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.

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.

Unfortunately, I have to question the practice of some book publishers and/or authors that have written books about “going green” or living with a more environmentally conscious lifestyle.

It isn’t the material that is discussed in their books but the books themselves.

While strolling through the aisles at Barnes & Noble, I noticed that there was an entire table on display featuring a variety of books on Earth Day, green living, and the environment. As I made my way around the table, I came to a pile of books that made me scratch my head.

The books were all wrapped in plastic!

After the initial humor of the irony passed, I realized that the books must be wrapped in recycled plastic. Picking up the first book, I did see that it was marked as using a recycled plastic wrap.

Unfortunately, none of the other books that were covered in the plastic wrapping had any sort of designation that they were using recycled plastic. While I would still like to give them the benefit of the doubt that they were using recycled plastic – they wouldn’t be that foolish, would they? – it still made me wonder what type of message they were sending.

Have you done or noticed anything out of the ordinary on Earth Day?

As much as I would like to tell you that I didn’t shave this morning in an effort to conserve water, it was really because I woke up late and was trying to rush out the door. While at work, I never turn on my office lights but unfortunately my boss didn’t buy my request to work with my monitor turned off today – although it is energy efficient.

If you’re looking for some interesting information to share with your kids to get them more interested in Earth Day, be sure to check out the For Kids section on the Earth Day website.

Remember, every small action can make a difference – even if it is just setting a positive example as a role model for your children.

Happy Earth Day!

Carol commented that she had just created a new book about traditions as part of the Cherish Bound product suite. The book, Traditions: Simply Capturing Your Traditions, is a handy journal that offers you a place to record memories and memorabilia for 13 traditions.

Capturing Your Traditions

The book is organized with the intent to capture not only your traditions but the memories created as part of those traditions.

There are 13 blank journal pages waiting for you to record your traditions. The left side of the page is intended for special memories of your tradition. That could be anything from a photo of you carving pumpkins with your kids, a ticket stub from the annual play at school, or anything else that captures the memory of your special activity.

The right side of the page is where you have the opportunity to answer a few questions and reflect on the meaning of your tradition. There are a few questions to help get you started on your journal entry, including:

• Did things go as planned or did something unexpected happen?
• What was each person’s favorite part of the activity?
• What were some fun memories or thoughts shared during the experience?

Create An Annual Book Of Memories

This book is well suited to be used as an annual book of your special memories. By taking the time to record your traditions in words and pictures, you will have something to pass down through your family to remember forever.

As time passes by, you will cherish the ability to sit down and page through your old books to recall past memories and traditions. It might be fun to create a new tradition where you close each year’s journal of memories with a recap of the year and predictions for what the coming year will bring.

More From Cherish Bound

In addition to Traditions: Simply Capturing Your Traditions, Cherish Bound has many other books and products that can help you create and record the special memories of your life.

Cherish Bound offers products such as,

• Story Starters :: Not sure how to capture your stories and memories? The Story Starters are guides on a variety of topics that are intended to help you write your story.

• Story Dailies :: The Story Dailies help you create or maintain a habit of regular writing and are intended to capture the special events in your life, such as your pregnancy or a family vacation.

• Life Prints :: The Life Prints are perfect for gathering the memories and stories from others about a special person or time in your life. These are great for celebrating events such as a new baby or 50th wedding anniversary.

• And more… :: There are many other products that you will find at Cherish Bound and all of them will help you share and record your stories to be enjoyed for a lifetime.

Special Offer For Dad Balance Readers

Carol Rice has agreed to offer five Dad Balance readers the chance for their own copy of Traditions: Simply Capturing Your Traditions.

Simply leave a comment on this post by 5pm Pacific, November 11th and you’re entered for your chance to win!

Approximate prize value: $30. Open to legal residents of the United States 18 years of age and older. No purchase required. One entry per person. Void where prohibited by law. EDIT: Contest is now closed.