Stuff We Like: Say Cheese! Gifts for Photographers

Chances are good that you have quite a few photographers in your life -- you see their masterpieces posted to Instagram and get invited to "like" the Facebook pages for their budding photography businesses. For those friends who are passionate about pictures, check out these photo-inspired gifts.  

Picture Books

The Design Aglow Posing Guide for Family Portrait Photography by Lena Hyde (Amphoto Books 2013; $21.99) is full of ideas for creative family portraits, perfect for everyone from pro photographers who are looking for new ideas to hobbyists who want to photograph their own families. It features 100 fresh, modern poses for newborns and babies, children, and families, culled from the minds of big names such as Anna Kuperberg, Jose Villa, and Elizabeth Messina. Each pose is accompanied by tips on directing your subjects and suggestions for alternate shots you can capture from the same setup. Author Lena Hyde is a professional photographer and founder of Design Aglow, an online resource for professional photographers.

In Your Child in Pictures: The Parents' Guide to Photographing Your Toddler and Child from Age One to Ten (Amphoto Books 2013; $19.99), author Me Ra Koh shows parents how to take emotion-filled photographs of their children. She encourages parents to slow down, stop taking thousands of so-so photos that languish on the computer, and instead focus on capturing more powerful moments that tell the sweet story of childhood. Through 40 easy "photo recipes," Koh invites parents to discover photography as a way to connect with, cherish, and celebrate their children. Each recipe includes a simple explanation of how to set up and take the photo--with specific camera settings for both point-and-shoots and DSLRs--along with an inspiring photo example taken either by Koh or one of the amateur photographer moms who have taken her workshops. Koh is host of the Disney Junior TV show Capture Your Story with Me Ra Koh; learn more about her at merakoh.com.

Photographer and mom of three Farrah Braniff shares professional photographer secrets for everyday life in Moments that Matter: Real Life Photography Techniques for Capturing the Wonder of Family Life(Bright Sky Press 2013; $19.95). Braniff's accessible, step-by-step instructions follow the format of her popular workshops, in which she presents simple, powerful tools that will transform the way you imagine and take photographs. She covers both point-and-shoot and DSLR cameras but emphasizes that the equipment is not the secret to powerful photography. Topics covered include: Getting Closer, Composition & Exposure, Favorite Shots & Motion, Light & Lenses, Cameras, and Learning to See & Display.