Category Archives: Carla

WPC – WEEK 279 – COMMERCIAL

I need to start by noting that today is the day we honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.


Civil Rights Museum

I’d like to share a teaching on The Good Samaritan from the last speech that King ever gave as my small part of honoring his legacy today:

Let us develop a kind of dangerous unselfishness. One day a man came to Jesus, and he wanted to raise some questions about some vital matters of life. At points he wanted to trick Jesus, and show him that he knew a little more than Jesus knew and throw him off base…. Now that question could have easily ended up in a philosophical and theological debate. But Jesus immediately pulled that question from mid-air, and placed it on a dangerous curve between Jerusalem and Jericho. And he talked about a certain man, who fell among thieves. You remember that a Levite and a priest passed by on the other side.

They didn’t stop to help him. And finally a man of another race came by. He got down from his beast, decided not to be compassionate by proxy. But he got down with him, administered first aid, and helped the man in need. Jesus ended up saying, this was the good man, this was the great man, because he had the capacity to project the “I” into the “thou,” and to be concerned about his brother.

Now you know, we use our imagination a great deal to try to determine why the priest and the Levite didn’t stop. At times we say they were busy going to a church meeting, an ecclesiastical gathering, and they had to get on down to Jerusalem so they wouldn’t be late for their meeting. At other times we would speculate that there was a religious law that “One who was engaged in religious ceremonials was not to touch a human body twenty-four hours before the ceremony.” And every now and then we begin to wonder whether maybe they were not going down to Jerusalem — or down to Jericho, rather to organize a “Jericho Road Improvement Association.”

That’s a possibility. Maybe they felt that it was better to deal with the problem from the causal root, rather than to get bogged down with an individual effect.

But I’m going to tell you what my imagination tells me. It’s possible that those men were afraid. You see, the Jericho road is a dangerous road. I remember when Mrs. King and I were first in Jerusalem. We rented a car and drove from Jerusalem down to Jericho. And as soon as we got on that road, I said to my wife, “I can see why Jesus used this as the setting for his parable.” It’s a winding, meandering road. It’s really conducive for ambushing. You start out in Jerusalem, which is about 1200 miles — or rather 1200 feet above sea level. And by the time you get down to Jericho, fifteen or twenty minutes later, you’re about 2200 feet below sea level. That’s a dangerous road. In the days of Jesus it came to be known as the “Bloody Pass.”

And you know, it’s possible that the priest and the Levite looked over that man on the ground and wondered if the robbers were still around. Or it’s possible that they felt that the man on the ground was merely faking. And he was acting like he had been robbed and hurt, in order to seize them over there, lure them there for quick and easy seizure. And so the first question that the priest asked — the first question that the Levite asked was, “If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?” But then the Good Samaritan came by. And he reversed the question: “If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?”

That’s the question before you tonight. Not, “If I stop to help the sanitation workers, what will happen to my job. Not, “If I stop to help the sanitation workers what will happen to all of the hours that I usually spend in my office every day and every week as a pastor?” The question is not, “If I stop to help this man in need, what will happen to me?” The question is, “If I do not stop to help the sanitation workers, what will happen to them?”
That’s the question.

In a time where we have white supremacist terrorists threatening our country, we should all heed the widsom of Martin Luther King Jr. and we should all strive for his calling of dangerous unselfishness.

And to honor the fact that the pastor at Martin Luther King Jr.’s church was just elected to the United States Senate. While the white supremacists throw a big shadow in this country, it is just a shadow. There are more of us, than there are of them. The election of Raphael Warnock is proof of that.

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I do want to point out that last week, in the chaos that was my 11 AM hour, I missed Cathie’s submission for FAMILY. I have corrected that error and it has since been added to last Monday’s journal entry. I encourage you to go to the website to see it. My apologies Cathie!

I was actually worried that this is the theme that would break the streak. I figured COMMERCIAL would be a tough nut to crack for many people. But we did it! For the 68th week in a row, we hit double digits!

But you didn’t come there to listen to me talk all tommyrot about participation rates. You came to see the submissions:


WEEK 279 - COMMERCIAL - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker

WEEK 279 - COMMERCIAL - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman

WEEK 279 - COMMERCIAL - TAMARA PETERSON
Tamara Peterson

WEEK 279 - COMMERCIAL - MICHELLE HAUPT
Michelle Haupt

WEEK 279 - COMMERCIAL - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett

WEEK 279 - COMMERCIAL - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland

WEEK 279 - COMMERCIAL - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman

WEEK 279 - COMMERCIAL - BECKY PARMELEE
Becky Parmelee

WEEK 279 - COMMERCIAL - CATHIE RALEY
Cathie Raley

WEEK 279 - COMMERCIAL - MICKY AUGUSTIN
Micky Augustin

WEEK 279 - COMMERCIAL - DAWN KRAUSE
Dawn Krause

WEEK 279 - COMMERCIAL - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp

WEEK 279 - COMMERCIAL - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp

WEEK 279 - COMMERCIAL - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp

WEEK 279 - COMMERCIAL - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp

WEEK 279 - COMMERCIAL - SHANNON BARDOLE-FOLEY
Shannon Bardole-Foley

But enough dwelling on the past. Time to look to the future. We are all interested in the future, for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives. And remember my friend, future events such as these will affect you in the future! This week’s theme:


WEEK 280 - HOBBIES
HOBBIES

HOBBIES! Another great theme for Year 8 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE.

