Category Archives: Vest

Becky, Carla, Cathie, Kim, Micky, Shannon, Steph, Vest, WPC - Submissions

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 54 – OLD

September 26, 2016 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

The week’s theme triggered an interesting and solid week of submissions.

Here are the submissions for OLD:

Shannon Bardole

Becky Perkovich

Stephanie Kim

Kim Barker 1

Kim Barker 2

Kim Barker 3

Christopher D. Bennett

Michael Augustin

Cathie Raley 1

Cathie Raley 2

Cathie Raley 3

Cathie Raley 4

Carla Stensland 1

Carla Stensland 2

Carla Stensland 3

Mike Vest

Dawn Krause 1

Dawn Krause 2

A good, healthy 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:

SIGNS!

Sign, sign, everywhere a sign. Blockin’ out the scenery, breakin’ my mind. Do this. Don’t do that. Can’t you read the sign? There are signs everywhere. Telling us what to do. Telling us what to buy. Telling us what to think. Telling us how to vote. Telling us what to wear. Telling us where to go. Telling us to wash our hands. Some are new. Some are old. Some are filled with buckshot. But signs with words on them are not the only kind of signs out there. Much communication is done through nonverbal signs. Some believe that God give us signs to help us along our life’s journey. As always, feel free to define signs any way you see fit.

Just get out there and find a sign that speaks to you.

HOUSEKEEPING

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 RULES DIVISION

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

We are pleased to announce that Linda Toot is the latest person to display, taste, class, and sophistication by signing up for a Photography 139 email subscription. Linda is my aunt on my Dad’s side of the family. While she was raised in Boone/Jordan her life adventure settled her into Easton, Kansas. This makes the 3rd or 4th subscriber (I need to check my records) residing in the Sunflower State. Making the Photography 139 empires presence strong there. If I were to check the heat map, I believe Kansas now ranks 3rd behind Iowa and Minnesota for Photography 139 subscribers. If you see Linda out and about walking the mean streets of Easton, feel free to give her a knowing glance and show her the Super Secret Photography 139 Handshake.

That’s all I got for today, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise (thinking of you eastern Iowa), we will commune right here again next Monday. Hopefully it will be a Monday filled with signs!

Angie, Becky, Bill, Carla, Cathie, Dawn, Kim, Mom, Shannon, Steph, Vest, WPC - Submissions

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 53 – BODY PART

September 19, 2016 Christopher D. Bennett

A new year. Well, a new 52 weeks. I’m excited for what this new year will bring. But you don’t want to listen to me talk all tommyrot about my aspirations for the next 52 weeks. You just want to see the submissions.

Here are the submissions for BODY PART:

Bill Wentworth 1

Bill Wentworth 2

Bill Wentworth 3

Shannon Bardole

Angie DeWaard

Dawn Krause 1

Dawn Krause 2

Dawn Krause 3

Christopher D. Bennett

Mike Vest 1

Mike Vest 2

Becky Perkovich

Stephanie Kim

Kim Baldus 1

Kim Baldus 2

Carla Stensland 1

Carla Stensland 2

Cathie Raley 1

Cathie Raley 2

Cathie Raley 3

A good, healthy week of submissions!

OLD!

I’m running behind, so I don’t have a tremendous amount of time to be witty about OLD. You know OLD when you see it.

HOUSEKEEPING

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 RULES DIVISION

That is it, them’s the rules.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION DIVISION

We are pleased to announce Paul Golden is the latest person to display taste, class, and sophistication by signing up for a Photography 139 email subscription. Paul plays a mean baritone and sings with one as well. By virtue of being in Connecticut, he is the farthest east of any Photography 139 email subscriber. The empire has grown! So if you see Paul out walking the mean streets of Connecticut, feel free to give him a knowing glance and if you have the inclination, show him the Super Secret Photography 139 Handshake.

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 olden times Monday!

