GreenGirlPhotos: Blog https://www.greengirlphotos.com/blog en-us GreenGirlPhotos2021 (GreenGirlPhotos) Mon, 16 Mar 2020 06:34:00 GMT Mon, 16 Mar 2020 06:34:00 GMT https://www.greengirlphotos.com/img/s/v-12/u984978046-o235470205-50.jpg GreenGirlPhotos: Blog https://www.greengirlphotos.com/blog 104 120 Grilled Cheese and Soup - how do you take it? https://www.greengirlphotos.com/blog/2013/10/grilled-cheese-and-soup---how-do-you-take-it Now that it's officially fall...loving that cool front that came through on Saturday...it seems like a grilled cheese and a bowl of soup should be a mainstay on the menu.   The other day, I made grilled cheese with sliced avocado and chicken noodle soup for Haley and myself as there wasn't too much in the fridge or cupboards and it was easy.  When I went to the grocery store I stocked up on a few cans of soup with one being tomato/basil.  

Made me wonder how people prefer their grilled cheese - cheddar/American/swiss/provolone/brie (my younger sister Sarah once made a grilled cheese on homemade bread, brie and apricot jam - OMG it was good) and are additions acceptable like avocado/tomato/bacon (I think this one should be a given cause who doesn't love bacon) and the butter...salted, unsalted, with olive oil or not...so many decisions.

Of course then there's the bread - white, wheat, specialty?  Or is it basically what's available in the fridge?

And then there's the soup - it's kind of like the bread in some ways - what ever is in the cupboard, but I think I prefer tomato - and tomato-basil is all the better.  May have to get my cookbooks out and make some soups this fall - nothing better than smelling up the entire house with the smell of something cookin'.

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(GreenGirlPhotos) https://www.greengirlphotos.com/blog/2013/10/grilled-cheese-and-soup---how-do-you-take-it Sun, 06 Oct 2013 18:10:54 GMT
College Football https://www.greengirlphotos.com/blog/2013/9/college-football I had kind of a colorful college career and one of those colors was Maroon - as in Aggie Maroon.  

In the fall of 1987, LSU showed up at Kyle Field for the first time in about 20 years as they had stopped playing all those years earlier because the rivalry had gotten so heated.  That was my first experience with LSU fans.  They are a different breed.  After spending most of my high school and now college career rooting "for" my team...LSU fans were all about rooting "against" the other team.  I remember not seeing one banner that actually said "Go LSU".  Now it's not like we Aggies don't want to "BEAT the HELL out of" whoever we are playing that week but it feels different.

For those who don't know, the grass around the Memorial Student Center (the MSC) is a living memorial to all the Aggies that have died fighting for our country.  So we don't walk on the grass.  Of course the LSU fans thought it would be fun to do it anyway...except when several of the Senior Corpsmen pulled their sabers to get them off, it got a bit heated.  No one was impaled but it was pretty tense for a few moments.

So now that the Aggies are in the SEC and will be playing LSU for conference points it's certainly upped the ante.  So I have to say I was really rooting for the Georgia Bulldogs today to knock the Tigers off their pedestal a bit...and they did in fine fashion.  Yes we lost to Alabama in a hard fought game with lots of points, but we'll be looking to with the game we didn't win last year.

 

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(GreenGirlPhotos) https://www.greengirlphotos.com/blog/2013/9/college-football Sun, 29 Sep 2013 00:52:24 GMT
Ode to Caffeine https://www.greengirlphotos.com/blog/2013/9/ode-to-caffiene So I LOVE my morning coffee.  I love the smell of freshly ground beans, the process of boiling the water and pouring it over the beans, pushing the plunger down to reveal the rich dark brew, the ritual of it all.  I usually try to restrict myself to one (large) mug but sometimes need two...like today.  I use a french press - have for years.  Grind my beans every morning - sometimes I'm sure to the dismay of my sleeping roomie on a Sunday morning.

But sometimes when on the road, my schedule gets disrupted and my coffee choices are limited.  Like Thursday morning.  I had a cup, in my truck but with my commute to the range only being 10 minutes and needing to hit the ground running as soon as I got there, I only ended up drinking a few sips.  

