Valentine’s Day is a week from Friday, and it’s a great excuse to do something nice for your beloved… and, as we all know, what gets the heart beating faster than an incredible photograph? Whether you’re giving one or helping them get one, we’ve got the goods.
If you’re getting a card, make it something really special by designing your own. We can print as quickly as the same day! (But, please—for our lab techs’ sanity, try not to wait.) For a gift to go with it, try one of the following suggestions.
Fujifilm Instax Mini 9
Instant prints are an instant hit. For only $49.99, your honey can start leaving a physical record on top of the mental one he or she already is. Add monochrome or wild-styled film for even more creative fun.
Rocky Nook Books
Film is only one part of the analog revolution. In 2020, we’re readin’ books! A good book full of inspiration and information is still of incomparable value for any aspiring photographer. Choose from a wide variety of subjects to find the perfect fit.
GoPro HERO8 Black
Sometimes, love makes you do crazy things. Sometimes, you want to do them anyway! Help your sweetheart capture the highlights with the gold standard for action cameras. Plus, get $100 off the HERO8 Black when you trade in any digital camera, in any condition, on top of that camera’s trade-in value. Nice!
Photo gifts
When it comes to sentimental gift giving, I have always personally favored presents that would be impossible for anyone else to produce or to purchase, both in giving and receiving. A real example: a mug with a great band’s logo is cool (and I encourage you all to support musicians at the merch booth), but the custom mug showing my wife and I at the concert ended up being way more special than if I had just bought the mug.
We have dozens of Valentine’s-themed templates from which to choose, or if you’re design-savvy you can go full custom. Coasters, shirts, wall art and more: you can’t go wrong with a custom photo gift.
GorillaPod tripod
Available in sizes suitable for everything from a cell phone to a compact camera to a full-size DSLR, the GorillaPod line offers a unique tripod style that will not be defeated by even the most challenging situation. Starting at $24.99, a GorillaPod will unlock previously unfathomable opportunities for your favorite photographer.
Peak Design Slide Lite or Capture
Peak Design’s innovative attachment systems make it as easy to holster your camera as it is to strap it on conventionally. Check out two of our favorite versions and see which one might make life easier for your special shooter.
LitraTorch 2.0+ Filters
Now in its second iteration, the LitraTorch is a crowd-funded dream come true. Mega-powerful lighting in a tiny, rechargeable cube? This is the 21st century version of everything the flash cube aspired to be. Whether you’re shooting video, ultra-minimalist photo, or super-creatives with color filters, there’s nothing quite like this unique, affordable, giftable box.
MagMod Starter Flash Kit
If the one that you love is a lover of the speedlite, MagMod may be the system they’ve been waiting to adore. Forget loud, cheap-looking flash modifiers attached with Velcro—the MagGrip allows for clean, magnetic attachment of a wide array of accessories to just about any flash. The Starter Kit also includes the MagSphere (a diffuser for effortless omnidirectional light) and the MagGrid, which allows you to focus your light to a narrower beam. MagGrids can even be stacked for a mega-focused beam!
Zhiyun-Tech Smooth Q Mobile Gimbal
In romance and in videography, smoothness is invaluable. Considering the difficulty involved in creating video by hand that doesn’t make people sick, providing any aspiring movie-maker with a gimbal would put him or her on a trip to the moon.
Frames
There’s an old joke about the dangers of photographers, which is that we are prone to shooting friends, hanging the kids, and framing the spouse… sometimes even cutting off heads! It’s a bit macabre, but those bits about framing and hanging are a good reminder of a too-often forgotten part of the process as it plays out in real life. Whether you have an outstanding shot that will make their heart flutter every time they see it or you want to help them get their masterpieces out of the shoebox and onto the wall, framing is a heartfelt way to show how much you value certain images (and the person who took them, perhaps). Pick from a wide variety of ready-made, fashionable frames in all the most common sizes, or visit one of our stores to talk to a specialist about custom options. (Click here to learn more.)
Fine Art Prints
And what if you (or they) don’t have any prints ready to frame? You, the thoughtful gift-giver, are in luck! Our finest inkjet prints are 35% off this month. Make that image pop on your choice of fine art papers:
- Smooth Fine Art
- Textured Fine Art
- Somerset Velvet
- Satin Canvas
Click here to learn more (but you’ll have to come in for the sale price).
Matador travel products
Planning a romantic excursion? Your fortunate companion may have the right camera and lenses for the shots they’re about to track down, but that’s just the bare minimum. Our slick travel accessories from Matador—including dry bags, protective layers for the gear, and more—will enable them to cruise in the lap of luxury. (That NanoDry Trek Towel saved me more than once!)
Trekz bone conduction headset
Our final entry may seem strange—a Bluetooth headset as camera gear? Consider, however, the patient wait for the perfect shot. It can be lonely, and it can be long. Music or conversation can make the time go faster, and in my own experience, there is not a better way than bone-conduction technology to achieve that entertainment without too much distraction. Keep both ears open and stay connected to the world around you and the world afar, starting at $79.99!
Hopefully one of those items jumped out as perfect for your sweetheart. And, hey, if you make the trip in to one of our brick and mortar stores, you might just be able to add the pièce de résistance: a bar of chocolate, wrapped snugly in a romantic poem. Here’s to love, photography, and the love of photography!
Having purchased the Trekz headset 2 weeks ago it has been life changing having two hands free when on my computer or out taking photographs all while talking to people on the phone.
For me the music and or audio capabilities are a bonus. All without blocking out the rest of the world.
I own 2 Bose noise canceling headsets for air travel but these are my go to headset for everyday life.
I’m regularly on calls >1 hour and I loathe the feeling of being on a phone or regular Bluetooth earpiece for that long. It leaves my ears feeling unbalanced. The Trekz is so natural. Thanks for corroborating!