What defines a HOBBIES photo? HOBBIES are activities done regularly in one’s leisure time for pleasure. What do you do in your leisure time, regularly, for pleasure? What do your friends or family do regularly in their leisure time for pleasure. Take a picture of somebody that is engaged in their leisure time pleasure. Or take a picture of an item that is used for leisure time pleasure. We aren’t here to judge what people do for leisure time pleasure. We are just here to photograph what give somebody leisure time pleasure.

As you should know, the 1960 Alfred Hitchcock classic PSYCHO is tied for being my favorite movie of all-time. Think about the scene is PSYCHO where Marion Crane and Norman Bates are eating supper together in the backroom of the Bates Motel office, with all of the birds that Norman has stuffed.

INT. NORMAN’S PARLOR -(NIGHT)

In the darkened room, lit only by the light from the office spilling in, we see Norman placing the tray on a table. Mary comes to the doorway, pauses. Norman straightens up, goes to lamp, turns on the light.

Mary is startled by the room. Even in the dimness of one lamp, the strange, extraordinary nature of the room rushes
up at one. It is a room of birds. Stuffed birds, all over the room, on every available surface, one even clinging to
the old fashioned fringed shade of the lamp. The birds are of many varieties, beautiful, grand, horrible, preying. Mary
stares in awe and a certain fascinated horror.

CLOSE UP – THE VARIOUS BIRDS TWO SHOT – MARY AND NORMAN

NORMAN
Please sit down. On the sofa.

As Norman goes about spreading out the bread and ham and pouring the milk, we follow Mary across the room. She studies
the birds as she walks, briefly examines a bookcase stacked with books on the subject of “Taxidermy.”

CLOSE UP – THE BOOKS ON TAXIDERMY MED. CLOSE SHOT – MARY

She notices, too, the paintings on the wall; nudes, primarily, and many with a vaguely religious overtone.

Finally Mary reaches the sofa, sits down, looks at the spread.

MARY
You’re very… kind.

NORMAN
It’s all for you. I’m not hungry.
Please go ahead.

Mary begins to eat, her attitude a bit tense. She takes up a small slice of ham, bites off a tiny bite, nibbles at it in the manner of one disturbed and preoccupied.

Norman gazes at her, at the tiny bite she has taken, smiles and then laughs.

NORMAN
You eat like a bird.

MARY
You’d know, of course.

NORMAN
Not really. I hear that expression,
that one eats “like a bird,” is really
a falsie, I mean a falsity, because
birds eat a tremendous lot.
(A pause, then
explaining)
Oh, I don’t know anything about birds.
My hobby is stuffing things…
taxidermy. And I guess I’d just rather
stuff birds because… well, I hate
the look of beasts when they’re
stuffed, foxes and chimps and all…
some people even stuff dogs and
cats… but I can’t… I think only
birds look well stuffed because
they’re rather… passive, to begin
with… most of them…

He trails off, his exuberance failing in the rushing return of his natural hesitancy and discomfort. Mary looks at him,
with some compression, smiles.

MARY
It’s a strange hobby. Curious, I
mean.

NORMAN
Uncommon, too.

MARY
I imagine so.

NORMAN
It’s not as expensive as you’d think.
Cheap, really. Needles, thread,
sawdust .. the chemicals are all
that cost anything.
(He goes quiet, looks
disturbed)

MARY
A man should have a hobby.

NORMAN
It’s more than a hobby… sometimes…
a hobby is supposed to pass the time,
not fill it.

When you are preparing to take your HOBBIES photo, meditate on an activity that passes the time, but doesn’t fill it.

Then send me you submission(s) by 11 AM next Monday. Remember, while I might consider you FAMILY, the picture has to be taken between 12:01 PM today and 11 AM next Monday. This isn’t a curate your photos project. This is a get your butt off the couch (unless you are taking your picture from the couch) and take pictures challenge.

You can send your images to either bennett@photography139.com OR you may text them to my Pixel 5.

That is all I got, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will all be sharing our idea of HOBBIES in this place that passes the time next Monday.

2010-06-13

There were a ton of pictures in the folder 2010-06-13. Some were from Johnathan’s Graduation Open House. Some were from Shannon’s Birthday Camping Trip. Others were of frogs. Even others were of insects. It is a truly great folder!


Shannon Birthday Camping - 2010

Shannon Birthday Camping - 2010

Shannon Birthday Camping - 2010

Shannon Birthday Camping - 2010

Use and Virtue

Frog with Tail

Personal Photo Project No. 28 Alternate

Personal Photo Project No. 28 Alternate

Personal Photo Project No. 28 Alternate

Personal Photo Project No. 28 Alternate

Personal Photo Project No. 28 Alternate

Personal Photo Project No. 28 Alternate

Personal Photo Project of the Week #30 Alternate

Personal Photo Project of the Week #30 Alternate

Personal Photo Project #30 Alternate

Personal Photo Project #30 Alternate

Personal Photo Project #30 Alternate

Personal Photo Project #30 Alternate

Personal Photo Project #30 Alternate

Personal Photo Project of the Week #30

Johnathan's Graduation Open House - 2010

Johnathan's Graduation Open House - 2010

Johnathan's Graduation Open House - 2010

Johnathan's Graduation Open House - 2010

Johnathan's Graduation Open House - 2010

By adding these pictures to the Photography 139 Gallery, I was able to restore the following historic “An Artist’s Notebook” entries to their original glory:

PERSONAL PHOTO PROJECT OF THE WEEK NO. 28

PERSONAL PHOTO PROJECT OF THE WEEK #30

Cleanup

Next Saturday’s walk down memory lane will, at the very least, be STRONG.

