Photographers! Don’t Forget These Smaller Studio Accessories

New cameras or lenses are great, but they’re not always the easiest gift to give every holiday season. Rather than spending hundreds or even thousands of dollars to please a photographer in your life, you might consider some smaller expendables that every photographer needs. They might not be the snazziest gifts out there, but your photographer will be grateful to have them.

Gaffer Tape

To non-photographers, a roll of tape might seem like the worst gift of all time. However, gaffer tape is a creative must-have, with a specially designed adhesive that can be removed without leaving adhesive residue. It’s commonly found on sets to secure cables to the floor, secure accessories, and basically any other situation where a little bit of stick-to-it-iveness is needed. You can never have enough of this stuff, which is why it makes a great gift for an active creative in your life.

Seamless Background Paper

Studio photographers are no strangers to background paper, which tends to get wrinkly and dirty over time. You might consider gifting a roll or two to ensure that they never run out. Of course, there are many color options out there, so you might want to snag a color chart and let your photographer pick their desired color for you.

Clamps and Clips

Speaking of background paper, your photographer is going to need some clamps and clips to secure it to a backdrop stand. Even if your giftee is not working with a background, many studio photographers rely on these little guys to hold things in place. You can purchase a pack of clothespins to secure gels on different lighting fixtures, or an A-clamp for more heavy-duty jobs.

Printing

If your photographer produces their own prints, they are likely running out of ink for their printer. If you are able to, find out the kind of printer they use, and peruse our ink selection for some handy cartridges. They will be stoked to receive that pricey necessity that everyone dreads buying.

You might also consider gifting some sample packs of paper, so your photographer can test some neat stocks and textures before investing in a whole pack. If they have expressed an interest in framing or matting, supplying the basics is another thoughtful gift that might kick off a new hobby.

Memory Cards, Hard Drives and Back-Up Solutions

A year’s worth of photos will take up a lot of storage space. If your photographer has been working for a while, they might want to start archiving their older work. Gifting a storage device is a great option for nearly every photographer, but it can be tricky to figure out what type they need.

You might consider snagging an external hard drive to back up files, or replacing an older memory card. Believe it or not, solid-state media does wear out, and refreshing your cards can limit the odds of experiencing a catastrophic card failure while working. It also means your photographer can enjoy a faster, more powerful card, such as the SanDisk Extreme PRO UHS-II SDXC card series, Angelbird’s AV PRO CFexpress Memory Card, or Prograde Digital’s CFexpress Gold Memory Card. You might even consider grabbing a protective case if your photographer needs to store multiple memory cards. Pelican’s 0915 case is a great option, as well as its CFexpress-specific case.