Gifts for Photographers Who Shoot the Street

Street photographers are picky about their kit, and a well meant gadget can end up in a drawer. Find out two things first, quietly if you want to keep it a surprise.

• What camera do they use? Look at the brand and model. It decides which batteries and straps fit. If they shoot film, find out whether it's 35mm or medium format (120).
• Do they shoot colour or black and white? It helps with film and with photobooks.

Every photographer's kit is different. If you can't find out, skip gear and go straight to books or prints. Those fit everyone.

A good photobook is the gift I'd want most. Studying great pictures is how street photographers get better, and a book gets looked at again and again, unlike a gadget. These are classics any street photographer will be glad to own:

• Bystander: A History of Street Photography by Colin Westerbeck and Joel Meyerowitz. The standard history of the genre, first published in 1994 and revised since, with a newer edition from Laurence King.
• The Decisive Moment by Henri Cartier-Bresson. Steidl published a careful facsimile of the 1952 original in 2014, with a booklet on the book's history. Read about the idea in my guide to the decisive moment.
• Early Color by Saul Leiter. Painterly colour street photographs of New York. A good choice for anyone who shoots colour. More in my profile of Saul Leiter.
• The Americans by Robert Frank. The road trip book that changed American photography.
• Magnum Contact Sheets edited by Kristen Lubben. Shows the frames around famous pictures, so you see how great photographers work a scene. It's the most useful book for learning to edit.
• How I Make Photographs by Joel Meyerowitz. Part of Laurence King's Masters of Photography series: short, practical lessons from a street photographer who has been working for over six decades.

Not sure which? Pick the photographer whose work they talk about most, then find that person's main monograph. My list of street photographers is a good place to find names.

If they shoot film, film is always welcome. It gets used up, and it has become expensive enough that many people ration it. A few rolls say "go shoot."

• Black and white: Kodak Tri-X 400 and Ilford HP5 Plus are classic street films. Both are flexible in changing light.
• Colour: Kodak Portra 400 is a safe bet for skin tones and mixed light.
• Instant film: if they own an Instax or Polaroid camera, film packs go fast and are always welcome.
• Developing and scanning: a prepaid order at their local lab is a thoughtful extra. Film costs don't end when the roll is shot.

For someone curious about film who doesn't own a film camera, a simple camera is a fun way in. The Kodak Ektar H35 is a half-frame camera, so it gets 72 pictures from a 36 exposure roll. A single-use (disposable) film camera is cheaper still. Both are light enough to carry every day, which is what street photography needs.

My guide to film street photography explains which films and cameras suit the street, if you want to go deeper before you buy.

Only buy these if you know their camera. Each one gets used every time they go out.

• A wrist strap. Many street photographers prefer a wrist strap to a neck strap. The camera stays in the hand, ready to raise, and it looks less like a tourist's kit. Check that the attachment fits their camera's strap lugs.
• A spare battery. Small cameras drain batteries fast, and running out mid-walk is a classic street photographer frustration. Buy the exact model their camera uses, ideally from the camera maker.
• A fast memory card. Useful if they shoot bursts or video. Check the card type their camera takes.
• A small bag or sling. Something that holds one camera and a few essentials without looking like a camera bag. Discreet beats padded.
• A lens cloth or small cleaning kit. Cheap, but they'll use it every week.

A camera is the riskiest gift. Photographers have strong opinions, and they may already own what you'd pick. If you want to go big, a compact camera with a fixed wide lens is the most street friendly choice. Something like the Ricoh GR IV, with a 28mm equivalent lens, fits in a jacket pocket. The Fujifilm X100 series is another favourite.

Talk to them first, or give it with a receipt. My guide to the best camera for street photography explains what matters.

This is my favourite gift for any photographer, and almost nobody gives it. Most photographers never print their work. Ask them for five favourite frames, or pick them yourself from what they've shared, and have them printed and framed by a good lab. Seeing their own picture on a wall changes how they feel about their photography.

A step further: help them turn a set of photos into a small booklet. My guide on how to make a photo zine walks through it, and building a photography portfolio covers choosing the photos. A prepaid credit at a print lab works too if you'd rather they choose.

For a special occasion, a real print from a famous photographer is something they'll keep for life. Magnum Photos runs a Square Print Sale of signed or estate-stamped 6x6 inch prints, online for one week only. Check the page for the next sale date. Many photographers and galleries also sell smaller prints directly.

• Exhibition tickets or a museum membership. Many photography museums offer annual memberships. The Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson in Paris, for example, lets members and a guest visit all its exhibitions for a year.
• A trip to a great street photography city. Even a weekend. My guides to the best street photography locations cover dozens of cities.
• A free day. For photographers with young kids or busy jobs, the best gift might be a morning off to go shoot. I know how rare that time is.
• A photo walk together. Let them lead and don't rush them.

Learning often helps a photographer more than gear, but it's personal. Ask before you buy, because they may already be enrolled in something or prefer a certain teacher. Compare options in my roundup of the best street photography courses.

Phototactic, the street photography course I made with Don Springer, is one option. It's recorded video lessons on composition and emotion, $297 as one payment with a 60 day money back guarantee. There is no gift option at checkout, so it works best as "I'll cover it" rather than a wrapped present. It doesn't include feedback on their photos or a community.

• Big lenses and tripods. Street photographers travel light and rarely use them.
• Camera-themed novelty items. Lens-shaped mugs are fun once. They don't get anyone shooting.
• Random accessories that don't fit their system. A strap or battery for the wrong camera is worse than no gift.
• Loud, obvious camera bags. On the street, looking like a photographer is a disadvantage.