Yep, that will do it

Within 24 hours, the Andre Sobel River of Life Foundation Can Give a Family Hope and Relief This Father’s Day

Father’s Day takes a moment out of the year and our increasingly hectic lives to recognize all the special Dads and father figures who have provided us with love, guidance, and support, both spiritually and by supplying our basic needs. Single fathers, especially, face unique challenges, but when the unimaginable happens, the diagnosis of a child with a terminal illness, new pressures arise: mounting bills, demands at work, and the probability that one cannot remain at their child’s side when that child needs them the most.

This Father’s Day, through the Dedications 2 Dads initiative, the Andre Sobel River of Life Foundation, is calling on you — mothers, children, siblings, caregivers and fathers yourselves –  to help single Dad families.

Andre Sobel was a normal teenage boy who at age 17, after a complaint about double vision, was diagnosed three days later with an inoperable brain tumor. His mother, Valerie, stayed by his side until Andre’s young life ended when he was 19.

Exploring the world of the single caregiver, Andre’s mom, Founder and President of the Andre Sobel River of Life Foundation, Valerie Sobel, discovered a place of quiet suffering where parents staggered from crisis to crisis. They had few advocates. “Pediatric disease happens to an entire family,” comments Founder Valerie Sobel.  She realized that it had been a blessing that she was able to care for her son and not worry about finances and other resources.

“I wasn’t afraid that I was going to die, I was afraid I was going to die alone,” said teen cancer survivor, Oscar Fernandez, who beat the odds after a diagnosis of Ewing’s Sarcoma. Support from the Foundation helped to keep Oscar’s mother by his side while he faced his illness.

From June 8-28, 2009, donations to Dedications 2 Dads will go to help single parents, like a single dad with two kids who had to reduce his hours at work to take his child to treatments, or a single father who has recently lost his job and is trying to provide for his family while providing the comfort and level of care his ill child deserves.

Here’s how it works:

Visit the Andre Sobel River of Life website and click on the Dedications 2 Dads icon. Click on the “Donate” Link. Select a way to donate, like donating transportation or a bag of groceries. For every donation, you can send your dad a card. A list of the dads who have had donations made in their name will be listed on the Andre Sobel River of Life website.

You can also follow Dedications 2 Dads on Twitter @asriveroflife. Tweet about your dad and share your experiences by using the hashtag #andred2d.

The fact that I’m a PC has been further solidified lately and is part of the reason you haven’t seen me here yet.  Apple has been killing my PC.  Let me back up a moment…

I grew up on PC’s. I assembled my first Intel 8086-based computer when I was five and that was before it was normal for a five year old to even be on a computer, let alone building one. I was a beta tester for Windows 95. I helped my dad in his consulting business switching out advertising agencies from Mac’s to PC’s.

The whole Mac vs. PC thing annoys me and it reached a critical climax in the last few weeks. Consumers complained that OS X was “prettier” and more stable than Windows XP, so Microsoft came out with Vista. I LOVE Vista. But so many people I encounter say, “Vista is too different, I can’t get used to it, so I’m going to Mac.” As Jon Stewart would say, “Whaaaa??” You wanted different, they gave you different, you don’t like different so you’re going MORE different?

I’ve been using Vista for a while now, it works great with the only real issue being that ATI doesn’t know how to write a drive to save their lives. The Mac ads have been grating on me since I hate the idea of lugging my computer to the mall to get help instead of just looking it up online and helping myself. I also like that I had options when buying my computer instead of just one overpriced one. Then my Vista problems started…

When at home, but not out and about, I couldn’t put my computer into sleep mode. It would crash first, then stay on and drain my battery. I also couldn’t uninstall or install any software. But again, just when I was at home. The location-dependence made me realize it had something to do with my network, but at first even that stumped me. Then I came to the revelation that it must be some software accessing my network that was causing the problems, but it couldn’t be my browsers since they all work elsewhere.

That’s when it hit me: iTunes, the software I hate to love. It’s a great media player, yes. But the forced updates that always try to install additional software I don’t want infuriates me.  I have it setup to detect my network attached storage where my nearly terabyte of music resides, but that what is creating the issue. Now, it was working, but a recent update changed the story. A quick uninstall of iTunes and my computer is back to working great.

So, my biggest problem to date with Vista has actually been caused by Apple. The stress and frustration this has caused me for the last few weeks has further solidified that I am proudly a PC.

Nick Bostic has been an entrepreneur and internet marketer for the majority of his life. He currently works in corporate America helping independent business people be more successful and has been blogging to some degree for close to 8 years.