WPC – WEEK 278 – FAMILY

Here it is! The first week of Year 8 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE. I asked people to submit a picture that showed what they think, when they think of FAMILY. For the 67th week in a row, we had double digit submissions!

But you didn’t come here to listen to me talk all tommyrot about participation rates. You came to see the submissions:


WEEK 278 - FAMILY - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker

WEEK 278 - FAMILY - ELIZABETH NORDEEN
Elizabeth Nordeen

WEEK 278 - FAMILY - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman

WEEK 278 - FAMILY - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman

WEEK 278 - FAMILY - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman

WEEK 278 - FAMILY - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman

WEEK 278 - FAMILY - TAMARA PETERSON
Tamara Peterson

WEEK 278 - FAMILY - TAMARA PETERSON
Tamara Peterson

WEEK 278 - FAMILY - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett

WEEK 278 - FAMILY - MICHELLE HAUPT
Michelle Haupt

WEEL 278 - FAMILY - SHANNON BARDOLE-FOLEY
Shannon Bardole-Foley

WEEL 278 - FAMILY - MICKY AUGUSTIN
Micky Augustin

WEEL 278 - FAMILY - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler

WEEL 278 - FAMILY - DAWN KRAUSE
Dawn Krause

WEEL 278 - FAMILY - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland

WEEL 278 - FAMILY - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland

WEEL 278 - FAMILY - ANGIE DEWAARD
Angie DeWaard

WEEL 278 - FAMILY - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland

WEEL 278 - FAMILY - ANGIE DEWAARD
Angie DeWaard

WEEL 278 - FAMILY - BECKY PARMELEE
Becky Parmelee

WEEK 278 - FAMILY - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp

WEEK 278 - FAMILY - CATHIE RALEY
Cathie Raley

But enough dwelling on the past. Time to look to the future. We are all interested in the future, for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives. And remember my friend, future events such as these will affect you in the future! This week’s theme:


WEEK 279 - COMMERCIAL
COMMERCIAL

COMMERCIAL! The second theme of Year 8 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE.

What defines a COMMERCIAL photo? I want you to think of something that you really like. Maybe even love it. Something that you think other people would enjoy or find useful. It could be something that you already sell. Now think about how would you sell it to other people through the language of photography.

While this image, might recall a bit of the old days of magazines (anybody remember magazines, I used to subscribe to 6 or 7 of them), advertising, isn’t the only avenue of sales. For example, the picture that people take and put on dating apps, that is a way of trying to sell yourself.

That is this week’s challenge, to think of something (or even somebody) and try to photograph it in away that other people would think, I want some of that.

You can think of trying to make a COMMERCIAL image for something that is reprehensible like smoking. Here is a quote from a character named Nick Naylor from the movie THANK YOU FOR SMOKING. Nick Naylor is a lobbyist for the tobacco companies and this is an exchange he has during a meeting with tobacco executives:

Nick Naylor: [during a meeting with company executives and other staff members] In 1910, the US was producing ten billion cigarettes a year, by 1930 we were up to one hundred twenty three billion, what happened in between? Three things: a world war, dieting and movies

BR: Movies?

Nick Naylor : In, 1927 talking pictures are born and suddenly directors need to give their actors something to do while their talking, Cary Grant and Carole Lombard lighting up, Bette Davis a “chimney”, and Bogart, remember the first picture with him and Lauren Bacall?

BR: Not specifically

Nick Naylor : She shimmies through the doorway nineteen years old, pure sex, she says “anyone got a match?” and Bogie throws the matches at her, she catches them, greatest romance in the century, how did it start? lighting a cigarette, we need the cast of Will & Grace smoking in their living room, Forrest Gump puffing away between his boxes of chocolates, Hugh Grant earning back the love of Julia Roberts by buying her favorite brand, her Virginia Slims, most of the actors smoke already, when they start doing it onscreen, we can put the sex back into cigarettes.

Meditate on that, while thinking of how to make a COMMERCIAL image.

Then send me you submission(s) by 11 AM next Monday. Remember, while I might consider you FAMILY, the picture has to be taken between 12:01 PM today and 11 AM next Monday. This isn’t a curate your photos project. This is a get your butt off the couch (unless you are taking your picture from the couch) and take pictures challenge.

You can send your images to either bennett@photography139.com OR you may text them to my Pixel 5.

That is all I got, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will all be sharing our idea of COMMERICAL in this maybe not all that sexy place next Monday.

WPC – WEEK 277 – TRANSPORTATION

This is the final week of the Hall of Fame THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE themes. TRANSPORTATION is a good way to end it, I suppose. 66! That is the number of weeks in a row we have hit double digit submissions! WooHoo!

But you didn’t come here to listen to me talk all tommyrot about participation rates. You came to see the submissions:


WEEK 277 - TRANSPORTATION - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman

WEEK 277 - TRANSPORTATION - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman

WEEK 277 - TRANSPORTATION - BECKY PARMELEE
Becky Parmelee

WEEK 277 - TRANSPORTATION - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett

WEEK 277 - TRANSPORTATION - TAMARA PETERSON
Tamara Peterson

WEEK 277 - TRANSPORTATION - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland

WEEK 277 - TRANSPORTATION - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland

WEEK 277 - TRANSPORTATION - DAWN KRAUSE
Dawn Krause

WEEJ 277 - TRANSPORTATION - MICKY AUGUSTIN
Micky Augustin

WEEJ 277 - TRANSPORTATION - MICKY AUGUSTIN
Micky Augustin

WEEJ 277 - TRANSPORTATION - MICKY AUGUSTIN
Micky Augustin

WEEK 277 - TRANSPORTATION - ELIZABETH NORDEEN
Elizabeth Nordeen

WEEK 277 -  TRANSPORTATION - CATHIE RALEY
Cathie Raley

WEEK 277 - TRANSPORTATION - MONICA HENNING
Monica Henning

WEEK 277 - TRANSPORTATION - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp

WEEK 277 - TRANSPORTATION - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp

WEEK 277 - TRANSPORTATION - SHANNON BARDOLE-FOLEY
Shannon Bardole-Foley

WEEK 277 - TRANSPORTATION - JESSE HOWARD
Jesse Howard

If you want to take a look back at all the images submitted for THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – HALL OF FAME, click on the link below:

Weekly Photo Challenge – HOF

But enough dwelling on the past. Time to look to the future. We are all interested in the future, for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives. And remember my friend, future events such as these will affect you in the future! This week’s theme:


WEEK 278 - FAMILY
FAMILY

FAMILY! The first theme of the 8th (full) year of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE.

What defines a FAMILY photo? First, you need to define what makes a FAMILY? Is it a group of people that share the same Deoxyribonucleic Acid? Or does the definition stretch a little bit farther than what can be placed in a test tube? Is a FAMILY a group of people that have a common set of beliefs? A common set of values? A common set of goals? A common set of experiences? Or perhaps the one thing that binds a group and makes them a FAMILY is LOVE? I’m sure there are more than a few that have come from a dysfunctional FAMILY would argue that love does not define a FAMILY. And others that would argue that just because you share that double helix with somebody, doesn’t make them FAMILY at all.

Personally, I like to think that FAMILY is more than what is in the blood in your body, but is more defined by the people (sentient beings) that you would spill blood for. Yours or others.

There is a scene in one of my favorite movies (Top 100 for sure) GARDEN STATE where the main character (Andrew Largeman) is discussing the idea of home with his romantic interest (Sam). They have the following interaction:

Andrew Largeman: You know that point in your life when you realize the house you grew up in isn’t really your home anymore? All of a sudden even though you have some place where you put your shit, that idea of home is gone.

Sam: I still feel at home in my house.

Andrew Largeman: You’ll see one day when you move out it just sort of happens one day and it’s gone. You feel like you can never get it back. It’s like you feel homesick for a place that doesn’t even exist. Maybe it’s like this rite of passage, you know. You won’t ever have this feeling again until you create a new idea of home for yourself, you know, for your kids, for the family you start, it’s like a cycle or something. I don’t know, but I miss the idea of it, you know. Maybe that’s all family really is. A group of people that miss the same imaginary place.

Sam: [cuddles up to Andrew] Maybe.

Meditate on what FAMILY means to you and take an image that shows exactly that.

Then send me you submission(s) by 11 AM next Monday. Remember, while I might consider you FAMILY, the picture has to be taken between 12:01 PM today and 11 AM next Monday. This isn’t a curate your photos project. This is a get your butt off the couch (unless you are taking your picture from the couch) and take pictures challenge.

You can send your images to either bennett@photography139.com OR you may text them to my Pixel 5.

That is all I got, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will all be sharing our idea of FAMILY in this not quite imaginary, but not quite real place next Monday.

WPC – WEEK 276 – ROAD TRIP

The September image for the 2021 Photography 139 Calendar is a picture of an orange gazania that I sprayed down with a water bottle. This gazania was grown in the Photography 139 Flower Garden. It is one of the bucket flower pots that lives in the front yard next to my front porch. This picture was taken on June 27, 2020.


2021 Calendar - September

Here are details of the photo:

DETAILS

CAMERA: Sony ILCE-7M2
LENS: FE 50mm 2.8 Macro
FOCAL LENGTH: 50mm
APERTURE: f/5.6
EXPOSURE: 1/100
ISO: 100
FIELD OF VIEW: 39.6 degrees
LATITUDE: 42.05523
LONGITUDE: -93.87072

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The theme that will be revealed later in this post for this week is the last theme in the run of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE HALL OF FAME themes. We will start a fresh new set of theme as we change to a new calendar. Particularly, if you have received a Photography 139 Calendar, you will see that the new theme for every week is printed on every Monday. I did not include any of the Hall of Fame theme is the next set of 52 themes. When we get to those set of themes next Monday, my description of every theme might sound a little bit difference to my descriptions in the past.

Here is a look at the next 52 Themes:

1. FAMILY
2. COMMERCIAL
3. HOBBIES
4. BLACK
5. USE OF SPACE
6. WIND
7. SYMMETRY & PATTERNS
8. LINES
9. PLAY
10. PICTURE IN PICTURE
11. STREET PHOTOGRAPHY
12. LOVE
13. LOCAL INTEREST – SLICE OF LIFE
14. DRINKS
15. SHADOW
16. HANDS
17. TRAVEL
18. FACE
19. LIGHT
20. GOVERNMENT
21. IN THE AIR
22. WORDS
23. RED
24. WHITE
25. COMMUNICATION
26. ADVENTURE
27. HISTORY
28. MUSIC
29. ARCHITECTURE
30. PATHS
31. TOY
32. MOVEMENT
33. FRIENDS
34. PEOPLE
35. ‘SCAPE
36. JUNK
37. WORK
38. DREAM JOB
39. FLOWER
40. TIME
41. PASSION
42. GREEN
43. HERO
44. BUSINESS
45. RELIGION
46. REFLECTION
47. NATURE
48. BLUE
49. ODD CAMERA ANGLE
50. CANDID PORTRAIT
51. HOLIDAY
52. EDUCATION

There are many themes that we have tackled in the past. Some that haven’t been used in years. Some that have never been used before. Thanks to Andy for being the one person to suggest themes for what will be the 8th Year of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE… born the RANDOM WEEKLY PHOTO EXPERIMENT a decade ago.

