Photo.net Holiday Gift Guide

LiteDisc Reflector White/Gold 22-inch, (compare prices), being able to modify light is key to creating strong images. Pop-up light reflectors are one of the cheapest and easiest ways to do that. Filling in shadows, warming up an image, balancing lighting when other adjustments aren't easily accessible, all are problems that can be solved by this handy product. As an added bonus, they fold up to no bigger than a dinner plate. And hey, if you have to park your car in the sun you can keep it cool by placing these in your windshield.

Permacell Gaffers Tape 50 Yards x 2, (compare prices), is surprisingly handy in almost any situation. You never know when you are going to need to tape down a veil, cover a power cord, or hold together a bowtie. It is the kind of thing that can save the day in hundreds of different situations. In the past year alone I have used gaffers tape to hold up a dress, keep a veil from blowing in the wind, tape down a power cord, hold a broken flash together, and make an emergency shoulder strap. It is more expensive than duct tape, but is also much easier to tear and leaves less glue behind. Throw a roll of it in your case, and you will probably forget it's in there until the moment you need it most. Then it will be worth its weight in gold.

Hoya 62mm Polarizing Filter, (compare prices), I'm not a big fan of filters just for the sake of using filters (star or other "effect" filters) and the digital age has removed most needs for color correction filters. But one filter that always rides with me is my trusty polarizing filter. When you want to pop a blue sky or remove the reflections from water or a window, there is nothing better than a polarizer. Get the size that fits your largest lens diameter and then get a set of stepping rings for your smaller rings. You'll spend less and have less to carry.

• Hoya 58mm Polarizing Filter, (compare prices)
• Hoya 52mm Polarizing Filter, (compare prices)
• Tiffen 58mm Polarizing Filter, (compare prices)

Lowepro Transporter Camera Strap, (compare prices), keep an extra CF or SD card handy using this comfortable camera strap. The soft neoprene is flexible and can help take a load off your neck. Alternatively, you can wrap the strap a few times around your wrist for hand-held stabilized capturing. This would make a great stocking stuffer.

Westcott Photo Basics 45" Umbrella, (compare prices), for the beginner to portrait photography and lighting systems, why not gift them with this umbrella they can use with a hotshoe TTL flash? The 45-inch size is great for individual or group shots. Pair with a light stand Westcott 750 Photo Basics 7.5-Foot Light Stand, (compare prices), for the ultimate portable light kit.

Nikon Lens Pen Cleaning System, (compare prices), make sure your giftee is seeing clear through their lenses with the Nikon lens cleaner. There are 2 parts to the pen: a brush for dusting away loose particles, and a smudger for removing fingerprints and other debris.

Maha PowerEx Battery Charger and 4 AA 2700 mAh, (compare prices), is your giftee using their TTL on-camera flash often? Then there is no doubt that the dead AA batteries are piling up. Dump those old school alkaline batteries and move on up to the 21st century with a set of high mAmp AA rechargeables. Maha Powerex batteries have tested to way outperform other rechargeable batteries. Not only are rechargeable batteries better for the environment (and your wallet), but they also last over four times longer than alkaline batteries and are up to 20% lighter.

No product information for eyefi_2gb-sd-home. Give the gift of Wi-Fi down to the smallest details. This SD card enables the user to send images to their home computer from a distance of 90+ feet outdoors and 45+ feet indoors. Eliminate the need for cables or wires. With your computer turned on, the Eye-Fi home connects to your home network and uploads images automatically into a designated folder on your computer.

Westcott Light Tent, (compare prices). As a photographer, sooner or later someone is going to ask you to take a photo of a product. It may be for a web site, an Ebay auction, or a brochure. Unless you are the kind of person who likes to spend hours fiddling with lights and re-positioning the item, a light tent is the easiest way to get the job done. Set up your lights on the outside, stick the item inside, check your meter (or do some test shooting), take the shot, and you are done. Your friend will think you are an ultra fancy photographer and you will be able to waste as little time as possible on a non-paying project.

Domke F-6 Bag, (compare prices), is a great camera bag for a small SLR or Rangefinder camera kit. Plus, with its minimal padding and body hugging shape, it doesn't look very much like the typical "camera bag". Improving the odds that you will return home from a day of street photography with all of your gear still in your possession. It is priced well, lightweight, tough, handles the weather, and is easy to work out of. When overloaded, it is awkward and the narrow strap is hard on your shoulder. But for an smaller sized kit, there is hardly a better bag on the market.