Follow Nick on Twitter: @nbostic

Discovering what it means to be a dad. Building Camelot
Twitter: @buildingcamelot

Helping men become better dads & husbands. The Nordquist Blog
Twitter: @akula

Brett is one of the most underrated Daddy bloggers on the planet.  Sincere and eloquent, he chronicles fatherhood in a way that few can. Dad Labs
Twitter: @dadlabs

Funny, irreverent, and always helpful.  Videos, podcasts, and blog articles about being a dad. Dadomatic
Twitter: @dadomaticblog

Another blog collective started by Chris Brogan. Busy Dad

The only guy I know who is more involved with BlogHer than most women. Frugal Dad
Twitter: @frugaldad

One of the most widely read dad blogs out there, he really knows financial matters. Dad Gone Mad
Twitter: @dadgonemad

A little big intimidating? To be sure.  Cares about his kids?  You bet. The Father Life
Twitter: @thefatherlife

A magazine containing a mix of original content and some of the best from different father related websites.  I should know, you might find some of my work there if you look hard enough! Rebel Dad

Stay at home dad expert, convention organizer, and all around good guy. Mommy Daddy Blog
Twitter: @mommydaddyblog

An eclectic mix of parenting advice, personal accounts, and reviews of interesting products.

Dadcentric
Twitter: @dadcentric

Cheeky, irreverent, and a little crass, Dadcentric tells it how it is with no fear. Digital Dad

Raise your hand if you’re a tech geek.  DigitalDad satisfies the need for gadgets in all of us. DC Urban Dad
Twitter: @dcurbandad

There is a need for more men in the world like this guy.  Good, solid men who care for their kids and share their thoughts and opinions. Dadthing
Twitter: @dadthing

Another great dad blog by another great dad! Daddy Brain
Twitter: @daddybrain11

Fathering advocate, radio host, and speaker. Evolution of Dad Project

An ongoing film project detailing how the role of Dads has changed in our modern society.  Donate to his project! D is for Dad
Twitter:@disfordad Fatherhood.org

The single most complete resource on the web, and an advocacy group for making sure kids grow up with involved fathers in the home.  You won’t find a lot of opinions on this site, but well researched information on social problems and how men can help. Dads.org

An advocacy group for Dads centered on Catholic principles.  Read articles, find local help, and listen to their radio show. Alltop Dads Page

Alltop is a brilliant website that aggregates the best the web has to offer all over the internet.  The dads section has real time updates from the top Dad blogs around the internet. HHS.gov

The US Government’s website promoting the health, social and economic benefits of having fathers fully engaged in their children’s lives. Fathers.com

The National Center for Fathering’s website.  They inspire & equip men to be better fathers & grandfathers.

When your job interferes with your marriage it causes all sorts of problems. You know what I’m talking about. Too much time at work, thinking and talking about work when you are at home, and getting upset over things at home because of work stress.

With entrepreneurs, this stress is even worse. The weight of your company is on your shoulders. Every decision counts, and you don’t get to quit at the end of the day and let other people make the important decisions. Do you work from home? If you do, good luck separating your personal and professional life. It’s even tougher. Your children walk into your office, your spouse asks if you can take a moment to discuss something just when you are getting some steam rolling on a project.

Here are a few things that I do that help me keep the work stress away from my marriage:

Prioritize.

When things go really wrong and you feel totally overwhelmed remember this: your marriage is more important. Honestly. When your priorities are in the right place that work stress that you were so worried about can just melt away. My wife (like most) is an amazing person and when I treat her well, she in turn helps me feel a lot better about myself. Every entrepreneur needs someone who supports and encourages them, and my wife is my biggest cheerleader. Because of that, I’m willing to put her first.

Exercise

I bike about 10 miles each way 3 – 5 days a week. Besides being a great form of exercise it gives me plenty of time to mentally prepare in the morning, and to cool down after a tough day. I can take all of my frustration out on the bike pedals.

Whatever form of exercise you like, it releases endorphins, and releases stress. This can only be a blessing for your marriage.

Bring the focus.

Much has been made of a woman’s ability to multitask. I really admire that. You know what, though? Guys are pretty good at focusing in on one thing. It’s a strength all to its own. It helps you win in business, turn it loose on your marriage. When you are home with your spouse give them your full attention and ignore the work stuff.

Plan dates.

Going along with focus, planning a date is a great way to get out of work mode. You know that when you leave work on date night that you’ll be doing something fun with someone you really like, and that shared activity allows you to leave the work worries behind.

