In conversation with .... Trace (PhotobyTrace)

[Donald]

Name: Trace
Location: Townsville, North Queensland, Australia

Website: http://sheltiemad.deviantart.com/ or http://www.redbubble.com/people/photobytrace

CiC: Thanks for agreeing to take part in 'In conversation with ....' here on CiC.

Pleased to be here, though I probably should forewarn you that my nickname for many years was “Little Ms Haveachat”.


Perhaps we can start by you telling us something about your general back-ground. What about your work history – anything interesting?

Not much interesting work-wise. I grew up in a small rural town in Central Queensland and spent most of my time riding horses. I left when I turned 17 to go to the “big smoke” for University. I enjoyed the opportunities the city provided, but much preferred the peace of the country and so came up with compromises by living on acreage wherever I settled. As for university, well, I am still there, albeit on the other side of the desk. I am an academic in the field of Tourism, Sport and Event Management.


And what about your family life?

I live with my four “fur-kids”; four dogs who keep me busy and out of mischief.


If you were staying in tonight, what would you choose as one of your favourite books and/or films to keep you entertained, and what you be having as a favourite meal?

You know there are better forms of entertainment when staying in, right??!!

Sorry, back to the question... as a favourite meal I love Thai food. Given that it is summer here it would likely be a Nam Tok Salad or maybe Gai Pad Khing; in winter it would be a Massaman Curry.

I like my entertainment light and easy; drama and romance tend to be my preferred genres. If I had to narrow it down, perhaps the most watched DVDs in my collection are Hunt for Red October and Must Love Dogs. My favourite authors include Fredrick Forsyth, John Grisham, Ken Follet, and Jilly Cooper, though the majority of my reading in the past few years has been educational and non-fiction.

EDITOR'S PICK #1

OK, photography is a given, but what about other hobbies or personal interests?

I compete and judge in Dog Agility and have been proud to represent Australia at both the 2008 and 2010 World Agility Championships. Unfortunately due to Australia’s strict quarantine laws, we compete on the world stage with borrowed dogs from the host nation; so even though my dog Jonty qualified, he didn’t get to travel to Belgium or England with me to compete. I’m quite sure he would not have enjoyed the air travel anyhow, but it takes away some of the euphoria when competing without your dedicated teammate.

I rode horses for many years but have traded them now for motorbikes. I enjoy riding, whether the commute to work, or a weekend jaunt. I love touring when time permits and have enjoyed travelling many of the roads on the East Coast of Australia. Though my most memorable road trip so far was in the US in 2009; a ride down the Blue Ridge Parkway onto the roads around the Tail of the Dragon and the Cherohala Skyway. Magic roads with breathtaking scenery and great company kept me on sensory overload for the entire trip. Staying in motorcycle-only campgrounds was also a new experience for me that I have to say enhanced the journey. Socialising around a campfire with people that share that same appreciation of riding and roads certainly added to the experience.


Let's get on to photography - how long have you been a photographer, and what got you interested in the first place?

I'm a newbie. It was that motorcycle trip in 2009 that really spurred me into wanting to learn how to take better photos. I saw some wonderful scenes and have some nice snapshots from the journey, but I wanted to capture those moments better. I started reading more and learning more. It helped that I had a good friend learning at the same time, so we bounced ideas off each other. My Mum is also addicted to digital scrapbooking, so assisted me with the post-processing side. For Xmas 2009 I was given a Canon S90 that allowed me to move into having more control over my camera settings and that was when the addiction really kicked in. I started to learn more but as I did so, also started to realise some of the limitations of the small sensor in my S90. In September 2010 I took the plunge and got my D90 with an 18-200mm lens and am continuing to learn every time I pick it up.


What type of photography are you interested in, and why?

Predominantly nature photography, and of course, photographing my dogs. I simply love being out in the peace of nature, especially early mornings. Having said that though, I am trying to push myself beyond my comfort zone and try other subjects. People portraiture is where I’ve found myself most ill at ease so far. However I do enjoy capturing more spontaneous people moments.


Any particular photographic influences?

I wouldn’t say I’ve been influenced by a particular photographer per se. When I was starting to learn I read widely from many photographers’ sites. As I progressed I found the CiC tutorials and still revisit them often when I encounter a puzzle that I’m trying to solve. The site I’ve spent most time on in the past two years is deviantArt, and have been inspired by much of the photography on there (and have done my best to ignore some of the other). It was only mid-way through last year that I found the forum side to CiC, and have found myself gravitating here more and more regularly as I’ve come to enjoy the community aspects to this site.


What do you hope to achieve through your photography - or what have you achieved already?

Do you think we could make this multiple choice??? My students tell me if you don’t know the answer, you should choose “C”. Hmmm, since I don’t have “C” as an option I guess I’d best say something...

I do know that I have surpassed my initial goal of taking better photos while travelling. I now have the opposite problem of wanting to take so much camera gear that the tent won’t fit on the bike. At the moment I want to keep learning and improving, and most importantly, keep enjoying the process and the photos I create; though I’m not sure to what end.

EDITOR'S PICK #2

What you think of CiC? Any way it could be improved? Where should it go from here, in your opinion?

I enjoy CiC immensely. The forum is a nicely balanced community with a great spirit of helping others and learning together and the tutorials are a wonderful resource. It is suitably differentiated from the various photography sites I've spent time at; I wouldn’t change it.... oh, unless you can do a deal with the One World Alliance for frequent flier points each time I visit!


Getting more personal if you don't mind...what keeps you awake at night, apart from Photoshop?

LOL! My tribe of laughing geckos that are taking over my house.


I have to ask this…. What photographic gear do you own, and what software do you use for editing?

