The photographer's holiday buyers guide (and maybe some cheap dates).

Beginner:
By Beginnner I mean someone who is into photography and has a camera already but is interested in more.

1) If they don't have a DSLR already: Nikon D3000 with lens ( $450 http://amzn.com/B002JCSV5I )
1b) If they have a DSLR and they want to experiment with film - Holga camera + 120 color negative film ( http://amzn.com/B000AL8JKW )
2) 2 Tickets to the Museum of Fine Arts Boston ($40)
3) 2 Tickets to the RISD museum ($20)

NOTE: The MFA is free after 4PM on wednesdays, and $5 passes are available from Rochambeau Library (Providence Public Library). RISD museum free passes are also available at Rochambeau.

4) Hoya Polarizing filter (~$50) - size depends on the lens (ask At Hunts Camera - http://www.huntsphotoandvideo.com/
5) Galen Rowell "Mountain Light" (~$25) ( http://amzn.com/0871563673 )
6) Manfrotto Monopod (681b) + ball head (Manfrotto 486RC2) (~$120) Beginners may not feel dedicated enough to cary a tripod even though they should. A monopod is the next best thing.
7) Flickr Pro Account - $25 ( http://www.flickr.com/gift )
8) Lunch with James. (~ $ depends... I like hamburgers and sushi)

Intermediate:

1) Tamron 17-50mm F2.8 for APC format DLSR (Make sure you choose the right camera mount Nikon/Canon ~$480) http://amzn.com/B000EXR0SI
2) Galen Rowell's Inner Game of Outdoor Photography (~$20 http://amzn.com/0393338088 )
3) Cokin P Filter Holder (you buy an adapter ring to put the holder on each lens - adapters can be purchases separately: they come with one adapter) (~20 http://amzn.com/B00111TVZ2 )
4) Cokin P Graduated Neutral Density Filters - You can buy Cokin original, Singh-Ray, Lee, or Hi-Tech. (~ $25-$120) Cokin's original are cheap but not the best. ( http://www.adorama.com/CKP120.html )
5) Flickr Pro Account - $25 ( http://www.flickr.com/gift )
6) Kelby Training (Photography & Photoshop) 1 Year - $150 (this weekend only special) ( http://www.scottkelby.com/blog/2009/archives/7668 )
7) Scan Cafe Gift Card - For people with film to scan ( http://www.scancafe.com/services/gift-card )
8) Lunch with James (see above)
9) Adobe Photoshop CS4 ($578 standard / $200 student)
10) Joe McNally "the moment it clicks" ( http://amzn.com/0321544080 )

Advanced

1) DXO Optics Pro ($150-$300 depending on the camera they use) http://www.dxo.com/intl/photo
2) Nik Software Color Efex Pro (~100-$150 depending on edition) http://www.niksoftware.com/colorefexpro/usa/entry.php
3) xrite ColorChecker Passport ($100) http://amzn.com/B002NU5UW8
4) 2 Tickets to the Museum of Fine Arts Boston ($40)
5) 2 Tickets to the RISD museum ($20)
6) Noiseware Plug-in ($70) http://www.imagenomic.com/nwpg.aspx
7) Genuine Fractals 6 Pro ($160-300 depending on Stardard or Pro edition)
8) Canon G11 Camera (the pro point&shoot) ($499)
9) Canon S90IS Camera (the pro point&shoot) ($399) same sensor as G11, less controls... more like a traditional point and shoot
10) Lunch with James - though maybe I should be buying
11) Vincent Versace - Welcome to Oz - seems to be out of print, but maybe you can find it used. May be a bit dated (circa 2007) but I believe the concepts are sound. ( http://amzn.com/0735714002 )
12) Wacom Intuis4 (~ $420) http://amzn.com/B001TUYU06
13) James Nachtwey - War Photographer DVD - ($25 http://amzn.com/B0000C825I )
14) Dan Winters: Periodical Photographs ($35 http://amzn.com/1597110922 )

Pro

1) Give them a hug and a few bags of coffee.
2) Magnum: Fifty Years at the Front Line of History: The Story of the Legendary Photo Agency ($11 http://amzn.com/0802136532 )
3) If you have a lot of money to burn maybe give them a Wacom Cintiq 21UX ($2000) ( http://amzn.com/B000P32M3U )
4) Yousuh Karsh - Regarding Heros - ($50 http://amzn.com/1567923593 )
5) Dan Winters: Periodical Photographs ($35 http://amzn.com/1597110922 )
6) Time in Brazil with Sebastiao Salgado - saw this on Ebay a while back (~$2500+)
7) I'll buy the first beer.

I started this post an hour ago on a lark and now it's massive. hmm... google it if you don't know it. A lot of other ideas out there I'm sure.