Jillsy Girl Studio

I've Moved!

noreply@blogger.com (She Who Carries Camera) — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 13:33:00 +0000

don't be left behind....

come on over to my new digs!

She Who Carries Camera

see you there!

Needing Your Help!

noreply@blogger.com (She Who Carries Camera) — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 14:23:00 +0000

Getting a new blog name out there can be daunting,

and She Who Carries Camera can use your help

to make it grow.

When you get the chance,

I'd certainly appreciate you hopping over there

and showing the love you've shown me here.

If you've enjoyed JillsyGirl Studio,

you're sure to enjoy SWCC, too!

It's got lots of good things to offer!

Thank You

from the bottom of my heart!

It's Here, It's Ready and It's Waiting!

noreply@blogger.com (She Who Carries Camera) — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 11:44:00 +0000

i know,

you probably thought

i totally left ya'll in my dust

after that last post i wrote

back in June about a new blog

but....

you know how summer can take grab of both your arms

and not let go, right?

well, even as i was indulging in all the warmth and fun

i was also giving miss la-di-dah summer a piece of my mind....

"i made a promise to all my blog peeps"

i told her

"even you, with your shorty shorts and your golden tan,

won't keep me from my obligations"

she just laughed right back at me

what nerve

but, i shook my finger at her and scoffed....

"i'll show you....i can break away from your slender grip anytime i choose!"

(well, practically anytime, as long as she's not taunting me, too much, with her sunshine and all)

and here's the proof....

www.shewhocarriescamera.com

i hope you like it!

and, please pass the word around

i sure would appreciate it!

Ch Ch Ch....Changes

noreply@blogger.com (She Who Carries Camera) — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 15:59:00 +0000

as i prepare for the launch of my new blog

i am realizing i need to change things up a bit

so for the time being

you can find me

over HERE

my photo-a-day posts

keep me shooting, editing and processing

at least 4 to 5 days a week

and that satisfies my photography/artistic passions

if you have an FB account, just like my page,

if you haven't done so already,

so you can receive them in your feed!

my new blog

will step away from my personal photography

and feature all things for the photo enthusiast

and i have this feeling

Canna, Canna, Canna, Cann-i?

noreply@blogger.com (She Who Carries Camera) — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 15:09:00 +0000

did i catch you with that title?

it really won't have anything to do with this post

other than the images are of a canna lily

it just popped into my noggin and i thought it was cute

have you missed me?

i certainly have missed you!

my mom's visit, which was supposed to last 9 days, ended up lasting 23 days

due to an unexpected hospital stay

yep

hospital stay

our sweet little Miles

5 lbs. of pure yorkie playfulness

accidentally scratched grandma's leg

while playing catch

it was a superficial scratch really

nothing to be concerned about

until 3 days later when her leg between her ankle and knee

became red, swollen and warm

since we didn't notice it until evening....off to emergency

she ended up having, what is called cellulitis,

a skin infection, that if went unchecked,

could have resulted in something much more serious

she ended up staying in the hospital for 2 days

until her leg showed signs of improvement

then, it took another week for her leg to get back to normal

during which time there was much pillow fluffing

meal and drink delivering, plus card playing

now.... to add another dimension onto my mom's adventures

yesterday she finally got to go home

we drove her to the airport

with plenty of time to spare

taken thru the sunroof approaching the airport

we stayed long enough to watch her being pushed, in the wheelchair we had ordered, into the airport

(she started taking advantage of this service a few years ago and loves it)

about an hour later

i receive a phone call from Airtran Airways

telling me my mom missed her flight

yes, you heard me right

m i s s e d . h e r . f l i g h t

how could that be, you ask?

well, it just so turns out

she was abandoned just inside the airport doors

until someone f i n a l l y came to get her

but only to arrive at the gate right after they had closed the doors

and would not reopen them

talk about being furious!!

unfortunately, i have found out since,

from a close friend in the airline industry,

this happens all the time.

my friend did tell me, though

that all airports

offer personal escort service

which allows you to personally take a handicapped passenger

directly to the gate

something we'll probably be doing in the future

now for one last announcement

i have been working on a new blogging venture for all you photography enthusiasts

which was suppose to launch over Memorial Day weekend

but because of the obvious reasons stated above

it had to be postponed for a bit

i think you'll like it!

