photography by wasim.

Author: Wasim Muklashy

Shooting Tattoo Artist Jun Cha’s Monarc Studios Opening Gala

A client I’ve been doing some work with the past few months that you may have seen me post about here a few times, tattoo artist Jun Cha, had the opening gala for his new design/tattoo studio, Monarc Studios, last Thursday at The Well in Downtown Los Angeles. Whether you like body art or not, check him out, he’s insane: www.MonarcStudios.com. At the very least, I’m quite confident you’ll appreciate his work as an artist.

Anyhow, just wanted to share a few images from that evening, which consisted of a pop-up gallery showcasing Jun Cha’s work, both on human flesh and outside of it. And if you look close enough, you’ll see some of my images from the studio space displayed on the pop-up wall underneath the Monarc movie screen in a few images. The same sort of intricate attention to detail, as well as elements of the monochromatic Greek and Roman mythological theme, were given to this showing as he gave to his studio when I shot it back in August. He’s definitely got a work ethic that’s a rare commodity in this day and age. And to think… the cat is only 25…

The wide shots were shot on a Nikon D7000 with a Tokina 11-16mm, and the vignettes were shot on a Samsung NX1 with the 85mm/1.4.

As always, for more stuff things whats and knickknacks: Instagram: @wasimofnazareth Ello: @wasimofnazareth Google+: www.Google.com/+WasimMuklashy

January 30, 2015
Thank You To Photo LA & ASMP Los Angeles For A Successful Show!

Don’t Turn Your Back

Last week saw the 24th Annual International Los Angeles Photographic Art Exposition, otherwise known as Photo LA, take over the entire 2nd floor of Downtown Los Angeles’ L.A. Mart Building. Over 15,000 visitors checking out more than 50 gallery exhibitors from all over the world over the course of 3 days. And with it, I had the honor of having one of my images, ‘Don’t Turn Your Back,’ taken in Yosemite, selected to be displayed by the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) Los Angeles chapter. To see this happen under the same roof as works by people like Catherine Opie, Carsten Ingemann, Jacob Gils, Sid Avery, Ida Wyman, Joe McNally, Carleton Watkins, and Alec Byrne was an INSANELY humbling and incredible once in a lifetime experience.

This was also the first time I had a chance to see my image in a gallery setting, and I must say…it’s something I wouldn’t have a hard time getting used to! Better yet, the image actually sold. I cannot thank Renee Kushnir enough for her purchase of my art and hope that it is able to bring her at least a degree of the joy it gave me to create it. Thank you Renee! Much love. And thank you to Yasmin Alishav and Jordana Sheara and ASMP Los Angeles for this incredible opportunity. And thank you to Photo LA for an incredible show. And thank you so much to my folks Adnan and Salwa for showing up to support, and to my brother Shadi, and my cousin Shereen and Rami and Jayson Joseph and Jake McGee, and Corrado Caretto and his beautiful wife Victoria. Meant so much to me to see you all there. Maybe we’ll get to do it again next year!

For more of the things and what stuffs: Instagram: @wasimofnazareth Ello: @wasimofnazareth Google+: www.Google.com/+WasimMuklashy

January 26, 2015
Tattoo Artist Jun Cha’s New Site Is Live With My Images! Get Inked!

So a few months ago, I got the incredible opportunity to photograph legendary tattoo artist Jun Cha’s new studio in Downtown Los Angeles. It was for his new website so I haven’t been able to share them yet until the site went live. Well, as of this week, it’s now live at MonarcStudios.com. This guy is the real deal. I mean, people fly him out to crazy places like Thailand and Hong Kong to get inked by his gifted hands. If you read this blog, you might remember my post on minimizing reflections in interior photography, and I posted an image to demonstrate the effect. That was from his studio and from this shoot. The studio’s delicate decor is as elegant as the art that Jun permanently adorns his subjects with. Everything from Renaissance busts to Greek mythology to statues of David and ancient Roman columns, all tied together with the monochromatic veins of his hand-laid granite tile flooring. If you’re thinking of getting tatted, this is the place to do it…the space was gorgeous. Anyhow, a few of the images are in the gallery below, but make sure to check out the site to see the full set how Jun Cha intended them to be seen: www.MonarcStudios.com

For more thingie whatstuffs: Instagram: @wasimofnazareth Ello: @wasimofnazareth Google+: www.Google.com/+WasimMuklashy

January 13, 2015
5 Tips For Shooting Commercial Real Estate Photography

While there are definite similarities in regards to methods and approach when photographing any sort of real estate, there are also important differences to keep in mind, especially when photographing commercial real estate and properties. In the residential real estate realm, they tend to use the images for a few weeks or maybe months until the space is sold, but in commercial real estate, these images are used to sell the business for perhaps years and years, and they might live on a website for just as long, offering the potential client or customer a visual representation of the space.