I think it is safe to say my wish list is longer than my gear list.

Nikon D90; Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6; Sigma 85mm f/1.4; Nikkor 50mm f/1.8. Various ND and GND filters coupled with the Lee filter holder system. A Manfrotto tripod and a Benro travel flat tripod. Oh, and my Canon S90 that now lives in my handbag.

I have educational discounts to thank for Lightroom, Photoshop CS5 and the Nik Collection.

Now that I’ve listed it out I realise my pile is starting to grow...


It’s a tough one to answer, but how would you rate your photographic skills and ability?

I think I’ll go with “C” again on this one! Have to admit though, if it wasn’t for digital technology, I would not have gone down this path at all. The instantaneous feedback on each click of the shutter has been fundamental for me in learning this craft. If I had to rate myself on a scale of 1-10, I’d probably say a 5.5.


What will the digital camera be like in 2020? And will you still own one?

Only 8 years away now, so yes, I figure I will still own one, though technology moves quickly, so I wouldn’t lay a bet on it. At a best guess I imagine the social economy will continue to strengthen so the digital cameras will probably cater to that with more ready connectability to Wi-Fi and 3G (or futuristic equivalents) and more on-board processing such as focus and exposure blending for instantly ready-to-publish photos. Regardless, I do have a wish list for one particular accessory, and if it arrives before 2020 I’ll be VERY happy: if we could arrange an AF-S 10-300mm f/2 IS lens with excellent IQ, super fast auto focus, that weighs no more than 800gms, is no longer then say, 20cms and is priced around $1000. Though on second thought for that lens I’d save up and pay $2000.

Yeah, I know, “tell her she’s dreamin’“... LOL.


Are you in a position to help or encourage others in their photography?

I’ve recently started to do this online through deviantArt. As I’ve gained confidence in my photography I have taken on the role of group admin for a few groups. As part of those admin teams I provide feedback on photos submitted to the groups. It isn’t always easy but I’ve found it has very much helped my own “reflection loop”. I wish I could find time to do more of this.


Another tough one for you…do you consider photography to be art?

Well, if we avoid the philosophical arguments against defining art and turn to the Oxford Dictionary’s definition as “the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power”, then I believe what I aim to do with my camera fits this definition. So let’s lock in a Yes.


How do you feel about having your own shot taken?

Bundy Rum may be a prerequisite for this.

What single piece of advice do you think is most useful to someone starting out with photography?

Get to know your camera well so that you know how to change focal points or change focus modes, or turn off your flash etc. Recognise that the user’s manual can be your best resource initially ... or put more eloquently... RTFM!


Can we see two of your shots that mean something special to you, and could you explain why.

Fallen for You. I believe it was the morning I took this photo that my addiction to digital photography was cemented. It was taken with my S90 compact and was the first time I’d gone “full manual” for a long exposure shot. There is quite a lot wrong with it... I overexposed it, don’t have sharp focus front to back, etc. But I still remember the feeling of that morning; I was certainly lost in the flow of taking photos. I recall my amazement when this image appeared on screen after the exposure. Now that my PP skills have improved, I’ve been tempted a few times to reprocess it but have decided to leave it as is, kind of as a benchmark for myself, but also as a memory.

Joy. This photo has special meaning in that I combined two of my photographic loves: dogs and nature. I managed to capture Callie doing what she loves most in one of our favourite places that was especially beautiful that evening. As the light faded, I’d been struggling with my “hit rate” with the pups in motion and my wide-open aperture, so was very happy that I got this one, even though the focus wasn’t perfect.


Finally, can you give us one interesting/weird/silly thing about you that we probably don’t know?
I have no self-control when it comes to Peanut Butter M&Ms. Fortunately for me they are not available in Australia.


Thank you, again, for taking part in 'In conversation with .......'

It’s over already??? We could chat more :-D



Read all the other interviews in the series by going to this link

[FrankMi]

What a fascinating interview, Trace! The Hunt for Red October is the only movie I've gone to the theaters to watch multiple times and many more on DVD. Also love my past experiences riding horses and motorcycles! My kind of gal-pal! Thanks for sharing!

[dje]

Thanks for sharing your story Ms Haveachat - er sorry - Trace ! You might regret sharing that nickname I wonder do your students use it ??

Seriously though, I love the work you are doing with your photography, you've got real talent IMO.

Dave

[PhotoByTrace]

What a fascinating interview, Trace! The Hunt for Red October is the only movie I've gone to the theaters to watch multiple times and many more on DVD. Also love my past experiences riding horses and motorcycles! My kind of gal-pal! Thanks for sharing!

Glad you enjoyed it Frank

[PhotoByTrace]

Thanks for sharing your story Ms Haveachat - er sorry - Trace ! You might regret sharing that nickname I wonder do your students use it ??

Seriously though, I love the work you are doing with your photography, you've got real talent IMO.

Dave

I'm sure my students have much more "imaginative" nicknames for me
And thank you... I very much appreciate you saying that. Now if I can just get on top of my prep and marking load again so that I can get back out with my camera.

[jeeperman]

Good to meet you Trace. I must say...I am jealous! I have wanted to ride the tail for a long time! I hear you about the not fitting the tent thing, I hope the weather is good this summer, I will leave it at home and sleep under the stars....errr and hope I don't wake up swimming!

[jjbacoomba]

Great interview Trace. Love your photos.

[Goldcoastgolfer]

Great getting to know you better Trace. You'll have to stop by next time you're down this way.

[Wendy Stanford]

Wonderful interview Trace, I enjoy your images, well done

[gcowan]

Hi Trace,

Nice photo of Cape Byron light. My favourite part of the world, and I haven't been able to get there for a couple of years.

Nice to meet you
Graham