Fast forward to my drive home.  I battle 5 PM traffic in Houston - no joke for those that have done that - and about 7 PM start getting a headache. A bad one - right between my eyes.  I take a bit of medicine thinking it was just the heat and the long day outside.  Wrong!  At about 8 I stop for a drink and bathroom break and suddenly I realize that it's from my lack of coffee that morning.  At this point I am just about nauseous from the headache but drink my coke to alleviate the pain.  As the caffeine permeates through me I feel better...ahhh feeding my addiction.  

I'm sure it will be a while before I "forget" to get my morning fix but I'm sure it will happen again...and I will pay.  And for all of you who think you can quit it any time you want - be it coffee, diet coke or whatever it is that gives you your "fix" - try quit it for 24 hours and see how you feel...I'm a total wimp and just succumb to the power it has over me.

 

 

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(GreenGirlPhotos) https://www.greengirlphotos.com/blog/2013/9/ode-to-caffiene Fri, 27 Sep 2013 20:15:52 GMT
Honey Crisp Apples https://www.greengirlphotos.com/blog/2013/9/honey-crisp-apples So I grew up on an apple orchard in Eastern Ontario, Canada until I was 9 years old when we moved to Texas.  We mostly picked up grounders (freshly fallen apples) and shined them on our shirts and ate them.  We even had 1 single pear tree that every once in a while we would venture into the orchard to find...usually without much luck.  We had Macintosh, spies, red delicious, I think we had granny smith's too as it would be inconceivable to have an apple orchard without having really good apples for making pies!

That being said, I love apples.  Always have.  These days, I really like the Gala and the Fuji flavors, and for a little while this summer, they were all that were available...so I settled.  

But yesterday I was rewarded with my new ultimate favorite.  Honey Crisp.  OMG - They are the perfect combination of sweet, tart and especially crisp!  But oh are they expensive!  Holy mackerel!  I had a checkout girl confirm with me one time that I was buying $10 worth of apples...and there were only 4!  

So now I try to buy smaller ones and get 5 or 6 but it's still usually close to $10...but I figure that's cheaper than the doctor bill!  Be bold this fall and try something new...and if you're into apples, try the Honey Crisp!  They're delicious!! 

 

 

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(GreenGirlPhotos) https://www.greengirlphotos.com/blog/2013/9/honey-crisp-apples Wed, 25 Sep 2013 19:22:37 GMT
Strawberry Rhubarb trending... https://www.greengirlphotos.com/blog/2013/6/strawberry-rhubarb-trending Have you seen it on the menu??  Have you heard someone say something about Strawberry Rhubarb lately?

Well it started last summer when I asked Buddy what his favorite pie was...and being from Georgia I was certainly SHOCKED when he said Strawberry Rhubarb.  I would imagine most boys/men from the south are not even familiar with Rhubarb, let alone it being a favorite.  When I left London through Heathrow after the Olympics/World English, there was a restaurant in the terminal called Rhubarb...

Then not much for a while but then a few weeks ago, one of my FB friends Sara, made the comment that "At least I had Strawberry-Rhubarb pie for breakfast" which I took to mean that no matter what her day threw at her...she could handle it.  

So then that same day I get a magazine in the mail...just one of those 15-20 page things that you haven't signed up for but looks interesting so you flip through it before you toss it into the recycle...and low and behold...a recipe for Strawberry-Rhubarb pie!

And that's not the end of it...I went to Nashville at the beginning of June and Carolyn, Patrick and I went to dinner at "The Southern - Steak and Oyster" at the bottom of the Pinnacle building (highly recommend if you're in town) and there on the dessert menu...Strawberry Rhubarb Shortcake!  

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Of course it was delicious - and something that I wouldn't have expected was a bit of basil...yes basil...that gave it just one more level of complex flavor.

Then into Central Market which is like foodie heaven and as I am a lover of all things jam...found this too!

Then last night Carolyn...who was with me in Nashville, and I have clued her into the S-R Trending, sent me this from the French Restaurant she was eating at...check out the Chocolate Semi Freddo...yummy!

So now that you have read this...even if you haven't seen anything Strawberry Rhubarb...I'm sure you will see something within the next week and the trend will continue. 