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ROAD TRIP was another theme that triggered plenty of creativity, despite the holiday season. I had double digit submission before I even went to bed Sunday night! 65 straight weeks of double digit submissions.

But you didn’t come here to listen to me talk all tommyrot about participation rates. You came to see the submissions:


WEEK 276 - ROAD TRIP - AARON BARNETT
Aaron Barnett

WEEK 276 - ROAD TRIP - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman

WEEK 276 - ROAD TRIP - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman

WEEK 276 - ROAD TRIP - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman

WEEK 276 - ROAD TRIP - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman

WEEK 276 - ROAD TRIP - TAMARA PETERSON
Tamara Peterson

WEEK 276 - ROAD TRIP - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker

WEEK 276 - ROAD TRIP - MICKY AUGUSTIN
Micky Augustin

WEEK 276 - ROAD TRIP - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett

WEEK 276 - ROAD TRIP - SHANNON BARDOLE-FOLEY
Shannon Bardole-Foley

WEEK 276 - ROAD TRIP - MICHELLE HAUPT
Michelle Haupt

WEEK 276 - ROAD TRIP - JESSE HOWARD
Jesse Howard

WEEK 276 - ROAD TRIP - CATHIE RALEY
Cathie Raley

WEEK 276 - ROAD TRIP - MONICA HENNING
Monica Henning

WEEK 276 - ROAD TRIP - MONICA HENNING
Monica Henning

WEEK 276 - ROAD TRIP - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland

WEEK 276 - ROAD TRIP - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland

But enough dwelling on the past. Time to look to the future. We are all interested in the future, for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives. And remember my friend, future events such as these will affect you in the future! This week’s theme:


WEEK 277 - TRANSPORTATION
TRANSPORTATION

TRANSPORTATION! What a great theme! But what is a TRANSPORTATION picture? Any picture that has to deal with transporting things from point A to point B. A road is used in the example, but cars that drive on that road could be used. So could railroad tracks. Trains. Planes. Boats. Horses. Anything that takes anything or anybody from point A to point B is fair game!

Here is a look back at all the times in the past that TRANSPORTATION has been a theme:

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 42 – TRANSPORTATION

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 67 – TRANSPORTATION

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 114 – TRANSPORTATION

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 180 – TRANSPORTATION

WPC – WEEK 256 – TRANSPORTATION

I look forward to seeing the new interpretations!

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HOUSEKEEPING

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 RULES DIVISION

The picture has to be taken the week of the theme. This isn’t a curate your pictures challenge. This is a get your butt off the couch (my personal experience) and put your camera in your hands challenge. Don’t send me a picture of you next to the Eiffel Tower, when I know you were in Iowa all week. I will point out that I have let that slide some in the past. I will not in the future. Since it is literally about the only rule.

Your submission needs to be emailed to bennett@photography139.com by 11 AM on the Monday of the challenge due date.

OR

I now allow people to text me their submissions. In the past, I had made exceptions for a couple people that aren’t real computer savvy, even though it was an inconvenience for me and required at least 3 extra steps for me. I am now lifting that embargo because I have a streamline way of uploading photos. I’m not giving out my phone number, but if you have it, you can text me.

It should be pointed out that this blog auto-publishes at 12:01 on Mondays. So it wouldn’t hurt to get your picture in earlier.

That is it, them’s the rules.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION DIVISION

Nobody showed class, taste, and sophistication this week by signing up for a Photography 139 email subscription. I’ll try and do better next week.

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That’s all I got for today, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will commune right here again next Monday. Hopefully it will be a very transported Monday!

WPC – WEEK 275 – COLORFUL

The February image for the Photography 139 2021 Calendar is a macro photo of my favorite flower, the moonflower. It is taken with a flash ring. It was taken on July 28, 2020.


2021 Calendar - February

Here are some details on the picture:

DETAILS
CAMERA: Sony ILCE-7M2
LENS: FE 50mm f/2.8 Macro
FOCAL LENGTH: 50mm
APERTURE: f/8
EXPOSURE: 1/60
ISO: 160
LATITUDE: 42.05226
LONGITUDE: -93.87074

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COLORFUL is a theme that really spoke to a ton of people. I had double digit submission before I even went to bed last night. That is 64 straight weeks. Also exciting, is there was a first time contributor in Elizabeth’s son Alexander!

But you didn’t come here to listen to me talk all tommyrot about participation rates. You came to see the submissions!