Plan time with kids.

Just like your wife, your kids are more important than your job. I’m really passionate about organizations like The National Fatherhood Initiative because they teach people that having a father that is intellectually and emotionally engaged with his children is vital. No one ever laid on their deathbed wishing that they had spent more time at work.

Get perspective.

One thing that I like to do when I’m stressed is give a good friend a call. We might just talk for a minute, or we might go out for a drink and a kvetching session. Blowing off some steam with a friend is healthy, and if you trust their judgement you can also get some additional insight into your situation.

Remember: It’s just business.

A company needs all types in order to succeed, including the emotional firecrackers. If, like me, you’re one of those firecrackers, remember that even when it hurts it’s just a business decision. Don’t make important business decisions when you’re angry, and don’t take out your frustration and anger on coworkers – you’ll find yourself less stressed at home if you make decisions deliberately and with care.

What do you think? What do you do to keep your work stress from hurting your relationships? Let us know in the comments below.

Cory Huff (@aGoodHusband) is best known online for AgoodHusband.net. He also works for an internet marketing firm that specializes in Search Engine Marketing. Cory hopes to leverage the Sparkplugging internship to help performers and artists make money using the internet.

Alexa (left), Gabrielle (center top) Kirsten (right) Me in the middle!

OK, so in my first post I kind of introduced myself as a husband and a dad of three beautiful little girls trying to find a way to quit my full time job to pursue my dreams of running my own marketing business.

We’ll I’m announcing it here that I have officially left my job and I’m working full time on my business, Radical Marketing Solutions!

Now this was a long time coming for me.

Running my own business has always been a dream of mine and I’ve identified three very important principles that got me to the point where I could leave my J.O.B.

And I’ll be very honest with you, none of this would have happened had I not figured out and implemented these three rules.

So you ready?  Good, lets dive in shall we?

1. You must invest in yourself :  One of the first things I did when  I made the decision to start my own business was to find a course and coaching group for something I was interested in. In fact, the first thing I did was sign up to take a Real Estate Investing Course.  Now I don’t invest in real estate but it opened my eyes to the world of marketing and how to be a business owner.  I spent a lot of money on the course and while I never actually made one real estate deal, I did meet a ton of like minded folks who helped me along the way change my mental mindset from that of an employee to a business owner.  This one course propelled me into other marketing coaching groups, I bought products on how to write direct response copy and how to become a direct response marketer. I turned my car into a rolling library of success and money making education as I had every CD known to man in my car or burned to my ipod. I joined local entrepreneur groups and paid for one-on-one coaching.  It cracks me up how some folks have no problem dropping ten grand a year to get their bachelors degree or finish up their masters degree but will scoff at paying $250 for a course on how to build websites or how to write ads that sell.

2. Find a mentor : Success leave footprints. What do I mean by this?  Well there are countless amounts of people who have gone out on their own and started their own business from scratch. These people have already made the mistakes and figured out what it takes to run a strong business. So why not find some of these folks and either offer to take them out to lunch or offer to pay them for mentoring. I actually have three different mentors I’ve paid at some point to learn different skills from. Each mentor had their strengths and I leveraged each one of them to cut my learning curve tremendously. And here’s the thing, you can always make money but you can never get the hours back in a day.  So learning in a few weeks or months what it’s taken these folks years to learn is huge!

3. Take Action :  It’s not enough to invest in yourself through education and mentors and then sit on your duff. You have to take what you are learning and apply it to your business.  Look, you don’t have to jump right in, you can start small and start applying what you’ve learned and see what happens. The late great copywriter Gary Halbert said, “It’s motion not meditation that gets things done.”  This statement is so true…the trick is to start doing something and you’ll be surprised how fast things start taking off for you!

So there you have it, the three success principles I beleive has allowed me to leave my Full-time job to becoming my own boss.

Look, a lot of people say they would love to run their own business but how many people actually do it?  We’ll I’m one and these are the principles I used to reach my goals.

Now make no mistake about it, my job is not nearly done and now is when all the hard work takes place…getting up and running!

I also realize that not everyone reading this wants to start their own business but I believe these principles can help anyone who wants to improve their career, their marriage or their life!

Now get busy, Bill Parlaman

I’ve found one of the best ways to grow your business is by building relationships with other businesses.

In other words, build business allies!

So how do you do this?

We’ll follow along and I’ll show you, OK?

One of my favorite ways to build business allies is by networking.