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(GreenGirlPhotos) dessert rhubarb strawberry Rhubarb https://www.greengirlphotos.com/blog/2013/6/strawberry-rhubarb-trending Sat, 29 Jun 2013 16:11:05 GMT
Things I see when driving... https://www.greengirlphotos.com/blog/2013/6/things-i-see-when-driving I've been driving a LOT this year (and last) and I try to pay attention to the countryside as I drive by...like when we went to South Carolina for the US Open in May and as we got closer to Georgetown I kept noticing that the trailer homes...and I've seen a lot of them being from Texas...were the most well kept, clutter free, trimmed lawn trailers houses that I had ever seen.  I know, totally random but interesting.

Another thing I notice is houses.  Why do people build "city" houses in the country?  They are great if you live on a street with lots of other houses but I am amazed how people don't take advantage of the fact that they are OUT IN THE COUNTRY!  Like why do you need a front door that you don't use?  So when I saw a great "country" house yesterday with a wrap around porch, lots of windows it makes me smile...nothing like a rocking chair, porch swing and a comfy chair to sit on and enjoy the outdoors...or a rain storm.  But I guess it's like when my parents were building their house (with a great wrap around porch) and my father said that my input was directly based on the amount of money that I was contributing...I kept my mouth shut.  But I am writing this at the Big Red Oak Plantation...sitting on the porch overlooking the lake...very nice and much appreciated.

 

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(GreenGirlPhotos) https://www.greengirlphotos.com/blog/2013/6/things-i-see-when-driving Thu, 20 Jun 2013 22:15:26 GMT
Paying Attention https://www.greengirlphotos.com/blog/2013/3/paying-attention  

I was recently asked about everything I see when I'm out on the Sporting Clays Course.  I see lots of things when I am camped out at a station taking pictures and generally keep quiet about them.  Except at the Houma Oilman's 2012 event. 

Certainly a stroke of luck that out of 14 stations I could have been on, that when the wad didn’t clear the barrel and the shooter was just about to shoot again that I got VERY loud and brought it to the shooters attention and also all of the trappers and squad mates that were standing very close. 

As it turned out, the wad was about 6-8 inches into the barrel and had to be pushed out with a bamboo shoot.  At the time, when it sunk in what had "not" happened, this shooter thanked me several times.

I tell you this as that same shooter came up to me and thanked me again for preventing him from blowing up his gun.  I corrected him and said I actually prevented you from blowing off your hand – guns are replaceable, hands aren’t! 

He said he tells that story often…as do I!

 

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(GreenGirlPhotos) https://www.greengirlphotos.com/blog/2013/3/paying-attention Thu, 28 Mar 2013 13:30:07 GMT
Capturing you catching your shells https://www.greengirlphotos.com/blog/2013/3/capturing-you-catching-your-shells So I've had a few, okay well several people, want pictures of themselves catching their shells as they come out of the gun.  I can do this.  It's actually pretty easy to catch...with a few conditions...to you, the shooter.

1.  You have to hold your hand up far enough away from the gun for the shells to "travel" to your hand.  Many of you have been catching your shells for so many years, you don't think about the symantics of the shot you're asking for.  If your hand is just over the opening when you crack your gun open, there is no "hang time" for the shells...I can't get the shot.  

2.  Ask me BEFORE you step into the cage to catch the shot.  I try to capture it on most shooters but if I know specifically that that's what you want, I will focus on getting that shot for you.

 

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(GreenGirlPhotos) https://www.greengirlphotos.com/blog/2013/3/capturing-you-catching-your-shells Thu, 07 Mar 2013 15:25:55 GMT
Caribbean Classic https://www.greengirlphotos.com/blog/2013/2/caribbean-classic As you turn off Route 60 onto 82nd Ave, you pass some little neighborhoods, then the paved road turns to sandy/gravel and after the sand mines and groves...there's the sign for Indian River Trap and Skeet (home of the Caribbean Classic).  Driving in past the citrus groves makes you realize that it really is warm down here as the large ripe fruit is making the branches bend downward...with several grounders laying under the trees...and then you remember it's only February!  

