Jon Sienkiewicz Blog

A friend showed me a Father’s Day gift list published by venerable Vogue and on it was a pair of socks from Thom Browne for $150. Not to be a lowbrow, but I would think that for $75 a foot they could at least learn how to spell colors. If I put $150 socks on my feet I’m afraid that my other extremities would be jealous. Imagine what I’d have to pay for a hat, gloves and a jockstrap.

Dads and tools go together like crooked public servants and greasy bags of banknotes. Photographers tend to tote tools, too. Put it all together (minus the politician) and we just might have the perfect Father’s Day gift suggestion. And it comes from SOG, a company with a rich and venerated heritage.

There is something about mistletoe and holly that makes my heart scream out: “It’s time for some more cool photo gear.” The mere thought of reindeer hooves on the rooftop gives me the urge to clean out my gadget bag collection and make room for something new. If you suffer from the same seasonal malady—or if there’s a photographer in your life who deserves more than a re-gifted lump of coal—here’s a list of camera stuff that every picture-taker will enjoy receiving as a holiday gift.

I hadn’t planned to write a “Dads and grads guide for gifting” this year, but then I heard a radio commercial suggesting a DNA analysis kit for Father’s Day. You may have heard it, too—handy little $99 spit-testing thing that tells your dad where he got his genetics and such.

Now, back where I grew up, using the phrases “DNA test” and “Father” in the same sentence was not an event to be celebrated. So I decided that the onus is on Shutterbug to offer some gift ideas that don’t involve chromosomes. Here are seven that have clean genes but crazy names.

All are limited time offers, so buy now or cry later. We found savings on Lensbaby, Sigma, Tamron, Fujifilm X-A3 and a few more.

No time to conjure up a resolution for 2017? No problem! Here’s a seven-pack of readymade resolutions you can relate to, even if you’re already perfect in every way.