Cryptograms & Recuperation

noreply@blogger.com (She Who Carries Camera) — Wed, 30 May 2012 15:40:00 +0000

i love cryptograms

i've been doing them for several years

and the more i do them, the easier they get

i especially like the ones

that are cryptic quotes

many times i come across a quote that needs more attention

than just being solved in a puzzle book

i decided to add the quote i solved this morning

to the above image

the message and sentiment

is so true

~ : ~

my apologies for not having been around much lately

my mom is visiting and unexpectedly had an emergency hospital stay last week

she's fine but is still recuperating here with us until next week

obviously, photography and blogging has been put on the back burner

~ : ~

better than a thousand words....

noreply@blogger.com (She Who Carries Camera) — Wed, 09 May 2012 23:51:00 +0000

i've always been a visual person
::

words can go in one ear and right out the other
::

but show me a visual
::

and the world becomes crystal clear

how about you?

A Photo-A-Day

noreply@blogger.com (She Who Carries Camera) — Mon, 07 May 2012 11:24:00 +0000

i haven't been shooting enough lately

my creativity button

(something that used to get pushed every day)

has just been sitting quietly

gathering dust

looking all lonesome

on the far left corner of my desk

in between blog posts

but last week

as i was typing on my keyboard

it began calling

in the weakest of voices

"push me, push me"

that poor little button looked so pathetic

i didn't have the heart to ignore it

so i picked it up, dusted it off

and moved it right next to my mouse

i am

now

once again

pushing it daily

if you subscribe to my

facebook JillsyGirl Studio page

you might have already noticed

a new daily post

called Photo-A-Day

it's the next best thing to blogging

no words

just photographs

so,
if you'd like to visit

in between blog posts
to see what i've been shooting

you can do so

HERE

all you need to do is hit the "like" button
to receive my daily photos on your feed
(buttons are needy little creatures, always wanting attention)

btw...how about some strawberries & cream?

When Turkeys Fly

noreply@blogger.com (She Who Carries Camera) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 13:27:00 +0000

have you ever seen a turkey fly?

sort of like seeing a C-130 in the air

defying the law of gravity

Dedicated to my SIL & PIC

noreply@blogger.com (She Who Carries Camera) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 22:59:00 +0000

yesterday

my photography partner-in-crime

and i

went on a photo shoot

lovely afternoon

i say

just magnificently lovely

should i type it one more time so you'll totally get

how lovely an afternoon yesterday was

or do you catch my drift?

good, let's move on

because of how lovely yesterday afternoon was

(forgive me, i just felt it was needed)

i decided

to dedicate

this post

to both my SIL & my PIC

(sister-in-law & photog-in-crime)

my SIL

who is a certified master gardener

up in new england

just loves to play in the dirt

she grows things

lots of things

lots and lots of things

therefore,

all afternoon

all i could do was think about her

as i strolled through the grounds

snapping my camera every few seconds

btw

if you haven't already realized this no-brainer on your own

here's an invaluable tidbit of advise

*travel light*

meaning

don't go on a photo shoot like you're going shopping

downsize to a small shoulder bag

large enough for one extra lens, maybe

a bottle of water

keys

~~and maybe some gum and of course your wallet~~

~~and your phone~~

there's nothing more frustrating

than having to put down a loaded purse, a bottle of water and a grounds map

each time you want to take a shot

good grief, do i know

now, back to the regularly scheduled post...

i know

without a doubt in my mind

if my SIL lived in atlanta

she would live, breathe and work at

Smith-Gilbert Gardens

but, what i do not know is

how in the world i have lived here so long

and never knew this hidden treasure was so close to home

and i have absolutely no idea

how they

(ie. staff staff and volunteers)

keep all the plants flourishing

and their grounds so lovingly maintained

the gardens

can not compete with the likes of

let's say

Longwood Gardens

but for a private and local park

they certainly blew me and my cohort away

and now without any further ado

here are some of my favorite shots from yesterday

i do not know what many of the species are

that will be for my SIL to figure out

i did not take notes

enjoy sis!

