Please help me pick out a gift for my photographer wife

[ThePup]

I'll give the same advice I give anyone, on any forum I frequent, no matter what the focus of the forum is, who asks about gifts for someone....

ASK THEM!

Be up front, say "I'd love to get you something special for our anniversary, I was thinking a book or two about photography would be in my budget, lets go shopping together and you can help me choose"

The other option if you don't want to be that upfront before hand, is to wait until your anniversary, take her out to a light lunch, followed by a trip to a couple of local bookstores, and tell her you'll buy her a photography book.

IMO of course, I appreciate a gift I've been consulted on, which I know I'll enjoy and use, far more than a surprise which other people, who I don't really know, might enjoy, but for which I have no real use or appreciation of. My wife is the same, we always consult on gifts, and we always know that we're getting something we really do want / need or will enjoy.

I Can't understand the seemingly common mentality that gifts have to be a surprise :scratch: There's still the anticipation of waiting for the day you can unwrap and use it, it's still just as exciting to recieve it, sometimes more so, as you're eager to get stuck in and read / use it! And it's just as special, possibly more special, because you've been thoughtful enough to consult them.

 

[Ignorant Husband]

It's very hard to recommend books, because so much depends on level of experience and taste. For example, I might say "Understanding Exposure," but if she's an advanced amateur she probably won't get too much out of it. But maybe someone else has better ideas.

But can I maybe throw out another idea? How about printing and framing your favorite picture that she's taken, and including a note telling her why you think it's so beautiful? That would probably run $40-60 at the most, and could mean quite a bit to her -- knowing that someone loves a picture you've taken is a great high for a photographer (or any artist). Like I said, just an idea.

That's a great idea, but I'll have to save it for her birthday as I went ahead w/ the book idea because of the limited time (I'm a primo procrastinator).

Knowing that my wife LOVES books on this stuff, I went ahead and bought the following knowing that because of their publication dates she wouldn't have them:

Face to Face: Rick Sammon's Complete Guide to Photographing People. This was published in the last couple of weeks, and

The Complete Guide OT Creating a High Impact Digital Portfolio: 100 Images Showing Photography Secrets of Lighting, Styling, and Posing for Photograph, by Art Ketchum. This one will be published/available in the next couple of weeks.

Both are easily returnable. I presented the book in hand the the order for the other and the titles seemed to be well received. I'm sure I'll be back in September when her birthday comes around if I don't jump on the frame idea.

 

[christopher walrath]

If she likes black and white, Ansel Adams' '400' (no, it's not a greek tragedy).

 

[Zorac]

photo magazine subscription?

 

[kaiy]

A gorillapod would make a good gift and is in your price range. Check them out at Amazon.com.

 

[AndrewG]

A book of pictures from some of the masters; Adams, Kertesz, Cartier-Bresson, Steichen, Weston; all these and many others are real artists and masters of their craft-far more valuable than any 'manual' or 'how to' book.