Lowepro Slingshot 200, (compare prices), is a bag without a classification. It is worn differently than a standard shoulder bag, but is far from a backpack. Lowepro calls it a "slingbag", which is as good of a name as any. Styled like many hip student bookbags, the Slingshot is worn on the back, but has just one strap that runs across the chest. The idea behind this is that it is easier to work out of than a backpack, but lighter and more comfortable than a shoulder bag. The LowePro Slingshot is a different design in camera bags. For me, this bag works. I find it very easy to access the bag and just as easy to swing it out of the way again. The comfort level is far beyond any shoulder bag.

ExpoDisc Digital White Balance 72 mm, (compare prices), or ExpoDisc Digital White Balance 67 mm, (compare prices), allows for quick and easy in-camera white balance adjusting. Get fast and accurate color in difficult lighting and eliminate the need for a gray/white card for accurate white balance testing and correction. The ExpoDisc is a neutral diffusion filter that gathers ambient light and transmits 18% of it through to your camera's light meter. Through a series of quick adjustments, your camera is set to the most appropriate custom white balance for that lighting situation.

Tamrac CyberPro Flyer Rolling Photo Briefcase, (compare prices), roll in style to your wedding or on-site photography gig. Neatly storing all the essential equipment for your gig, you can carry a large DSLR, several zoom lenses, a compact laptop (up to 12"), and has separate pockets to organize extras such as batteries, CF cards, business cards, etc. Eliminate the need to carry a heavy load with ball-bearing in-line skate wheels.

Sekonic L-308s Light Meter, (compare prices). The light meter is one of photography's forgotten tools these days. With a digital camera's ability to instantly review an image, many photographers feel that they can judge exposure that way. But look inside the bags of many professional photographers, and you will likely still find a small ambient light/flash meter. In-camera meters are getting more and more advanced with every generation of cameras, but they can still be fooled. Measuring the light that is falling on your subject is still the most accurate way to make sure you are getting the correct exposure. In addition, using a flash meter is a much faster way to set correct flash-ratios when using multiple strobes.

Backdrop in a Bag, (compare prices). This is one of those accessories that has far more uses than just its stated purpose. Of course it can hold a background, everything from light-weight muslin to 10 foot rolls of backdrop paper. More than that, it can be a light stand set, a gobo/flag holder, an emergency tripod... the list goes on and on. For the money, this is one of the most useful accessories that a portrait photographer can have.

LaCie Rugged 320GB Firewire800/400/USB 2.0 Harddrive, (compare prices), a very portable and durable external hard drive. When you need a small but capable backup drive or extra drive for storing your images that can withstand rugged wear and tear, the LaCie stands up to the test. With 320GB and a fast Firewire 800 or 400 connection, you can transfer/save files very quickly. This is essential for any photographer on the road.

Boda Dry Case, (compare prices), completely accessible and useful for a wedding photographer or photojournalist, this bag puts all your required equipment at your fingertips. Wearable either around your waist or across your shoulders for comfort. The Boda bag was designed by Jim Garner, a professional wedding photographer, and has been tested and revised by numerous wedding photographers for the best features and accessibility possible. Your giftee will thank you for making their life easier!

Photoflex First Studio Portrait Lighting Kit, (compare prices), for a simple starter lighting kit, Photoflex has pulled together a low-cost but very effective portrait studio set. The set is small, compact and lightweight for ease of transport.

Pocket Wizard MultiMAX Radio Slave, (compare prices), (purchase 2), does your giftee use off-camera flash setups frequently? A set of Pocket Wizard Plus II Auto Sensing Smart Radio Slaves are a great addition to their arsenal. With the ability to be both a receiver and transmitter, these radio slaves will give any photographer added flexibility in the studio or on location without the hassle of cords to trip over. Pocket Wizards are tough as nails and very reliable. I have had a set for 8 years and they have seen me through skateboard, BMX, wakeboarding, snowboarding, portrait, and wedding photography jobs all across the world. You should buy a set for that special someone on your list (sayeth Josh).

Epson P-6000 80GB Multimedia Storage Drive, (compare prices), this is great for situations when you don't want to carry a laptop around. If you want to make sure your images are securely backed up, go for the Epson P-6000. It's a small hard drive with a card reader slot (CF, SD, SDHC, and other formats) and a 4" LCD with 640x480 resolution. You can view images to ensure they are securely backed up, and once you return to your home computer, just connect the drive to your main drive and transfer the images to your workflow.

Wacom Intuos3 9 x 12-Inch USB Tablet, (compare prices), a tool to allow for quick and professional editing of photos and the creation of digital artwork. Using an Intuos pen, mouse and tablet gives you the ultimate freedom in creating and editing images. This is great paired with Adobe Photoshop and Corel Painter X.