I try to attend as many networking meetings as I can for groups who have similar or concurrent business needs as my business.

So for example, I do a ton of search engine optimization projects for my clients. So what I do is go to meetings where other website designers are hanging out.

Believe it or not, most website designers have no idea how to properly search engine optimize a website.  They know how to make a website beautiful but they don’t necessary know how to driver traffic to websites.

Now before I get a ton of hate mail from all you web designers out there — I’m not saying “ALL” web designers, but I will say a good amount of them for sure. ( By the way, this is not a slam on web designers, we all need to do what we’re good at and as business owners it is important to know you CAN NOT be all things to all people.)

So what I’ll do is contact other website designers in my community and offer my SEO skills to them as an unbundled service. I’ll explain I need to make “X” per client and they can charge whatever they want for my services as long as I make my fee.

On the flip side, if I have a client who wants a certain type of website and I don’t have the time or the expertise, I’ll funnel my client to the web designer for a predetermined fee.

Make sense?

Can you see how I’ve built a powerful business ally and is mutually beneficial for both businesses?

Try to think of some ways you can build allies in your business. How can another businesses benefit greatly from your relationship.

I’d love to hear your ideas or examples of how you might do this in your business so make sure you leave your comments and thoughts below OK?

Now get busy, Bill Parlaman

Our Wedding In Avalon, NJ

First off, I’m very happily married to a wonderful woman, Michelle.  Michelle and I just recently got married in a very private ceremony on the beach in Avalon, NJ this past September.

Michelle is my rock!  She is so supportive and my biggest cheerleader.  I know for a fact I would not be where I am in my life now if it were not for her.

I also have three beautiful little girls, Gabrielle, Kirsten and Alexa.

Kirsten is my step daughter as this is the second marriage for both Michelle and I. ( I’m sure you’re thinking…boy they work fast…they got married in September and now they have 3 kids…sheesh!)

Love This Picture of Our Girls...What A Great Day!

But we really have come together as a strong family and it was a pretty smooth transition blending our two families together.

Now in the middle of all this madness, I work a Full-time job and I’m building a business as a freelance web designer and marketing consultant.

So what I really want to write about and share with you are all of my trials and tribulations and hopefully “WINS” as I get my business ramped up.

You see, as a husband and a dad I just want to give my family the life they deserve.  I know my current situation is not going to allow me to give my family all the things I want them to have.

But I also think as a Dad and a husband, just making an extra $500 a month to take the family away on a long weekend or to take your wife or girlfriend away to reconnect is huge!

So if you have ever wanted to start your own business or just make a few extra dollars and really have some freedom in your life– you wont want to miss my posts!

But before we really dig in I will warn you…you need to come into this with an open mind and be willing to get rid of all that mental trash you might be carrying around with you. What do I mean by “mental trash.” Well you know, stuff like money is the root of all evil, rich people are mean and money doesn’t grow on trees.”

Got it?  Good…let’s keep going…

The fact is money gives you the freedom to live our lives to the fullest.

So, if you want to discover how to change your mental mindset and uncover some cleaver ways to make some money online ( or offline)  and maybe start your own business, than this will be a very exciting blog for you to read!

Now get busy,

Bill Parlaman

P.S. I wont just be writing about business and making money either…I am a huge sports fan and have a very sick sense of humor so if this sound like it’s something for you I encourage you to leave a comment.  I really want to know what’s going through your mind.  I really appreciate your feedback and maybe let me know what you would like to see me right about ok?  So dont be shy and make sure you send in your comments

While there are tons of great resources online, here are some of my favorite ‘technique’ books of the physical kind that you can curl up with and read before falling asleep. Sometimes, they’ll even help you fall asleep!

The New Manual of Photography
by John Hedgecoe
This book is a great way to learn a broad overview of photography, the terminology, techniques, and so forth. I found myself referring to it often in the early months.

The Essential Lighting Manual for Digital And Film Photographers
by Chris Weston
Another great book, this title focuses on the differences in natural and artificial lighting, the equipment, and how to make the most of it.

How To Photograph Your Baby
by Nick Kelsh
Even though this book was written in the ‘film days’, it’s still an excellent resource and idea book for baby/children photography. You’ll find plenty of picture ideas, and it highlights the differences between amateur shots and pro shots.

These are a few of my favorite books, and there are plenty of other high-quality resources out there! Photography as an art requires continual study, so pick up a book and discover some new tricks!

