
• Cozy work-from-home essentials
• Noise-canceling headphones
• Skillshare membership
• Rechargeable batteries
• Walking pad
• Sunrise alarm clock
• Digital picture frame
• Compact mirrorless camera
• Weighted vest

Instant print camera

Best for: Printing fun photos instantly

They may already have a professional camera, but a print-out camera is perfect for personal photos! I love a classic Polaroid, but Fujifilm’s new hybrid digital/instant print-out camera is the best of both worlds! Both use Instax Polaroid photo paper.

I also found these magnetic clear frames for your fridge and I’m ordering 100 immediately. These would make a super cute and inexpensive gift.

iPad Pro

Best for: Editing and culling photos on the go

If you’re looking for a bigger gift for a birthday or Christmas, an iPad Pro is perfect for editing or working on the go. I personally love it for culling my photos on Lightroom Mobile and doodling on ProCreate. I took lots of fun classes on SkillShare for creating in ProCreate and loved expanding my creative skills!

It can obviously be used for so much more and I love having my iPad with me for traveling or work on the go.

Camera harness for carrying multiple cameras

Best for: Wedding, elopement or portrait photographers with multiple cameras

This harness allows you to hold two cameras (sometimes more) and is a must for a wedding, elopement or portrait photographer. It makes changing gear easy and accessible.

My typical setup is my 135mm lens on one camera and my 24-70mm lens on the other.

→ Shop camera harness here

50mm Lens

Best for: Beginners or pros looking for a great everyday lens

A 50mm lens is a perfect place to start for beginner photographers! There are a few different versions of this, but the 50mm f/1.8 is my favorite budget-friendly lens! Be sure to get the correct mount for whatever brand of camera they have.

The f1.8 is one of my favorite lenses for traveling as it’s SO lightweight. The f/1.8 does have some focusing issues, but it’s still one of my favorites! If you want a higher quality lens, the professional grade, f/1.2 is an incredible lens with the best quality!

Camera clip for your backpack

Best for: photographers who hike or travel with their camera

This Peak design camera clip for your backpack is one of my favorite gifts under $100! I got this for Christmas and I was so excited about it! It did take me a little bit of time to find a backpack that it would fit on, but it is so handy and for someone who loves hiking and traveling, it was the best gift.

I also got the handle strap with it which I was surprised with how much I use it and love it! I’m adding their camera packs to my Christmas wish list and very excited to give them a try!

Loupedeck+

Best for: Faster editing workflows (photo and video)

The Loupedeck+ is one of my favorite tools for editing my photos. It helps speed up my workflow (if I remember to use it), and I’m able to make my edits more precise with the customizable dials and controls. You can use it for both photo and video editing. I have the Loupedeck+, but there are a few other more compact designs.

→ Shop Loupedeck+

Quality memory cards

Best for: Any photographer or videographer

Good-quality memory cards are a must for every photographer and they are always on my list to buy. Watch out for just any memory cards on Amazon. It’s crucial to invest in reliable, professional-grade cards rather than opting for cheaper alternatives if you have a photography business. Make sure to check the type of memory card the camera requires.

Most cameras take SD cards, but every camera is different. Mine takes both SD cards and CF express cards.

I personally use:

Cozy work-from-home essentials

Best for: Photographers who work from home

My work-from-home ‘uniform’ consists of anything cozy for a work-from-home editing day.

My essentials are:

• Cozy slippers
• Heated blanket
• Ember mug to keep my coffee warm

Noise-canceling headphones

Best for: working in noisy places

These JBL noise-canceling headphones are my favorite headphones, and I can’t believe how often I use them. My boyfriend has these Sony headphones and loves them as well.

I use them for so much more than headphones. I also use them for using type-to-text for my blogging, and they play a big part in my day-to-day! They really help with speeding up my workflow process.

→ Shop these noise-canceling headphones

Skillshare Subscription

Best for: Creatives who love to learn new skills

I first signed up for a Skillshare Subscription when I wanted to get a little more creative and take easy art classes essentially in every subject. I started with watercolor classes and other creative classes but also found that I loved their other educational courses like SEO, Ads, and anything else related to business foundation.

If you’re not quite sure what they want, this is a great option!

→ Gift a Skillshare subscription

Rechargeable batteries

Best for: An affordable and useful gift

I love these rechargeable batteries! I bought them to use as batteries for my flashes, but I find myself using them all over the house. Be sure to buy the charger with a big pack of batteries. I always want to add more to my battery collection – both for my camera bag and for my home junk drawer.

→ Shop rechargeable batteries here

Walking pad

Best for: Photographers who want to stay active while working from home

I’m personally adding this walking pad to my Christmas list so I can edit or work while walking. I think one of the hardest parts of my business is sitting in front of a computer editing and I crave time outside or movement. I’m nervous and excited to try this.

→ Shop walking pads for home

Sunrise alarm clock

Best for: Early risers or photographers with sunrise sessions

This one could be for anyone, but if they’re waking up at 3 AM for sunrise sessions, they need a sunrise alarm clock. Nothing makes me more furious than waking up with a blaring alarm.

If you’re giving this to your partner, this is basically a gift for yourself.

→ Shop sunrise alarm clock on Amazon

Digital picture frame

Best for: Showcasing personal photos easily

The perfect gift for displaying photos of their travels and adventures! The Aura Digital Picture Frame has been a hit in 2025 for gifting pretty much anyone in your life. You can send photos right from your phone to the frame.

→ Shop Aura digital picture frame

Compact mirrorless travel camera

Best for: Taking high quality personal & travel pictures

Even if they already have a professional camera for their photography, this compact and lightweight mirrorless Fujifilm camera would be perfect for traveling or their own ‘personal photos.’ It has ‘presets’ built in so you don’t have to edit which I think any photographer can appreciate, not having to edit more photos.

→ Shop Fujifilm travel camera

Weighted vest

Best for: Building strength for long sessions carrying heavy gear

Not exactly photography related, but as a photographer carrying multiple heavy cameras and lenses at once, training with a weighted vest helps so much to prep my body for a busy season.

→ Shop weighted vests on Amazon

✨ Want to see the full list on Amazon? →

Still not sure?

• Check out this list of what’s in my camera bag for more gift ideas!