May 8th, 2008 by 
patia
Every mother wants to keep pictures of her loved ones close to her, so cameras and photographs make ideal Mother’s Day gifts.
When it comes to finding the perfect gift for your mom – and don’t forget grandmothers and wives! – there are many photographic options, from cameras and accessories to prints and collectibles. We’ve come a long way since the days of photo calendars and coffee mugs. Here are some gift ideas sure to please every mother on your list (including a few do-it-yourself options for kids and the budget-minded).
Digital Cameras For Mom
Whether Mom is taking pictures of holiday gatherings and family vacations, portraits of new babies or beautiful sunsets, some questions to consider are: How much camera does she need? A small, basic point-and-shoot; a larger, sophisticated digital SLR; or something in between?
What will she do with the resulting photographs – email them to family members, paste them into scrapbooks or make nice prints to hang on the wall?
Would she like to shoot video, too? And finally, how much do you want to spend?
Compact Digital Cameras
Compact digital cameras start with purse-sized point-and-shoots that offer basic to advanced features and average- to excellent-quality images. Almost all now also include video capabilities. Expect to pay between $100 and $350 for these smaller cameras. A few camera lines to consider are Canon PowerShot, Casio Exilim, Fujifilm FinePix, Olympus FE and Stylus, Kodak EasyShare, Sony Cybershot, Nikon Coolpix and Pentax Optio – stick with the big manufacturers and you can’t really go wrong.
If Mom is a beginning photographer or technophobe, look for a point-and-shoot camera with an “easy” setting that keeps things simple by offering only the simplest camera options, like flash and self-timer.
If she’s a competent intermediate or advanced photographer, consider a high-end compact digital camera such as the Nikon Coolpix P5100, Canon PowerShot G9 or A720 IS, or the Fujifilm FinePix S100FS. These cameras are generally priced from $300 to $600.
Recommended Compact Digital Cameras
 Olympus Stylus 1010 MSRP: $299 |
 Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5 MSRP: $349 |
 Canon PowerShot G9 MSRP: $499 |
All digital camera review categories >>
Digital SLRs
If, however, Mom’s a top-notch photog, nothing but a digital SLR will do.
DSLRs offer interchangeable lenses, speed, advanced features and the best possible image quality. Even entry-level digital SLRs have much better image quality and performance than compact digital cameras. Popular, reasonably-priced digital SLRs include the Nikon D60, Canon EOS Rebel XSi /450D, the Sony A200, Pentax K200D, Olympus E-420, and the Samsung. These cameras range from about $700 to $1,300. The Canon and Nikon are the most popular. But moms with small hands might appreciate the diminutive Olympus E-420.
Recommended Digital SLRs
 Canon EOS Rebel XSi MSRP: $799 |
 Olympus E-510 MSRP: $799 |
 Sony Alpha DSLR-A200 MSRP: $699 |
Read all digital SLR reviews >>
Does your family spend a lot of time around a swimming pool, at the beach, or canoeing or kayaking? How about giving Mom a waterproof camera, like the Olympus Stylus 850 SW or Stylus 1030 SW, Pentax Optio W30, or Ricoh’s G600?
Recommended Waterproof Digital Cameras
 Olympus Stylus 850 SW MSRP: $299 |
 Olympus Stylus 1030 SW MSRP: $399 |
Outdoor & Waterproof Digital Camera Guide >>
Camera Accessories For Mother’s Day
Many camera manufacturers also offer waterproof camera housings as optional accessories. If you’re purchasing a camera or looking to outfit Mom’s current camera, check the manufacturer’s website for accessories.
| Does Mom like to take nighttime photographs or group portraits? Consider giving her a tripod or the unique Joby Gorillapod, whose three legs are infinitely bendable to attach to nearly any surface. Tripod (and Gorillapod) mounts are universal and will work with any camera, but be sure to check the weight rating to make sure it will adequately support the camera. (Camera weights can generally be found in the specifications section of the manual or manufacturer web page.) |
 Joby Gorillapod MSRP: $24.95 |
Other add-ons include camera bags, memory cards and flash drives for transporting photographs, like from home to a work computer.
Photography Software For Mom
Many software options are available for organizing and editing digital photographs on the home computer. Some software even comes free and installed with computers – for example, Photo Gallery on Windows Vista and iPhoto on Macs. Google’s Picasa is a popular, free download for Windows PCs. Adobe’s Photoshop Elements is a slimmed-down and relatively inexpensive version of its professional photo-editing software. These programs offer basic editing features and will help Mom keep her photos organized.