While that’s a huge responsibility for the photographer to capture that in a way that the business owner is proud of, that doesn’t necessarily mean it needs to be any more difficult. Like anything else, if you spend adequate time getting a feel for the space and the business and do your homework, you’ll naturally start to gravitate towards the best ways to represent them in photographs that’ll make both you and the business owner proud. Here are a few tips for commercial real estate photography that I’ve learned on a few recent commercial shoots:

1. Scout – Make sure to scout the space at least a few days prior to shooting, or if you’re unable to make it yourself due to location (there should be no other excuse really), have someone take simple shots from different corners into the space so you get a sense of the space and get an orientation of the space, which direction are the windows facing, when will the sun be where, are there obstructions to natural light, are there reflective surfaces (if so, check out my post How To Minimize Reflections In Interior Photography). If you can make it to scout the location yourself, which is preferable, shoot a few shots from different angles. Typically the corners of the room, even just on your phone, that you can take with you and marinate on for a few days. This time will give you a chance to formulate a mental shot list and idea of how to and what you’ll need to execute a successful shoot without the day-of stresses of getting all the shots you need and figuring it all out on the fly. This will also give you some time to play with ideas with the client, helping to build a rapport and a trust between you.

2. Communicate – Make sure to talk to the client at length about what they feel are the strengths of the space and what they like and what they’d like to convey. Ask as many questions as you can. This will help break into the emotional connection to the space and it will give you a good idea of what space to be in as you map out how to approach it. Unlike real estate, where the agent is not particularly intimately connected to the property, most times, when working commercial real estate spaces, you’re working with the owner or manager of the business, and, for the most part, they are extremely emotionally tied to their space – they know the quirks, the strengths, the weaknesses. Play off of that. If you listen closely enough, they’ll tell you EXACTLY what shots to get that will ensure their satisfaction with your work. And of course you’ll come up with several of your own ideas, and throw those in there. Sometimes it’s neat to see their reaction to a shot, a view, an angle that they themselves perhaps have never paid attention to.

3. Team Up – Encourage them to provide ideas and input as you move thru the space on shoot day. It will help make them feel like a pivotal part of the project, hopefully setting them up to be as emotionally attached to those images as they were when speaking about them in tip 2.

4. Mix It Up – As was also talked about in my post 7 Tips For Real Estate Photography, mix it up. Yes, wide shots and crazy angles for the sense of space, but don’t discount the extreme value of vignettes and tighter shots, within the 35-50mm range for a more intimate feel. These shots aren’t as intimidating, and instead instill a sense of feel, aura, and connectedness with the space. A person’s vision can’t relate to a wide angle shot, but they can definitely relate to a detail or a vignette or a section of the space that gives you an idea of the character of the space.

5. Logos & Branding. If the space has any sort of branding or logos, try to find a way to incorporate those into the images. Whether they be on screens or table mats or windows or pens, try to find at least a few shots where those logos are included. Not only can these sorts of shots help with branding, but they can also be used for other purposes by the business such as social media posts, headers, or physical postcards or prints for marketing materials. Business owners work hard to build their businesses and consequently, they’re very proud of the fruits of their labor. Branding shots are a great pat on the back that they are sure to appreciate.

So there it is. Don’t stress out about it, don’t fret, take it as a challenge, know that you’ll learn something, and, most importantly, have fun with it. If someone else was confident enough in your skills to hire you, then you’ve got those skills. Be confident. Go kill it!

Also, here are a few more entries that can also help you when shooting real estate and properties:

7 Tips for Shooting Real Estate Photography

How To Expose For Interiors And Exteriors In Architecture Or Real Estate Photography – Part 1 – On Location

How To Expose For Interiors And Exteriors In Architecture Or Real Estate Photography – Part 2 – Post Processing

How To Minimize Reflections In Interior Photography

Below is a gallery that has some of the images from my recent shoots at Jun Cha’s Monarc Studios, The Well Salon & Event Space, and a local condominium complex.

And if you’re in need of real estate photography services, whether commercial or residential, please feel free to contact me or check out my Property Photography website.