Eric Doggett is a photographer in Austin, Texas. He just relaunched his new site which includes tons of images and several behind-the-scenes videos. He also runs BoxOfficeBaby.com, a site where you can order custom birth/party announcement cards and posters – including some unique sports birth announcements.You can reach him at doggett (-at-) doggettstudios.com.

Ask just about any young boy what he wants to be when he grows up and the answer will likely involve being an elite athlete – usually football or baseball – or an astronaut.

My youngest son deviates slightly from these typical career ambitions as his dream is to be a professional skateboarder that moonlights as a rock star (or maybe it is the other way around).

However, my oldest son has his sights set on a prosperous career in Major League Baseball and I fully support his dream – although I did tell him he cannot play for the Chicago Cubs. You might think I am joking, but I did plead for him to be traded during Little League Baseball when he was placed on a team named the Cubs.

During my younger days, I had a dream of being a professional football player.

That dream was fueled by the fact that I played football for my Junior High School team as well as my High School team. For a brief period, I was distracted by the dream of being a professional hockey player but quickly came back to my love for playing football.

There was only one problem.

I wasn’t all that good.

Heck, just this past summer I was demoted to the second string in my very own yard playing with the above mentioned kids.

Talk about a dose of reality.

Even though I might not have been very good, and have long since given up the dream of being a professional football player (even though I know that I can tackle better than half the clowns making millions of dollars on the Chicago Bears defense!), that doesn’t mean my passion for football has disappeared.

That might explain my devotion to plunking my rear end down on Sunday morning – after setting my fantasy football lineup of course – to enjoy the selection of games.

Yes, there have been times where I have watched the early game, the late game, and the Sunday night game without much more than bathroom breaks.

No, I have never resorted to breaking out the Depends – don’t ask!

Ever since those days when I played football in school, I have always wanted to get my hands on an Authentic “ProLine” NFL Helmet to wear on game day display in my office. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that players were not allowed to keep their helmets in school, although I do still have the stylish CCM helmet that I wore during my hockey days.

There is just a certain “coolness” factor about having your own NFL helmet.

For those of you fortunate people that still have a team to cheer for in the NFL playoffs, you still have time to get your helmet to wear (there I go again) admire as your team marches towards the Super Bowl.

In case you are wondering, my Super Bowl prediction is the Baltimore Ravens and the Philadelphia Eagles (maybe the throwback helmet is more your style) – with the Ravens walking away with the Vince Lombardi trophy.

As a dad, I believe it is your duty – if not your desire to live vicariously through your children – to support them in their dream to play football (or whatever it is they want to do) when they grow up.

Or maybe you have learned a few things that one should not do as a father and would like to help other dads from making the same mistakes.

Well, you’re in luck…

Tanni Haas, a Brooklyn-based author (The Pursuit of Public Journalism:: Theory, Practice, and Criticism) and father of a 5-year old boy, is writing a book about fatherhood.

He is looking for fathers of all ages and backgrounds to share their favorite “Daddy Moments” – situations where they learned something significant about what one should or should not do as a dad.

These anecdotes can deal with any aspect of fatherhood, from the first time you changed the diaper on your newborn to saving money for your college-bound teenagers. Your observations can be serious, funny, self-reflective – and everything else in between. You decide!

If you’re interested in sharing your favorite “Daddy Moments” with others, you can do so by accessing this brief questionnaire.

It seems like just yesterday that we were celebrating New Year’s Eve – in 2007!

The last year flashed by in the proverbial blink of an eye and there are quite a few new faces around now that were not here earlier in the year.

Therefore I thought that it would be fun to provide a look back at the top posts of 2008.

As you try to cope with the shock to your system caused by being back to work, hopefully you can find a few moments to give these posts a read.

1. My Boobs Are Not Squeeze Toys :: 8 Tips For More Action In The Bedroom

This was by far the most visited post – and had the most spirited discussion – of the year. Many of the guys that didn’t get it, and most likely don’t get it either, were bashing this post while the guys that understood (and the women that appreciate that) were sharing their support.

2. How To Deal With A School Bully

Turn the other cheek…be the better person…walk away. That is all good advice for dealing with a school bully, but one can only take so much – and on this day my son reached his tipping point (it turns out that I might have encouraged that) and took matters into his own hands. But guess who hasn’t bothered him once since that day.

3. 10 Things To Do With Your Kids This Summer

School has ended and the kids are bursting with excitement. Now is the time to sit down and think about the activities that you want to do with your kids this summer. In the event that you get stuck, here are 10 things that you can do with your kids this summer.