WEEK 275 - COLORFUL -  ELIZABETH NORDEEN
Elizabeth Nordeen

WEEK 275 - COLORFUL - ALEXANDER NORDEEN
Alexander Jackson

WEEK 275 - COLORFUL -  ELIZABETH NORDEEN
Elizabeth Nordeen

WEEK 275 - COLORFUL - ROBYN AUGUSTIN
Robyn Augustin

WEEK 275 - COLORFUL - MICKY AUGUSTIN
Micky Augustin

WEEK 275 - COLORFUL - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman

WEEK 275 - COLORFUL - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman

WEEK 275 - COLORFUL - TAMARA PETERSON
Tamara Peterson

WEEK 275 - COLORFUL - TAMARA PETERSON
Tamara Peterson

WEEK 275 - COLORFUL - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland

WEEK 275 - COLORFUL - JOE DUFF
Joe Duff

WEEK 275 - COLORFUL - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman

WEEK 275 - COLORFUL - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett

WEEK 275 - COLORFUL - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker

WEEK 275 - COLORFUL - SHANNON BARDOLE-FOLEY
Shannon Bardole-Foley

WEEK 275 - COLORFUL - MICHELLE HAUPT
Michelle Haupt

WEEK 275 - COLORFUL - CATHIE RALEY
Cathie Raley

WEEK 275 - COLORFUL - JESSE HOWARD
Jesse Howard

WEEK 275 - COLORFUL - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker

But enough dwelling on the past. Time to look to the future. We are all interested in the future, for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives. And remember my friend, future events such as these will affect you in the future! This week’s theme:


WEEK 276 - ROAD TRIP
ROAD TRIP

ROAD TRIP! What a great theme! But what is a ROAD TRIP photo? A ROAD TRIP photo is any photo you take while on a ROAD TRIP. Or if you aren’t leaving your house this week, any picture that could be taken while planning for a ROAD TRIP. What qualifies as a ROAD TRIP? To me, it is any time your car leaves your drive way. I mean, my Mom lives 3 blocks from me and I can crush a whole bag of Funyuns in that drive, which makes that journey a ROAD TRIP to me.

Here is a look back at all the times in the past that ROAD TRIP was a theme:

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 51 – ROAD TRIP

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 59 – ROAD TRIP

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 134 – ROAD TRIP

WPC – WEEK 199 – ROAD TRIP

WPC – WEEK 249 – ROAD TRIP


I look forward to seeing your new interpretations!

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HOUSEKEEPING

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 RULES DIVISION

The picture has to be taken the week of the theme. This isn’t a curate your pictures challenge. This is a get your butt off the couch (my personal experience) and put your camera in your hands challenge. Don’t send me a picture of you next to the Eiffel Tower, when I know you were in Iowa all week. I will point out that I have let that slide some in the past. I will not in the future. Since it is literally about the only rule.

Your submission needs to be emailed to bennett@photography139.com by 11 AM on the Monday of the challenge due date.

OR

I now allow people to text me their submissions. In the past, I had made exceptions for a couple people that aren’t real computer savvy, even though it was an inconvenience for me and required at least 3 extra steps for me. I am now lifting that embargo because I have a streamline way of uploading photos. I’m not giving out my phone number, but if you have it, you can text me.

It should be pointed out that this blog auto-publishes at 12:01 on Mondays. So it wouldn’t hurt to get your picture in earlier.

That is it, them’s the rules.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION DIVISION

Nobody showed class, taste, and sophistication this week by signing up for a Photography 139 email subscription. I’ll try and do better next week.

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That’s all I got for today, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will commune right here again next Monday. Hopefully it will be a very road worthy Monday!

WPC – WEEK 273 – FOOD

It is with a heavy heart that I want to start today’s post by honoring my cousin Alan, who suddenly passed away last Monday morning. He was a wonderful person and will definitely be missed. Here is his obituary, so you can get to know him a little bit as well:

Alan Lee Johnson
May 3, 1967 – November 30, 2020

Alan Lee Johnson, age 53, died suddenly on Monday, November 30, 2020 from a massive heart attack.

Alan, the son of Sheryl and Terry Johnson, was born at Boone County Hospital, May 3, 1967, at 8:17 a.m. and weighed 8lbs and 3oz.

He attended Lincoln Elementary School and was baptized at Central Christian Church where he attended Sunday School, participated in choir, Christian Youth Fellowship (CYF), and represented the youth at The Sanctuary Cornerstone Dedication Ceremony. In 1985, he graduated from Boone High School where he was an active member of the Swing Choir, chorale, theatre, and yearbook committee. Post high school he attended one semester at Iowa State University before moving to Los Angeles, California; Ames, Iowa; Jacksonville Beach, Florida; and most recently Des Moines, Iowa where he was employed at Vision for Less.

Alan loved music. He loved singing it, playing it on the piano, dancing to it, listening to it and sharing it with his nephews. Alan also enjoyed listening to the many programs on National Public Radio and reading a wide variety of books. He kept quotes that spoke to him and cherished his books. He enjoyed creating and viewing art with his sister and nephews and attending live musical and theatrical performances. Alan spent many years living two blocks off of the beach in Jacksonville, Florida. He relished the relaxed, unhurried attitude, beautiful scenery, and mild weather. Walking with his best friend David and his dog Humphrey along the beach while collecting sharks’ teeth, was a favorite activity along with piloting the family’s speed boat for his friends and family. Alan’s quick wit, gentle spirit, accepting, loyal and selfless nature made him a friend to all who knew him.

He is preceded in death by his grandparents: Doris and Lyle Paris, Maxine (Peg) and Richard (Dick) Johnson, aunt Charlene Paris, uncles Gerald Bennett and Dean Walter, cousins Olivia and Samuel Bennett.

Alan is lovingly remembered by his parents; Terry and Sheryl (Paris) Johnson; sister Dee Ann (Johnson) Wulbern; brother-in-law Shands Wulbern; nephews Carsten Alan and Andrew Shands Wulbern; closest friend David Henderson; aunts Charlotte Bennett, Delores (Dee) VanDePol, Lori Sebring and Dianna (Annie) Walter; uncles Lyle (Butch) Paris, Gary Paris, Richard VanDePol, Roger Sebring; and many loving cousins.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the family requests no home visits, and a visitation is not planned. Thoughts, prayers and cards will be appreciated, 702 Fremont Street, Boone, IA 50036. A private burial will be held at Linwood Park Cemetery at a later date.

