Christmas gifts list (Evergreen!)

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You didn’t really think you would not find a Christmas gifts list here, did you?
Of course, I had to make one!

I put together a list of a few items I own (or I have at least tried) and recommend. Maybe you saw my Black Friday list, where I didn’t go on trying to sell you just anything.
So, if you trust me a little bit you know this is good stuff ;)

I’m going to split this into categories, and I might add a few more items if I see good deals on them before Xmas, so come here often.
For the following items that are available on Amazon, I also created an idea list here: https://amzn.to/2M4aYn5

10 of my favourite coffee table books

• Don McCullin – The New Definitive Edition
• Robert Frank – The Americans
• Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Decisive Moment
• A couple of Magnum’s: Contact Sheets (also mentioned in my previous post) and Streetwise: The Ultimate Collection of Street Photography
• Alex Webb: The Suffering Of Light
• Sebastiao Salgado: Genesis
• Ansel Adams: 400 Photographs
• Peter Lindbergh: A Different Vision on Fashion Photography
• Vivian Maier: Street Photographer
• Steve McCurry: A Life in Pictures: 40 Years of Photography (the only one I have autographed)

Photography gear and gadgets

Perhaps the most exciting of my Christmas gifts list…

• The new LEE Filters system (now easier than ever) is also available as an all-included Long Exposure package: https://amzn.to/2LESlFR
• If you liked my Aerochrome series on Instagram, you might want to look at the Lomochrome Purple. Not the same but the closest you can get without spending a fortune on eBay for the discontinued Kodak original
• The Instax family is the most popular Fujifilm product in the UK. I like being able to print from the phone with the Instax Share, but you can also get the Polaroid-like Instax Mini
• Also from Fujifilm, you now get very good prices for the camera I use, the X-T2: https://amzn.to/2P9S8go
• And if you want to go really compact and still shoot great photos, get the Ricoh GR III: https://amzn.to/2YzLP8E
• The smallest (yet powerful) phone gimbal on the market, the Zhiyun Smooth Q2, is the one I use for my Instagram Live videos: https://amzn.to/2E6u1Zw
• You know all the new drone regulations in place now… Well, DJI’s Mavic Mini is lighter than 250 grams… Just saying
• A big tripod might not be easy to carry with you 100% of the times, but there are small ones that fit any bag or even a pocket. My favourite is the Manfrotto Pixi EVO, which holds my mirrorless camera no problem: https://amzn.to/35iEL33
• And finally, one of the most convenient LED lights to carry around, the Aputure Mini

Travel gear and gadgets

• Simply the best duffel bag of the last years, the North Face Base Camp is indestructible and has accompanied me to many destinations: https://amzn.to/35c8I4D (the M size fits as cabin bag)
• If you’re feeling more adventurous, the Shimoda Explore is the best camera bag for outdoors, period. https://amzn.to/36ojXqR
• Looking for a warm jacket? Again, can’t go wrong with North Face: https://amzn.to/2YDjyOQ
• You’d be surprised to know how many times I find myself in need of a torch… Here’s a powerful one for your keyring: https://amzn.to/3483pC1
• The always useful tools card for your wallet: https://amzn.to/2LHpvVy
• The surprise of the year for me. I can’t go without this “unspillable” mug now: https://amzn.to/2E6oDWd
• And you know when you see that “recommended product” that you absolutely need to click on to view it? Try this: https://amzn.to/38tvirl
• Another big surprise is how good are the AmazonBasics cabin trolleys: https://amzn.to/35aFAuE
• And if you travel for work and need to be smart and well-ironed, I got you covered: https://amzn.to/2RGl80S

Tech

I feel like keeping this last list extremely short. We just went through Black Friday and Cyber Monday, so I guess this category was already covered.

• My “lifesaving” noise-cancelling headphones from Sony: https://amzn.to/36onRA1 – Also available as in-ear: https://amzn.to/2P7NgrS
• The new wireless system from Rode is really really good: https://amzn.to/38riUrU
• The tiny rugged SSD drive that goes with me everywhere: https://amzn.to/2P9Xfx6 (also compatible with the iPad)
• The micro mic I attach to my iPhone for live streaming: https://amzn.to/2PLN3d2
• The Loupedeck+ might change forever the way you edit photos and videos
• But if you think the Loupedeck+ is too much, at least get a Wacom tablet. This is the one tool that really helped me improve my photo editing tenfold. I have, and recommend the M size

A little treat for yourself

I’m not sure anybody gifts software to others, so I’m labelling this as your own personal treat.

• Luminar 4 was released a couple weeks ago. It has some pretty nifty features, including a powerful AI that can do sky replacement in one click
• DxO is currently running a promotion on Nik Collection, which is my favourite Photoshop plugin. It’s 30% off: https://nikcollection.dxo.com/ They’re doing it for other software as well, like the new PhotoLab, but Nik Collection is the only one I use
• Adobe Photoshop shortcuts keyboard skin for your Mac keyboard (although I suppose these should work for PC too). Or maybe you prefer to use Lightroom?

Amazon’s Last Minute Christmas

Amazon is also running one more promo period between the 9th and the 22nd of December. Plenty of deals available in their own huge Christmas gifts list (just always double-check the prices): https://amzn.to/2sXSX2X

Cheers!

And last but certainly not least, my favourite liquor. Perfect for all the toasts at Xmas and New Year’s Eve!

I think that’s for this year. Hope you’ll find something you like here.
Myself, I’m very happy with all these items, hence why I recommend them.

Happy shopping!