oh, and one more thing

SIL has made reference

to possibly doing a guest post here sometime

egg her on!!

all geeks welcome

and lots more roses

even this little guy had to get in on the act by sneaking in without my knowledge

and then there were these.....

did i forget to mention koi ponds as well?

where you can sit and meditate

where even their pond grunge, hopping with spiders, is awesome

can you find the spider?

and check out this amazing low growing plant ( the leaf size is about the size of your hand )

have fun identifying this one, sis!

and look how huge their ferns get!

standing up against my photog-in-crime

moving on to the conifer garden

where its all things "cone"

and everything makes you look small

who's that, you ask?

why it's my PIC who i will miss dearly

while she hangs out

in the sunshine state for a few months

she's leaving shortly

what does this funky tree make you think of?

now, if you're tired

from looking at all the photos

take a seat here....

and relax awhile

Guarding and Waiting

noreply@blogger.com (She Who Carries Camera) — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 23:47:00 +0000

this past weekend while we were at the lake

we took a tootle (our nickname for a lazy stroll) on the boat

even though the weather wasn't so wonderful

the sun played hide and seek with us
and when she ran off and hid
the cool breezes teased us

so, we beached our pontoon on a favorite sandbar

and decided to play a game of cards

while we were there

this guy kept a very close eye on us

he would swim back and forth

very slowly

periodically, checking us out

so hubby decided to check things out himself

by getting off the boat

and walking the sandbar

"bean...grab your camera and come over"

he called out

(bean, being my nickname)

this is what we saw

and a closer look

yep,

a proud mama

and a daddy that was making sure all stayed safe

i'll keep you posted

Dripping Spanish Moss

noreply@blogger.com (She Who Carries Camera) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 14:11:00 +0000

as the sun settles to the west

Card/Print

outside my mother's lanai

Card/Print

the spanish moss drips in golden sunshine

and sways ever so slightly in the gentle florida breezes

it's so easy to drift away into a world

where imagination rules

:: this or that thursday ::

Sunshine, Sponges and Saganaki

noreply@blogger.com (She Who Carries Camera) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 22:59:00 +0000

my mom lives on the gulf coast of florida

and when we go, we love visiting the greek coastal town of

t a r p o n s p r i n g s

this intimate little coastal town is known for its sponges

they're everywhere

from swinging on fishing boats

to bins overflowing with them along main street
::

merchants waiting for tourists to touch and squeeze them

in hopes they'll buy a few

and sponges aren't all that can be found

in fact, i found a couple of adorable summer dresses....

who can resist colorful beachy fabrics that are swaying in the gulf breezes?

now, let's turn our attention

to the opposite side of main street

where the birds hang

and observe

look at that luscious red beak....

the better to kiss you with, my dear

just watch those feet, please

now...movin' on to the boats

that line the inlet beside main street

they come and they go

smiles are everywhere

and the day wouldn't be complete

without having an early dinner at dimitri's

where the saganaki is superb

then, dessert at hellas

where the greek pastries are to die for!

i hope you enjoyed this little stroll around tarpon springs

sorry, i haven't been around much lately,

but i will soon be making my rounds to visit all my peeps

i've missed you guys!

Does your Backyard Make You Smile?

noreply@blogger.com (She Who Carries Camera) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 17:58:00 +0000

when i step out my back door these days

this is what i see...

this post is the recipient of

thank you Hilary!

and just for your info

i have suspended

Words for Wednesdays

since participation was low

thank you for stopping by!

Words for Wednesdays (March 14th ~ 20th)

noreply@blogger.com (She Who Carries Camera) — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 12:01:00 +0000

perched high in tree

neck stretched

nothing

but one thing

in mind

alert

focused

an unknown goal

s w o o s h

off in pursuit

i think i was made to:

take photos

decorate

be creative

giggle

listen

analyze

be practical

be a friend

dance

and last but not least....

blog!

can you name 10 things you were made to do?

please join me in this week's

Graffiti Artist

noreply@blogger.com (She Who Carries Camera) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 15:27:00 +0000

hubby called me outside the other day

and told me to bring my camera

this is what he wanted to show me

i was more amazed at the tree

than i was at the bird

even though

i have never seen this bird before

we knew it was

some sort of woodpecker

but needed to identify it

it ended up being a

yellow-bellied sapsucker

as far as the tree goes

we're not exactly sure what type it is

but the colors you see have not been altered

even though i have applied a texture

(kim klassen's ~ grunged up 2)

it truly is that orange!

here is the untextured image

although the graffiti

this little guy has created

is pretty awesome

i'm sure the tree doesn't feel the same way

:: texture tuesday ::

Words for Wednesdays (March 7 ~ 13)

noreply@blogger.com (She Who Carries Camera) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 14:26:00 +0000

come play along!

and don't miss the full moon tonight!

