Category Archives: Maven

You Found Someone More Exciting

A good time to clean up some of the backlog. These pictures were all taken in June and never really found there way into an “Artist’s Notebook” entry. Almost all of these are from Maven’s birthday party. The other image was taken as a theme reveal for THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE theme SELF-PORTRAIT. That picture was actually taken by Jay.


Maven's Birthday Party - 2022

Maven's Birthday Party - 2022

Maven's Birthday Party - 2022

Maven's Birthday Party - 2022

Maven's Birthday Party - 2022

Maven's Birthday Party - 2022

Maven's Birthday Party - 2022

Maven's Birthday Party - 2022

Maven's Birthday Party - 2022

Maven's Birthday Party - 2022

Maven's Birthday Party - 2022

Maven's Birthday Party - 2022

Maven's Birthday Party - 2022

Maven's Birthday Party - 2022

Maven's Birthday Party - 2022

Maven's Birthday Party - 2022

Maven's Birthday Party - 2022

Maven's Birthday Party - 2022

Maven's Birthday Party - 2022

You Found Someone More Exciting

You Found Someone More Exciting

You Found Someone More Exciting

One of the things that Shawn and Sara excel in is throwing parties that are photogenic. More people should look into that.

Hello 2023.

It is the first day of 2023. I’m not really a “resolutions” person. Pastor Adam was on vacation today so we had a substitute seromizer in church this morning. He gave an impassioned, longwinded sermon on resolve. It took more than a bit of my resolve to stay awake during the longest sermon these ears have heard in quite sometime.

But if I were to take the words on resolve to heart, I would say that I’m not without goals. Last year my main goal was to complete THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT. I did that.

My main goal in 2023 is to complete Phase 2 of THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT and put the book together. I should be freeing up sometime to work on that buy dropping a couple of photo projects that I did in 2022.

My second goal in 2023 is to begin work and complete my new photo project. Details are still foggy, but it is to create Boone postcard. Not a bunch of Boone postcards. Not even to print up a bunch of one Boone postcard. But to make one big image of one Boone postcard. While the end goal is one image, it will involve taking at least several hundred (probably thousand) images. It will make more sense when I get going on it.

My third goal in 2023 is to keep the positive momentum that was achieved in 2022 in participation rates for THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE. I’m not likely to go out and beat the drums looking for participants, but doesn’t mean you guys can’t. Right?

My fourth goal in 2023 is to consider and maybe take action on visiting and photographing every State Park in Iowa.
That seems more straight forward than it actually is because in addition to State Parks there are State Forests and State Preserves and State Recreation Areas. Boone County contains 3 Minor State Forests alone! We will see where this one goes, but we all know I could use the exercise.

I don’t have any goals related to the Iowa State Fair Photography Salon. That type of stuff is a considerable amount of luck. So best not to have goals that are out of one’s hands. Maybe my goal should just be to give my best effort.

Hopefully 2023 is a good year for all of us!

+++++++

Time to share the December images for the FatMumSlim Photo A Day Challenge. This is also the final collection of images as I will be dropping this pursuit in 2023. It doesn’t take a lot of time, but it still eats up a fair amount of time. Hopefully time freed up that I can use to pursue some of those 2023 goals.

Here are the December images:


December 1
December 1 – I Love This!

December 2
December 2 – I Bought This!

December 3
December 3 – Starts with T

December 4
December 4 – I Held This

December 5
December 5 – Something Red

December 6
December 6 – Peace

December 7
December 7 – Tree

December 8
December 8 – Looking Up

December 9
December 9 – Small

December 10
December 10 – Out + About

December 11
December 11 – Free Choice

December 12
December 12 – Lights

December 13
December 13 – Something Green

December 14
December 14 – Decoration

December 15
December 15 – A Star

December 16
December 16 – Candy Cane

December 17
December 17 – A Hat

December 18
December 18 – I Made This!