Angie, Brooke, Carla, Cathie, Kim, Shannon, Steph, Vest, WPC - Submissions

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 52 – WILD CARD

September 12, 2016 Christopher D. Bennett

As we close the books on the first year of the rebirth of the WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE, we have not ONE but TWO first time submitees! Welcome aboard Brooke Milligan and Cathie Raley!!!

You know I could talk tommyrot about first time submitees all day, but you want to get to the submissions. So let’s get to it!

Here are the submissions for WILD CARD:

Brooke Milligan 1

Brooke Milligan 2

Bill Wentworth

Carla Stensland 1

Carla Stensland 2

Shannon Bardole

Stephanie Kim

Christopher D. Bennett

Kim Barker 1

Kim Barker 2

Cathie Raley 1

Cathie Raley 2

Cathie Raley 3

Cathie Raley 4

Cathie Raley 5

Mike Vest 1

Mike Vest 2

Angie DeWaard

A good, healthy week of submissions!

BODY PART!

BODY PART? Yep. BODY PART! This should be easy enough. Just about everybody you know has a body part or two or three or four hundred. Heck! Did you know that more than just humans have body parts? All sorts of animals have body parts! But as always, feel free to define the theme however you see fit!

HOUSEKEEPING

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 RULES DIVISION

That is it, them’s the rules.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION DIVISION

We are pleased to announce that Cathie Raley is the latest person to show her taste, class, and sophistication by signing up for a Photography 139 email subscription. The only real thing to tell you about Cathie is that she is a witch. Not a wiccan, but an actual witch. She also helps secure the Photography 139 Footprint in Nevada, Iowa. So if you see Cathie out and about walking the mean streets of Nevada, feel free to give her a knowing glance and if you have time, show her the Super Secret Photography 139 Handshake.

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 an anatomical Monday!

Angie, Becky, Black & White, Dawn, Kim, Macro, Micky, Pastor Sarah, Shannon, Steph, Still Life, Teresa, Vest, WPC - Submissions

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 50 – MACRO

August 29, 2016 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

Lots and lots of up close and personal submissions for MACRO this week.

Don’t take my word for it, have a look:

Angie DeWaard 1

Angie DeWaard 2

Micky Augustin

Kim Barker

Sarah Karber

Stephanie Kim 1

Stephanie Kim 2

Teresa Kahler 1

Teresa Kahler 2

Teresa Kahler 3

Becky Perkovich

Dawn Krause

Shannon Bardole

Mike Vest

Christopher D. Bennett

ROAD TRIP!

What a perfect excuse for loading up your favorite cooler with a six pack of be… soda… and hit the open road! Of course, maybe your schedule this week doesn’t allow for you to actually hit the open road. That’s no excuse Nancy! A wide assortment of photos can be taken that suggest a road trip. From maps, to your car, to your favorite tunes, to that bag of Funyuns you have to buy or it isn’t an official road trip. Just think about it and record and image that says ROAD TRIP to you. After all, you are free to translate the theme any way you want.

WARNING!!!

Remember that next Monday is Labor Day. While the government, your bank, and even the Computer Mine takes that day off, Photography 139 doesn’t. Plan your submissions accordingly!

HOUSEKEEPING

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 ANNOUNCEMENT DIVISION

A quick heads up that next Monday I will be revealing the 52 themes for the next 52 weeks of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE. In the comments section below is the last chance for you to have any input.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 RULES DIVISION

That is it, them’s the rules.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION DIVISION

Nobody this week showed class, taste or sophistication by signing up for a Photography 139 Email Subscription. I’ll try to 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 an open road kinda Monday.

Angie, Becky, Bill, Black & White, Dawn, Kim, Naima, Shannon, Steph, Vest, WPC - Submissions

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 49 – REFLECTIONS

August 22, 2016 Christopher D. Bennett 6 Comments

I have to confess, I was a little worried about this week. As I crawled out of bed this morning to head to the Computer Mine, I had only received 1 submission in my email inbox. Despite one person telling me at the State Fair that they had just taken their picture and another person messaging me to ask me if a certain subject met the criteria of the theme.

