Posts Tagged ‘Christmas’
5 Great Christmas Gift Ideas for Photographers
04
Dec
2012
You have a photographer friend and have yet to find THE perfect holiday gift? Take it from a photographer, any of the following would make my Christmas Day and the best part is, they all fit into standard-sized Christmas stockings and won’t stretch your budget like a lot of photography-related items do (Think 50k medium format camera).
Give the Gift of Knowledge
Photography is all about vision, timing and constant improvement to stay on top of your game. There are plenty of helpful books, ebooks and classes out there that can help you or your photographer friend narrowing the odds of getting the photographs desired. Ebooks are a great way to get started for often times as few as 10 bucks. Amongst the most influential for me and nature photography in general, are the ebooks from Guy Tal (http://guytalbooks.com/), whose writing is as compelling as his shooting. Another possibility of broadening your processing horizon is to experience hands-on Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom classes from Aperture Academy (http://www.apertureacademy.com/course-schedule.php). Great for advanced amateurs who are getting great shots in the field but missing the “Oooomph” the digital darkroom can deliver. There is nothing wrong with knowing your midtone luminosity mask from your red channel saturation mask. Speaking of which, the Photoshop actions of Tony Kuyper would make an equally great gift for the Photoshop-“challenged”. The complete set comes at as little as $20. (http://goodlight.us/specialoffers.html)
The Photographer’s Ephemeris
With the advancement of smartphones, there came a plethora of apps targeted at photographers and whether you are a fan of iPhonography and Droidography or not, there actually are a few gems out there that make landscape photography a lot easier. One of these apps is The Photographer’s Ephemeris (TPE). An app I find myself using all the time when planning a shot, long before I venture out, to make myself clear what I get myself into, light-wise; or in the field, when plans change due to unforeseeable weather patterns (thanks, weather guys!). Either way, TPE offers the full package of sunrise and sunset, moonrise and moonset times, directions of sun and moon for every place in the world and much more useful features. It comes in at $8.99 and is available for iOS and Android here: http://photoephemeris.com/buy-download
Gloves
Yes, you’ve read that right. Christmas time also means snow and cold weather in the northern hemisphere and warm hands on an outdoor shoot are as essential as a working camera. There is nothing worse than trying to operate your camera in the snow with freezing finger tips and you don’t want to miss the shot of your buddy’s first 360 because your hands were cold. I like my Marmot XT Gloves to keep my hands and fingers warm even in the lousiest shooting conditions. They are warm, yet thin enough to have me push the most essential buttons on my camera. Often times, the warmest gloves are useless as they are too bulky and restrict your movability quite a bit. The XTs are a perfect combination of warmth and usability for me. Get them following the link for around 60 bucks: http://www.bergfreunde.de/marmot-xt-glove-kletterhandschuh/
Lens Travel Mugs
Coffee – where art thou? Frankly, I couldn’t get anything done without a cup of freshly brewed coffee first thing in the morning and when it comes to cups and mugs, I like to enjoy my Italian roast in style. Such as with a Canon lens cup (Nikon versions are equally available). The 70-200mm travel mug makes a great conversation opener in the field and deserves the “oohs” and “aahs” it is getting, while the 24-105mm version is perfect to sit on your desk for a late afternoon coffee break. Expect to shell out around 20 dollars for either version. You can get them on Amazon or various online resellers. (70-200mm on Amazon.com)
F-Stop Watch
Nothing screams photography nerd more boldly than the F-Stop Watch, other than maybe a lens cap tattooed to one’s forehead. It’s a cleverly designed accessory that will grab the attention right away. No deal breaker at $35, if you get it here: http://photojojo.com/store/awesomeness/f-stop-watch/
2013 Wall Calendar
Alright, I reckon those were more than 5 in total, so it won’t hurt to have another idea handpicked and delivered to your screen, would it? I didn’t think so, either; so here it goes. Remember the time when your friend told you how much shooting that one place or the other would mean? Inspiration and incentive alike, a calendar featuring your friend’s favorite places would make a great Christmas gift under the tree and 365 days on the wall. Disclaimer: Self-promotion ahead!
You can get my “Element of Life” calender here, featuring 12 stunning pieces from my portfolio, all “anchored” around the water theme. Now on sale for the next two weeks on Red Bubble, before the price will go up the final week before Christmas. http://www.redbubble.com/people/davidrichter/calendars/9481417-element-of-life
Or maybe this skiing one for your buddy? http://www.bergfreunde.de/tmms-verlag-powder-2013-kalender/
Happy Holiday (Shopping) Season!
David
04
Dec
2012
You have a photographer friend and have yet to find THE perfect holiday gift? Take it from a photographer, any of the following would make my Christmas Day and the best part is, they all fit into standard-sized Christmas stockings and won’t stretch your budget like a lot of photography-related items do (Think 50k medium format camera).