December 19
December 19 – Joy Is…

December 20
December 20 – Begins with S

December 21
December 21 – On the Floor

December 22
December 22 – A Gift

December 23
December 23 – A Tradition

December 24
December 24 – Someone I Love

December 25
December 25 – My Day

December 26
December 26 – This is Delish

December 27
December 27 – Colourful

December 28
December 28 – A Book

December 29
December 29 – Us

December 30
December 30 – How I Relax

December 31
December 31 – Best Part of 2022

Top 9
Top 9 Most Popular Images

I did enjoy this project and I’m not walking away from it because I didn’t enjoy it. I “met” numerous other people in this community that I will continue to follow, like @bea.photoaday, @sara.fms.photoaday, @outnbout, @gerkgirl, @pink_koffie, and @lostfate13.

But there were other things I didn’t like. Most people used the challenge to curate images, rather than take new images every day. The person that ran the challenge is Australian. That meant that a lot of the prompts were seasonal for Australia, meaning they weren’t seasonal for Iowa. Prompts repeated an awful lot. Not that they wouldn’t after 365 days, but I felt like they repeated more than necessary.

These minor complaints aside, I would consider doing it again in a future year. Just not this year. I’m sure many of you have minor complaints about how I run THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE as well.

The Juncks 2021 – Volume 5

It is another Formal Portrait Sunday. This is the final collection of pictures from the Juncks Family Photo Shoot back in 2021. Most of these pictures are really candid shots taken after the formal photo shoot was over. So you probably already know that these are my favorites from the shoot.

Here is the final collection:


Junck Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junck Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junck Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junck Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junck Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junck Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junck Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junck Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junck Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junck Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junck Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junck Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junck Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junck Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junck Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junck Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junck Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junck Family Photo Shoot - 2021

The pictures of me and Gretchen tooling around in the 1890 Morrison were taken by Sara. I had forgotten that Gretchen is such a big ham, but I’m loving it!

The next Formal Portrait Sunday will involve the Howard Family Photo Shoot again.

The Juncks 2021 – Volume 4

I need to start this post by wishing Naima a happy birthday. I know most of you are thinking, a day late and a dollar short Bennett, but the reason I didn’t wish Naima happy birthday is because we celebrated it today.

Here are some pictures of the 11 year old over the years:


Colorful - Alternate

Naima's Dickcissel Adventure

Naima at Dickcissel Park

Naima at Dickcissel

Naima

Naima at Dickcissel

Naima at Dickcissel

A Jazz Standard

Naima Orange Filter Test

Yellow Filter Test

Raggle-Taggle

A Spectacle Monopolized

East of Omaha

Naima at Dickcissel

Girl Don't Play the Fool Now

Dogs

WPC - ANIMAL ALTERNATE

You're So Good When You're Bad

Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Lens

Thanks to everybody that wished Naima a happy birthday. Jen and Alexander. She appreciated it and then probably went back to sleep.

+++++++

Time once again for a Formal Portrait Sunday. This week’s features Gretchen and Maven. I’m not sure when, but at some point, Gretchen turned into a complete ham, and I’m here for it.


Junk Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junk Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junk Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junk Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junk Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junk Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junk Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junk Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junk Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junk Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junk Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junk Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junk Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junk Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junk Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junk Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junk Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junk Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junk Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junk Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junk Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junk Family Photo Shoot - 2021

There is still one more collection of pictures to come from the 2021 Junck Family Photo Shoot. Next Formal Portrait Sunday, we will check back in with the Howard Family Photo Shoot.

WPC – WEEK 352 – CHILDREN

A quick housekeeping note: for the last couple of months I haven’t been able to email people with a Gmail account. If you have written me and I haven’t written back, I have tried, just Gmail security has been dumb. However, on Friday, I believe I finally got all the SPF stuff in the right spot and it appears that I can now email my Gmail people. This hasn’t effected the email subscription service because those emails are delivered by a third party service called MailPoet that Gmail doesn’t actively hate.

