Earlier today, I set up the tripod. As soon as I unfolded the legs, Twilli ran right over and started messing with it. As a small child, I remember being fascinated by cameras and accessories. Twilli seems to share the same enthusiasm.

The Big News

My last post was about Twilli’s first birthday. Naturally, this is around the time that a baby starts walking. Twilli has taken her first few unassisted steps! For the most part, she defaults to crawling or cruising, depending on how fast she wants to get from point A to point B and the availability of something to grab on to.

No video yet. It’s coming soon. This is the time in a child’s life when video coverage starts to get interesting, especially since we have two cats.

We can learn a lot from watching our children grow. Twillil is pretty fast on all fours or while cruising. As she takes her first steps without holding on, I can see the trepidation on her face. She takes about 3-4 steps and defaults to methods she has mastered. Why should we learn this new way of doing things if it’s so difficult? As adults, we face challenges like this regularly. The short-term pain leads to long term gain.

The Links

I took a little break from the blog. Many mom and dad blogs follow this pattern of regular posts, a short break, regular posts, irregular posts, etc. Parenting comes first and blogging is somewhere farther down the list of priorities.

• Please send your thoughts and prayers to Jared, Momma, and Ace. In the past, when I heard news like this, the most I could ever muster was, “oh, how unfortunate.” This time, I started crying less than half way into reading the post.
• John at Modern Parent reviewed some of his son’s favorite toys. He also did a write-up of the Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Learning Home. My daughter enjoys hers immensely too. I didn’t have to assemble mine. It was a much-appreciated hand-me-down.
• The Great Minivan Trade-Up - The Dad of Divas, Chris Lewis has started his own trade-up. He started with an old Kodak camera and is working his way up to a Toyota Sienna mini-van. How long will it take. Follow his odyssey here. He also posts regular video updates on his YouTube channel.
• Five Myths About Simplicity Busted – Simplifying your life doesn’t mean an austere existence. You can be happy.
• Ron at The Wisdom Journal shares his tips on reducing stress

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Happy Birthday!

Our Little Girl Turns 1 today!

You’re my precious little angel. You are my truest of true loves. You’re only going to be a baby once, but you’ll always be my baby girl.

One full year has passed since the journey began. Whew! It really does go by in a flash. From her incredible birth story to where we are today, I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. The incredible speed with which time passes after the birth of a child is offset by those times when she is crying, screaming, and inconsolable. That’s when time stands still. I love everything about this little girl, even those times when she is crying, screaming, and inconsolable.

Part of the festivities include a portrait of her in a traditional Korean hanbok. The dress she is wearing in the photo is one that is worn on a girl’s first birthday. You can see more photos of Twilli in my Flickr photostream.

A New Father and a New Man

I often say that I was born on August 7th, 2007 too. The birth of your first child changes you forever. My daughter’s role as my spiritual advisor continues to expand. No matter what happened in my past or what the crisis du jour is, my daughter is there for me as a reminder of how precious life is. She is the reason I want to be the best dad and the best person I can be.

Others Who Share a Birthday With Twilli

As a die-hard hockey fan, I’m pleased to know Sidney Crosby shares a birthday with my little one. He was born on 8/7/87, hence, he wears jersey number 87. Today is a significant milestone birthday for Mr. Crosby too. Twilli will enjoy some juice in a sippy cup. Sid the Kid barely missed drinking form Lord Stanley’s Cup this past spring. Today, he is raising a pint or two, or three or four or five…

Twilli has an affinity for metal objects. They hold her attention and sometimes find their way into her mouth. She likes metal. Bruce Dickinson, lead singer of Iron Maiden, also celebrates today. His impressive vocal range earned him the nickname “Air Raid Siren.” We get to hear our little air raid siren when daddy extracts inedible objects from her mouth or when the magic boobies are not there when she wants them.

Ernesto Brown, a reader in Miami, has a daughter who shares a birthday with our Twilli. Happy birthday to you too.

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You can take great photos today, with the camera you own right now.

Photography literally means, “writing with light.” The quality of the light dictates the quality of your photograph more than the camera you are using. Finding great light will improve the quality of your photographs more than buying a new camera.

Finding the Light

One of the best locations for a photograph is next to a window, preferably one facing the north. Professional photographers spend hundreds, even thousands of dollars on specialized lighting equipment to duplicate this quality of light in the studio. You can have it for free.

I am a big fan of using flash creatively, but knowing how to find great light is just as important as knowing how to create it. Besides, if you know how to find good light, you can use any camera.

What Settings Do I Use?

The best part about using window light is, you can fire away in PhD Mode, or “Push Here Dummy.” Just be sure to turn off the flash. You’re trying to avoid the harsh, unflattering look of direct flash here. There may be enough ambient light for the camera to decide flash isn’t necessary. Consult your camera’s manual to find out how to turn it off.

During the day, the light outside your house is several times brighter than the light inside. Don’t put your subject between the window and the camera, unless of course, you want a silhouette. Your camera may also have a “backlight” setting that helps you out in a situation like this.

I used my point-and-shoot camera in auto mode to take the photos you see here. I did a little tweaking in Photoshop, but with a little practice, you can get great images right out of the camera. You don’t have to plant your child right in front of the window. Open up those drapes or blinds and let the light come in. You’ll end up with a large and directional source of light that gives shape and definition.

A Few More Tips

Your toddler is a fast little bugger. How many times have you missed the shot due to that darn shutter lag that point-and-shoot cameras still have? It’s gotten better, but there’s still a little lag time. It feels even longer if you’ve ever had the pleasure of using a DSLR.

• A tried-and-true method is to do a half-press of the shutter to let the camera’s auto-focus lock on. This will take a half a second or so. When your little one is in the frame, press the shutter all the way down. This should increase the number of keepers you get. Don’t worry about perfect focus. Your point-and-shoot camera has some fudge factor here.
• You can Google “the rule of thirds,” for the long explanation. The short version goes like this: don’t put your subject dead-center in the frame. A slightly off-center composition makes for a more compelling photograph.
• Get down on the floor! People and children look their best when the film plane (or sensor plane) is perpendicular to the floor. This works for pet pictures too. Standing up and shooting down distors perspective and makes heads loom large. Full body length portraits are actually taken with the camera at waist level.

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I’ve done a couple posts over at Building Camelot and List Mama Blog. I’ve got one more guest post in the works at another popular blog. Stay tuned. For now follow the links below to some fine blogs and my recent guest posts.

Building Camelot – Bringing Home a Second Baby

The third and final installment of Bringing Home a Second Baby is up at Building Camelot.

I had a great time contributing to the multi-part series and got to know Chris and Jeff a little better. The timing couldn’t have been better. My daughter will be turning 1 on Thursday.

• Read part 1
• Read Part 2

List Mama Blog – 10 Ways To Enjoy Cooking At Home More

Jennifer at List Mama Blog contacted me to do a quick guest post. Her blog consists of top-10 lists. Lists are easy to digest and many people swear by them as productivity boosters. My guest post is pretty much the same as my original post on ways to enjoy cooking at home more. I know you SEO gurus will slap me on the wrist for the duplicate content, but I couldn’t turn Jennifer down. If your attention span feels especially short today, her blog gives you the most bang for your buck. Lists are easy to read.

Jennifer is also the owner of ListPlanIt.com. Members have access to over 300 lists (with more added frequently) to help you streamline your life. Yes, it is a very-affordable membership site. No, I am not an affiliate. Yes, I probably should use lists. No, I am not a member. The only kickback I’m getting is good karma for the link love.

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