Know someone that is interested in photography? Or a tinkerer who wants to present his or her work in a better light? Then we have a guide for you! Here are some project and gear recommendations to help you find the perfect present.
Build a Stroboscope, Make: Projects, Free!
The stroboscope is a super simple device that lets you capture photos of objects in motion. Build one to take cool photos to give as gifts (a great alternative to a standard portrait), or for extra points, bring one to your holiday party and have fun making spectacular images with your friends and relatives!
DSLR Camera Cozy, CRAFT, $varies
An important part of any photographers arsenal is a camera bag, however it can be really difficult to find one that fits both your equipment and your life. Over at CRAFT, Cristine has the perfect solution: a DIY camera cozy that keeps a camera safe, and can be placed inside another bag. This would be the perfect gift to make for anyone who likes to carry their camera around, since it can be used by itself or stuffed into any other kind of a container. I would love to have one of these to secure my camera while hiking!
Glif for iPhone 4, Studio Neat, $20
Rumor has it that the latest mobile phone from everyone’s favorite fruit-branded tech company can take great photos and videos. Serious photographers, however, will notice a singular flaw in the device: There’s no way to mount it to a tripod! Designers Tom Gerhardt and Dan Provost were concerned enough about this that they designed a tripod mount, then set up a Kickstarter to raise funds to produce it themselves, and are currently in production of their first batch. This would be a perfect stocking stuffer for anyone looking to take great photos with their iPhone 4.
MAKE Volume 14, Optics, Maker Shed, $14.99 (digital version: $9.99)
Provide the gift of inspiration with this optical-focused issue of MAKE. Learn how to make a lensless microscope, scanner camera, stereo video camera with 3D view, and more! On a budget? Many of these articles have been released as “Weekend Projects” on the site, so alternatively, you could just grab the PDFs and print them out on nice paper.
PlayStation Eye, Amazon, $31
Originally designed for use with a PlayStation 3, the PlayStation Eye turns out to make a pretty excellent webcam. With it’s capability to run at a high framerate, it could be the perfect accessory for that next computer vision project.
DIY Intervalometer, Instructables, ~$20
A must-have accessory for anyone who wants to get into time-lapse photography, professional intervalometers can unfortunately be pretty pricey. Save money and make a custom version by making one for them yourself!
Check out my DIY Photography Gift Guide from last year for many more photo-related gift ideas (such as the above Strobist Starving Student SX1 Lighting Kit)
More:
- Kite aerial photography gift guide (KAP)
- Holiday Gift Guide 2010: Tools for Makers
- Holiday Gift Guide 2010: Bikes
- Holiday Gift Guide 2010: 3D Fabrication
- Holiday Gift Guide 2010: Gifts for Dads
- Holiday Gift Guide 2010: Gifts you can make
- Holiday Gift Guide 2010: Made in Japan
- Holiday Gift Guide 2010: Mark’s Made by Hand Guide
- Holiday Gift Guide 2010: Project Documentation and Photography
- Holiday Gift Guide 2010: Cooking for Geeks
In the Maker Shed:
Want more? Stop by the Maker Shed. We’ve got all sorts of great holiday gift ideas, Arduino & Arduino accessories, electronic kits, science kits, smart stuff for kids, back issues of MAKE & CRAFT, box sets, books, robots, kits from Japan and more.
Holiday Shipping Deadlines in December:
15 (Wed) – Postal shipping deadline
14 (Mon) – Ground shipping deadline
18 (Sat) – 3-day shipping deadline
20 (Mon) – 2-day shipping deadline
21 (Tue) – Overnight shipping deadline
*Orders placed after these dates using these shipping methods may arrive on time; however, the dates listed are what we consider likely “safe dates.”
United States Postal Service (USPS):
Due to the high volume of mail that the postal service deals with around the holidays, please order by Dec 15 if you intend to select this method. However, we have had increased reports of packages sent via USPS lost or delayed in transit during this high-volume period. Since we do not replace or refund any order placed using this shipping method, we strongly encourage you not to use this method in December.
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