tracyseeger's PhotoBlog

I'm Back!

2012-12-19T02:37:02Z

Wow, I can't believe it's been almost 2 years since I last posted anything! Starting in January I'm doing another photo-a-day project, and I'll be posting the pictures here. In the meantime - big news...I had another baby! Evan was born 3 months ago and is doing great :)

Week 12: Theme - Spring

2011-03-24T00:02:56Z

Week 12 of my 2011 Photo-a-week challenge. These snowdrops bloom in front of my house every year, so I always know when spring is here. Shooting them was a challenge, as it was very breezy, but I managed to get the shutter speed fast enough to freeze their motion. Kit & setup: Nikon D3100 camera hand held 85mm macro lens Shot outside on an overcast (and breezy!) day Post editing (PSE8): Adjusted the lighting and sharpened. EXIF Data: Exposure 1/400 sec Aperture f/11 Focal Length 85 mm ISO Speed 1600

Week 11: Theme - Underneath

2011-03-18T17:07:57Z

Week 11 of my 2011 Photo-a-week challenge. I love the delicate shades of pink that I found on the underneath of this dandelion's petals. It was perfect for this week's theme. Kit & setup: Nikon D3100 camera hand held 85mm macro lens Shot outside and lit by mid-afternoon sun on an early spring day Post editing (PSE8): I pumped up the vibrance and the blacks to really bring out the colors. EXIF Data: Exposure 1/20 sec Aperture f/16 Focal Length 85 mm ISO Speed 100

Tuesday Inspiration 3/15/11

2011-03-15T13:34:37Z

Can you guess this week's theme? The "Tuesday Inspiration” began in 2009 when two PB members started setting each other a challenge on a… Tuesday. Very soon afterwards, it was decided to open this up to other PB members, followed by the idea that we should not reveal what the subject is, so that other members could compare how different members view a single theme. The Tuesday Inspiration is not a contest or a challenge, but a group of people all agreeing to post their interpretation of a single theme on Tuesdays. Each week, one of the contributors sets the theme. There are now over 40 members contributing to the TI. We have only two “rules”: don’t include the subject in the TI title or tags and please comply with standard PB guidelines on courtesy, etc. If you would like to take part, please contact Helen Girafferacing. Other TI participants may be found here.

Week 10: Theme - Shoes

2011-03-13T23:46:44Z

These are my favorite shoes. They're not my most comfortable ones, but I always get compliments when I wear them. Kit & setup: Nikon D3100 camera hand held 85mm macro lens Shot outside and lit by mid-afternoon sun on an early spring day Post editing (PSE8): Just minimal sharpening on this one. EXIF Data: Exposure 1/500 sec Aperture f/11 Focal Length 85 mm ISO Speed 400

Tuesday Inspiration 3/8/11

2011-03-08T01:32:26Z

Week 9: Theme - Spirit

2011-03-02T19:52:27Z

For over 2000 years, the Holy Spirit has been symbolized by a dove. I got this pin at a Catholic conference about ten years ago. It's very small, about the size of a large thumbnail. Kit & setup: Nikon D3100 camera on a tripod 85mm macro lens Lit by overhead incandescent lights in a dim room Post editing (PSE8): I played around a lot with this in Camera Raw, reducing the vibrance, and upping the blacks and exposure to get the color balance I wanted. I also softened it slightly by reducing the clarity. EXIF Data: Exposure 20 sec Aperture f/40 Focal Length 85 mm ISO Speed 400

Tuesday Inspiration 3/1/11

2011-03-01T19:07:32Z

Pray

2011-02-25T01:19:15Z

A photo I took for my blog.

Week 8: Theme - Romance

2011-02-23T14:50:31Z

Eagle-eyed viewers will note that I have a new camera! I've had the D40 for almost 4 years now, and although it has served me exceptionally well, I decided it was time for an upgrade. I was considering the D3000, the D3100 and the D5000. I eventually settled on the D5000, as it had just about everything I wanted for a price I could afford. However, when I went to my local camera store to buy it, they had the D3100 on special offer, so it actually cost less than the D5000. So of course I went for the D3100. I've only had it 2 days, but so far I'm very happy with it. Most of the settings and controls are the same as the D40, and I don't think it will take me long to learn the new features. This is my first attempt at a planned shot with it. The theme this week was 'Romance', and I immediately thought of strawberries. I knew exactly what kind of shot I wanted - a close up of the seeds with some leaves out of focus in the background. It took me much longer than I expected to get it just right however. I'm pleased with the final result though. Kit & setup: Nikon D3100 camera on a tripod (I also bought a new tripod - a Sunpak 6200PG - inexpensive, lightweight, and very easy to use) 85mm macro lens Side-lit by incandescent table lamp in a dark room Post editing: I corrected the white balance, adjusted the lighting levels and sharpened in Photoshop Elements 8. EXIF Data: Exposure 10 sec Aperture f/40 Focal Length 85 mm ISO Speed 400