What to Give a Camera Walker

If you have a Camera Walker on your holiday list this year, you might want to check out some of these ideas for gifts.

Walking gifts: Every walker could use a tracker. There are so many available ranging from a pedometer to the all popular Fitbit, or if you want to splurge a bit, the Apple Watch. We have used the Fitbit faithfully, and with its new updates it is even more useful. Recently I bought an Apple Watch, setting my Fitbit aside, but I was not disappointed. Regardless of the type of tracker, using one can help your Camera Walker step up their game.

Another great gift is a Walkapocket. This is so handy to carry your phone, keys, kleenex and whatever else is essential on your walk. We believe so strongly in the Walkapocket that we made it available on our online shop, so check it out. We have also added Camera Walking t-shirts and baseball hats. It is a fun gift for anyone who loves to walk and take photos.

Photography ideas: Give your Camera Walker a gift card at Apple’s iTunes or Android’s Google Play app store to download photo apps. If your Camera Walker uses a DSLR and is thinking about a new lens, a gift certificate at BorrowLenses is a good way to try one out before purchase. LensPen Cleaning System, rain protectors, or extra memory cards are always appreciated. Consider a sling bag so that your walker can easily carry all of their camera gear, water bottle and snacks for long walks. I have two that I love: the Lowpro Sling Bag and my newly purchased Think Tank Lily Deanne Mezzo, a bag made by and for women photographers!

Another excellent idea is the DXO One camera! We wrote about this camera a while back, and it has proven to be very useful on walks. It takes excellent photos, is small and lightweight making it a perfect walking camera. The iPhone operates as its viewfinder and this small camera is powerful - 20 mp and 32mm lens. I find that I am using it more and more on my daily walks. The price is a little hefty ($599), but it comes with a software bundle valued at $300.

Give the Gift of Learning: Lynda.com and KelbyOne are excellent resources for any photographer. Kelby's online tutorials focus on photography, Lightroom, Photoshop and are taught by well-known professionals. Lynda.com’s tutorials also focus on photography but much more. Both offer monthly or yearly subscriptions. If your Camera Walker is interested in stepping up their editing skills, consider a subscription with Adobe's Creative Cloud. The photographer's package includes Lightroom and Photoshop for as little as $10/month. We love both.

Turn Photos into Gifts: You can turn your Camera Walker’s photos into fun items. Snapbox turns your smart phone or camera photos into wonderful framed canvas gifts. They come in all sizes ranging from 5×5 to 10×13. We print often on canvas with great results. Another option is Sworl for printing and framing your smartphone photos. Just download the app, and you will be able to create beautiful wall or desk art, and is delivered to your door wrapped. As one of our friends said when we sent her a photo via Sworl, the packaging looked like a Zen artist had wrapped it.

If you want to wait until after the holiday to create a photo book, give a Blurb gift certificate so your Camera Walker can create their own wonderful book.

Finally Give: Of course we all love to receive presents, and one of the nicest gifts is to donate to a nonprofit in your Camera Walker’s name. There are many nonprofit groups that support photography, so look around in you city for options. We are supporters of Youth in Focus,* a twenty-two year old nonprofit group in Seattle that empowers urban youth, through photography, to experience their world in new ways and to make positive choices for their lives. Take a look at their site. There are some pretty amazing stories there!

We hope that this quick list will give you ideas to support your Camera Walker in achieving better health, fitness and creativity.

* (In the spirit of full disclosure, Carol is on the board of directors of Youth in Focus. It is a great group that we are both very interested in!)