I will open this post with a quote from my child, “Happy Thanksgiving..today is a day to feast!” Yesterday her dad started smoking the turkey outside and she was right there every second he stepped outside to “help” him. Of course, her idea of helping was to run through the snow first and then see what he was doing. The whole day she kept asking where was our feast and if I would email her teacher a message and a photo of it. It tickled me but it also made me happy to know she is so excited. I have to admit that I am pretty worn out from all the cooking. Even with just the three of us, I still felt the need to make a big dinner. We definitely enjoyed it though. We all even snuggled in bed after which is very rare with my overly active child. I told her I was tired and she began to tell me the story of the “Three Little Pigs.” Oh, I wish I had recorded her! It was too cute.
Along with keeping the tradition of family time and a huge dinner, this is also gift buying time in our household. I have to say I get a little excited seeing all of the great deals pop up. I am always curious as to what people buy the most during this time of year. I usually knock out my daughter’s Christmas list and then get a few things for the family… and sometimes myself. My guy always says it is hard to buy gifts for me. I cannot deny it, it is a task. Each year I always tell him do not get me anything. I try to tell him that I am available to make a list of possibilities…lol! Today I decided I would post a list of gift ideas for the photographer in your life.
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[1] Tamron SP 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di LD-IF Autofocus Zoom Lens + [2] Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM Zoom Lens -Both of these have been on my wish list for some time now. From what I have read and the photos I have seen in various places, the Tamrom has great image quality. This focal length makes for a great walk-around lens.
[3] Adobe Photoshop Lightroom V5 Software, Windows and Mac OS – Great software for photo editing, especially if you want organization and a great way to process a batch of photos altogether. I take anywhere from 50-100 photos during our family outings, and Lightroom has made it much easier to go through the photos. There were some great updates made in version 5 and my favorites are the healing brush and the radial filter. There’s also a great rebate going on right now.
[4] ExpoImaging ExpoDisc White Balance Filter – Neutral – This has been a liftsaver for me! White balance has always been a tricky thing and it used to be so annoying editing photos for color variations. After reading about it, I decided to get the ExpoDisc and never had to think about white balance again. Once I have my camera set, I can take a photo near the light source and use the custom white balance feature of my camera. A second version is also coming out soon, and you can see it here.
[5] Gary Fong Lightsphere Universal System Cloud – Great diffuser for indoor photos. I love to take advantage of my camera’s ISO capabilities but every now and then, I want to keep it low and get more light. This diffuser paired with my Speedlight does just what I need. Also available here.
[6] Transcend 400X – 16 GB Compact Flash Memory Card – This is the first brand of memory card that I bought when I got my 7D and I have not had any issues, so this is my go-to when I am looking for a new memory card. I have the 16GB and the 32 GB, and I also use this same brand for my SD cards that I need for my Canon G12.
[7] Adobe Photoshop CC Classroom in a Book – If you are going to be taking photos, you may just want to edit them too. This book would be a great read just starting out. I have had a chance to check out the CS6 e-book at the library and it is very informational. I can only imagine what else has been added since the update to PS. [link to Adove PS CC special]
[8] Lensbaby Composer Pro with Sweet 35 Optic for Canon Digital SLR – I have seen some amazing, creative shots with this set up. Hopefully, one day I will be experiment with one of my own.
[9] Iomega Prestige 1 TB USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive – You can never have enough space for storing photos! I have had my Iomega drive for a few years now and it serves as the back up to my other Iomega that I turn on everyday to retrieve and save photos.
[10] Epiphanie Camera Bag – I love my camera and I love carrying it around in this bag. I got my Epiphanie Ginger for Christmas a few years ago and it is still holding up well. I have ran through the pouring rain with this bag and got to my car to find everything dry and cozy on the inside.
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