by Jaclyn C. Stevenson

Created on: February 16, 2007   Last Updated: July 29, 2008

POINT AND SHOP
Gift Ideas for Photography Lovers

The shipping deadline for holiday gifts to arrive on time is fast approaching, your gift list is still a mile long, and your significant other is a bona fide photography geek.

What now? Do you buckle under pressure and hastily wrap up a memory card and a frame? Or do you rise to the challenge of pleasing even the oddest of visual fancies?

It's not an easy feat. Like all personal technology, cameras and photography accessories are advancing so rapidly that without specific instructions from a would-be recipient, buying photo-equipment for a favorite photog can be next to impossible. Fans of photography as an art form can be easier to please, but still, they only have so much wall space. That said, photographers at all levels also appreciate a little creativity, and there are indeed some less-than-risky gift options available, for everyone from the most casual shutterbug to the busiest professional.

With that in mind, here are a few photo-related gift ideas that are a snap to wrap, and will keep your festive faculties in tact.

Keeping it Personal
With so many online resources making shopping increasingly simple, for example, a great gift with a personal touch could require little more than some savvy surfing.

Budding photographers in particular are always eager to proudly display a favorite image, and often, those photos are of the people, places, and things they love. By taking something they've created and turning into a one-of-a-kind keepsake, gift-givers can wow their favorite photophile with a gift that showcases their best work.

For instance, Artistic Direct, an online company based in Colorado Springs, Colo., specializes in personalized products and is featuring its line of photo-gifts this season. By simply uploading a photo, shoppers can purchase an array of inexpensive chotchkes, including mouse pads, coasters, address labels, mugs, ornaments, or business and calling cards, each emblazoned with nearly any photo and priced from $10 to $20.

Bagettes, a company based in Prairie Village, Ka., sells nifty, custom photo makeup bags and totes that can be personalized with a photo, logo, or drawing. The company can be found online at www.bagettes.com, and is currently offering a wide range of products, from golf accessory bags to coin purses, small pocketbooks, and wristlets small 8" x 5" bags than can be thrown in a briefcase during the day and slung on a wrist or belt loop for a night on the town. Bagettes start

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