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In my post “6 Crafty Photo Ideas for Dad” from earlier this week, I told you about some crafty photo gifts that I found on FamilyFun.com. Gifts are great, but as the kid in all of us knows, the best gifts of all are time and caring.

Some people do not have a father, but honor that someone who was the “father figure” in their life, such as an uncle or grandfather. Some fathers have great relationships with their children and keep their experiences and opinions as an open book to enhance their family’s lives, while other men tend to be stoic and closed off, feeling that, though they love their children, it’s more of the mother’s place to talk about all that “touchy-feely” stuff. To those of you whose Dad is in the latter category, you have your work cut out for you, but might I suggest that when you call or go see your Dad this Father’s Day that you take a little extra time to visit and really get to know him?

Depending on if your father is the first guy or the last guy that I described, starting the dialog may not be easy, but don’t sweat it. Just start out by asking how week was, or start talking about the latest sporting event. (HINT: The NBA finals were this week. Find out who he was rooting for.) Once you start talking, just go from there. Hopefully, this will be the first of many talks with your dad

While your are with your dad, ask things about him that you don’t know such as him tick and what makes him the man that he is. Treat this opportunity as if you were a reporter who was granted a once in a lifetime, one-on-one interview a famous person. You don’t have to be Jimmy Olson sitting there with a pen and pencil jotting down everything that comes out of his mouth. Just take good mental notes.

Here are some ideas about what questions to ask:

While you are there with Dad, ask yourself if you have a recent picture of you with your dad. What about pictures of your dad when he was a child? This is the perfect photo-op to break out the camera and record a memory. Speaking of recording, you can also tape or video tape “interview”. Pictures are great but having your Dad’s voice recorded or even a “moving picture” of him will be priceless years after he is gone.

I myself have a good relationship with my father, and especially now that I am grown and have a family of my own, I enjoy talking with him and hearing him talk about his life. (Imagine that!) Nonetheless, almost every time I talk to my dad on the phone, I learn something new about his life. This Father’s Day, I too am going to make a special effort to fill in some of those missing details of my Dad’s life.

Until next time,
-Texaiano

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Father’s Day is fast approaching. (In case you have forgotten, it’s this Sunday!).

The folks over at FamilyFun.com have some crafty and creative photo gifts that will show Dad how much you really care.

Check ‘em out!

Father’s Day Photo Craft ideas from FamilyFun.com include:

Be sure to head on over to FamilyFun.com for more ideas.

Now, go make some photo family memories. -Texaiano

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Babyzone.com is a great website for young families, but it’s not just about babies. It also has a ton of family photography and scrapbooking information (because what mom or dad does not want to record those precious memories before they’re gone?.)

One cool feature that I wanted to highlight is the ”
What’s Your Family Photo IQ?” quiz, which tests, among other things, your knowledge about the best time to photograph a baby, light sources, the best focal points when doing a close up of someone’s face and the use of props and backgrounds. Take the quiz and and find out if you are a photographic genius (scores 18-21 points on the quiz), or if you need to brush up on your craft. (HINT: If score below 18 and are in that last category, a good way to learn new photography skills is to subscribe to my RSS feed, that way, I can constantly update you with new ideas and techniques on how to take the best family pictures and to enjoy them everyday.)

Once you know your photo IQ, post a comment below to let us know how you did, and while you are on Babyzone.com, you should also check out the other cool features. There is the recently added “What’s His Fathering Style?” quiz, the weekly Photo Contest for babies, toddlers, preschoolers and children under 5 years of age, and loads of relationship advice.

Good Luck with the IQ test. (Don’t worry. MENSA will not revoke your membership if turns out that you are not a photo genius.

Now, go make some photo family memories. -Texaiano

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