And as always, for more of my madness, take your pick: Instagram: @wasimofnazareth Ello: @wasimofnazareth Google+: www.Google.com/+WasimMuklashy

January 7, 2015
My First Month With My New Number 1 – The Samsung NX1!

This is it. This is the one. I’ve found the one! Actually, the one found me! The Samsung NX1. If you’ve been holding out on investing in the mirrorless market because of your trepidations as far as performance as compared to traditional DSLRs, now’s the time to let go. It’s been exactly a year since Samsung invited me into their Imagelogger program, and in that short year, everything changed. I mean everything. I will admit, at first, it was an excuse to get out and create with new tools and have fun doing it. It started a little over a year ago with the NX300, and every few months, we graduate to a new camera and new lenses. We went to the NXMini, then the NX30, then the NX3000, and with each subsequent step, I find myself using my trusty Nikon gear less and less and less and less. Little did I expect that in a year’s time, they would be taking over my entire photographic arsenal, causing me to all but abandon my Nikon equipment (and once I get a wireless strobe system worked out for this thing for the my architectural work, my bread and butter, that’ll make the transition complete). But here’s a quick account of my first month with this 28 megapixel beast, the Samsung NX1.

The NX1 showed up at my door just in time for Thanksgiving weekend, which was perfect as my family and I decided to do something a bit different this year, and took a road trip to spend the holiday out in Sedona, Arizona. Not a bad place to properly break in what Outdoor Photographer calls “our choice for the top APS-C mirrorless camera for nature photography” in its December issue, and what Digital Trends is claiming “Our favorite camera of 2014 isn’t a Canon, Nikon or Sony, it’s Samsung’s NX1.”

The first thing I noticed when I took it out of the box was the build. It felt like a solid piece of machinery, carefully sculpted from a chunk of magnesium alloy. And it was beautiful. As soon as I put my hands on the NX1, I had no problem getting acquainted with the layout and the controls. They’ve definitely done their homework and made this thing as intuitive as humanly possible. The insanely user friendly menu system doesn’t hurt either!! And the fact that this is my first dust and splash proof camera made me very happy as I spend a lot of my time in the outdoors. This thing simply just feels good to hold.

The second thing I noticed upon my first few shots was the auto-focus. Yes, that comes as no surprise seeing as how it has an ungodly insane amount of autofocus points. I’m not going to use this post to go through all the technical brouhaha, that’s everywhere and anywhere else, but I will say, with a sensor that’s practically covered edge to edge with autofocus points, the results are immediately noticeable. For comparison’s sakes, while the Canon 7D Mark III has 65, the NX1 has over 200. Yup. That’s no typo. 205 to be exact. So yeah…this thing is quick! I will say that when I first used a few of the NX lenses, it did hunt for a few seconds, but timely firmware updates quickly fixed any of those issues. The auto-focus on all the lenses are now smooth like butter and faster than any camera I’ve had to date.

The third thing I noticed was the color rendering. Spot on! The vibrancy and the warmth and accuracy of what I was capturing as compared to what I was seeing was wonderful. It made using this camera such a joy, giving me the confidence in knowing that I wasn’t going to have to do much post processing to realize my vision. Everything looked the way I wanted it to look and, as any photographer will tell you, there’s no better feeling.

The fourth thing I noticed was another bit made possible by more of that technical stuffs…the BSI, or back-side illuminated sensor. Basically, because the entire front side of the sensor is free of any obstructions, for the first time in an APS-C sensor camera, the entire face of the sensor is available to collect light. What the heck does this mean? Low noise, and great detail in shadows in your images is what that means. Not to mention being able to shoot in very little light at high ISOs. I mean, I’d cringe whenever I had to push the iso past 1600 or so on my Nikon D7000, hoping in the back of my mind that I renewed my noise-reduction software license, but with this thing, I’m jumping up to iso2500, or even 3000 without even flinching! Not only that, I was truly blown away by its ability to focus in insanely low light situations. The mix of the sensor and a crazy looking auto-focus assist light that is based on patterns that almost look like a bar-code, allowing the camera to better detect contrast, are almost infallible.

The part of this camera that I haven’t yet fully tested is the highly touted 4k video capabilities. I’ll make another post about that soon as I’m currently working on some videos with it so will have a better grasp on it all. I will say that the few moving images I’ve pulled from this thing, coupled with the focusing system, have me confident enough to be using it as my main camera on an upcoming paid video gig. One thing that really impressed me was the inclusion of both a headphone jack as well as mic jack, something not quite found in most other video-capable DSLR style cameras. And that swivel screen is going to come in handy for those low menacing angles without ending up with a kink in my neck!