4. 10 Ways To Make Time For Your Children

There is no question that you work hard and have a lot on your plate – but that is no reason not to spend time with your children. Stop finding excuses and examine these 10 ways that you can make more time for your children. The last thing that you want to do is have regrets about the little amount of time you spent with your kids when they were young.

5. Clean Your Room Right Now!

The battle between parents and kids over a clean bedroom has been raging since before the last time the Chicago Cubs won the World Series – yeah, I am a White Sox fan – and there are numerous approaches on how to handle this situation. This approach is certainly not for everyone, including my wife as it turns out, but it has the potential to stop your arguments once and for all.

6. Top 5 Reasons To Watch The Super Bowl Alone

Do you watch for the game or for the commercials? Regardless of your reason, take a look at these five reasons that you should be watching the next Super Bowl alone. In case that is not enough, a friend of mine recently shared this gem: Etiquette Rule: I may skip your Super Bowl party without explanation if your TV is significantly worse than mine. – thanks Ryan!

7. If Women Find Bald Guys Sexy, Why Do Men Fear Going Bald?

It seems that as men age, one of their greatest fears is losing their hair. Personally, I cannot wait for the day it all falls out so I can stop shaving my head. You might embrace the baldness as well once you realize how many women find it sexy!

8. The Unofficial Guide To Buying Your Wife A Gift

Okay fellas, we all know that there are going to be a handful of occasions each and every year where we are going to be buying our lovely wives a gift – birthdays, anniversaries, holidays. Now I know that on more than one of these occasions, the hours have been ticking by, your pulse quickens, your palms become sweaty – you forgot to get a gift your wife will actually enjoy. Follow this unbelievably easy guide and you will avoid this situation forever.

9. The Ultimate Twit List :: Dads & Husbands On Twitter

Are you using twitter? Do you want to connect with other guys that share some of the same interests as yourself? Of course you do! That is why you need to digest this ultimate list of dads/husbands on twitter and connect with other guys that understand the importance of their family.

10. Spanking :: Child Discipline or Child Abuse?

Wooden ruler? Slotted spoon? Yeah, I was threatened with those – and more – as a kid if I didn’t behave. For the most part, it was nothing more than a threat although there were a few times that I did get a swat. Is that still acceptable today? Is spanking your child a form of discipline or is it child abuse? Share your opinions on this controversial topic.

Photo courtesy of BlueFur

There are only 4 things that you can do when you are trying to get a good exposure in low light: adjusting aperture/shutter speed/ISO, or adding in additional light. To get good low light pictures, you can make use of one or all of them. Sometimes, you will the first three and still not get a great picture. It simply depends on how much light is in a scene, or how much light you add to the scene (via flash, etc).

Let’s take a common scenario – shooting in a dimly lit room. Here’s a thought process to go through to improve your chances at a good shot:

• Use a very large aperture. This means that the lens is opened up to let as much light in as possible. The measurement of this is called an f-stop, and is listed with numbers like f/2.8 and f/5.6. The lower the number is, the more light gets in the camera (yea, it seems backwards at first). So, set your camera to the widest aperture, which will most likely be f/2.8 or f/5.6 depending on your lens.
• Raise the ISO. Here, you are making the camera more sensitive to light. The downside is that as you raise the ISO, visible noise starts to creep in the picture. It’s a trade-off. You can use noise reduction software later to fix that to some extent, but it will never be as good as a lower ISO setting. Start with 400, and go up from there to 1600.
• Lower the shutter speed. With a slower speed, you allow light to hit the sensor for a longer period of time. Longer time=brighter picture. The flipside to this, however, is that as the shutter gets slower, motion becomes more evident. Start around 1/60th of a second, and go down from there (perhaps to 1/20th or 1/15th). As you get into those slower speeds, you will need put your camera on a tripod, or something like a gorilla pod (which is an excellent ‘wraparound’ tripod).
• Add light. Your other option is to add light to the scene yourself. Raise blinds. Turn on the lights or lamps. Use a flash. Once you add light, you can either raise your shutter speed (to get rid of motion), or lower your ISO (to get rid of noise).

That’s it. Those are the four options at your disposal. You can try any and all combination of them, and I recommend that you do so that you can understand the effect they have on the image. Shooting in low light is an issue for all photographers, and the good news is that every year new cameras emerge that provide better low light performance (e.g., the new offerings from Canon and Nikon in particular). 

I hope all of you had a very happy holiday season and New Year celebration! On my blog I’ve posted a ‘New Camera Tips‘ article for those of you that were lucky enough to receive a new camera for Christmas!

