Project 52 by PhotoByTrace

[Goldcoastgolfer]

Fantastic set of photos Trace. Really enjoyed having a look. I wish I had the eye for landscapes that you do

[PhotoByTrace]

I think my project 52 is a bit sad...

Here it is Easter and this is my first visit to the forum since my insanely busy semester started. Arrrggghhh! Even my pups are forgetting what I look like at the moment

Needless to say I need to be more proactive in regaining some work-life balance. Though most likely that isn't going to happen for this semester, so another two months before I can free up some meaningful leisure time again.

In the meantime I did take last Sunday off from work and jumped on my bike for some stress relief. It was the first time I'd had my camera out in over a month. Sadly it had been even longer since I'd been on my bike . I went on a charity ride raising funds and awareness for depression. A few photos below.

A character portrait- really liked this photo, though annoyed at myself for overexposing his noggin.


One of many bikes in action photos... more here if you are interested.


The mascot for the ride... Winston. He was attached to several bikes.


Ready to roll

[Donald]

A character portrait- really liked this photo, though annoyed at myself for overexposing his noggin.

I think you had an impossible task keeping the top of his head from blowing. And I think that's fine, because it's a brilliant image. I love it. It portrays the character of the man beautifully. You've got right inside him with this portrait.

[PhotoByTrace]

Thanks Donald!

[PhotoByTrace]

I got home in daylight yesterday. And the light was lovely, so grabbed my ever-willing models and tried to capture some back-lit photos. I'm now glad I didn't get time to mow last weekend This was my favourite photo from the set:


It felt so good to be behind the camera again, even if I didn't leave home. Posted more in this thread.

[Donald]

It felt so good to be behind the camera again, even if I didn't leave home. Posted more in this thread.

I know the feeling! I can also understand why you like this one. It's all that it says that makes it - the light, but also the sense of enjoyment and fun that it is loaded up with. I do like the whole set that's in the other thread, but this one is particularly good, I think.

[PhotoByTrace]

Thanks Donald... isn't it a great feeling to pick the camera up again?! I normally think of the enjoyment as coming from the sense of peace I get from the nature I'm surrounding myself with. Or with my dogs, the joy from focussing on their antics more closely through the camera. But that afternoon made me realise it is very much the "flow" of the experience and the creativity intrinsic to it that is so appealing. Picking up the camera and losing my sense of time, my reality becoming the scene that I'm transforming through the magic interaction of light, DOF and exposure time; it just refreshes me in an amazing way.

[Letrow]

Beautiful background Trace (and subject as well of course). I love that light and DOF you have in here.

[kdoc856]

Beautiful, Trace.

That shot transports me straight into "dog-think". That has to be an image of dog Heaven. The light is just sublime and the glow leaps out of the frame and into the viewer. Scrolling down through your work is a true treat.

[PhotoByTrace]

Thanks all for your comments. Always appreciated. And since my dogs are my kids, those photos are always close to my heart.

My replacement tripod arrived on Friday so I took the opportunity to head to the beach for first light to enjoy the sunrise. First landscape since February... needless to say I've been missing it. Had a lovely morning. Though I now have a pile of marking that I cannot put off any longer; so time to stop playing with this pano and get to work.


f/13 1/20 ISO800 5 images @16mm Started with lens correction, noise reduction and white balance adjustment sync'd across all 5 photos in Lightroom. Then stitched in PTGui. Remaining dust spots removed in Photoshop. Back to Lightroom for additional colour and presence adjustment.

[Brownbear]

Your photography is truly inspiring. Thank you for sharing.

[Cantab]

f/13 1/20 ISO800 5 images @16mm Started with lens correction, noise reduction and white balance adjustment sync'd across all 5 photos in Lightroom. Then stitched in PTGui. Remaining dust spots removed in Photoshop. Back to Lightroom for additional colour and presence adjustment.

A wonderful photo.

I'm still finding my way with Lightroom and Photoshop. I noted that after some work in Photoshop you returned the photos to Lightroom for some final adjustments. Were these adjustments ones that can't be done in Photoshop or is it simply that it's easier to do them in Lightroom?

[PhotoByTrace]

Thanks Christina... I'm glad you enjoyed it

A wonderful photo.

I'm still finding my way with Lightroom and Photoshop. I noted that after some work in Photoshop you returned the photos to Lightroom for some final adjustments. Were these adjustments ones that can't be done in Photoshop or is it simply that it's easier to do them in Lightroom?

It could have been easily done in Photoshop as well; I just find the Lightroom interface a little quicker if I'm not intending to do much in terms of layers and masking.

I think it would be a "better" workflow to do all the changes in separate layers in Photoshop so that you can save the psd file and go back easily to make adjustments, but I have to admit that my workflow isn't that well structured at this point.

[PhotoByTrace]

Hard to believe it has been nearly a month since I picked up my camera. *sigh*. But now I am rejoicing as this insanely busy teaching period is over. Still have lots of marking to do, but I should have my weekends back! And maybe, just maybe, this thread will evolve into the weekly project I intended

On Sunday I rode up to a Show and Shine event in a nearby town. Had a lovely time wandering around taking in the Hotrod / Rockabilly culture and capturing a few photos. I especially enjoyed taking some of the Pinup girls. Their Kissing Booth was a huge hit raising funds for Breast Cancer Research.











I also very much enjoyed the cars and bikes, though it is always such a challenge to try and isolate them from their backgrounds and deal with the bright sunlight. So mostly I just chose "bits"







Apologies for the photo dump. I believe my over-exhuberance is a by-product of work-induced abstinence.

[Brownbear]

Wow.. you're an amazing photographer. #14 is my favourite image, followed closely by #10, 11,12 & #13.

[dje]

Cool set of shots Trace - and not a sunrise amongst them

Well done

Dave

[Letrow]

Good Photos and I love the pink colours in the first one. Great subjects.

[PhotoByTrace]

Thanks Christina and Peter! The girls were indeed great subjects. I was completely surprised (and delighted) to find such professional models at this show. They made it feel easy.
And thanks Dave... I can feel a sunrise coming on though

[Donald]

On Sunday I rode up to a Show and Shine event in a nearby town.

Wonderful stuff, Trace.

The colours; the light - just add up to capture a wonderful mood and atmosphere.

[PhotoByTrace]

I've recently returned from the US where I spent a couple of weeks riding through West Virginia, the Smokies and the Blue Ridge Parkway. For the most part I was photographing at times of day that aren't ideal, but was still happy with a number of my photos. I'll share over the next few days as I also catch up on other aspects of the forum I've missed since (omg... that long...) June.

Elakala Falls in Blackwater Falls State Park in WV. These were early morning captures.