9 Perfect Last-Minute Christmas Gifts for Photographers

Not sure what to get your photographer friend/partner/family member for Christmas? Here are some perfect products that you can pick up on short notice for them if you're stuck:

An Essential Photo Gift Card

Type of Photographer: Any

What kind of product do they want/would they use? "Help! I have no idea!"

Cost: £25 - £500

For starters, if you're completely stuck and have no idea what kind of equipment they would want or use, a gift card allows them to get whatever they want! 

Photography equipment can be EXPENSIVE and we know that not everybody has the budget to be buying high cost lighting or equipment. A gift card means you can give someone a set amount, between £25 or £500, without a) breaking the bank and b) buying someone something that they quite simply might not use! This way, they can put the funds towards that new softbox they've had their eye on or add it to the savings pot for their new strobe. A winner of a gift if you know your loved one is an EssentialPhoto customer. 

 The Godox Lux Junior Retro Speedlite On-Camera Flash

Type of Photographer: Amateur/Beginner. Trying to get into using lighting. 

What kind of product do they want/would they use? Small, easy to use lighting.

Cost: £73*

The Lux Junior is one of Godox's newest innovations, and is a fantastic option for the younger or beginner photographer in your life. With it's retro 80's aesthetic, the Lux is a manual on-camera flash that attaches to a wide range of camera hotshoes and is perfect to be used out-and-about! 

It's perfect if your photographer likes to shoot outdoors, and is looking to start their foray into using lighting with their photography, without overwhelming themselves with high-end or complicated speedlites. With a simple design and simple controls, the Lux Junior also has an "automatic" mode which means you can let the flash decide the settings for you before jumping into trying to change settings yourself. And at a reasonable price tag of £73*, it's an affordable gift if you're looking to give a nervous photographer the resources to give lighting a go. 

SlideBot Small Camera Motorised Slider

Type of Photographer: Videographer, or product photographer

What kind of product do they want/would they use? Small videography accessories. 

Cost: £99.99*

 The SlideBot is an interesting option if you're looking to gift something different and unique to your photographer/videographer. At £99.99 it's a pricier gift, and we would recommend being more confident in your photographer using an item like this before purchasing it for them. However, if you're looking to make an amateur videographer's life easier, this might just be the perfect gift. This mini camera slider is super handy, easy to use, and pocket-sized, and is designed to move a small camera in a truck motion, either from side-to-side or in an arc movement or "c" shape.

While not so useful for videographers on big productions generally, this slider is perfect for table-top use and can elevate video work by providing a smoothness to the footage that you wouldn't be able to get by hand-holding your camera. Consider using for small product photography or food photography if you need to get up-close and personal to the subject of your shoot. 

65cm Easy Open Rice-Bowl Softbox (Silver)

Type of Photographer: Portrait, Pet or Wedding Photography

What kind of product do they want/would they use? Needing softboxes or versatile modifiers

Cost: From £69.99*

One of our most popular modifiers/softboxes, the 65cm Rice Bowl Softbox is a super versatile option for any photographer looking to grow their modifier collection and include something that works for just about any kind of photography! Most used for portraiture photography, this softbox features our easy-open mechanism to make it super simple to transport and set-up, and offers a directional, yet soft light quality, especially when used with the included diffusers.

The 65cm Rice Bowl Softbox also includes a deflector dish that can be used inside, that helps reduce the hotspot of light, and enables the softbox to be used similarly to a beauty dish, and the round edges also help provide a round catchlight in subjects eyes. At just £69.99*, this softbox is a lighting kit superstar and you can't really go wrong with it!

Mini 10" Ring Light Kit With Stand And Smartphone Mount

Type of Photographer: The budding blogger, vlogger or influencer. 

What kind of product do they want/would they use? Something low-cost, handy, and easy to use.

Cost: £39.99*

The perfect gift for your budding vlogger, TikToker or general online influencer, this mini 10" Ring Light is a great gift to give if they are looking to make their videos and photos on social media a little more professional and clean. A Bi-Colour light, meaning that you can adjust the colour of the light between a colder, blue/white light, or to a warmer golden glow or orangey hue, this ringlight is perfectly adaptable to any indoor environment, and will help to balance the light colour of the room you're in. The ringlight is also dimmable, so you can just give your video as much lift as you need without your video looking like it's been filmed with a football pitch floodlight. 

Paired with a sturdy mini-stand, plus a smartphone bracket, this kit is everything one would need to get started with creating elevated online content without breaking the bank, at less than £40.

EzyLite Softbox Twin Lighting Kit

Type of Photographer: Amateur/Beginner, wants to try out studio lighting, or YouTube/Video creator

What kind of product do they want/would they use? Affordable, easy to use.

Cost: £79.99*

But what if you've got a photographer who wants to try out studio photography? The EzyLite kit is a great option to give them the resources to play around with continuous lighting and softboxes without spending a large amount of money on high-end complicated lights and modifiers. At just £79.99, this kit includes 2x light stands, 2 softboxes with integrated bulb holders and diffusers, and 2x daylight balanced 85w bulbs, meaning they have everything they would need to give studio photography a shot at less than £80! 

It's the perfect budget friendly option for shooting small to medium-sized products, as well as for portrait photography and even for shooting video such as commercial, vlogs or YouTube videos. This kit is also mains-powered, meaning you don't have to worry about charging batteries whenever the lights are needed, and the softboxes and bulbs are easy to set up for beginners. 

B18L Waterproof RGB Bluetooth Speaker

Type of Photographer: Music-lovers and location workers

What kind of product do they want/would they use? Portable, fun, speaker

Cost: £59.99*

If your photographer loves music and works on location a lot, while it may not be photography equipment, a bluetooth speaker never goes amiss! Portable and waterproof, this speaker can be used in all kinds of environments and also has funky RGB lighting built-in!

3in1 Selfie-Stick, Mini Tripod And Single-Axis Gimbal Stabiliser

Type of Photographer: Vloggers, TikTokers.

What kind of product do they want/would they use? Affordable, video stick, video stabiliser

Cost: £49.99*

If you have a smartphone videographer that needs to improve their video content, then this 3-in-1 stabiliser might just do the trick! This £49.99 option can be used for all kinds of video work, and helps to steady videos taken on a smartphone without breaking the bank. For everything from vlogging to creating TikTok content, this one simple item can help improve the production value of smartphone footage immensely!

*All prices are as currently advertised and are subject to change.