SPOILER ALERT:

Every time you ask me that question, my response is going to be: “Define the theme any way you see fit.”

I mean yes, if you just send me a picture every week of your kid, dog, cat, chinchilla, iguana, ’64 Impala, Uncle Art… I’m eventually going to call poppycock on your “interpretations” of the theme. However, if your subject makes sense to you. It makes sense to me. I’m not going to question it.

But I digress.

The good news is that my worries were for naught, as REFLECTIONS submissions flooded my inbox this morning. Including 2 first time submitters in Debra Krause and Scott Krause. A brother-sister tandem that hails from Boone, Iowa. Hopefully, this is just the beginning of their submitting ways.

But I could stand here and talk tommyrot about this morning, or I could show you the submissions. I know you guys love tommyrot, but here are the submissions:

Angie DeWaard

Mike Vest

Christopher D. Bennett

Stephanie Kim 1

Stephanie Kim 2

Debra Krause 1

Debra Krause 2

Dawn Krause 1

Dawn Krause 2

Dawn Krause 3

Dawn Krause 4

Kim Barker

Scott Krause 1

Scott Krause 2

Becky Perkovich

Bill Wentworth

Shannon Bardole

Macro!

But what is this MACRO you speak of? Is it pictures of carrots?

No, that’d be crazy! (Picks up a pencil and writes down CARROTS as a theme for the next 52 weeks.) There is a terribly sterile definition of MACRO that involves a 1:1 ratio of subject to 35mm film and you don’t want to hear it and while I want to tell you about it, I’ll restrain myself and define MACRO like this:

MACRO photography is all about getting up into something/sombebody’s grill and telling it “I’m here. I’m up in your grill. I’m not backing down. I’m taking your picture.”

Another way to look at it is that MACRO photography is close-up photography.

But as always, feel free to define the theme anyways you want.

HOUSEKEEPING

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 RULES DIVISION

That is it, them’s the rules.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION DIVISION

Nobody this week showed class, taste or sophistication by signing up for a Photography 139 Email Subscription. I’ll try to 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 no-personal-space kinda Monday.

Angie, Bill, Carla, Dawn, Iowa State, Kim, Monica, Steph, Vest, WPC - Submissions

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 47 – ARCHITECTURE

August 8, 2016 Christopher D. Bennett 5 Comments

Quite a large selection of submissions this week. It is almost as if THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE has hit its stride. I hope that there is this much passion in the middle of winter!

Dawn has made her first submission(s). I expect big things from her in the future!

Here are the submissions for ARCHITECTURE:

Angie DeWaard

Carla Stensland 1

Carla Stensland 2

Carla Stensland 3

Dawn Krause 1

Dawn Krause 2

Dawn Krause 3

Bill Wentworth

Monica Kewer 1

Monica Kewer 2

Monica Kewer 3

Monica Kewer 4

Monica Kewer 5

Mike Vest

Stephanie Kim 1

Stephanie Kim 2

Stephanie Kim 3

Kim Barker

Christopher D. Bennett

While I know most people will appreciate my throw away ARCHITECTURE pictures to my submission, but that is okay. I’m dedicating it to somebody, with whom, I have a special relationship.

That being said, a very solid week of submissions. I’m proud of all of us, everyone.

SPORTS!

But what are SPORTS?

Well, one definition would be:

“an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.”

But of course another would be:

“a person who behaves in a good or specified way in response to teasing, defeat, or a similarly trying situation.”

So go out an do some physical exertion, or bully somebody. Do whatever it takes? Or define the theme in any way you see fit!

HOUSEKEEPING

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 RULES DIVISION

That is it, them’s the rules.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION DIVISION

Nobody this week showed class, taste or sophistication by signing up for a Photography 139 Email Subscription. I’ll try to do better next week.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 SHAMELESS REMINDER DIVISION

Just a reminder, that if you ever want to look back at previous submissions for the WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE, visit the Gallery by clicking on the link below:

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE TAKE 3

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 sporty Monday.

