Mother’s Day is coming and that means it’s time to find the perfect gift for the Mom or Mom-to-Be in your life. If there is a Mom in your life who won’t ever have enough photos of her bundle of joy, we have just the gifts you should be giving her to make this Mother’s Day special.
- Bag: When a Mom has a new baby she will undoubtedly need a new bag! Fortunately, large camera bags that can hold a camera and some baby supplies in just about any style Mom could want. The stylish Nadine Tote by Aide de Camp was designed with Moms in mind and even comes with a changing mat. For the Mom who wants to carry cool bag that looks exactly like a purse, the Kelly Moore Evangeline can easily do double-duty as a sleek camera bag and diaper bag at once. Is Mom more of a grab-and-go kind of gal? The Peak Design Everyday Backpack can’t be beaten for ease of organization and access. Or, maybe she already has a great diaper bag but still wants to carry her camera with her. The Bailey Pouch is the perfect solution since it goes in just about any bag.
- Photo Classes: Mom may love taking photos, but may not have a lot of experience taking photos of newborns or family interactions before she has her own bundle of joy. CreativeLive classes she can binge-watch both during the sleepless nights of pregnancy and the sleepless nights with a baby (and later nap time!) will not just help her keep her sanity but give her the knowledge she needs to take amazing photos of her baby as he grows from a newborn into a child. Check out this extensive list of newborn and family classes available. Not sure where to start? No matter what kind of photography she is into, once a baby enters the picture, learning how to capture family interactions and real life with kids becomes important. Classes like Chris Orwig’s Capturing Authentic Photos of Children & Families and Kirsten Lewis’s Family Photography: Modern Storytelling will help her best capture family life as it unfolds. If she needs some guidance on photographing her little one at home, she would love the gift of Emily Lucarz’s classes focusing on Lifestyle Newborn Photography in the Home.
- Camera Strap: Most Moms are not content to simply photograph their little ones in one place at a designated time. To allow her to use her camera anywhere with confidence a really comfortable camera strap is a must. The Peak Design Slide is extremely versatile and can be worn as a neck strap or sling. It’s also extremely adjustable and can easily be configured to work well with women’s bodies. Another option is to splurge on the popular MoneyMaker Harness Strap by Holdfast that can be used to hold one or two camera bodies. A harness-style strap is a great choice for a new Mom carrying a baby close to her chest who doesn’t want a strap in the way.
- Get in the Picture: Sure, the baby is cute, but doesn’t Mom deserve to be in some photos too? Give her the gift of the ability to take high-quality selfies and be in family photos. A good tripod, like the lightweight Manfrotto Be Free Tripod that sets up quickly and easily is a gift that will last her for years to come. A remote with interval timer, like the Polaroid Wireless Remote, is an inexpensive way to help her take photos from in front of the camera instead of behind it.
- Camera Know-How: Like many new parents, it’s possible she has had a camera for a while but was never motivated to learn how to use it until she became a Mom. Get her up and running with the comprehensive the Photography Starter Kit for Beginners or The Beginner Photographer’s Crash Course. Or, if she recently got a new camera, she would likely love the gift of one of CreativeLive’s Fast Start classes specific to her camera model.
- A new lens: Chances are the Mom you are buying for already has a DSLR but the gift of a new lens can open up many new creative possibilities. Many photographers love the Sigma Art 35mm 1.4 lens for family photography because it’s super-sharp and works equally as well for indoor lifestyle shots and outdoor portraits. Another great option is a Lensbaby, such as the dreamy Velvet 56 that can be used as a macro lens for close-ups of those adorable baby toes.
- Photo Book Smarts: Most photographers (and Moms) know the value of printed photographs, but it’s not so easy to create a good photo book to commemorate baby’s First Year or to give as a gift to grandparents. CreativeLive has several classes to give her the smarts to create an heirloom-worthy photo book on her own. Options range from the basic How to Create Photo Books that runs just over an hour to a class on Digital Scrapbooking to a class with more advanced techniques about creating photobooks in Lightroom.
- Stock Smarts: If you know a new Mom taking a lot of photos of an adorable baby, let her learn how to earn some extra income with the pictures she is already taking with stock photography. Shooting for Stock delves in-depth into the world of stock, including how to get started. If she needs more to shoot than a baby, learning food photography is a great way she can stay creative while the baby naps while also increasing her stock portfolio. Check out these courses from New York Times food photographer Andrew Scrivani and Steve Hansen.
- Books: Chances are the new Mom in your life will be spending lots of time lounging around with her baby. For those times she can’t risk waking the baby by binge-watching CreativeLive (or Netflix) photobooks can continue to give her inspiration. In the new book Imaginarium several photographers share their process from cultivation through execution. Or check out books by popular photographers like Jeff Rojas, Lindsay Adler, and Roberto Valenzua.
- Mobile Photography: What is the one thing nearly Mom has with all the time? Her phone of course. Give her the gift of being able to take amazing photos with her phone so she doesn’t miss capturing any important moment with her baby. CreativeLive has several classes focused just on mobile photography, including one specifically on the iPhone 7/7 Plus.