Give the Gift of Knowledge
Photography is all about vision, timing and constant improvement to stay on top of your game. There are plenty of helpful books, ebooks and classes out there that can help you or your photographer friend narrowing the odds of getting the photographs desired. Ebooks are a great way to get started for often times as few as 10 bucks. Amongst the most influential for me and nature photography in general, are the ebooks from Guy Tal (http://guytalbooks.com/), whose writing is as compelling as his shooting. Another possibility of broadening your processing horizon is to experience hands-on Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom classes from Aperture Academy (http://www.apertureacademy.com/course-schedule.php). Great for advanced amateurs who are getting great shots in the field but missing the “Oooomph” the digital darkroom can deliver. There is nothing wrong with knowing your midtone luminosity mask from your red channel saturation mask. Speaking of which, the Photoshop actions of Tony Kuyper would make an equally great gift for the Photoshop-“challenged”. The complete set comes at as little as $20. (http://goodlight.us/specialoffers.html)
The Photographer’s Ephemeris
With the advancement of smartphones, there came a plethora of apps targeted at photographers and whether you are a fan of iPhonography and Droidography or not, there actually are a few gems out there that make landscape photography a lot easier. One of these apps is The Photographer’s Ephemeris (TPE). An app I find myself using all the time when planning a shot, long before I venture out, to make myself clear what I get myself into, light-wise; or in the field, when plans change due to unforeseeable weather patterns (thanks, weather guys!). Either way, TPE offers the full package of sunrise and sunset, moonrise and moonset times, directions of sun and moon for every place in the world and much more useful features. It comes in at $8.99 and is available for iOS and Android here: http://photoephemeris.com/buy-download
Gloves
Yes, you’ve read that right. Christmas time also means snow and cold weather in the northern hemisphere and warm hands on an outdoor shoot are as essential as a working camera. There is nothing worse than trying to operate your camera in the snow with freezing finger tips and you don’t want to miss the shot of your buddy’s first 360 because your hands were cold. I like my Marmot XT Gloves to keep my hands and fingers warm even in the lousiest shooting conditions. They are warm, yet thin enough to have me push the most essential buttons on my camera. Often times, the warmest gloves are useless as they are too bulky and restrict your movability quite a bit. The XTs are a perfect combination of warmth and usability for me. Get them following the link for around 60 bucks: http://www.bergfreunde.de/marmot-xt-glove-kletterhandschuh/
Lens Travel Mugs
Coffee – where art thou? Frankly, I couldn’t get anything done without a cup of freshly brewed coffee first thing in the morning and when it comes to cups and mugs, I like to enjoy my Italian roast in style. Such as with a Canon lens cup (Nikon versions are equally available). The 70-200mm travel mug makes a great conversation opener in the field and deserves the “oohs” and “aahs” it is getting, while the 24-105mm version is perfect to sit on your desk for a late afternoon coffee break. Expect to shell out around 20 dollars for either version. You can get them on Amazon or various online resellers. (70-200mm on Amazon.com)
F-Stop Watch
Nothing screams photography nerd more boldly than the F-Stop Watch, other than maybe a lens cap tattooed to one’s forehead. It’s a cleverly designed accessory that will grab the attention right away. No deal breaker at $35, if you get it here: http://photojojo.com/store/awesomeness/f-stop-watch/
2013 Wall Calendar
Alright, I reckon those were more than 5 in total, so it won’t hurt to have another idea handpicked and delivered to your screen, would it? I didn’t think so, either; so here it goes. Remember the time when your friend told you how much shooting that one place or the other would mean? Inspiration and incentive alike, a calendar featuring your friend’s favorite places would make a great Christmas gift under the tree and 365 days on the wall. Disclaimer: Self-promotion ahead!
You can get my “Element of Life” calender here, featuring 12 stunning pieces from my portfolio, all “anchored” around the water theme. Now on sale for the next two weeks on Red Bubble, before the price will go up the final week before Christmas. http://www.redbubble.com/people/davidrichter/calendars/9481417-element-of-life
Or maybe this skiing one for your buddy? http://www.bergfreunde.de/tmms-verlag-powder-2013-kalender/
Happy Holiday (Shopping) Season!
David
“Element of Life” Calender 2013
19
Oct
2012
I have been very busy these last few weeks, making photographs of the amazing display of fall colors this year here in Germany. Unlike last year, I have been able to toss together a wall calender for the upcoming year – yes, I know, it’s hard to believe Christmas is only a mere 2 months away. Rather than randomly selecting images of my work, I went ahead and gathered 12 frames around the general theme of “Water”, hence the title of the calender: “Element of Life”.