Anybody that wants to hear the exciting tale of creating SPF records, can contact me directly. I can throw in a bonus DMARC story!

+++++++

CHILDREN has proven to be a popular theme. Many people love CHILDREN, but not as many as people as love FLOWER. Which is okay, FLOWER(s) don’t grow up to be teenagers.

Submissions did flow in from all over the country. Some from Texas, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, and California. I even travelled to exotic locale of Johnston, Iowa to take my picture.

As of 12:01 PM on Monday, June 6, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks (ignore the numbers in parentheses):

+ Lori Backous – 1 week
+ Suzie Brannen – 1 week (3)
+ Jen Ensley-Gorshe – 1 week
+ Layla Gorshe – 1 week
+ Mary Green – 1 week
+ Monica Jennings – 1 week
+ Evie Gorshe – 2 weeks
+ Sara Lockner – 2 weeks
+ Dawn Krause – 3 weeks
+ Linda Bennett – 5 weeks
+ Jesse Howard – 7 weeks
+ Kim Barker – 9 weeks
+ Joe Duff – 10 weeks
+ Logan Kahler – 12 weeks (5)
+ Teresa Kahler – 20 weeks (3)
+ Tamara Peterson – 20 weeks (2)
+ Carla Stensland – 20 weeks (3)
+ Michelle Haupt – 21 weeks
+ Micky Augustin – 22 weeks
+ Andy Sharp – 23 weeks (2)
+ Bill Wentworth – 24 weeks
+ Cathie Morton – 28 weeks
+ Elizabeth Nordeen – 29 weeks (2)
+ Shannon Bardole-Foley – 31 weeks
+ Kio Dettman – 34 weeks (3)

But you didn’t come here to listen to me talk all tommyrot about participation rates or streaks. You came to see the submissions and what streaks continued and what streaks flamed out:


WEEK 352 - CHILDREN - LOGAN KAHLER
Logan Kahler – 13 weeks

WEEK 352 - CHILDREN - LOGAN KAHLER
Logan Kahler

WEEK 352 - CHILDREN - ANGIE DEWAARD
Angie DeWaard – 1 week

WEEK 352 - CHILDREN - ANGIE DEWAARD
Angie DeWaard

WEEK 352 - CHILDREN - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker – 10 weeks

WEEK 352 - CHILDREN - JOE DUFF
Joe Duff – 11 weeks

WEEK 352 - CHILDREN - JOE DUFF
Joe Duff

WEEK 352 - CHILDREN - JOE DUFF
Joe Duff

WEEK 352 - CHILDREN - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp – 24 weeks

WEEK 352 - CHILDREN - ELIZABETH NORDEEN
Elizabeth Nordeen – 30 weeks

WEEK 352 - CHILDREN - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler – 21 weeks

WEEK 352 - CHILDREN - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler

WEEK 352 - CHILDREN - MICKY AUGUSTIN
Micky Augustin – 23 weeks

WEEK 352 - CHILDREN - MARY GREEN
Mary Green – 2 weeks

WEEK 352 - CHILDREN - MARY GREEN
Mary Green

WEEK 352 - CHILDREN - MICHELLE HAUPT
Michelle Haupt – 22 weeks

WEEK 352 - CHILDREN - TAMARA PETERSON
Tamara Peterson – 21 weeks

WEEK 352 - CHILDREN - SHANNON BARDOLE-FOLEY
Shannon Bardole-Foley – 32 weeks

WEEK 352 - CHILDREN - BILL WENTWORTH
Bill Wentworth – 25 weeks

WEEK 352 - CHILDREN - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett

WEEK 352 - CHILDREN - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman – 35 weeks