Also worth mentioning is something that Samsung has taken and run with…the wireless connectivity. Their SMART features are incredible. I was able to transfer an image to my phone, edit it, and post it on Facebook, Google+, and Instagram, as well as email the image to my family in the field in Sedona, all within less than 2 minutes. It was crazy. Try that with your DSLR.

So I can’t say that when I was invited into the Samsung Imagelogger program, I had any idea this was coming. I thought it’d be a few good cameras and some fun and some new friends and some fresh inspiration. Little did I know I’d be part of a group and working with a company that is innovating beyond all other traditional camera manufacturers. Not only that, but they’re actually listening to us to make their products even better, and, to my complete joy, it was apparent in a recent firmware update that helped back-button focusing photographers transition to the camera seamlessly. We gave our feedback and within less than two weeks, an update was ready. That’s unheard of! Needless to say, Samsung has gone and done it…they’ve accomplished their mission, and got me to Ditch The DSLR. And once I get one of their new Premium S-Series lenses in my hands? Fuggggeeddabbbadittt!

Ok, so now all the words and things out of the way, here are some of my favorite images from my first month with the

Samsung NX1

. And when you finally convince yourself to hit ‘buy’ at Amazon, try to remember to

use this link

or the Amazon search box on the right column. And that works for anytime you shop on Amazon, not just for the items described here. It’s no difference to you, but it helps me keep things running on this site to bring content like this to you.

For some other widgetwadgetstuffs: Instagram:

@wasimofnazareth

Ello:

@wasimofnazareth

Google+:

www.Google.com/+WasimMuklashy

January 6, 2015
Happy New Year! I’m Going To Be At ASMP Photo LA – Come Say Hey!

Wasim Muklashy Photography_Realtime Lapse_Photo LA 2014_ASMP

Yes! Hope everyone had an incredible holiday season and a very happy New Year! As the (food?) hangovers begin wear off, let’s kick into this one in high gear – let’s do the art thing! Just a few days ago, I got word from the ASMP (American Society of Media Photographers)Los Angeles chapter that two of my images were among the 32 chosen to be displayed at the 24th Annual International Los Angeles Photographic Art Exposition, otherwise known as Photo LA. Photo LA is an international photography and art exhibition that saw over 15,000 visitors last year and happens to be the longest running art fair west of New York City so you can see why I’m so excited about it. It takes place January 15-18 at The Reef in the historic L.A. Mart building in Downtown Los Angeles, a 500,000 square foot monstrosity filled with art and design and food and beautifully inspiring creativity. There will be lectures, discussions, tours, and enough art installations to keep your mind spinning all day long.

“The 2015 edition of photo la will expand its uniquely diverse and far-reaching showcase of photographic art, ranging from 19th Century works to contemporary and innovative photography-based art. Alongside galleries, dealers, museums, and nonprofit organizations, photo la will also expand its acclaimed programming to include more lectures, roundtable discussions, special installations, and docent tours with distinguished members of the photographic/arts community. This year, photo la is pleased to honor Catherine Opie, and the fair’s exclusive VIP opening gala will celebrate her lifelong contributions to the arts. Additionally, all proceeds from the opening gala will go towards photo la’s 2015 beneficiary The United Way of Greater Los Angeles and The Painted Brain.”

For more information, click here to visit Photo LA’s official page. I hope to see you there!

For some other whatnotthingstuffs:
Instagram: @wasimofnazareth
Ello: @wasimofnazareth
Google+: www.Google.com/+WasimMuklashy

Wasim Muklashy Photography_Yosemite Layer Cake_Photo LA 2014_ASMP

January 2, 2015
Happy Holidays! A Few Words And A Few Gifts – My Best Images Of 2014

As another year comes to a close and we prepare to spend quality time with the family and friends, I wanted to take a quick short and sweet few seconds to thank every one of you for the support, the warmth, the encouragement, the inspiration, and the all around positive energy you’ve brought into my life over the past 365 days. It’s been truly humbling and everything that has kept me going, encouraging me to get out and make another picture, write another post, keep doing the thing. I can only hope that I’m able to reciprocate even a small part of that. Happy holidays all you beautiful people. Below are a couple of my favorites from the past 12 months. They’re high-enough-resolution versions for your desktops and mobile thingies and whatnots. Hopefully you’ll find one or two that you’ll dig. If so, just right click and save. If not, I’ll try harder next year!!! 2014, not too shabby. Not too shabby at all.