Gumballs, one Mischievous Yorkie & a Quick Fix

noreply@blogger.com (She Who Carries Camera) — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 14:11:00 +0000

Miles will be turning 7 months next week
it's hard to believe he's been a part of our family for three months already
but it's even harder to believe that Simon has been gone that long
::
there's still a hole in my heart for that little 7 lbs. of Yorkie love
but Mr. Miles has been working his 4 lbs. of charm on us
to fill the gap
::
Miles Loves Gumballs
not the chewy, bubble blowing kind but
the spiky, annoying kind that constantly fall to earth
every 37 seconds in both our front and back yards
from sweetgum trees
in fact,
just yesterday I was enjoying a warm cuppa tea
in the backyard
when
B A M!
one plopped
right . smack . dead center
into my cup
splattering tea all over
my face
my jacket
my pride
okay, maybe not my pride, no one was there to witness it
but what are the odds?
scared me half to death
::
anyhoo, that's beside the point...
Miles adores them
unfortunately, his stomach doesn't
so it's a constant game of yorkie & human
(equivalent to cat & mouse)

here's the typical jack rabbit run when mom gets too close

and the Kentucky Derby sprint

::
but, what gets me most aggravated (but in a cute way)
is when he stops, smiles and taunts


betcha can't catch me!

c'mon mom....i'm this close, try and get it

::
now... on to quick fixes....
it dawned on me right after i came up with the title for this post
there are actually two quick fixes to share with you today
::
the first one....
was that Miles had "the" operation last week
you do know which one i'm referring to don't you?
and by the look of these photos,
you can tell it didn't slow him down one iota
::
and the second one....
is that i came up a new Quick Fix
for photos that are almost fit for sharing with the world
straight out of the camera (SOOC), but need a little umpff
i do believe that is a word, even if it is just in my own vocabulary
okay i just googled it and lo and behold
it is a word
the urban dictionary says so
although they say it is spelled with only one f
but i feel a second f can be used for those times when a little more umpff is required
::
i upload ALL
which translates to too many
of my photos to Picasa
and from there i pick and choose which editing software
to use, if any, on my images
being Photoshop Elements, iPiccy, Picasa or the almost defunct Picnik

of course, there are simple fix tools in most software programs
but i happened upon a little homemade formula of my own in Picasa
::
Picasa is the software i use for simple fixes
if you are not familiar with it, it is 100% free,
and not only does it offer simple editing software,
it is also wonderful for organizing your bazillion photos
::
all the images in this post came out either a bit too dark or lacking vividness
and all they needed was quick enhancement to bring out the best in them
::
the Quick Fix i'm about to share with you
worked on all of them
::
below, is the top image before and after
do you see in the left image that you can barely see Miles eyes behind all that Yorkie fur
but in the right image not only are his eyes more pronounced, so is all the coloring in his fur?
even that darn gumball stands out better
(if only my eyes had this quick fix...half the time i don't even know he has one in his mouth until he ends up playing with one inside the house)

so...if you also use Picasa
or even if you don't
here's the super Quick Fix JillsyGirl special:

1. Go to "Effects" and Click on "Tint"

this will immediately change your image to black and white,

(but it's not the same as using the black and white tool, i think it gives the image better contrast)

2.Then slide the Color Preservation Tool all the way over to the right or until you are satisfied with the look

if the image is still too dark and you've slid the tool all the way over,

then go to "Tuning" and "Fill Light"

AND THAT'S ALL THERE IS TO IT!

Bob's Your Uncle!

i have tried all Picasa's other Quick Fix tools but this formula just gives a better result, IMO

not only does it pop the contrast, it also pops the color

let me know if you try it out and if it works for you!

leaving you with Miles contemplating his next move....

