Must Have Holiday Gifts for Amateur Portrait Photographers

Photography stuff is expensive and a lot of times, technical know-how is a must, along with almost endless amounts of other things. If you're buying for someone who is just starting out in the portrait photography field, this guide will help you purchase things that the amateur photographer will use and appreciate for a long time to come. They'll make great gifts for Christmas as well as birthdays and any other occasion!

A good, sturdy tripod

Price: From $30 and up from there.

This is really the first thing a portrait photographer needs. Try to find one that has a nice height range. Chances are if it feels cheap, it probably is. A good tripod will be used often, for a long time and for more than just portrait photography, making this a wonderful gift for an aspiring photographer.

Continuous photography light with stand

Price: $40 for a single fixture.

Quality lighting is crucial to portrait and product photography. This is another thoughtful and practical gift that your photographer will be able to use over and over again. For $40 you can get a stand, fixture and photo light. Photos lights have a color temperature of about 5500k (Kelvin), which in plain English means a very pure white light is given off.

The kit available at this price also included an umbrella. It's continuous which means the lights are on at all times, as opposed to a flash kit, which goes off when triggered. Rigging lights and fixtures can be really frustrating. This really is a great starter kit.

Muslin backdrops

Price: $25 and up.

Muslin cotton is the most common material you'll find photo backdrops made of. There's a wide selection of solid colors as well as mottled patterns to choose from. For an example of a mottled photo backdrop, please see the picture included with this article.