Category Archives: Nature

Animals, Candid Portrait, Jay, Jesse, Nature

Birthday Hikin’

January 27, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

When I celebrated my birthday with Jesse and Jay it was actually a split affair. We celebrated my birthday and Jay’s birthday. We played miniature golf for me. Then Jay chose the restaurant. We ate at a Mexican restaurant in Granger. I took pictures and was going to make it a Sunday food adventure entry, but I found it a little hard to quantify. Then we went to Picket Fence Creamery and got ice cream. Then for the pièce de résistance, we made the hike to the High Trestle Trail Bridge. It was Jay’s first ever trip to the bridge. So while that may have been more for Jay, making this happen was definitely for me.

Some of the pictures here might confuse. Some of you might think they are HDR. Some might think they are Photoshopped. They are neither.

Here they are:

The 1st Step!

Every trip to the High Trestle Trail Bridge is a great trip. Now that Jay has been to the bridge there is only one person left that I badly want to make a trip there. But that is probably a pipe dream. But if I have to smoke opium to make it happen, I guess that is what has to happen.

Macro, Nature, Still Life, Street Photography, WPC - Alternate

But That’s Not Me, It’s You

January 24, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett

I took a few pictures for THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE theme UGLY that I felt were worthy of sharing. Mostly around town in the awful weather. But a few of things in my kitchen, which anybody that has been in it can tell you, it can definitely trend to the UGLY.

At the aggregate level, my kitchen is much cleaner right now. If you are wondering.

Animals, Flowers, Nature

High Trestle Trailin’ It!

January 13, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

Back on June 23 I took a little jaunt out to the High Trestle Trail Bridge. If you are going to go out there, it would be tragic if you didn’t take a picture or three. So I took a few. Here are some of those pictures:

It has been awhile since I’ve been out there. Maybe I should go tomorrow. Anybody know what the weather is supposed to be like?

Animals, Art, Baseball/Softball, Black & White, Calendar, Christianity, Drone, Flowers, Iowa State, Macro, Nature, Night, Slice of Life, Street Photography

2024 Photography 139 Calendar Rejects: The Ending

January 9, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett

Time to share the rest of the images that were rejected for the 2024 Photography 139 Calendar. Some of these are similar to ones included in the calendar. They come from a wide range of projects. From auxiliary images from THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT to alternates for THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE to some just good old flowertography

There is still one more post about the 2024 calendar left. Then we can put it to bed or up on some walls.

Animals, Art, Black & White, Calendar, Christianity, Flowers, Kim, Lensbaby, Macro, Nature, Night, Ruins, Street Photography, Travel

2024 Photography 139 Calendar Rejects: The Beginning

January 7, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett

Time to share the final image for the 2024 Photography 139 Calendar. The December image. It is an image of an abandoned (methinks) church I found in northeast Iowa on a THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT road trip:

DECEMBER

I chose this image for December because I usually like to either use a cold picture or some religious imagery for the December image. This picture might not scream “Christ is born!” but it is of a church. Not a lines are straight.

TECHNICAL DETAILS
CAMERA: Sony ILCE-7M4
DATE: August 20, 2022 – 12:34 PM
LENS: 28-75 f/2.8
FOCAL LENGTH: 28mm
EXPOSURE TIME: 1/5000
ISO: 100

It was converted to black & white in Photoshop.

That is it, that is the final image for the 2024 Photography 139 Calendar. But while those 13 images were selected for the calendar, they weren’t the only ones considered. Not by a long shot. There were 73 other images considered and not included. But I would like to give them some love.

Here is the first collection of reject images:

There still another 36 images that didn’t make the cut. That doesn’t mean that won’t make the cut next year. The cover image for the 2024 Calendar was rejected for the 2023 calendar. Share the rest on Tuesday. Maybe Wednesday.

Andy, Animals, Art, Black & White, Calendar, Flowers, Formal Portrait, Naima, Nature, Ruins, Town Sign Project, WPC - Alternate

And They’ll Think that I am So Exciting

January 6, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett

It is time to share the November image from the 2024 Photography 139 Calendar image. It is a picture of the redbud trees in Red Haw State Park.

