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November 23, 2013

Holiday Gift Guide: Gift Ideas For A Blogger

Hi All! I decided with the Holidays quickly approaching I would start a new Holiday Gift Guide Series that will take place every Saturday here on Design, Dining and Diapers! I figured since I struggle with coming up with gift ideas for my family, this would help me  get organized and maybe help you out too!

Each week we will have a new topic and this week we’ll be talking about Gift Ideas For A Blogger.

Holiday Gift Guide- Blogger Edition via @tarynatddd

These are just some of the staple items that I enjoy and find helpful in my day-to-day activities and I also included items that are on my Christmas list too!

1. A Nice Camera

A great camera is one of the main components to blogging! I love love my Canon Rebel. My hubby got it for me as a Christmas gift way before I even started blogging. I have always been a Canon girl and this camera is great and easy to use.

Canon Rebel T3

2. A 50 mm Len

Last year, I got a 50mm lens and I love it.  I use this lens for all my food photography and when I’m shooting smaller projects. Mine only cost $100 and think it’s works great for what I use it for.

Screen Shot 2013-11-23 at 2.34.50 PM

3. A Tripod

I cannot stress enough how much of a difference it makes to shoot with a tripod. For the longest time I would just brush it off and think I could stay perfectly still or I was in too much of a hurry to bring it out. And now, I don’t shoot ANYTHING without it. I use it for all of my pictures and I cannot tell you what a difference it makes! You can get them for only $15 on Amazon and they are worth every penny. Not to mention they are great for when you need to use both hands in a tutorial pic. :)

Screen Shot 2013-11-23 at 2.37.32 PM

4. External Flash

This is on my Christmas list this year! I don’t know whey I haven’t invested in an external flash before. While I NEVER use my flash when taking pics, there are spaces I work with that are just too dark and no matter how much I change my settings it’s hard to get the right shot. I’m really excited to try this out.

Screen Shot 2013-11-23 at 2.43.20 PM

5. iPhone Tripod

If you do any vlogs (or video tutorials) you may want to add a tripod for your iPhone to your list. I have an iPhone 5 and take all of my videos on it and this flexible legged tripod is awesome (I give my husband all the credit for finding it). You can bend it around anything that is stable, giving you a lot of flexibility with where you can position it and it’s easy to pack too!

Screen Shot 2013-11-23 at 3.50.07 PM

6. Photo Editing Software

Photo Editing Software can be really intimidating but it is so important to have. I’ll admit I love editing my photos in Picmonkey because it is SO easy, but it does have it’s limits. Being able to use a nice software program like Photoshop Elements or Photoshop Lightroom is really important. I have Photoshop Elements and I’m finally getting the hang of it, I’ve never used Lightroom but I’ve heard really great things about it.

Screen Shot 2013-11-23 at 2.51.16 PM

7. Subscription To Picmonkey

If you are looking for an extremely easy photo editing program, Picmonkey is great! I use it ALL the time. The online program is free, but if you upgrade to the paid version (about $4.00 a month) you have access to a lot more tools. It’s totally worth it.

Screen Shot 2013-11-23 at 2.59.10 PM

8. Blogging Conference Ticket

If you are serious about blogging, attending a conference is a great way to connect with other bloggers, build a sense of community and also learn the business. There are SO many different conferences out there. I went to SNAP! last year and LOVED it. I had a blast. I am so sad I can’t make it this year but I am planning on attending Haven in July! There are tons more too, it just depends on your niche and what you are hoping to take away from it.

conference collage

So if you want to add any of these to your list then feel free to pin it or share with your family for a subtle hint hint :)

If you are a blogger, what are some other items that are on your list this year?

Disclosure: I’m an affiliate with Amazon. 

About Taryn Whiteaker

Hi! I’m Taryn! The voice behind Taryn Whiteaker Designs. I launched this brand over 11 years ago when I became a stay-at-home mom. What started as a small craft and mom blog eventually grew into a full time design and DIY site. My goal has always been to inspire others (especially women!) with design ideas, DIY tutorials, entertaining ideas and give you the tools you need to complete them yourself!

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Filed Under: Blogging, Inspiration

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Gina says

    November 24, 2013 at 8:48 am

    Great suggestions!!! I’m sad I won’t get to see you at SNAP! this year. It will be my first time doing a conference & I’m thrilled to be able to do it finally after all these years. Buuuuut- we are only 6 hours of less apart- maybe we can find another time to connect in real life someday.

    Reply
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Hi and welcome! I'm Taryn and the voice of style behind Taryn Whiteaker Designs. Sharing our journey of modernizing our European style home in Dallas. Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to subscribe to my mailing list to get all the latest updates! Read more...

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