This is a neat club owned by Mick and Emma Howells and it's a really nice place to come and shoot.  Lots of familiar faces from the great white north have descended South again to start the Sporting Clays season.   Patricia and Barry Clute from Ontario, Alain and the Frenchmen from Quebec, ME and Louis McMurren from Virginia...just to name a few and we're all in shorts and tees enjoying the Florida sun.  Of course, Mother Nature gave us a bit of a chilly blast on Sunday to keep us all in check but it wasn't too bad.

This shoot is the weekend before the big Seminole Cup down at Quail Creek Plantation.  I had left my cart here after the US FITASC Shoot at Doug's South Florida Shooting Center but didn't get to return until Saturday morning having driven down from Atlanta on Friday.  Several people were wondering where I was since they saw my cart but not me.  

I love the shoots where everyone shoots the same course on the same day...and with only 2 rotations, it was really nice for me to work the 12:30 rotation each day!   I know, sounds like I'm slacking but two full days out on the course shooting pictures really is exhausting!

I've actually got over 1800 pictures from just this shoot and don't be surprised if you see some new "faces" in my pictures...I think it's really interesting to capture the expressions that you all make just after you finish your shots...sometimes you can tell exactly what is happening but I find also that just because you hit all the targets doesn't mean you smile when you're done...hmmmm...so my experiment will continue...may have to do some analysis on this later in the summer.

Congrats to Bill McGuire on his win in the Main and Ashley Little on her Lady Champ win...I expect to see more of her on the podium this year.

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(GreenGirlPhotos) https://www.greengirlphotos.com/blog/2013/2/caribbean-classic Tue, 26 Feb 2013 17:33:34 GMT
SHOT Show Media Day https://www.greengirlphotos.com/blog/2013/1/shot-show-media-day So my New Year's Resolution is to WRITE (well one of them at least) more, and more specifically on my Blog.  

I'm in Las Vegas for SHOT Show and I attended Media Day yesterday.  They don't ask you what you do...they ask you who you write for...and I was told very quickly that my Blog is out of date!  Totally busted thanks to smart phones - and we hadn't even gotten to the event yet.  So I'm going to try and remedy that this week and throughout the year on my travels.

Being from Texas, I understand that it can be 70 degrees in January...or 20 so I checked the weather forecast before I came this week.    Knowing the high was only going to be in the 30's I came prepared - thank goodness.  Along with the cold there was a bit of a brisk wind to boot.  I had my coat done up over my 3 layers and scarf underneath and my furry hood over my head most of the time.

There were some familiar faces...

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and some neat new products...GG13-SS-MD-12

One of the uses above is for home protection - slugs that will stop the intruder, but won't go through two more walls and injure the neighbor next door.

Of course there are the targets...I can handle the alien and the zombie...but the clown really creeps me out!

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The new Winchester AA Trackers look really neat too.  I watched a guy shoot several targets and being able to see the wad travel with the shot could be very effective.

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On the Shotgun side, Promatic has a nice compact personal use machine that you can add the wobble to.

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But if that's a bit more than you wanted - these guys have a hand thrower that won't throw out your shoulder (most of us have used the age-old thrower - we used to attach it to a golf club for better swing)

GG13-SS-MD-84 GG13-SS-MD-85 This guy barely flicked his wrist and the clay went flying...would be great for any age shooters and everyone would be more willing to be the target thrower when it was their turn.

Saw some more familiar faces -  Angela Schwendeman on the left, Judy Rhodes, founder of the (formerly Texas DIVAS) DIVA W.O.W. organization and Cheryl Long in the fur vest making the rounds - all bundled up.  Judy of course wanted to see all there was to see...and Cheryl wanted to stop and shoot every gun - she's a shotgun girl, but I think Pistols and rifles are her first love and working at the Gun Counter at Cabela's in Allen, TX it's nice for her to be able to talk the talk.

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GG13-SS-MD-31 I got in on the action too and shot the "black gun".  Of course the gentleman told me it was designed to shoot about 800 yards and we were only shooting about 25 so I was a bit off.  It continues to confirm my belief that the only thing stopping a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun...or girl for that matter.