Standing Guard

noreply@blogger.com (She Who Carries Camera) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 01:32:00 +0000

i've only seen these amazing masked bandits
on other blogs

but never before in my backyard

that is,

until this weekend

i was totally taken aback

the second i walked out the back door

onto our deck

i don't know who

was more surprised

or the flock of 15-20 cedar waxwings

that flew out of the holly bushes
surrounding the deck

Standing Guard ~ these masked bandits take their jobs very seriously ~ available on Red Bubble

::
up they scattered

into nearby shrubbery and trees

causing interruption to their meal

BERRIES

l o t s o f t h e m

ripe for the picking

i happened to capture this little stinker taking care of business, so there's been some cloning done on this one!

50 yard dash
back inside
::

camera
::
grab

did i hear you say that you were thinking of leaving me?

i felt so privileged

they decided to dine and hang

at our B&B

this year

Don King wannabe

but, it won't surprise me
if they're all gone tomorrow
::
to wherever
their annual journey
takes them

unfortunately,

it's not here in

Georgia

:: the creative exchange ::

Open House

noreply@blogger.com (She Who Carries Camera) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 21:23:00 +0000

real estate

bustling

another

day of

house hunting

birdland

have a great weekend!

Words for Wednesdays

noreply@blogger.com (She Who Carries Camera) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 12:49:00 +0000

believe it or not,

this image has only been slightly enhanced

to bring out the colorful bokeh that was captured in this shot

i think

this short quote by mr. hawthorne was meant for it

don't you?

have you captured any images lately

that would sing a little louder

if some words were added to it?

if so, please join in for this week's

click HERE for info.

also linking with
:: the creative exchange ::

White

noreply@blogger.com (She Who Carries Camera) — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 17:09:00 +0000

this week's prompt

for kim klassen's texture tuesday is

w h i t e

and it just so happened
i was wearing some white slippers this morning

so i decided to play along

i applied kim's "start" texture

and converted it to black & white for use

in this image

:: texture tuesday ::

Focused

noreply@blogger.com (She Who Carries Camera) — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 00:03:00 +0000

there was another unseasonably warm day this week

so my friend and i went for another walk

this time at another park

this series of photos is based on the people i observed

and the activities they were focused on
during a break from ol' man winter

have an active and focused weekend!

Words for Wednesdays

noreply@blogger.com (She Who Carries Camera) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:40:00 +0000

i found out a good blog friend, Juana, lost her husband unexpectedly two days ago

she was from Spain but had been living outside Atlanta for two years to help her daughter

she was finally able to go back to her native Spain and be together again with her dear Pepe

only to lose him less than six weeks after her return

i have no words to express what my heart feels

and how much i know she is hurting

my heart goes out to her and her family

may she find peace to keep strong

and continue with her overwhelming zest for life

please join me in this week's

click HERE for the rules

which are super easy

Light & Shadow

noreply@blogger.com (She Who Carries Camera) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 01:57:00 +0000

it was a beautiful day today

certainly not a typical february afternoon

the skies were blue and the sun warmed me enough to shed my jacket

to just a sweater and jeans

so a friend and i decided to go to a local park for a photo shoot

it just so happens that jan's focus 52 challenge for this week is "light"

i, therefore, converted all my shots to black & white

to accentuate how beautifully the sun cast shadows on practically everything in the park

shadows of trees make the most interesting patterns

and then i looked up to see a hawk circling above me

there ended up being three circling above, but i could only get one at a time

a creek runs alongside the park

and two young love birds trotted by us dressed as though it was summer

giggling and laughing as though the world was totally theirs

she decided to be daring and cross the creek on a log

unfortunately the log won

she screamed but quickly the laughter took over again

i then came upon this badly charred pair of glasses in the sand

apparently a victim of a late night creekside campfire

there are three of these face carvings in the park, but we only found this one

and don't these vines make a statement on this tree trunk?

further up the creek we came upon more daring teenagers taking the plunge

*this one's my favorite for the day

i played around with my settings until i finally got the streaming water the way i wanted

so overall it was a successful photo shoot!

until next time,