2015, let’s do this thing!

Each and every one of these was shot on either the Samsung NX30 or the Samsung NX1 as part of the Imagelogger program and are being provided to you for your own non-commercial personal use under the CC BY-NC 4.0 Creative Commons License.

For some other stuffthings:
Instagram: @wasimofnazareth
Ello: @wasimofnazareth
Google+: www.Google.com/+WasimMuklashy

December 24, 2014
That First 1st Led To My 1st Cover! Thank You National Park Service!

Wasim Muklashy Photography_Samsung NX1_18-200mm_111614_ National Park Service Outdoors Magazine Santa Monica Mountains

My first cover came from my 1st first! Huh? So I wrote a bit about my image Pole Position taking 1st in this year’s challenge category in the National Park Service ‘Spirit of the Mountains’ photo contest. Well, apparently they’ve decided to use that image for the cover of the new Winter edition of “Outdoors” magazine, the National Park Service’s quarterly publication covering events and hikes and news for Southern California’s Santa Monica Mountains. I could not be more humbled to be on a cover donning the NPS badge. Anyhow, thought I’d share that with you. You can download a PDF version here, or, better yet, sometime over the next 3 months, make sure to visit the Santa Monica Mountains for a hike, a bike, a swim, a jog, a picnic, a presentation, camping, rock climbing, star gazing, mountain biking, nature walking, photographing, playing, frolicking, and all-around marinating in our great outdoors…and pick up a physical copy yourself. It’s jam packed with a myriad of events covering the next 3 months. These hills are truly a magical place and the fact that they’re less than 30 minutes from the hustle and bustle of the city continues to blow my mind, even after calling the Santa Monica Mountains home for almost 6 years.
Plus, the chaparral’s vibrantly rejoicing after the much needed recent rains! Get up here and get at me!

For more stuffs and thingamajigs:
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Ello: @wasimofnazareth
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December 17, 2014
This Year We Did Thanksgiving A Different Way – The Sedona Way

Thanksgiving 2014. Elastic sweatpants. Turkey. Football. Right? Nope. Not this year. This year, we decided to do a thing. A different thing. After 3 plus decades of hosting and cooking and working all week for Thanksgiving dinner, mom decided this year, she needed a break. She wanted to get pampered instead of pampering everyone else. And while we’ll miss the insane gastronomical heaven we’ve been so accustomed to, we knew that it was well-deserved, and, well, what better way to give thanks and enjoy your family’s company than to hop in the car and test how long you can survive each other? A Sedona, Arizona Thanksiving family photo…uh…road trip? Let’s do this!

We showed up late Wednesday night, grabbed dinner at a local joint called The Barking Frog and headed to our room at the Sedona Real Inn & Suites to plan the next few days events. The following morning, we figured we’d head down to the Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village, a small gathering of boutiques, galleries, churches and restaurants fashioned like a traditional Mexican village, replete with vine covered walls and cobblestone walkways. What we didn’t take into account was that, well, it’s Thanksgiving…so everything was closed. However, this made for some fun photographic opportunities. After all, it’s not often you get to photograph a tourist destination without the tourists.

After lunch, the time seemed right to drive around and check out some of the sights and sounds of Sedona. We spent some time driving along the 179, which is essentially flanked by incredible red natural sandstone monuments that Sedona is known for that decorate the valley. Two of the most memorable stops were the Chapel of the Holy Cross, an elegantly simple Frank Lloyd Wright inspired chapel that seems to jettison out of the sandstone cliffside, and the Son Silver West Gallery, an extremely eclectic organized chaotic collection of Southwestern inspired gifts and items from garden goods to antiques to pottery and Peruvian arts. The sheer amount of ‘stuff’ that this place had was dizzying, and walking through it all was a delight.

We were beginning to encroach on sunset and, well, needless to say, I was taking over from here. I took the wheel, the family got in the car, and off I go searching for my Sedona sunset shot. We drove a few backroads before coming across Red Rock Crossing Road. Unfortunately, the park was closed for the holiday, but fortunately, we found ourselves on a slightly remote dirt road that offered a very nice vantage point facing the famous Cathedral Rock outcropping. We parked the car, and just waited, and this turned out to be one of my favorite moments of the entire weekend. My family isn’t used to this sort of waiting and watching and for the first part, once they were done snapping away on their phones and the novelty seemingly wore off, had no idea what to do with themselves. And once the sun set behind us to the west and I climbed on top of the car with my tripod and continued to face east, they were ready to leave, wondering why we were still there and perplexed at my insistence that we stay for a half hour after the sun sets. They thought it was over, then the sky began to turn peach and pink and purple and magenta, and they all stood mesmerized – watching the color palate change magically. It was after it was all over that my mother expressed “Now I understand why everyone always wants to watch the sun set.” That was it. That was everything I wanted.

