Every year, Christmas seems to come with the same question: what do you buy for someone who already has everything they need?

Some of my favourite gifts aren’t necessarily more things. They’re gifts that remind us of the people we love, give us an experience to look forward to, or help us hold onto memories we don’t want to forget.

Photography can be all three.

Whether you’re shopping for your partner, parents, grandparents, another family member or someone celebrating a big milestone next year, there are quite a few ways you can turn photography into a meaningful Christmas gift.

And some of them might be things you haven’t thought of before.

Here are a few Christmas gift ideas available through Demings & Co Photography in Halifax and Dartmouth, Nova Scotia this year.

Give them a photography session to look forward to

Instead of trying to find another physical gift, you can give someone an experience they can enjoy long after Christmas is over.

Demings & Co Photography eGift Cards are now available online and can be purchased at the value of either:

• Mini Session — $149
• Full Session — $295

Gift cards are valid for one year from the date of purchase, giving the recipient plenty of time to decide when and how they’d like to use it.

**Purchase a Demings & Co Photography eGift Card**

And when you’re thinking about who you could give a photography gift card to, think about what’s happening in their life over the next year.

Maybe you know someone who is graduating next year and would love to have graduation photos taken.

Maybe someone in your family is currently pregnant, and a photography gift card could go towards maternity, newborn or updated family photos once their little one arrives.

Maybe your best friend, sibling or another family member recently got engaged but hasn’t had engagement photos taken yet.

Or maybe you know a couple who hasn’t had professional photos together in years.

A photography session doesn’t have to happen immediately after Christmas. You’re giving them something they can use when the right moment comes.

Because the gift card is purchased as a dollar value, the recipient can put it towards their photography session and plan all of the details with me afterwards. You don’t have to choose their date, location or exactly what kind of session they’d like for them.

It’s something you can give them on Christmas morning, with an experience and photographs they’ll get to enjoy later.

Already had a session with me? Turn those photos into Christmas gifts

This is something I’m especially excited to offer this year.

I’ve introduced professional printing options for client galleries, which means the photos we’ve already created together don’t have to stay on your phone, computer or online gallery.

If you’ve had a session with me previously, Christmas is a great opportunity to go back through those photos and turn your favourites into gifts for the people you love.

Print packages and individual prints are available through my Pixieset store, making it easy to choose your favourite photographs and the sizes you’d like.

And don’t worry if your previous gallery is no longer live!

I still have photographs from past sessions saved. Reach out to me and I can help you access those photographs and place a print order from a previous session.

This can be especially meaningful for parents and grandparents. Instead of trying to figure out what Grandma needs for Christmas, you might already have the perfect gift sitting in your family gallery.

Think beyond putting your photos in a frame

When we think about printing professional photographs, our minds usually go straight to framed prints for the wall.

And while I LOVE seeing photographs actually printed and displayed in people’s homes, your photos can become so much more than traditional prints.

Think about the different personalized gifts you can create using photographs from your session.

You could use your family photos to create Christmas cards to send to friends and family this year.

Turn favourite photographs into calendars that grandparents can enjoy throughout the entire year.

Create personalized mugs or coasters using family photographs, photos of the grandchildren or even photos of a much-loved family pet.

You could create photo books, ornaments, magnets or other personalized keepsakes.

And, of course, you can still choose a favourite photograph, have it professionally printed and pair it with a beautiful frame that matches someone’s home.

If you’re planning to create photo gifts yourself, having a gallery of professional photographs gives you so many possibilities.

One photography session can become Christmas cards for your family, a calendar for Grandma, a framed photograph for Mom and Dad, and a few new prints for your own home.

Suddenly, you’ve checked quite a few people off your Christmas shopping list.

Give photos to the person who is always taking them

There’s usually someone in every family who takes most of the photos.

They’re photographing Christmas morning. They’re taking pictures on vacation. They’re documenting birthdays. They’re getting everyone together for the family photo.

And because they’re the one holding the camera, they’re often missing from those memories.

A photography session can be an especially meaningful Christmas gift for that person.

Instead of another year of Mom, Grandma, Dad or your partner being behind the camera, give them an opportunity to actually be in the photographs with the people they love.

This is one of the reasons I love family photography so much.

It isn’t just about getting a nice photo where everyone is looking at the camera. It’s about making sure everyone who is part of your family actually exists in your family’s photographs.

Plan something together and turn it into a Christmas present

Not every Christmas gift has to be a surprise.

Sometimes the gift can be something you plan together.

If you and your siblings never know what to buy your parents, consider getting everyone together and planning a family photography session.

Instead of everyone buying another separate present, you can put that money towards updated family photographs.

The same idea works beautifully for grandparents.

Get the children and grandchildren together, plan a family session and make the resulting photographs part of their Christmas gift.

Or plan something with your partner.

Choose a location you both love, get dressed up, have your photos taken together and make an afternoon or evening out of it. Go for dinner afterwards and turn the photography session itself into part of your date.

Sometimes having something planned to look forward to together is just as much a gift as the photographs you’ll receive afterwards.

Book a session before Christmas and create the gifts yourself

There’s another way to approach this, too.

Instead of giving someone a photography session for Christmas, book the session for yourself and use the photographs to create their gifts.

Families can book updated photos and turn them into prints and photo gifts for grandparents.

Couples can surprise their parents with updated photographs.

Adult siblings can get together for photos for Mom and Dad.

You could even plan a session specifically because you want photographs for this year’s Christmas cards.

You get updated photographs for yourself while also creating personal Christmas gifts for several other people.

Just remember to leave enough time for your photography session, gallery delivery and any products you’d like to order before Christmas.

Give them something they’ll actually keep

Christmas gifts don’t have to be complicated.

Sometimes it’s finally getting the whole family together for updated photos.

Sometimes it’s giving someone a photography gift card because you know there’s a milestone coming up that they’ll want to remember.

Sometimes it’s taking photographs you already have and turning them into something their grandparents can unwrap on Christmas morning.

And sometimes it’s making sure the person who documents everyone else’s life finally gets to be part of the photographs too.

If you have an idea for a Christmas gift but aren’t quite sure how to turn your photographs into it, you’re always welcome to get in touch.

I’d be happy to help you find the photographs, plan the session or get those favourite images off the screen and into your hands this Christmas. 💚