The inside show starts today and I am nervously excited to see it all again.  I think this is my 7th or 8th time to come to SHOT (more than some and way less than lots of others) - started coming in 2003 and had a few years off in the middle - but it's my 3rd year as "the Green Girl".  Looking forward to seeing friend and making new ones!

 

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(GreenGirlPhotos) Media SHOT Shooting Vegas green girl photos https://www.greengirlphotos.com/blog/2013/1/shot-show-media-day Tue, 15 Jan 2013 14:49:41 GMT
HOIST https://www.greengirlphotos.com/blog/2012/6/hoist  

Driving into Westside Sporting Grounds in Katy, TX you see the big white tent, reminiscent of a big circus tent with decorated tables covered with linen tablecloths, sponsor banners everywhere and of course the flags of our great nation and even greater state of Texas!  A big blue Texas sky welcomed everyone much to the relief of Lauren Byars and her capable crew of volunteers.  I have heard that Mother Nature hasn’t always cooperated in past years.

First bit of advice at an Oilfield shoot - come hungry.  Axis Oilfield Rentals (Dustin “Bigfoot” Labat) started off the event with Friday lunch.  The Crawfish etouffee was supreme!  After lunch, Stephanie Thomas – a rookie oilfield vendor - from Muller Chokes said, “I should probably pace myself”.  Patterson Services has done the Friday night Fish Fry for many, many years at H.O.I.S.T. and this year they didn’t disappoint!  Fried catfish, baked beans, chicken wings and spicy Louisiana coleslaw…it didn’t take long for the line to form and the food to be gone. 

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Saturday morning, Aramark hosted breakfast with a made-to-order omelet bar, cream cheese pastries and breakfast burritos.  I talked with several disappointed people who had eaten at their hotels…back to my advice – come hungry.  Lunch was already cooking with the C&G Boats and Linear Controls crews.  A whole roasted pig on a spit had been cooking since 5:45 AM and there was boiled shrimp and corn on the cob.  I was told afterwards that they cooked and served every bit of food they brought…even the extra stuff…the cupboards were bare. 

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Of course if you needed an afternoon snack you could cool off a bit with some ice cream provided by Precision Directional Drilling.

And there was shooting too.  Friday was open to shoot the courses for practice and lots of games – long bird, wind chime and the two-man flurry were busy all day.  The golf cart winner is drawn from the long bird shooters so there is always a steady stream of people waiting to shoot, and re-shoot.  The Friday golf cart is an EZGO donated by Offshore Energy Service with the trailer from Frank’s International and the Saturday cart drawing is a 4-seat Polaris Ranger donated by H.O.I.S.T. and trailer from Frank’s International!  Congrats to Dustin “Bigfoot” Labat with Axis Oilfield rentals on winning the Friday night cart and Saturday night winner Brad James with Hercules Offshore.

2012 marks the 16th year for H.O.I.S.T. (Houston Oilman’s Invitational Sporting Clays Tournament) and they again were sold out with 90 teams of 5 shooters.  H.O.I.S.T. makes their largest donation to the Children’s Assessment Center of Houston with $75,000, with this year’s donation totaling $795,000 cash donations since the start.  They also give $20,000 to Charlie Wilson and the Texas Parks and Wildlife and $25,000 to The Wounded Warrior Project.  

This year they had one extra special team - the Wounded Warriors Project Team and they had a bit of help getting prepared for their 100 bird rotation.  Each team member received a Beretta 391 engraved with “To our Heros” and “HOIST 2012”, donated by HOIST, with Randy Wright and his team from Able Ammo processing the paperwork; Joe Morales with Rhino Chokes provided a Skeet II choke tube and did a first time gun cleaning; Tim Holt with Audio Protection Company provided custom molded ear plugs, Briley donated a Briley Gun sleeve, Browning shooting glasses with multiple lenses and a shooting towel.  Hercules Offshore donated Bob Allen Custom shooting bags and Lonesome Charlie shell pouches and David Chandler with Oilfield Welding donated a case of 12 gauge Rio Shells for each shooter.  On the course, they had instruction from Master Class shooters Doug Kuykendall, Robert Hamilton, Billy Madden, David Chandler and Jim Ponder. 