Well, now it was time to find Thanksgiving dinner!! We managed to weasel our way into placement at reservation-packed Golden Goose, enjoyed our turkeys and talapias, toasted to a bottle of tattoo artist Scott Campbell and Clay Brock’s Saved Wine, and headed back to the room for the night.

The next morning, we met up with some great family friends that live in Tucson and drove up to meet us for the day and night. Once they arrived, we grabbed lunch and then headed back to the Tlaquepaque Village, where this time, on Black Friday, it was teeming with tourists. Packed. It was interesting to see it in two completely different extremes within 24 hours. But here we had a chance to ask the tourism office where a good spot for us all to catch the sunsetting, and they led us to Airport Mesa overlook, where there were various options that would give us a great vantage point to see the sun set over the city of Sedona. My brother and I hiked up the hill to get a view from above, while my parents and our guests made camp at The Mesa Grill at the Sedona Airport at the top of the hill, providing them with refreshments as well as what turned out to be the view that I was actually looking for, the twilight over the city. One of those cases where I was overzealous with the hiking and all I had to do was stay put.

Once my brother and I hiked back, we met up with them at the Grill, had probably our best meal of the trip so far thanks to the chef and our wonderfully patient waitress Candy (thanks for the extra slice of smores pie…), and headed back to the hotel where we sat around and chatted the hours away.

The next morning would be our last, and as much as I knew I’d hate waking up in 4 hours, I knew that I’d hate myself even more for leaving Sedona without catching at least one sunrise. So I got up at about 4:30, grabbed my camera bag, jumped in the car, and started driving off into the desert darkness. I had asked one of the hikers the day before about a good spot to catch the sunrise and they led me to Valley Verde School Road, a dirt road that ends on the backside of Red Rock Crossing State park. It was about a half hour drive, and I found myself parking just as the light began to glow on the horizon. I hiked in the 1/2 mile to Red Rock Creek, found a good spot, but something kept telling me to walk back the way I came in. While I found this counterintuitive as I was looking for that postcard shot with the water in the foreground, I gave in to that gut tug and found out why a few short minutes later. Yes, I missed the water shot, but what I caught made it worth it. And I hope you agree.

The gallery of my Sedona shots are below, all of which were taken using the new Samsung NX1. As one of their Imageloggers, Samsung sent it out to me just a few days before the holiday and this was the first time I got a chance to use it. It’s safe to say that this animal is now my primary camera. I will be posting a full piece dedicated to the NX1 in a few weeks, so stay tuned.

For more thingies and stuffnots: Instagram: @wasimofnazareth Ello: @wasimofnazareth Google+: www.Google.com/+WasimMuklashy

December 10, 2014
5 Gifts NOT To Get Photographers This Holiday Season
It’s just one of those things. One of those crazy things. While every lens wipe and filter might look the same to the untrained eye, photographers obsess over every detail down to the thousandth of a second. No exaggeration. Literally. Thousandths of a second. So, while the heart might be in the right place, there are certain things that, if you give a photographer as a gift, may do more harm than good. Here are 5 of those things:
1. A camera. Just don’t. Please. Just don’t. We’re VERY picky. Unless you know exactly what camera they want, if they’ve been reciting the model in their sleep, have 15 browser tabs open to different reviews and comparisons, and even then, please make sure to pack the gift receipt as well. Again, we’re VERY picky…
2. Ansel Adams poster. Just don’t. Please. Just don’t. (Unless it’s an original print. Then do. Please. Definitely do.)
3. A lens. See #1.
4. Digital Picture Frame. It will never be used. Ever.
5. Photography book. Chances are they’re extremely opinionated about which photographer’s book is worthy of gracing their coffee table…to the point where they’re rather use the bugger as kindling before opening to a single page. So yeah. Stay away. Amazon Gift Certificate? That’s ok!
And speaking of what’s ok, now that most of your ideas have probably been shot down, you might be thinking to yourself, “Well thanks a lot…now what!??” Not to worry, you’re absolutely welcome. I’ve got you covered. Check out these

10 Fail Proof Gifts For Photographers In Your Circles.

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December 8, 2014