Some software programs will let her make her own greeting cards for birthdays and holidays.
While some people enjoy the process of editing and printing photographs using their own computer, others are intimidated by even getting the images off the camera. A gift of a memory card reader can make the export process easier. Or, give Mom a gift certificate for a local photo lab and instruct her to hand the camera’s memory card over to a lab employee.
Recommended Digital Photography Software
 Picasa Photo Organizer Software MSRP: Free download |
 Photoshop Elements MSRP: $99 |
 ACDSee 10 Photo Manager MSRP: $49 |
Photos, Frames, And Books For Mother’s Day
Traditional framed prints, enlargements and posters have expanded to include collages, high-quality posters and canvas prints that have the appearance of fine-art paintings. Imagine a family portrait or a favorite vacation photo blown up and hanging over the mantel.
Scrapbooking is popular with lots of moms, and supplies and accessories like albums, papers, notions and specialty scissors would make great gifts for them. Or, give a gift certificate to a scrapbooking or art supply store and let Mom pick out her own supplies.
| The old-fashioned photo album still has its place, but photo books are a new and polished option. Upload family pictures to sites like the Kodak Gallery, Shutterfly, Snapfish, Lulu or Apple’s iPhoto to make Mom a purse-sized brag book (less than $10) or a glossy coffee-table book (typically around $30 to $70). Be sure to look for books made with archival materials so the next generation can enjoy them, too. |
 Photo Book How-To Guide >> |
| Digital picture frames are an exciting new way to show off digital photos. Some have multimedia features and can play videos and music as well as digital photos. Wireless digital frames make transferring photos easy, even from friends and family around the world. Kodak makes a range of models. Expect to pay anywhere from $60 to $200 for a digital picture frame. |
 Research and Shop For Digital Picture Frames >> |
Another fun option is a digital photo keychain, which lets Mom show off her kids or grandkids anywhere, anytime.
For an updated version of the family slideshow, have a lab transfer old prints, negatives and slides, as well as recent digital photos, to a DVD that can be played on the living-room television.
Other Photography Gifts For Mom
An amazing array of items can be made from photographs. Online photo-sharing and printing services like Snapfish offer everything from calendars, note cards, stationery and stickers to puzzles, playing cards, keepsake boxes, vases, coasters, coffee mugs and even frosted beer steins! How about a photo T-shirt, tote bag or photo night light? (I personally am coveting the fleece blanket and pillowcase available in the Kodak Gallery store. I’d love to cuddle up with pictures of my kitties or a bunch of sunflowers.)
DIY Photography Gifts
Sometimes the best gift comes from the heart. Here are a few do-it-yourself ideas:
- Gather the family for a group portrait, then frame the best photo for your wife, mother or grandmother.
- Schedule a family or child portrait sitting with a professional studio photographer.
- Enlist your kids to make Mom a hand-painted picture frame, photo collage or decoupaged jewelry box.
- Offer to organize the photographs on Grandma’s hard drive or scan the pictures in her shoebox and burn them to an archive CD or DVD.
- Install photo-editing software and give Mom a tutorial in using it.
- Set up one or more desktop backgrounds on her computer so she’s greeted with smiling faces of loved ones every time she boots up.
- Transfer a folder full of family photos to a flash drive so she can set up desktop backgrounds on her work computer.
Gift Certificates
Finally, giving gift certificates and gift cards so Mom can pick out her own present is always a good option when you’re not sure what to buy. Stop by your drugstore or photo lab and pick up a gift certificate for printing. Or buy one from an online photo-sharing and printing service like Kodak Gallery, Shutterfly or Snapfish.
Whatever you choose, a gift of photography is sure to be cherished by the mothers in your life. Happy Mother’s Day!
Related Shopping & Research Content:
All Digital Camera Review Categories
Digital Camera Forums
All Photography Software Review Categories
Tripod Reviews
All Digital Picture Frames
All Digital Camera Accessories
All Review Categories
Links:
Kodak Gallery
Shutterfly
Snapfish
Apple iPhoto
ACDSee
Adobe Photoshop
Canon
Joby Gorillapod
Nikon
Olympus
Panasonic
Picasa
Sony
May 9th, 2008 at 8:14 pm
Thanks for the excellent Mother’s Day gift guide, Patia. You did a much better job than I would have. All I can think of are cameras. I especially like the do-it-yourself gift ideas. For a lot of moms, those will probably be the best gifts. Of course, most of us guys will want to get our moms something techy we can play with. I’m planning to get my mom a digital picture frame and load it up with photos before I give it to her.