Category Archives: Photography

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 155 – CANDID PORTRAIT

Participation for CANDID PORTRAIT took the usual holiday drop off, but there were still a few people loyal enough to the cause that made it worth the effort.

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


WEEK 155 - CANDID PORTRAIT - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland

WEEK 155 - CANDID PORTRAIT - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland

WEEK 155 - CANDID PORTRAIT - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland

WEEK 155 - CANDID PORTRAIT - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker

WEEK 155 - CANDID PORTRAIT - TAMARA PETERSON
Tamara Peterson

WEEK 155 - CANDID PORTRAIT - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett

WEEK 155 - CANDID PORTRAIT - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp

Not a bad week of submissions, considering the holiday!

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:



HOBBIES (SUGGESTED BY DAE HEE YOON)

HOBBIES! What a great theme! But what is a HOBBIES photo?

A HOBBIES photo is any photo that involves somebody engaging in their HOBBIES. The results of their HOBBIES. Or tools used in their HOBBIES. There are all sorts of HOBBIES! From collecting things to making things to doing things. HOBBIES are things you do because it is a passion (the thing you are willing to suffer for) and not because somebody is paying you to do it. For examples one of my many HOBBIES is berating the open-faced sandwich. They know why.

This is the final theme for this set of 52 themes. Next Monday I will reveal the first theme is the next set of 52. I was going to reveal what all 52 themes are so you could day dream about them while you are at your occupations, but instead I’ll just let them come out as they come out. So you can think about them feverishly at your occupations.

I look forward to seeing your interpretations.

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 due date. 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 hobbied Monday.

The Game that Never Happened

Saturday was the beginning of one of my favorite times of year: college football season! In particular, Iowa State football season!

Iowa State was slated to play the Jackrabbits from South Dakota State (a school with a certain amount of campanile envy) at 7 PM in Jack Trice Stadium. There was a little bit of rain as the game started, but nothing to be worried about.

Iowa State kicked off to South Dakota State. South Dakota got one 1st Down and then the Cyclone defense tightened and forced a punt.

Iowa State got the ball and their first 2 plays lost 2 yards. On 3rd and 12, Kyle Kempt found Hakeem Butler across the middle for a big gain. A couple plays later, Deshaunte Jones grabbed a Kempt pass, slipped and almost fell down*. Regained his balance. Made a couple Jackrabbits look foolish. Scampered down the sideline, with a burst of speed, and then nonchalantly walked into the end zone 55 yards later for a 7 point Cyclone lead.

Then lightning struck within 8 miles of The Jack and the game went into a weather delay. It never came out of the weather delay. The game ended up being cancelled.

I did take quite a few pictures of warm ups, since it was a night game, I knew that the lighting would prevent decent pictures much past the 1st quarter. Here are some of those pictures:



Touchdown pass!

Iowa State vs. South Dakota State

Iowa State vs. South Dakota State

Iowa State vs. South Dakota State

Hopefully Iowa State is able to schedule another game to replace the one that got cancelled. I’m guessing that is a long shot however.

I guess the team with have to rally and get ready this week for Iowa. I have faith in them!

*CORRECTION: From my vantage point, I thought that he had slipped and almost fell down, but after having seen the play on the tele, it is clear, that he actually just made a sweet move and made a Jackrabbit wish he hadn’t got off the bus.

Them Degeneffe Boys – Volume 1

A tradition unlike any other is going to McHose Park with Scottie D. and his progeny for a photo shoot. They mostly play on the equipment and I take a bunch of candid photos. This photos then get turned into a Christmas present for Melissa.

Here is a collection from the 2016 photo shoot that I’m finally getting around to sharing.


Degeneffe Boys

Degeneffe Boys

Degeneffe Boys

Degeneffe Boys

Degeneffe Boys

Degeneffe Boys

Degeneffe Boys

Degeneffe Boys

Degeneffe Boys

Degeneffe Boys

Degeneffe Boys

Degeneffe Boys

Degeneffe Boys

Degeneffe Boys

Degeneffe Boys

Degeneffe Boys

Degeneffe Boys

Degeneffe Boys

Degeneffe Boys

Degeneffe Boys

Degeneffe Boys

Degeneffe Boys

Degeneffe Boys

Degeneffe Boys

Don’t worry, there are more pictures of Austin and Porter warming up in the bullpen. You won’t have to wait too long!

07-02-08

There isn’t much to the folder called 07-02-08. A few pictures from a small road trip that I took with Becky. Then some flower pictures.

No reason to dilly dally. Let’s get to it:


07-02-2008



07-02-2008



07-02-2008

07-02-2008

07-02-2008



07-02-2008



07-02-2008

I remember being so disappointed when I saw the design of the new “High Bridge”. 10 years later, I’m still disappointed.

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

Enigmatic

Killing Time

Next Saturday’s walk down memory lane will involve more Ames on the Half Shell and fireworks.

