The gift of time, one of the best gifts for photographers
Gift-giving season is upon us and if you have a photographer on your Christmas list you may be wondering what to get them. Photographers of any skill level will always welcome an addition of a new camera or lens but those can cost from several hundred to several thousand dollars, which is certainly well above most people’s budgets. Well, there is a gift that will cost you very little and will be welcomed by most shutterbugs of nearly every skill level. The gift of time.
Photography can be a solitary endeavor. Photographers often spend hours getting to and/or waiting for the right moment to get the perfect shot. That time can be a bit lonely, but they pass more quickly if a friend or loved one kept them company.
You can offer to take over their family obligations such as chores, cooking or babysitting so that they can go out and take pictures. If you’re on a vacation set aside time for the photographer in your family to take photos.
If you have a budding young photographer not yet old enough to drive, then offer to chauffeur them to a location or an event that they want to take pictures of.
Here are some ideas of events and places that you can take your picture taker.
There are local sites such as the Wat Dhammararam Buddhist Temple in Stockton with its giant painted statues depicting the life of the Buddha that can produce some great photos.
Every year there tends to be at least one lunar eclipse to photograph (May 16, 2022 is the next) and there are annual meteor showers such as the Leonids in November. These are shot at night in remote locations to avoid light pollution. It helps to have what I call a “photo buddy” to help fend off the lonely darkness.
If your photographer is into sports then you can take them to a Stockton Ports or Heat game or an athletic event at the University of the Pacific or San Joaquin Delta College. And there are plenty of high school and youth recreation league sports happening all the time.
These are just a few of the many things that you can do for your photo friend/family member. I’m sure you and they can come up with even more. All it will take is just a little time.
Record photographer Clifford Oto has photographed Stockton and San Joaquin County for more than 36 years. He can be reached at coto@recordnet.com or on Instagram @Recordnet. Follow his blog at recordnet.com/otoblog. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/
This article originally appeared on The Record: Christmas shopping for a photographer? The best gift is gift of time