It has a bit of everything for the H2O aficionado. High alpine lakes, waterfalls, coastlines in the US and Italy, old sheds in front of the Karwendel massif in Bavaria, Germany and more. Above you’ll find two sample spreads of some of my best selling images included in this calender and below, a selection of all 12 photographs in the calender.
The wall calender is approximately 11.7 x 16.5 inches and printed on 200gsm paper with a satin finish. I decided to make it available through Red Bubble, which has experience in calender printing for many, many years and is known for its high-quality service and beautiful printed products. I prefer to go this route, rather than printing and shipping the calenders myself; as I want to make sure this calender’s turnaround time is low, making it ship timely, all while keeping shipping costs low.
That said, it is available through Red Bubble for $29.90 or 22.99 Euro, respectively.
Besides making a perfect wall decoration for your home or the bland walls of your office, this calender would also make a great Holiday gift for your friends who might enjoy hiking, fishing, camping or maybe just honor skillfully crafted photography. 😉 Your turn!
(A last side note, new images will be released soon.)
19
Oct
2012
I have been very busy these last few weeks, making photographs of the amazing display of fall colors this year here in Germany. Unlike last year, I have been able to toss together a wall calender for the upcoming year – yes, I know, it’s hard to believe Christmas is only a mere 2 months away. Rather than randomly selecting images of my work, I went ahead and gathered 12 frames around the general theme of “Water”, hence the title of the calender: “Element of Life”.
It has a bit of everything for the H2O aficionado. High alpine lakes, waterfalls, coastlines in the US and Italy, old sheds in front of the Karwendel massif in Bavaria, Germany and more. Above you’ll find two sample spreads of some of my best selling images included in this calender and below, a selection of all 12 photographs in the calender.
The wall calender is approximately 11.7 x 16.5 inches and printed on 200gsm paper with a satin finish. I decided to make it available through Red Bubble, which has experience in calender printing for many, many years and is known for its high-quality service and beautiful printed products. I prefer to go this route, rather than printing and shipping the calenders myself; as I want to make sure this calender’s turnaround time is low, making it ship timely, all while keeping shipping costs low.
That said, it is available through Red Bubble for $29.90 or 22.99 Euro, respectively.
Besides making a perfect wall decoration for your home or the bland walls of your office, this calender would also make a great Holiday gift for your friends who might enjoy hiking, fishing, camping or maybe just honor skillfully crafted photography. 😉 Your turn!
(A last side note, new images will be released soon.)
Happy Holidays!
25
Dec
2009
I just wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas and some great Holidays with family, friends and whomever you will spend your time with. If you have some fresh snow, go out and take a walk to enjoy the beauty of it and do not take it for granted.
For years I believed to live in a snow-safe area but since the dry and cold air masses from Russia stopped colliding with the wet ones moving in from the UK, we seem to have a hard time around Christmas each year, snow-wise speaking. We had a good cover already, something to build up on, but right in the middle of Christmas Eve the thermometer revealed 41F/5C which is a major disappointment.
Anyhow, after the break, I’ll be back to Dresden to shoot the city with Mr. Blue Hour himself, Mr. David Bank, flying straight in from London. Really looking forward to that and I am in high hopes the weather will cooperate.
I’ll leave you with an old favorite of mine. A square crop from one of the majestic winter sunsets I have witnessed. Standing atop the highest mountain in the region let’s you reflect on the past but also makes you look forward to the great things to conquer in the days, weeks and months to come, so now I said it, I am looking forward to 2010 but I will cover my excitement with the New Year’s post.
Until then, happy shooting! Never stop exploring! 😉
David
25
Dec
2009
I just wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas and some great Holidays with family, friends and whomever you will spend your time with. If you have some fresh snow, go out and take a walk to enjoy the beauty of it and do not take it for granted.
For years I believed to live in a snow-safe area but since the dry and cold air masses from Russia stopped colliding with the wet ones moving in from the UK, we seem to have a hard time around Christmas each year, snow-wise speaking. We had a good cover already, something to build up on, but right in the middle of Christmas Eve the thermometer revealed 41F/5C which is a major disappointment.
Anyhow, after the break, I’ll be back to Dresden to shoot the city with Mr. Blue Hour himself, Mr. David Bank, flying straight in from London. Really looking forward to that and I am in high hopes the weather will cooperate.
I’ll leave you with an old favorite of mine. A square crop from one of the majestic winter sunsets I have witnessed. Standing atop the highest mountain in the region let’s you reflect on the past but also makes you look forward to the great things to conquer in the days, weeks and months to come, so now I said it, I am looking forward to 2010 but I will cover my excitement with the New Year’s post.
Until then, happy shooting! Never stop exploring! 😉
David
