10 photography gifts mothers actually want
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It’s a widely acknowledged fact that mothers are superheroes who deserve to be celebrated every day of the year, which is why it’s important to get things right on the only official holiday dedicated to mom. If the mother you’re shopping for happens to be a photographer, we think she’ll be way more into one of these gifts than another set of decorative wine glass charms.
How do we know? Well, we cheated and asked a group of moms what they really wanted this Mother’s Day. With apologies to our friends in the UK where Mother’s Day has already passed (we know you got your mum something great) here are some suggestions by moms, for moms.
Peak Design Everyday Backpack
$ 260/€270 | peakdesign.com | Buy Now
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Peak Design has earned a reputation for its highly functional Everyday bags. They aren’t exactly cheap, but they’ve quickly become the go-to for photographers who want a stylish daily bag that thoughtfully accommodates photo gear. The backpack comes in 20L and 30L sizes, but if a tote is more mom’s style, that’s an option too.
Tenba BYOB Camera Insert
$ 50/€35| tenba.com | Buy Now
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Let’s be honest, who among us *hasn’t* carried a lens wrapped in a dish towel at the bottom of their purse? It’s not ideal, but desperate times call for desperate measures. When a dedicated camera bag isn’t right for the occasion but you still want to carry a camera or lens, there’s a much better way: the Tenba BYOB Camera Insert. It’s offered in a few different sizes and fits snuggly into a larger purse or tote and provides safe storage for a couple of lenses or a camera body.
Canon Speedlite 470EX-AI
$ 400/€500 | canon.com | Buy Now
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If Mom’s a lighting genius who shoots portraits every weekend you can definitely skip this one, but if she’s a Canon shooter looking to dip a toe into flash photography then the 470EX-AI is a great option to consider. It automatically pivots and rotates to bounce light for more flattering portraits, which is a useful way for flash beginners to learn the ropes. It can also be used manually, or to automatically move between a manually selected position when switching between landscape and portrait-oriented shooting.
Fujifilm X100F
$ 1200/€1270 | fujifilm.com | Buy Now
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There’s just no denying the universal appeal of the Fujifilm X100F – pretty much every photographer we know either has or wants one. It’s gorgeous, a dream to shoot with and just an all-around likeable camera. Sure, it’s a much bigger investment than a cute lens-shaped coffee mug, but if it’s the year to pull out all of the stops, we think the X100F is a winner.
Olympus TG-5
$ 400/€410 | getolympus.com | Buy Now
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The list of compact cameras worth buying (rather than just using your smartphone) is dwindling every year, but the Olympus TG-5 remains a worthwhile investment thanks to its hardy weatherproofing. More and more smartphones have some level of water resistance, but that’s just a fraction of the TG-5’s rugged capabilities. Bring it to the beach, drop it in the pool, freeze it on the ski slope – it’ll keep going. It’s a life-proof camera that’ll sub in nicely when Mom wants to leave her expensive gear or smartphone out of harm’s way.
Fujifilm Instax Share SP-2
$ 147/€140 | fujifilm.com | Buy Now
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The Instax Share SP-2 is a small, wireless printer that uses the ubiquitous Instax Mini Instant film. It connects to a smartphone app and produces credit card-sized prints with color and sharpness we prefer over competitors like the Polaroid Zip. In an age of Instagram likes and Facebook tags, it’s surprisingly delightful to print and share photos the old fashioned way.
Moment lenses
$ 100 (lens only) | shopmoment.com | Buy Now
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Moment’s smartphone accessory lenses are regarded as some of the best you can buy. They require a proprietary case, and cases are only available for some of the latest and most popular smartphone models. The case itself is attractive though, and we’ve been fans of using the Wide lens to give ourselves extra options when we’re out shooting with just a phone.
Pulse Bluetooth Camera Remote
$ 130 | Alpinelaboratories.com | Buy Now
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It’s hard to for Mom to be in the family photo if she’s always the one behind the camera. If she has a Canon or Nikon DSLR that doesn’t offer built-in Wi-Fi control via the manufacturer’s app, the Pulse Bluetooth camera remote might come in handy. It acts as a remote shutter for those all-important family portraits, and it also includes time-lapse and long exposure tools that are fun to experiment with.
Clickin Moms membership
$ 60/year | clickinmoms.com
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Clickin Moms is a community that welcomes photographers of all skill levels, from beginners to working pros. Get Mom a year-long membership for $ 60 and she’ll have access to tutorials, mentors and discussion forums. Being connected to a community of like-minded photographers is an excellent way to stay inspired and keep growing as a hobbyist or professional.
Photography classes
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This was the most popular response from the moms we polled on the topic of Mother’s Day gifts. There are tons of great resources online for photographers who want to learn new skills and brush up on technique, and a virtual class is easy to fit into a busy schedule. KelbyOne.com is widely regarded as an excellent source for learning Photoshop and Lightroom, and CreativeLive provides a wide range of classes for hobbyist photographers and working pros alike.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