In lieu of flowers the family requests memorials be given to the Boone Food Pantry at IMPACT Community Action Partnership – Boone at 606 Greene Street, Boone, IA 50036.

Special thanks to all of the precious friends, old and new, that have held Alan in their hearts throughout the years.

I live in the same town as most of my cousins (on my Mom’s side of the family). There are a couple spread out in other states, but most live in central Iowa. That being said, it is rare that I see any of them. With the pandemic, I see them even less. Alan is the last cousin I’ve seen in person. That was in May, I think. His parents took over my Grandma’s house and I was over there looking through some of Grandma’s possessions. Alan was there helping point out some of the best stuff or we were laughing at some of her “worst” stuff.

When I heard of his sudden passing, it made me think about the last time all of the cousins were together. It was 2002. At Grandpa’s funeral. Grandma passed away on Christmas Day in 2019. She had a visitation a couple weeks later. Not all of the cousin’s made it back for that, cause there was supposed to be a family burial service on Mother’s Day weekend, where she was to be lain to rest next to Grandpa. That was another thing taken away from us by this pandemic. When the service happened, it was limited to 10 people.

I don’t know that all of my cousin’s would’ve made it back for the funeral, but I like to think they would have.

When I heard the news, I went to a trunk where I had put away some old pictures. In there I found a picture taken on the day of Grandpa’s funeral. The day that would end up being the last day that all of us were together. 18 years ago.



If you are wondering which one in the picture is Alan, he isn’t in the picture. When everybody gathered up on the stage in the Fellowship Hall of the Central Christian Church, he wasn’t there. He had ran home to take some medication (if memory is correct). I don’t know why we couldn’t wait 15 minutes for him to get back to take this picture. My memory doesn’t hold that reasoning.

If I had to take a guess, it was because it was thought that we would be able to get this cousin picture at the next family gathering. A wedding. A family reunion. God forbid, another funeral (and there have been too many in the following 18 years). Somewhere along the way, a picture with Alan in the mix would be taken. It just never happened. That makes me even sadder, that whatever happened on the day of Grandpa’s funeral that caused this picture to be taken without Alan happened.

Since I don’t have a picture of Alan easily available, I lifted this picture off his Facebook page:



It was from near the last day I saw him. He was helping sort Grandma’s attic treasures down to the garage for the family to go through. I’m sure it isn’t the best picture of him out there, but I think his personality and sense of humor really comes through in it.

Rest in peace Alan. You are missed.

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62 straight weeks y’all. Sorry, I meant 62 straight weeks all of you! Good to see so many of you have good food in your lives! Also glad to see a submission by a 9, or maybe a 10 year old. Makes me proud to see that THE RANDOM WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE ripples across generations.

But you didn’t come here to listen to me talk all tommyrot about participation rates. You came to see the submissions:


WEEK 273 - FOOD - ELIZABETH NORDEEN
Elizabeth Nordeen

WEEK 273 - FOOD - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker

WEEK 273 - FOOD - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker

WEEK 273 - FOOD - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman

WEEK 273 - FOOD - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett

WEEK 273 - FOOD - TAMARA PETERSON
Tamara Peterson

WEEK 273 - FOOD - MICHELLE HAUPT
Michelle Haupt

WEEK 273 - FOOD - JESSE HOWARD
Jesse Howard

WEEK 273 - FOOD - JESSE HOWARD
Jesse Howard

WEEK 273 - FOOD - SHANNON BARDOLE-FOLEY
Shannon Bardole-Foley

WEEK 273 - FOOD - CATHIE RALEY
Cathie Raley

WEEK 273 - FOOD - KATELYN AUGUSTIN
Katelyn Augustin

WEEK 273 - FOOD - MICKY AUGUSTIN
Micky Augustin

WEEK 273 - FOOD - MIKE VEST
Mike Vest

But enough dwelling on the past. Time to look to the future. We are all interested in the future, for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives. And remember my friend, future events such as these will affect you in the future! This week’s theme:


WEEK 274 - FACELESS PORTRAIT
FACELESS PORTRAIT

FACELESS PORTRAIT! What a great theme! But what is a FACELESS PORTRAIT? A FACELESS PORTRAIT is simply a picture of somebody that doesn’t include their face. It doesn’t even have to include their head. It is also possible to do this theme without including any parts of their body at all. Pictures of objects that are unique to a person can also be a FACELESS PORTRAIT.

Click on a link below to have a look back at all the times in the past that FACELESS PORTRAIT has been a theme:

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 6 – FACELESS PORTRAIT

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 81 – FACELESS PORTRAIT

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 144 & WEEK 145

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 181 – FACELESS PORTRAIT

WPC – WEEK 252 – FACELESS PORTRAIT

I look forward to seeing the new interpretations!

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HOUSEKEEPING

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 RULES DIVISION

The picture has to be taken the week of the theme. This isn’t a curate your pictures challenge. This is a get your butt off the couch (my personal experience) and put your camera in your hands challenge. Don’t send me a picture of you next to the Eiffel Tower, when I know you were in Iowa all week. I will point out that I have let that slide some in the past. I will not in the future. Since it is literally about the only rule.

Your submission needs to be emailed to bennett@photography139.com by 11 AM on the Monday of the challenge due date.

