Parker_November_2009 from David Rewalt on Vimeo.

Clips from Parker from November 2009.

Parker_October_2009 from David Rewalt on Vimeo.

Clips of Parker from October 2009

1. Yoga/exercise ball - Large

This is a total life saver.  It serves three key functions.  First to rock the baby to sleep in the first 6 months prior to sleep training.  Second to roll the baby on it on his tummy while you hold him. And last as a computer chair.  We don’t have room for one of the over priced and ugly gliding rockers in our place so the yoga ball is the best $20 we have ever spent.

2. Woombie Swaddler

Only the hospital nurses seem to be able to use a blanket swaddle  that doesn’t allow the baby to escape in 4 seconds.   If you are like most mortals you will buy one of he velcro swaddles  or some other “swaddle for dummies” product.  We have tried them all.  The problem with the velcro swaddlers is that they wear out pretty quickly and in order to get them tight enough you need to limit the baby’s movement too much which can be damaging to their development.  The Woombie solves all this by using a stretchy material and smart design giving just the right balance of snug and movement.  

3. DSLR Camera

A must have if you actually plan on documenting your child’s life.  It doesn’t really matter if you are a Nikon or Canon guy, just having a good camera to capture great images is huge.  Take the time to do some research and learn how to actually take good pictures with it by using the advanced features and you will be rewarded with awesome images you can share, print and save.

4. Flip Video HD  

Most of the new DSLR cameras are doing video now but having a small flip video is essential for quick, easy and convenient.  You don’t always want to drag out the big DSLR or video camera when your kid is acting cute or doing something you want to quickly capture.  I have mine close at all times so I can easily start shooting without having to think about it.  It is also great for people that don’t understand video editing and want to easily share with friends and family.   Additionally it is an easy albeit limited software solution for the unfortunate people not using a mac. 

5. Content Management & Storage System

I know this is terminology usually used for website management but between pictures and video you will have so much digital content for your kid you really need both software and a couple of smart workflows to handle and actually do something with any of it. At the very least buy a couple of external hard drives, one to store and one just to back up everything.  I use two Drobos just because I am sort of anal about redundant back up.  To give you an example of one of my work flows I have an apple script that creates a folder structure for me for each one of my imports. I insert my card from the camera, copy the raw originals to a folder, then import into my Aperture library, export two different size jpg versions into separate folders and then stack and rate each photo. I make sure I have at least two copies of everything from the card before to erasing it.  All this prior to editing a thing.  

6. Mac Computer - Any

PC just doesn’t come close to providing the creative tools that are standard on a mac.  The iLife suite alone can provide 95% of people everything they need to manage and share content.  The ability to make books, order prints, easily edit and make movies then master a DVD make mac the only smart choice for dads.  If you are a die hard windows/pc guy, I am sorry, you are wrong and need to switch. 

7. Be Prepared, A Practical Handbook for New Dads

This is an awesome book.  Funny, clever and brilliantly illustrated and provides a truly well researched and amazing wealth of information.  I have used so many tricks and tips from this book I end up showing the book to every new dad I meet.  Don’t ask, just order it on Amazon. 

8. Wireless headphones

If you don’t want your TV, Movie or Sports watching to completely end then this is a required purchase.  Unless you have a huge house with a man cave you can disappear to without any noise making it to the baby’s room then you will need a way to keep the decibel level below the wake the baby level.   With a good set of wireless headphones you can crank up the action movies and still enjoy the loud explosions without disturbing the entire household.  

9. A Good Play Gym

And lots of interchangeable toys.  While this is pretty much standard equipment for babies, the amount of time your baby spends playing in it pushes this to the top 10 list.  Having lots of changeable hanging toys ensures they are stimulated and don’t get bored (and they do).   

10. A Sense of Humor  

If you don’t have one you will burn out quickly and destroy your household, seriously.  You have to find things like getting peed on or projectile baby poop funny.  You have to accept that your sleep patterns will change and unexpected things will happen. If you can’t laugh at most of it then you will end up just being angry and annoyed most of the time.  Nobody wants to live that way so just learn to enjoy your baby vs fighting all the changes he brought. 

Parker's First Month from David Rewalt on Vimeo.

I still need to pull together the next three months but here is some of the footage from his first month.

I really have a problem with poorly brewed and bad tasting coffee.  Most places just don't care about the basics.  Below are my top things that most places just don't pay any attention to.  While I am not a complete coffee snob as I do enjoy cheap coffee as much as expensive stuff, I just wish they would take care in doing it somewhat right. 

1. Water - Seriously, 99% of the taste is dependent on good water.  Using tap water is simply unforgivable.  Use filtered water, preferably double or triple filtered.  If you want to taste the coffee and not the chemicals and minerals in the water then please filter it.  There is nothing more disappointing than sitting down to a nice breakfast and being served tap water coffee.  Disgusting.
2. Temperature - This is critical.  Coffee should be brewed at about 200 degrees (depending on your elevation).  If it is cooler then you get a weak and underdeveloped taste, if it is too hot then you get over bitter taste.  Good coffee shops and home brewers should have a liquid thermostat in use for this.
3. Grind - This is dependent on the type of coffee maker you use.  For example, an urn vs a drip or French press.  Too course a grind gives you an under extracted flavor and too fine can clog up your machine.  Consistency of the grind is important for uniform taste and a quality brew.  The best grinders are conical burr grinders then wheel burr followed by the cheaper blade grinders.  Generally it is worth the investment if you want a grinder that produces uniform grounds.  Good coffee shops grind their beans per cup.  Good restaurants will at least grind a pot at a time.  Most public coffee is pre-ground and tends to be stale depending on the volume they sell.
4. Filter & Extraction - This can be subjective.  I enjoy coffee filtered a few different ways but most places don’t even know there are any options outside of paper.  Paper to me is a last resort.  Many paper filter brands seem to add a stale cardboard element to the taste.  Metal filters, french presses, etc. provide a well extracted flavor but can add a harshness or even metallic flavor element.  I prefer drip extraction through a high quality cloth filter.  While it is messier, it truly gives the best flavor.  
5. Starbucks - For duping the entire world population into believing that over roasted and strong equals quality.  Friends don’t let friends drink Starbucks.

7 Baby Friends from David Rewalt on Vimeo.

So Cute. Parker and six of his friends. He seems to just want to eat his hands.

The Dr. Says it is normal and it grows back but maybe modern science has a faster solution.

Green screen shoot today. Fun. Had to set up our own screen because the green screen cove in the client's studio isn't the right color and won't produce a good key.

Making a brick wall in Photoshop from David Rewalt on Vimeo.

In this tutorial I show you a method for creating a brick wall from scratch using photoshop.

This first one is a tutorial to show how to place an image onto a surface and match both the perspective and texture.  This primarily uses Vanishing Point and the Displacement filters and a good way to begin to learn both of these tools.  Enjoy.

Fun Photoshop Tutorial from David Rewalt on Vimeo.

This tutorial gives you an example of how to use the Vanishing Point and Displacement filters in Photoshop to place an image onto a surface with perspective and match the texture so it looks realistic.