Angie, Becky, Carla, Flowers, Kim, Shannon, Steph, Vest, WPC - Submissions

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 45 – FLOWER

July 25, 2016 Christopher D. Bennett 12 Comments

There was a tremendous reaction to FLOWER. Lots of participation! How exciting!

The submissions for FLOWER:

Angie DeWaard 1

Angie DeWaard 2

Carla Stensland 1

Carla Stensland 2

Carla Stensland 3

Carla Stensland 4

Carla Stensland 5

Shannon Bardole

Kim Barker 1

Kim Barker 2

Mike Vest 1

Mike Vest 2

Christopher D. Bennett

Becky Perkovich

Stephanie Kim

Another solid week of submissions!

ART!

What is ART? I can’t define it but I know it when I see it.

Get out there and get a picture of your favorite sculpture or mural or stained glass window. Take a picture of somebody creating art. Somebody doing art. Something that is used to make art. Make you are arrogant enough to think any time you click the shutter release you make ART. I’m not here to judge. As always, though define the theme any way that you want. Maybe you know a guy named Art, I wish I did.

HOUSEKEEPING

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 RULES DIVISION

That is it, them’s the rules.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION DIVISION

Nothing new to report. Nobody new has displayed their class, taste, and sophistication by signing up for a Photography 139 email subscription. I’ll try to do better next week.

That’s all I got, 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 artistic Monday.

Angie, Becky, Carla, Kim, Monica, Pastor Sarah, Shannon, Steph, Still Life, Vest, WPC - Submissions

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 44 – SMOKE

July 18, 2016 Christopher D. Bennett 4 Comments

I was worried that this wouldn’t be a very popular theme, but it actually has garnered quite the response. How exciting! Looks like this theme will make the cut for next year’s WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE.

If you want to have your voice heard about next year’s themes, I’d advise you to start commenting in the COMMENTS section below. It wouldn’t hurt to read the COMMENTS section from last week’s WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE. Ignore the stuff about what Shannon should change her last name to after she gets married. It is Fauxdole. Debate over.

Here are the submissions for SMOKE:

Carla Stensland

Monica Kewer

Christopher D. Bennett

Sarah Karber

Angie DeWaard

Becky Perkovich

Kim Barker 1

Kim Barker 2

Mike Vest 1

Mike Vest 2

For the last submission, the photographer wished to add a disclaimer. Normally I say that art should just stand on its own. However, because of the nature of the image, I’m allowing it.

Quick note: I happened to be visiting a friend in a state with legal recreational marijuana laws when the smoke theme was announced. Attempts for an artsy picture failed but I am happy to share a little window into what this situation “looks” like — different, tested, regulated strains with varied intentions/side effects; medicine-like packaging; clear labels that includes warnings and information. It’s so far advanced from your average college-stoned-and-stupid experience and heavy taxes (25% in OR) can be applied to various important government funding. I recommend for folks to at least visit a dispensary to see what the future holds.

Stephanie Kim

Stephanie did ask about what was considered inappropriate subject matter for the WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE. There isn’t really anything. Just don’t send me anything illegal. If you catch what I’m saying. By illegal… I mean. Starts with a C and ends with a Y. Two words. You’ll figure it out. Other than that, almost anything is fair game.

FLOWER!

I told you that this week’s theme would be easy. Hopefully it will be easy enough that a couple of dudes might contribute again. Mondays are beginning to feel like lady’s night here at Photography 139. Nothing wrong with that. I’m just disappointed in my gender.

EDITOR’S NOTE: At the buzzer Vest submitted a photo. Dudes didn’t get shut out.

HOUSEKEEPING

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 RULES DIVISION

That is it, them’s the rules.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION DIVISION

Nothing new to report. Nobody new has displayed their class, taste, and sophistication by signing up for a Photography 139 email subscription. I’ll try to do better next week.

That’s all I got, 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 flowery Monday.