NOVEMBER

I chose this picture for November because it had purple in it.

TECHINICAL DETAILS
CAMERA: Sony ILCE-7M4
DATE: April 29, 2023 – 12:23 PM
LENS: 17-28mm f/2.8
FOCAL LENGTH: 17mm
APERTURE: f/6.3
EXPOSURE: 1/160
ISO: 100

Tomorrow I will show the last image from the 2024 calendar.

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Now is the time to clean up the May backlog. These images were taken in May, but never really fit into a previous “An Artist’s Notebook” post. Some of are Naima. Some were alternate images for THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE. Hopefully all are of interest.

It definitely feels good to get some of the backlog cleared out!

Calendar, Flowers, Lensbaby, Macro, Nature

To Find You

January 4, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett

Time to share the September image from the 2024 Photography 139 Calendar. It is a picture of grass taken at Ledges.

SEPTEMBER

I selected this picture for September because it suggests fall.

CAMERA DETALS
CAMERA: SONY ILCE-7M4
DATE: OCTOBER 15, 2023 – 5:08 PM
LENS: 17-28mm f/2.8
FOCAL LENGTH: 20mm
APERTURE: f/8
EXPOSURE: 1/1000
ISO: 100

Tomorrow I will share the October image!

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You were staring at your bedroom wall
With only ghosts beside you
Somewhere out where the wind was calling
I was on my way to find you
I was on my way to find you

And you were racing like a cannonball
And roller skates and sky blue
Or in the backseat watchin’ the slow rain falling
I was on my way to find you

Gotta find out who I’m meant to be
I don’t believe in destiny
But with every word you swear to me
All my beliefs start caving in
Then I feel something’s
About to change

So bring the lightning
Bring the fire, bring the fall
I know I’ll get my heart through
Got miles to go but from the day I started crawlin’

I was on my way to find you
I was on my way to find you
I was on my way every day
I was on my way to find you

-Written by Gary Clark
Performed by Sing Street

This is the 3rd song from a John Carney movie to be used as a journal entry title. It comes from the movie SING STREET. I think this is the weakest of the John Carney movies, but it is still pretty great.

The plot of the movie follows Conor who starts a band to impress Raphina, a girl he barely knows. A common theme. Dudes getting into art to impress chicks.

I won’t cover the rest of the movie. But I highly recommend it to anybody that loves music from the 80s.

But Thursdays are for flowers. This flowertography session is dedicated to irises:

Next Thursday will involve more irises!

Calendar, Candid Portrait, Formal Portrait, Michelle, Nature, Still Life

Sausage Fest

December 26, 2023 Christopher D. Bennett

Time to share the January image for the 2024 Photography 139 Calendar. It was taken on a foggy morning on the High Trestle Trail Bridge:

JANUARY

Part of the reason I selected this image for January was it suggested the cold of January to me. Especially since it was taken in January.

TECHNICAL DETAILS:

CAMERA: Sony ILCE-7M4
DATE: January 3, 2023 – 12:32 PM
LENS: E 70/180mm f/2.8
FOCAL LENGTH: 180mm
APERTURE: f/4.5
EXPOSURE: 1/500
ISO: 100

Tomorrow I will share the image from February.

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A few weeks ago I was invited by Michelle to attend one of her family traditions. Their annual making party. I took plenty of pictures. Here are a few of them:

The sausage dried for 24 hours and was smoked the next day. I have some of it in my freezer just begging to be cooked up. Probably should do that soon!

Art, Jesse, Music, Nature, Street Photography

2023 Des Moines Arts Festival – II

December 2, 2023 Christopher D. Bennett

Time to share the balance of pictures I took from my trip to the Des Moines Arts Festival with Jesse:

The last few pictures were taken at Gray’s Lake after we had left the Arts Festival. Where we look at God’s art… nature!

Drone, Nature, Panorama

Rodan139: Des Moines River Valley

November 14, 2023 Christopher D. Bennett

About a month or so ago I took Rodan139 out for a flight around the Des Moines river valley a few miles west of Luther.

Here are some of those pictures:

That was the last time that I took Rodan139 out of the hangar. Hopefully we go out again sometime soon, but this time of year is tough because of the weather and the short days, so we will see.