WEEK 352 - CHILDREN - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman

WEEK 352 - CHILDREN - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman

WEEK 352 - CHILDREN - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman

WEEK 352 - CHILDREN - DAWN KRAUSE
Dawn Krause – 4 weeks

WEEK 352 - CHILDREN - LINDA BENNETT
Linda Bennett – 6 weeks

WEEK 352 - CHILDREN - LINDA BENNETT
Linda Bennett

WEEK 352 - CHILDREN - JESSE HOWARD
Jesse Howard – 8 weeks

WEEK 352 - CHILDREN - JESSE HOWARD
Jesse Howard

WEEK 352 - CHILDREN - CATHIE MORTON
Cathie Morton – 29 weeks

WEEK 352 - CHILDREN - SARA LOCKNER
Sara Lockner – 3 weeks

WEEK 352 - CHILDREN - SARA LOCKNER
Sara Lockner

WEEK 352 - CHILDREN - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland – 21 weeks

33 submissions from 21 participants. So this answers the age old debate on whether or not people like flowers or children more.

There was a veritable bloodbath of streaks snaped this week. Lori, Suzie, Jen, Layla, and Monica all couldn’t extend there streak from 1 week to two. Evie’s 2 week streak also ended.

On the good news front, Kim joined the double digit club! Way to go Kim!

Here are the current top streaks:

9. Teresa Kahler – 21 weeks
9. Tamara Peterson – 21 weeks
9. Carla Stensland – 21 weeks
8. Michelle Haupt – 22 weeks
7. Micky Augustin – 23 weeks
6. Andy Sharp – 24 weeks
5. Bill Wentworth – 25 weeks
4. Cathie Morton – 29 weeks
3. Elizabeth Nordeen – 30 weeks
2. Shannon Bardole-Foley – 32 weeks
1. Kio Dettman – 35 weeks

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 353 - SERVICE
SERVICE

SERVICE! What a great theme for Year 9 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!

This is a theme that was suggested by Andy. If you don’t like it, well remember that I crowdsource the themes once a year about November, so watch for that post and conduct your actions accordingly.

That isn’t to infer that I don’t love this theme. If I didn’t love the suggestion, I would have filed it in the trash next to Shannon’s suggestion of CATS. Maybe not next to that suggestion. Cause that one I threw in the trash and then stomped the trash down. Then took it to the incinerator. I didn’t even own an incinerator. I went to the store and bought one, just so I could incinerate that suggestion.

That isn’t to say that you shouldn’t make suggestions for Year 10 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE when that time is nigh. Just don’t suggest CATS. Happy birthday Shannon!

But what is a SERVICE picture? A SERVICE is simply the action of helping someone else. A SERVICE picture is simply a picture of one person helping another person. Or the results of one person helping another person. Now there are many different types of SERVICE. For example the theme reveal is a picture of a worship SERVICE. I get very questionable internet SERVICE from Mediacom. A couple days last week I ate at restaurant where I received SERVICE from many fine servers.

When considering your possible subjects for SERVICE meditate on the following quote:

11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
-Matthew 23: 11-12

I look forward to seeing your interpretations.

RULES

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 your idea of SERVICE in this place that much exists only on servers next Monday.

The Juncks 2021 – Volume 1

On this formal portrait Sunday, I’m going to share a collection of pictures from the Juncks 2021 Photo Shoot. Many of their pictures, are posed with an old time automobile that David build. It isn’t an original vehicle, but he built it based on the original. At least that is my understanding. It is an electric car. From 1890.


Junk Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junk Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junk Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junk Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junk Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junk Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junk Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junk Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junk Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junk Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junk Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junk Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junk Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junk Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junk Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junk Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Junk Family Photo Shoot - 2021

Next Formal Portrait Sunday will involve the Howards.

A Photo Journal – Henry Carroll – Page 95

“Up next, we have a little dedication here. This journal entry is dedicated to all the player hating people that won’t let a little gangsta shine.”
-Uncle Chris

Niece Alert!

4 non-biological nieces in this post!

Page 95 for the PHOTO JOURNAL PROJECT was one of the pages that I was most worried about being able to complete. It involves going to a party. When your the True Lone Wolf, you don’t get involved to many parties. The ones I do get invited to involved 1 to 3 year olds. At that point, I usually stop getting invited. Probably because I give books as gifts.

