Let's face it: Last-minute gifts usually are duds. There's something about scrambling to grab a gift at the last minute that makes most of us lose our minds. How else do you explain all of the Chia Head gifts that are sold every year?
Shopping at the last minute for a gift doesn't have to be a disaster, though, especially if your gift recipient is a photographer. We're going to assume you don't know the camera model of your gift recipient with these generic gifts. Last minute photoraphy gifts can be practical and fun ... making it appear as though you bought your gift a month earlier, rather than at the last minute.
Gifts for Less Than $20
Wikipedia Commons
Cheap photography gifts don't have to seem cheap.
Something that's practical and inexpensive as a gift is photo paper. If your gift recipient loves to print photos, a gift of high-end photography paper can be nice, especially for printing those special photos.
Every photographer can use a spare memory card, and they're easy to find. The one drawback, if you don't know what type of camera the recipient owns, is that memory card types are specific to particular models of cameras. However, the majority of cameras take SD memory cards, so you can take a chance and purchase that type of card.
Consider gifting an advanced subscription to an online photo sharing Web site, such as Photobucket or Flickr. Such sites are great for backing up photos.
Gifts for $20-$99
Digital Blue
With around $50 or more to spend on your last minute photography gift, your options increase. Here are a few more ideas.
If there's a child on your gift list, children's cameras, such as the Digital Blue U-Turn Camera, are inexpensive and offer fun features. More advanced cameras are available for less than $100, too.
Low-end digital photo frames fit in this price range, too. Keep in mind, though, that most low-priced digital photo frames sacrifice image quality on the LCD versus pricier models.
If you gift recipient loves practical ideas, try an external hard drive. To be safe, digital photos require multiple backup copies, because the photos are irreplaceable. Having an external hard drive devoted to photos is a great idea.
Gifts for $100 or More
Samsung
If you have more than $100 to spend, you can't go wrong picking up a camera at the last minute. Even if your gift recipient already owns a camera, having a second camera can be a nice option. A basic, ultra compact camera can compliment a more expensive model, for example, when the photographer doesn't want to carry around a bulkier, DSLR camera.
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Point and shoot cameras range from about $150 to $250, and in between.
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With a little more to spend, consider a fixed lens camera, with a large zoom lens. Models with cool features, such as dual LCD screens, fit in the $250-$400 price range, too.
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DSLR and DIL cameras would make a very nice last minute photography gift, but they will cost close to $1,000.
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Photo printers are nice gift options, too.