OR

I now allow people to text me their submissions. In the past, I had made exceptions for a couple people that aren’t real computer savvy, even though it was an inconvenience for me and required at least 3 extra steps for me. I am now lifting that embargo because I have a streamline way of uploading photos. I’m not giving out my phone number, but if you have it, you can text me.

It should be pointed out that this blog auto-publishes at 12:01 on Mondays. So it wouldn’t hurt to get your picture in earlier.

That is it, them’s the rules.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION DIVISION

Nobody showed class, taste, and sophistication this week by signing up for a Photography 139 email subscription. I’ll try and do better next week.

+++++++

That’s all I got for today, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will commune right here again next Monday. Hopefully it will be a very faceless Monday!

Blessings 2020

Let’s face it. 2020 has been a terrible year. I could spend hours and hours polishing this turd, but a turd is still a turd.

I basically only see 2 other people on a regular basis right now. Willy and I haven’t held a Friday Night Supper Club since March 13. We went to Jimmy’s for their Friday the 13th sale. I can count on one hand the amount of times I’ve seen any of my nieces and nephews this year. I’ve been able to hold a couple of Union Street Theater Nights in the reconfigured Union Street Theater, but it isn’t really the same. The masks and the sound of the air purifiers makes conversation a little difficult and food is definitely a missing element. Since March, the only stores I have been inside are the Boone Wal-Mart and Boone Hardware. I go to Hy-Vee every other week. I’ve seen Bethany twice. Nate and Laura once. Becca, not at all. I haven’t seen the Lockners at all. I’ve seen the Gorshes thrice. I run into Willy around town now and again. Jay stops by here and there to work on his homework. I see Jesse now and again. I haven’t met Kalista’s baby. Baier, Russell, Andree? Distant memories. Since I left the Computer Mine with the belief that I would be working from home for a few weeks, the only co-workers of note that I’ve seen in person are Vest, Lowell, Kim, and Elizabeth. I haven’t met Jorge’s twins. My church has had maybe a dozen worship services and those are suspended again. The Mission Trip is cancelled. There will be no Mission Trip next year. Youth Group has been put on hold indefinitely. For the first time since September 18, 2004, they played football games at Jack Trice Stadium and I wasn’t in attendance. The Cyclones Women’s Basketball Season just tipped off. I wasn’t there. I will most likely, not be able to attend any Cyclones Men’s games this year.

All of that being said, 2020 has still been an embarrassment of blessings for me. In a time where the pandemic was horribly mismanaged by an inept and corrupt federal government, causing employment rates to go through the roof and food insecurity and evictions to sweep across the country like a second plague, I have not had to worry about my job. As these pandemic pounds can attest, I haven’t once had to worry about my next meal. I was in a solid enough financial position that when the $1200 dollar stimulus check hit my bank account I wasn’t sure what to do with it. We were supposed to put it where it would do the most good, so I donated some of it to Joe Biden’s campaign.

While the only people I see on a regular basis are Mom and Teresa. I am still blessed with a pretty incredible family:


Bennett Family Photo Shoot - 2017

Baby Tri-Force 1st Birthday Party

While I see them rarely, I still have a pretty incredible set of friends:


March 12, 2019

August 10, 2019

August 13, 2019

LOSER - BLACK & WHITE

Self Portrait Project - 2012

Photo Journal - Page 56 Reject

Honey Hollow

PORTRAIT - ALTERNATE

While we don’t get to worship an awesome God together right now, I still have a pretty incredible church family:


October 27, 2019

October 30, 2019

September 25, 2019

June 27, 2019

June 23, 2019

January 16, 2019

While I continue to work at home, I still talk to and try to stay in contact with my amazing work family:


August 30, 2019

December 27, 2019

PORTRAIT - ALTERNATE

And while Naima is becoming off the charts spoiled, I’m blessed to have her in my life as well:


Black and White Alternate

I hope to see so much more of all of you in 2021. In fact, I’ve started to compile a list of things that I look forward to doing when this pandemic subsides. It isn’t a glamorous list. But that is a sign of 2020.

2010-05-03

The pictures from the folder 2010-05-03 are from a Mother’s Day celebration at Carla and Jason’s old house. We celebrated a week early because Teresa was going to Kentucky for Mother’s Day.

A few of the pictures in this collection were taken by Alexis:


Mother's Day - 2010

Mother's Day - 2010

Mother's Day - 2010

Mother's Day - 2010

Mother's Day - 2010

Mother's Day - 2010

Mother's Day - 2010

Mother's Day - 2010

Mother's Day - 2010

Mother's Day - 2010

Mother's Day - 2010

Mother's Day - 2010

Mother's Day - 2010

Mother's Day - 2010

Mother's Day - 2010

Mother's Day - 2010

By adding these pictures to the Photography 139 Gallery, I was able to restore the following historic “An Artist’s Notebook” entry to its original glory:

VACATION DAY 9B – MOTHER’S DAY EARLY

Next Saturday’s walk down memory lane will involve a trip to Brookside Park among other things.

In the Cold October Snow

I need to begin today by wishing Elainie a happy birthday. Happy birthday Elainie!


Elainie & Sabas

06-22-08

Stensland Family Photo Shoot - 2016

Bennett Family Photo Shoot - 2017

9 Emotions Project - Elainie

I hope your birthday is as amazing as you want it to be.

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Back in late October, we got a bit of unexpected snow. I took a few flower pictures afterwards.


A Proud Assertion - 2020

Nature's Amen - 2020

Digging for God - 2020

Digging for God - 2020

Digging for God - 2020

Fortunately, fall weather wasn’t done with us yet. But that snow pretty much did in all of my flowers.