A Photo Journal – Henry Carroll – Page 118

It is your weekly reminder that this week’s WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE theme is CANDID PORTRAIT.

A great theme! One of the best ever! But what is a CANDID PORTRAIT? A CANDID PORTRAIT is a portrait where the subject isn’t posed. They probably don’t even know that they are being photographed.


WEEK 155 - CANDID PORTRAIT
CANDID PORTRAIT

Happy photo harvesting!

+++++++

A few weeks back at FNSC Jay stopped by to enjoy the firetub. I found it a perfect time to knock out Page 118 of THE PHOTO JOURNAL PROJECT:


Photo Journal - Page 118
Page 118 – Sit opposite someone for two hours. Chat, have a cuppa, but only take pictures when you see something revealing.

Let’s face it. My friends aren’t the sit and “have a cuppa” type of people. But we do like fire. Almost to a fault. But we don’t want to talk about that.

Only one picture can be physically adhered into the physical THE PHOTO JOURNAL. However, I did take a couple more Page 118 photos I think are worth sharing:


Page 118 - Reject

Page 118 - Reject

Page 118 - Reject

Page 118 - Reject

I got at least 4 more pages for THE PHOTO JOURNAL PROJECT shot as well. Just got to get them to the editing hole!

Pelidnota punctata

The grapevine beetle, Pelidnota punctata, also known as the spotted June beetle or the spotted pelidnota, is a species of beetle in the family Scarabaeidae (Scarab beetles), situated in the subfamily Rutelinae. Grapevine beetles are common in the north and central United States and Eastern Canada, but do relatively little damage to their host plants. The beetles fly at a fast speed, usually in a curving flight.

I recently stumbled upon a beautiful grapevine beetle in my backyard. It actually wasn’t hanging out in my grapevine though. It was more cozying up with my raspberries. I couldn’t refuse a chance to photograph such a striking and handsome creature!

Now I know insects aren’t everybody’s cup of tea, but some of you drink green tea, and that is gross. Maybe it is time you look in the mirror.

For me give me a tea cup filled with insects. Then another one filled with Baby Got Rack’s patented Thick Soul Sweet Tea, and I’m having a pretty great day.

Here are some pictures of my friend (and yours) the grapevine beetle:


Grapevine Beetle

Grapevine Beetle

Grapevine Beetle

Grapevine Beetle

Grapevine Beetle

Grapevine Beetle

Grapevine Beetle

Grapevine Beetle

Grapevine Beetle

Hopefully I haven’t seen the last of this sweet prince of the insect kingdom.

Franconia: Part II

One photo from last week’s WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE came in late, but I thought I would share it anyways.

The picture below was submitted by Logan. It was taken at Vinton’s fireworks competition.


WEEK 154 - COMPETITION - LOGAN KAHLER

I didn’t know such a thing existed, but it does. I might have to check it out next year.

+++++++

Time to answer the question I left you with in last Tuesday’s blog.

Going back to my trip to the Franconia Sculpture Garden with Bethany, Dae Hee, and Nora from back in August of 2017:


Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

I only have 3 car payments left. While it isn’t a ton of money that I will be not have to lay out every month, I have spent it over and over and over in my head. One of those things i think about buying is a piece of art for the yard. I think that lizard would like great in my yard.

There is one more collection of photos from Franconia next Tuesday.

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 154 – COMPETITION

COMPETITION wasn’t an extremely popular theme, even in this non-competitive WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE.

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


WEEK 154 - COMPETITION - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp

WEEK 154 - COMPETITION - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker

WEEK 154 - COMPETITION - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett

WEEK 154 - COMPETITION - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker

WEEK 154 - COMPETITION - TAMARA PETERSON
Tamara Peterson

WEEK 154 - COMPETITION - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp

WEEK 154 - COMPETITION - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp

WEEK 154 - BECKY PARMELEE - COMPETITION
Becky Parmelee

WEEK 154 - COMPETITION - MICKY AUGUSTIN
Micky Augustin

WEEK 154 - COMPETITION - MICKY AUGUSTIN
Micky Augustin

WEEK 154- COMPETITION - CATHIE RALEY
Cathie Raley

WEEK 154- COMPETITION - 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 155 - CANDID PORTRAIT
CANDID PORTRAIT!

CANDID PORTRAIT! What a great theme! What does it mean? A candid portrait is one where the subject is unaware that a photo has been taken. The idea of a candid portrait is to capture people acting naturally. They should be unaware they are being photographed, as their behavior often changes once they become aware of the camera.

Remember! Next Monday is Labor Day. While the bank, your job, and the government might take that day off, Photography 139 does not! Plan on submitting your photo accordingly. No rest for the wicked! Money don’t grow on trees. I got bills to pay. I got mouths to feed. There ain’t nothing in this world for free. Oh no, I can’t slow down. I can’t hold back. Though you know, I wish I could. Oh no, there ain’t no rest for the wicked.

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 due date. 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 candid Monday.