Angie, Becky, Black & White, Carla, Flat Earth Joe, Jodie, Steph, Teresa, Vest, WPC - Submissions

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 39 – SKY/CLOUDS

June 13, 2016 Christopher D. Bennett

This week’s theme seemed to really inspire lots of people. Including first time contributor and conspiracy theory enthusiast Joe Lynch. Who wanted it known that those aren’t clouds in his picture. They are chem trails. Dropped by “them” on the “masses” to dumb us down or make us easier to control or more violent or something. Wake up people!

Here are the submissions for SKY/CLOUDS:

Joe Lynch

Angie DeWaard

Christopher D. Bennett

Carla Stensland 1

Carla Stensland 2

Jodie Bennett 1

Jodie Bennett 2

Stephanie Kim 1

Stephanie Kim 2

Stephanie Kim 3

Stephanie Kim 4

Becky Perkovich 1

Becky Perkovich 2

Mike Vest

An impressive collection of submissions methinks.

BLUE!

This should be easy enough. Almost everybody has access to something BLUE. Blue is even an emotion. My inbox should be just packed full of BLUE submissions.

If you normally don’t pay attention to HOUSEKEEPING, you might want to this week. Or you might be disappointed next week.

HOUSEKEEPING

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.

MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION DIVISION

Nothing new to report on this front. However, if you are reading these words and don’t have a Photography 139 email subscription. Let this guy know. I’ll get you hooked up!

MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 SCHEDULING DIVISION

I will be in Milwaukee next Monday for my church’s Youth Group Mission Trip. The deadline for BLUE will not change. However, the submissions will not be published next Monday. More like Friday night or Saturday when I return. However, at 12:01 PM next Monday, the week’s theme will publish and you can begin working in earnest on it.

MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 FACE BOOK IS THE DEVIL DIVISION

Just a heads up that I probably won’t be publishing a link to this here post today. Any time there is a mass shooting I stay away from Facebook for a couple days. Considering the nature of this latest symptom of our country’s disease, I’m sure Facebook is even worse than normal with posts that are racist, homophobic, scapegoating the mental health system, and highly inaccurate with its interpretation of the Second Amendment. These types of incidents always just make me sad. I don’t need anger pile on top of it.

I like to think that humans are mostly decent people. Even if most of the evidence seems to suggest otherwise. Seems like the timing of the Mission Trip is perfect.

That’s all I got, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will commune again next Monday.

THE CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT TRIVIA QUIZ

QUESTION 17

How many biological siblings do I have? Be very specific.

ANSWER: 2.5

BOUNS

What are their names?

ANSWER: TERESA, CARLA, & JODIE

Angie, Black & White, Carla, Kim, Pastor Sarah, Still Life, Vest, WPC - Submissions

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 35 – GLASS

May 16, 2016 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

GLASS did not end up being an extremely popular theme. That being said, there are some solid submissions here. Let’s have a look at the submissions for GLASS.

Kim Barker

Mike Vest

Angie DeWaard

Sarah Karber

Christopher D. Bennett

Carla Stensland

Amy Hahn

But that is the past. Let’s look to the future. After all, the future is where we will spend the rest of our lives! Future events such as these will effect us in the future!

LETTERS AND/OR NUMBERS

I don’t think LETTERS AND/OR NUMBERS requires much of an explanation. You are staring at letters right now. However, there are many forms of letters and numbers, so as always… define the theme as you see fit.

It is a good time to review the rules of the RANDOM WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE:

RULES

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 noon 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.

HOUSEKEEPING

THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION DIVISION

I am pleased to announce that in the last week, we have added 4 new email subscribers to the Photography 139 Empire. Jodie Bennett, Corinna (Logan’s lady friend that I never attained a last name for), Jeff Daniel, and Stephanie Kim all showed off their keen intellect and sophistication for signing up for an email subscription to this here blog. I’d normally go into a lengthy description of each person, but since this entry is already getting off the presses over 7 hours late, I’ll just remind you that if you run into these fine folks on the streets of Brooklyn or wherever, feel free to give them the knowing glance and teach them the super secret Photography 139 handshake.

That is all I got, so if the Lord is willing and the creek don’t rise we’ll see you here again next Monday.