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Friday nights Top Gun shoot off had a host of top shooters including 2011 H.O.I.S.T. winner Keith Talley, Carey Perry (2010 winner), Cory Kruse (2009 & 2007 winner), Robert Hamilton(2008 winner), Cole Storey(2006 winner), Ricky Hileman (2004 winner), Scott Bellaire (2003 & 2001 winner), Mark Cruse (2000 winner), Gilbert Sims (1997 winner), David Chandler, Ryan “Duson” LeBlanc, Jim Ponder, Steve Choate, Rick Storey, Doug Kuykendall and Drew Bounds.  That led into the Calcutta for Saturday’s winner.GG-HOIST12-1586

Saturday morning had shooters ready to roll by 8:30 AM with two courses full of shooters.  The format is 5 separate 5-stands with 10 true pairs per station for 100 total targets and 4 rotations.  In the past, the top-gun/Calcutta course was typically a bit tougher than the other but the instruction to the target setters this year was make them both as close to the same as possible.  Well they were definitely tougher!  The top score and only score in the 90’s was Master Class shooter, Eddie Speed.   Perennial favorites Cory Kruse, Cole and Rick Storey, Scott Bellaire, Robert Hamilton and Keith Talley were all in the mid-80’s.

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And to ensure that everyone left with a full tummy, Halliburton cooked steaks on Saturday night – a great way to end 2 days of competition.

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(GreenGirlPhotos) Green girl Photos HOIST Westside sporting clays https://www.greengirlphotos.com/blog/2012/6/hoist Tue, 12 Jun 2012 23:23:26 GMT
Gamaliel Cup Green Girl SNAFU https://www.greengirlphotos.com/blog/2012/4/gamaliel-cup-green-girl-snafu So if you're looking for Sunday shooter pictures, sorry they're not there.  

Right before the end of the 11:30 rotation I ran out of space on my memory card and ran over to my cart to put in a new one.  I left the card sitting on my seat under the towel.  Bad move.

When the rotation finished, I hopped on my cart and came up to the clubhouse - forgetting that I had left it on the seat.  When I finally remembered, I had already left and it was dark.  Came back on Monday morning and found it in the parking lot...and it had been run over...probably by me seeing where my truck was and where I found the card.

I have sent it off to a data recovery place to see if they can get any of the pictures for me...I'll keep you posted.

My sincere apologies - I can only be mad at myself on this one!!  

The good news is I had lots of pictures from Saturday and used a different camera for the trophy pics - so they're posted. 

Please email or call me if you have any questions or issues finding the pictures I did take.

-Lynne

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(GreenGirlPhotos) Gamaliel Cup https://www.greengirlphotos.com/blog/2012/4/gamaliel-cup-green-girl-snafu Fri, 27 Apr 2012 20:04:10 GMT
Photo Process https://www.greengirlphotos.com/blog/2012/4/photo-process I wanted to share with y'all my photo taking process...and how they get to the website...just in case you're wonder why it takes me so long sometimes.

1.  On the course, I take a picture of your shooter number first, then take the shooting pictures.  I get the listing of numbers/names so that I can sync up afterwards.  I have been traveling to a lot of new places lately with a lot of shooters that I don't know...yet...so please wear your shooter number...where it's easy to see and I don't have to bother you to take a picture of it.

2.  At the conclusion of the shoot, I upload them all to my computer and then rename to identify the shoot and location.

2.  Then I manually "tag" (add meta data) each photo with your name (that I get from your shooter number) so that they can be searchable on my site.  This is the most time consuming process so if I have shoots back to back this is why there is a delay in posting...but it allows you to type in your name to search for your photos and it helps me when someone calls looking for your pictures I can search my files...well worth the effort on the front end!  I have some facial recognition software that works great on face shots but not so great when there's a gun in the way.

3.  Add the event logo and Green Girl Logo to the pictures - yes I have an app for that.  Then cull the photos that I don't want to post (or the ones you're glad I don't post)...like the pictures of the shooter numbers, bad angles, etc.

4.  Upload to my site in the event folder - no surprise...I LOVE fast upload speed!

 

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(GreenGirlPhotos) green girl photos upload process https://www.greengirlphotos.com/blog/2012/4/photo-process Wed, 18 Apr 2012 15:12:22 GMT