However, I was recently invited to Maven’s birthday party and I grabbed Sara’s camera, actually ripped it right out of her brother Steve’s hands and took a few pictures of some hardcore pinata action.

This is the picture that will be physically adhered into the Photo Journal:


Photo Journal - Page 95
Use flash to capture the energy of a party.

Here are a few others that I considered, but much like the Highlander, there can be only one!


Page 95 - Reject

Page 95 - Reject

Page 95 - Reject

Page 95 - Reject

Page 95 - Reject

Page 95 - Reject

Page 95 - Reject

Page 95 - Reject

I think I ultimately picked the picture of Layla because of Evie’s reaction behind her.

Thanks to Shawn for uploading these pictures to me. You are a scholar and tech savvy. Also, possibly a gentleman.

I need to get back to hitting THE PHOTO JOURNAL PROJECT hard. I’ve only completed slightly over 30 of these pages. I already bought a similar book to do when I finish.

If you ever want to see the physical Photo Journal, it is housed at The Photography 139 Studio under lock and key. Guarded by a vicious guard dog. It can be seen by appointment only. So make an appointment.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

This is your reminder that this week’s WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE theme is FACELESS PORTRAIT:



FACELESS PORTRAIT

A FACELESS PORTRAIT is any portrait that doesn’t include the face. It could show any body part, just not the face. It doesn’t necessarily even have to include your subject. It could just include an environment that is uniquely the subjects.

Happy photo harvesting!

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 96 – SAD

It is SAD. Participation rates took a bit of a dip with SAD. Maybe it is because it was 112 degrees in the shade in central Iowa last week. Maybe it was because people struggled to get in the mindset of SAD this week. Maybe people were just busy. I don’t know. But I do know one thing…

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


WEEK 96 - SAD - LINDA BENNETT
Linda Bennett

WEEK 96 - SAD - SHANNON BARDOLE
Shannon Bardole

WEEK 96 - SAD - KIM BARKER 1
Kim Barker 1

WEEK 96 - SAD - KIM BARKER 2
Kim Barker 2

WEEK 96 - SAD - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett

WEEK 96 - SAD - STEPHANIE KIM 1
Stephanie Kim 1

WEEK 96 - SAD - STEPHANIE KIM 2
Stephanie Kim 2

WEEK 96 - SAD - SARA LOCKNER
Sara Lockner

WEEK 96 - SAD - MIKE VEST
Mike Vest

WEEK 96 - SAD - MICHELLE HAUPT 1
Michelle Haupt 1

WEEK 96 - SAD - MICHELLE HAUPT 2
Michelle Haupt 2

A solid week of submissions!

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 97 - THE STREETS
THE STREETS!

THE STREETS! What a great theme! Some of you know about THE STREETS. People like me that grew up indigent know all about THE STREETS. Some of us even know the Rules of THE STREET(S). You open you mouth, you pay the price. But what does this theme mean? It is my call to you to attempt street photography. What is street photography, you may ask… which is good, because I have the answer:

Street photography is a type of photography that features subjects in candid situations within public places. Street photographs are mirror images of society, displaying “unmanipulated” scenes, with usually unaware subjects.”

Well that sounds simple enough. Get in touch with your inner voyeur and hit THE STREETS!

I have a feeling this is going to go well!

HOUSEKEEPING

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 RULES DIVISION

1. 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.

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

Nothing new to report. I’ll try to do better next week.

Want your own Photography 139 email subscription? Call, email, or text me and I’ll get you the hook up.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 GALLERY DIVISION

Sometimes people send me descriptions of their photos. I’ve never done anything with that information in the past. However, if you send me a description in the future, I will add it to your image in the Weekly Photo Challenge Gallery that houses all the submissions.

**************************************

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 streeteque Monday!