Eric Doggett is a photographer in Austin, Texas. He just relaunched his new site which includes tons of images and several behind-the-scenes videos. He also runs BoxOfficeBaby.com, a site where you can order custom birth/party announcement cards and posters – including some unique tech birth announcements.You can reach him at doggett (-at-) doggettstudios.com.

Hello, my name is Eric and I am a Christmas Photo Abuser (CPA). Hiiiii Eric.

My tendency every Christmas was to break out the camera and snap as many shots as I could of the ensuing chaos. Presents opening. Children happy. Children playing. Presents breaking. Children sad. Glares from wife. However, recently I have backed down on that requirement and focused on particular shots for the day. This helps me keep my mind where it needs to be – centered on family and friends during this special occasion.

Think ahead of time of the most important shots, and make sure you get them. But don’t sit the whole morning with a camera in your lap. Get down and play. Do funny dances with a Santa hat on. Heck, go 1980′s vcr-camera-retro and set one up in the corner of the room, hit record, and leave it. Those tapes are always good for a laugh in 20 years.

Eric Doggett is an Austin, Texas photographer. He just relaunched his new site which includes tons of images and several behind-the-scenes videos. He also runs BoxOfficeBaby.com, a site where you can order custom birth/party announcement cards and posters – including some unique tech birth announcements. You can reach him at doggett (-at-) doggettstudios.com.

To see how much money I raised for the Prostate Cancer Foundation, as well as a few pictures of how my participation progressed, be sure to check out the Movember recap over on my personal blog.

While you are over there, be sure to stop by and enter the Movember contest to win some really cool schwag courtesy of Canadian Club Whisky.

When I started my involvement with Movember, I did not personally know anyone that had been impacted by prostate cancer but still felt it was an extremely worthwhile cause and wanted to do my part to help raise awareness.

In case you do not know, prostate cancer is one of the top 5 health concerns for every man and it is important to catch as early as possible with regular exams, which unfortunately many men don’t do.

Since that time, I have learned that the father of a longtime friend is a survivor of prostate cancer and my friend was quite appreciative of my participation with this good cause.

For all my fellow Mo Bros and Mo Sistas that participated in Movember this year, I would like to also my thanks to you for your support and participation.

To put things in a little perspective, I thought that I would share the following with all of you to remind each of you to give a little extra appreciation to your wife for all of her hard work. For those that have seen this already, I apologize but I felt it was worthwhile enough to see again.

Anita Renfroe wrote a light-hearted song describing everything that a mom says in a 24-hour period, set to the “William Tell Overture”. While the original version (or what I believe to be the original version) is quite entertaining, I think the version below is phenomenal.

Patti Harshey, from Northland Church in Florida, recently sang her version of “The Mom Song” and was accompanied by Tim Tracey and Susan Eissele.

The Mom Song from Northland Video on Vimeo.

When you get home tonight, be sure to let your wife know that you appreciate everything that she does on a daily basis. It might not be a bad idea to pick up the phone and just say thanks to your mom as well.

Christmas is almost here, and with it comes some excellent opportunities for taking pictures. If you are like me and spend a fair amount of time setting up a tree, lights, and decorations, take some time to capture that before Christmas morning. Here are some tips to get the most out of your decoration pictures:

1. Turn Off All The Room Lights: This will allow the whole room to be lit only by your decorations. If the lighting is still dark, you can always add lights back in one by one (starting with a table lamp or two, vs. ceiling lights).

2. Use Long Shutter Speeds: To get the really great shots of your lights, use long exposures. Start by turning your camera mode to Shutter Priority (usually marked by Tv). Set your ISO to 100. Then try setting the shutter to 4 or 5 seconds or longer. This will allow the image to ‘soak in’ your tree/decoration lights. The pictures in this series were exposed for 15 seconds at f/6.3, with an ISO of 100.

3. Use a Tripod: This will be critical for those long exposure shots, because you can’t hand-hold a camera during a several-second exposure. If you don’t have a tripod, try placing the camera on a table or several books. If you have a remote release (a device which attaches to the camera and allows you to take the picture without touching the actual camera), use that. If your camera supports a ‘mirror lockup’ feature, you can also try that. All of these techniques will help ensure the sharpest image possible.

4. Experiment With White Balance: If your camera allows you to change the white balance, try different settings like Tungsten, Shade, Cloudy, etc. These will help enhance the warm colors in your image, or give your image a cool blue tint which works great for certain situations.

