What Is The Best Photography Gift You Have Received?

[David Payumo]

Two guys on this board got Ebony cameras for Christmas. They owe their wives bi g time. My Dad buys all my gear for me. I am still in school and I am grateful for the "funding". Please tell me about those camera equipment gifts! Happy B oxing Day!

[Chad Jarvis]

This year my wife found a copy of Darkroom, edited by Eleanor Lewis, an out-of-print book (published in 1977) with articles on darkroom technique written many renowned photographers, including Wynn Bullock and W. Eugene Smith. It was a most unexpected gift that I will treasure always. A few years back my in-laws bought me a split-back printing frame from Bostick and Sullivan that remains my most utilized gift. I'm easy to please.

[David A. Goldfarb]

Definitely the small darkroom kit I got when I was around 11 or 12 years old. I'd actually been introduced to work in the darkroom by a teacher in my elementary school in the fourth grade, and my grandfather knew I was interested. The kit had a cheap plastic 35mm enlarger that could hold 4x5 paper in three different slots, 4x5" trays, tongs, a 25-sheet pack of Velox, a few of those Kodak starter kits with small packets of dev/stop/fix, and a small daylight film processing tank.

[jnorman]

every christmas, santa brings me books about the history of photography, and monographs on photographers from the 19th century. when i was a young photogrpaher (many years ago), i had no persepctive on the history of photography, and no depth of knowledge on how this art/craft evolved interms of both technical issues and approach. studying the work of early topographic photographers such as edouard baldus, gustave legray, carleton watkins, bonfils, sebah, beato, and others who followed in the compositional footsteps of earlier delineators such as david roberts, and the work of early doucmentary and architectural photogrpahers like frith, bourne, atget, marville, etc., has helped my own work mature. these are the guys who invented this stuff, and they were the best. it is quite amazing what can be learned from studying the work of the real masters, and how they solved the problems they faced.

[Andre Noble]

Christmas came early, in this past July. Driving down Sunset boulevard and I noticed that Freestyle Photo was having some kind of merchandise clearance extravaganza. Short story: got a all following BRAND NEW! for $415 total, including tax: Jobo CPP-2 rotary processor, Jobo Lift, 3006 expert sheet film drum, and programable process timer. It was a sure sign my lucky star was coming into alignment!!!

..and I was just grumbling that "I didn't get anything for Christmas", I had forgotten how driving to the store that day, I had actually smelled the strong scent of a fresh pine (Christmas) tree, despite one not being anywhere around!!..

[Ellis Vener]

A love of photography from my dad. Sappy but true. An introduction to irving Penn and Diane Arbus' work from a high school buddy. Jay Maisel kicking my ass for a solid week in 1983.

[Sandy Sorlien]

My first real camera, in 1976, a used Nikkormat FTN, from my mom, who died this year. She knew nothing about cameras but it was the perfect choice. I could ride it around on the back of my bicycle and no parts ever shook loose. I could use shift lenses on it. It worked great for another fifteen years till the 1/125 speed slowed down to 1/60. I still use Nikons for the small stuff. Thanks Mom.

[Robert Fox]

Christmas came in November for me this year ..... I bought myself an Ebony RW45 and a quartet of Fujinon Lenses: a 300mm f8.5 C, a 240mm f8 A, a 150mm f5.6 CMW, and a 90mm f8 SW.

Throw in a Polaroid 545 Pro, a dozen Fidelity film holders, a Harrison changing tent and darkcloth, assorted filters, a new Domke bag and, oh a box of Velvia, and voila'- the ultimate photographic Christmas gift ..... ever! (For me anyway ..... )

[e]

Leica m6 and 35 mm summicron from my mom 12 years ago.

[Paul Schilliger]

I agree with you Dan, friendship has been the greatest gift. Though, I just made to myself a photography related gift and got from Ebay an old but in working order Uher tape recorder. I t should allow me to get back to some tapes that I recorded on the other side of the world some 25 years ago w hile filming birds and other scenery. The old tape recorder had died on my return, and the tapes have since k ept their mystery!

[Ashraf Nassef]

LIGHT is the best photography gift I have received.

[Ben Calwell]

My wife gave me a nice floor lamp from Restoration Hardware. Now, I can sit in my favorite easy chair and study my Azo contact prints and wonder: Are they flat, or are they not flat?

[Richard M. Coda]

When I was 23, I asked my Mom for Edward Weston's Daybooks. Great reading!