My Favorite Photography Gifts for Dads + Grads
Today I am sharing some of my favorite photography gifts for dads + grads. Whether you are shopping for a gift for dad or a graduation gift for family and friends there are some really fun photography gifts and tech toys. You all know I am so passionate about documenting your daily life and preserving those memories. Thanks to falling prices, new features and better image quality you can now capture your life in fun + quality ways that put your smart phone to shame. Here are a few of my top recommendations for passionate family photographer.
Digital single-lens reflex cameras. (DSLR)
Your smart phone may be ok for capturing those day-to-day memories, however life events are better left to a quality camera. A DSLR is one of my favorite photography gifts for dads + grads. It documents those once-in-a-lifetime-memories, your toddler’s first steps, or that trip Europe with high quality images. Compared to your camera phone these sophisticated cameras offer better image quality, faster shutter speeds and interchangeable lenses.
I got my first DSLR when my twins were 5 months old and I could no longer capture them with a point and shoot (circa 2007). I have never looked back and love the memories I have documented over the years. If you really want to up your photography game you can learn to shoot in manual and produce amazing images. More to come about that is a later post! The Canon EOS Rebel T6 Digital SLR Camera and the Nikon D3300 w/ AF-P DX 18-55mm are two moderately priced DSLRs that I recommend to my clients.
GoPros
Summer is around the corner and chances are you will be spending time in your backyard pool, the beach or at the lake! GoPros make a great gift for the active dad or the adventurous grad. They are lightweight, portable and come with a portable casing. We have taken our GoPro everywhere the past 4 years and at home my kids love to make movies with it in the pool. This is a great camera to get the whole family involved. So many active helmets and snorkel masks come with a GoPro attachment so you can be hands free while you are in the water. My boys just received this Snorkel/Diving Mask for their birthday. The GoPro HERO5 Black is the one that we have, however the GoPro HERO6 Black is the latest version on the market.
Drones
A drone is a more high-tech alternative to a radio controlled toy plane and many of them come with cameras. The drone “flyer” uses an app on their smartphone to control the device and camera. This is a great alternative to capture all of the action from above. You can play the video pack on a TV or computer later.
Anyone who knows my photography work knows that I love to capture our everyday life. As a parent of tweens that means meeting them where they are at, in the middle of the action. We got Dad a DJI Phantom 4 last Christmas and it has been the best gift ever. We take our drone out to parks, the beach, on hikes and on vacation. The boys are excited to take photos and videos and love getting involved in the process of shooting, editing and uploading videos to Vimeo.
Below is an image of us flying the drone on a recent trip to Grand Cayman. You can see my husband controlling his drone with his iphone + controller from the boat.
Finally, here is an example of how we used our drone to capture lifestyle family photography and video of our everyday life. I hope that these tips have encouraged you to find some amazing photography gifts for the dad or grad in your life. Happy Father’s Day and Graduation!
January Days 2018 from Shelly Argenbright Niehaus on Vimeo.
SENIOR | FAMILY | NEWBORN | SCHOOLS
Shelly Niehaus Photography is a Prosper, TX based senior and family photographer. I specialize in newborns, seniors, family, and school portrait photography in the Dallas Fort Worth area. I also offer adoption photography for local families through the Red Thread Organization and volunteer for The Gold Hope Project. For more information please contact me so we can start discussing your session.