5. Make Adjustments: If your images are coming out too dark, lower the shutter speed even more (over 10 seconds). If the images are too bright, raise the shutter speed. Some cameras will have blinking dots on the display when parts of the image are ‘blown out’ (i.e. too bright). Try to keep those areas to a minimum.

We haven’t actually set up a tree yet, so you’ll have to settle for these Christmas Village pieces. I hope you take advantage of the season to take some great shots! To close this out, here’s an image of our Christmas card for 2008. You can catch a larger version on the blog.

Eric Doggett is a Austin, Texas photographer. He just relaunched his new site which includes tons of images and several behind-the-scenes videos. He also runs BoxOfficeBaby.com, a site where you can order custom birth/party announcement cards and posters – including some unique tech birth announcements. You can reach him at doggett (-at-) doggettstudios.com.

There are the times we spend an afternoon at the ballpark and days where the hours just melt away while we play catch in the yard. Of course, being so involved with sports makes it difficult when your kids tell you that you have been demoted to second string too.

Last night, after the Chicago Bears ruined a perfectly good Sunday with a terrible performance, I realized that maybe sports (at least watching sports) has taken on too much significance and I might just be…a football fanatic.

Top 10 Signs You’re A Football Fanatic

• You wear the exact same clothes on game day, unless your team lost the last game.

• You believe that last loss was a result of you sitting in the wrong seat on the couch.

• You change clothes, seats, or televisions while watching a game in hopes of giving your team some mojo.

• You would rather watch the big game alone than with your friends and family.

• You have ever broken a remote control after throwing it against the wall in frustration of your team playing like crap.

• You know what the term “Mr. Irrelevant” means – and can name at least one guy that qualifies.

• You pass up tickets to the game so you can stay home and tune your fantasy football lineup, not to mention watch the other games.

• You are a grown man and have sheets or blankets from your favorite team on your bed.

• You schedule family events around game time, including the birth of your children.

• You have received a call from your neighbor – four houses down – to make sure everything is alright after they heard screaming.

Not many parents will tell you that they hope their child is having intercourse before the age of 16, or that they become pregnant before reaching the age of majority. Likewise, few parents envision their child turning into a physically aggressive adult that lead a life of violence.

So what does that have to do with television and video games?

Well, according to a study in the journal Pediatrics, there is an increased chance of teen pregnancy among children that watch television programs with risky sexual behavior by teens.

According to the study, researchers recruited adolescents aged 12 to 17 and surveyed them three times between 2001 and 2004, asking about television viewing habits, sexual behavior and pregnancy. Among 718 teenagers, there were 91 pregnancies. The adolescents who watched the most sexy television were at double the risk of becoming, or causing, a pregnancy compared to the adolescents watching the fewest such programs.

With regard to video games, another study in the journal indicates that children that play violent video games show an increase in physically aggressive behavior.

Aggressiveness in children is often associated with violence later on in life, meaning violent video games may pose a significant risk to our children. How many violent games do you think the school bully is playing?

Considering the above information, let me ask you a question.

How closely are you monitoring what your children watch and play?

Obviously there is a line that must be drawn, as there is only so much that parents can realistically do to prevent their children from playing violent video games or watching racy television programs.

Are your children permitted to have televisions in their room?

Is access to the Interweb allowed behind closed doors?

What type of video games are they playing?

Do you know what they are doing when over at a friends house?

That last one is a tricky situation, and is part of my motivation in writing this post. Like it or not, different parents have different rules when it comes to what their children can and cannot do. As a parent, it is your job to become acquainted with the parents of your child’s friends and get a feeling for where those boundaries exist in their house.

For instance, we know that one of our oldest son’s friends has very little parental supervision when it comes to the video games that are permitted. This other boy is permitted to play games that have an “M” rating.

Sorry, that doesn’t fly in our house.

Since we cannot control what takes place at a friends house, we have learned that there are some friends that are welcome to come to our house and play, but our kids will not be permitted to play at the friends house due to rules that we are not comfortable with.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am not one that believes that video games or sexual television programs are to blame for the problematic behavior of children.

Actually, I believe that the children playing these games and watching these programs have a larger problem – parents that are not involved in their lives.

Talk to your children.

Explain things to them when they have questions.

Be involved in their lives; set rules and boundaries with regard to what is acceptable.

These are the things that I believe will have a far greater impact on your child, as they will then have a better understanding of the consequences surrounding things like violent video games or television programs that push the envelope.