Hitting up the 2018 backlog. Here is a collection of pictures I took on May 5 on a trip to Dickcissel Park with Naima:
There are plenty of other pictures of Naima in the 2018 backlog. Plenty more!
Yes Virginia, there was a Photography 139 Calendar this year. However, I didn’t sell them this year. I just made a small run and gave them out to a very few small group of select people.
Here are the pictures from the 2019 Photography 139 Calendar:
The front cover is a picture of William McAlpine peering through the hole in a brick. It was taken in the backyard of the Photography 139 Studio. It was taken for the FRAMED theme of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE.
This photo was entered into the 2018 Iowa State Fair Photography Salon. It was accepted for display.
Willy is the first person to appear in a Photography 139 Calendar since the 2012 Calendar featured a final rendition of THE 9 EMOTIONS PROJECT that included images of AmyJunck-Wallendal, William McAlpine, Derrick Gorshe, Shannon Bardole, Jesse Howard, Jennifer Gorshe, Sara Junck, Jill Gorshe, and Jay Janson.
This image was entered in the 2018 Iowa State Fair Photography Salon. It was selected for display.
Unfortunately, the hibiscus did not survive the winter and did not return to the Photography 139 Flower Garden in 2018.
While this macro photo might appear to be one image, it is actually the product of a technique called focus stacking. This image is actually 7 images with different focus ranges stacked one on top of the other.
This photo was nominated for the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest, but it lost the popular vote and was not entered.
This image was taken for THE PHOTO JOURNAL PROJECT. The theme of the image was to go some place “touristy” and take a “non-touristy” picture.
The picture of Mary holding a crucified Jesus was selected for April to coincide with the celebration of Easter.
This image was entered in the Photoshop category of the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest. It won 1st Place.
I took this photo on a trip there with Bethany, Dae Hee, and Nora.
The image is HDR toned and is used as the base image for a Small World image.
The image was originally taken in color and was transformed into black and white in post production.
This macro image was taken while experimenting with a new set of extension tubes.
This image was nominated for the flower category for the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest, but was not entered.
The image was taken when I was able to sneak away during a break in the action of Baby Got Rack’s competitive barbecue competition.
The image was HDR toned in post-production.
This image was voted to be entered in the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest in the Nature Category.
It was nominated for the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest in the Nature Category, but it was not entered.
The image was color processed through the Color Efex Pro 4 plugin during post production.
The image was nominated for the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest in the Hidden Treasures of Boone County category, but was not entered.
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There are a few calendars to handout, but for the most part delivery has finished. Almost on time this year.
Happy New Year to people who celebrate such things.
I like to look at some meaningless statistics every 250 posts and I also look at fairly meaningless year end statistics.
Just so happens that I get to combine them today!!
Here is both a year in review and a celebration that I have made it to 3252 blog posts. I was on the Alamo Bowl Road Trip visiting submarines, cults, and reality television stars when post #3250 came around, so I hope you can excuse the tardiness.
The first thing I want to look at are the most popular CATEGORIES in the history of “An Artist’s Notebook”.
Top 10 Journal Entry Categories
1. Portrait – 527
2. Weekly Photo Challenge – 504
3. Flowers – 497
4. Animals – 405
5. Jesse – 361
6. Photography – 355
7. Shannon – 320
8. Teresa – 296
9. Black & White – 291
10. Carla – 280
Top 10 People Categories
1. Jesse – 361
2. Shannon – 320
3. Teresa – 296
4. Carla – 280
5. Jay – 279
6. Mom – 277
7. Derrick – 256
8. Willy – 227
9. Vest – 221
10. Jen – 209
Top 10 Not-People Categories
1. Portrait – 527
2. Weekly Photo Challenge – 504
3. Flowers – 497
4. Animals – 405
5. Photography – 355
6. Black & White – 291
7. Road Trip – 262
8. Personal Photo Project – 261
9. Life – 234
10. Nature – 215
“Photography” and “Life” are general categories that I have been working on eliminating as I go back and restore historical “An Artist’s Notebook” entries to their original glory. Hopefully they will have both dropped off the Top 10 Lists by journal entry #3500.
If you are wondering how to become a Top 10 person on this list. The easiest way is to submit to the Weekly Photo Challenge. After that, the best way is to volunteer to model and photo assist for photography projects. Then after that, I would suggest going on road trips with me or attending Iowa State athletic events with me or going on road trips to Iowa State athletic events with me.
The people that are right outside of the Top 10 are:: Sara, Kim, Dawn, Becky, and Nader.
If you are looking for a goal for 2019, you could do worse than trying to crack the Photography 139 Top Ten People Category List. You obviously could do way, way, way, way, way, way, way better too.
Now we will turn out eye towards 2018.
Top 10 Most Popular Photography 139 Galleries of 2018 by Views
1. 9 EMOTIONS PROJECT – 48,722
2. WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE YEAR 5 – 37,614
3. WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE YEAR 5 – ALTERNATES – 33,622
4. 2008 – JANUARY – JUNE – 26,032
5. SELFIE PROJECT – 2017 – 23,141
6. HOUSTON MISSION TRIP – 2018 – 22,046
7. SOUTH DAKOTA TRIP – 2017 – 21,868
8. BOONE COUNTY FAIR CONTEST NOMINEES – 2018 – 17,211
9. SAYDIE HOWARD – CLASS OF 2017 – 14,808
10. IOWA STATE CYCLONES FOOTBALL – 2018
The 10 Most Popular Photography 139 Images by Views
On the Instagram, these were my 9 Most Popular Photos based on Likes:
My theme for my 2018 Instagram posts was Black & White. My theme for 2019 will be HDR Toning. Also, I will be bringing back THE SELFIE PROJECT to Instagram in 2019.
You can follow me on Instagram here:
I entered 3 photo contests with the following results:
Purple Ribbon – Boone County Fair
Blue Ribbon – Boone County Fair
Blue Ribbon – Boone County Fair
Blue Ribbon – Boone County Fair
Selected for Display – Iowa State Fair
Not Selected for Display – Iowa State Fair
Selected for Display – Iowa State Fair
Not Selected for Display – Iowa State Fair
1st Place Photoshop – Pufferbilly Days
1st Place Photojournalism – Pufferbilly Days
3rd Place Hidden Treasures of Boone County – Pufferbilly Days
Last note:
My goal for 2019 is the same as it was in 2018:
I’m gonna step my game up and get what is coming to me.
Good luck in 2019 everybody!
I still haven’t got back to THE PHOTO JOURNAL PROJECT, so instead of that, enjoy these pictures of Naima riding in a car.
Yes, I was driving while I took these pictures. I’m pretty sure that is safe.
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Here is your reminder that this week’s WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE theme is SPORTS/GAMES:
A SPORTS/GAMES photo is any photo that involves creatures involved in SPORTS/GAMES. Or a pictures of SPORTS/GAMES equipment.
Happy photo harvesting!
This is the final post of the 2017 backlog.
I usually get tapped with taking the pictures for the day job’s holiday card.
My co-workers range from putting in a ton of effort in getting ready for their portrait to just showing up and saying “let’s get this done” to complaining incessantly about it.
I, for the most part, enjoy the exercise, even though these are little more than glorified mugshots that take up about 1 square centimeter on a card that I’m not certain many of our customers even look at.
I’m going to share the pictures of co-workers that are also subscribers to this here blog. Maybe a couple more that I just enjoy.
I don’t Photoshop these. I just turn them over to the powers that be. Okay, I might have Photoshopped Jorge’s picture a hair because I kept being told that his eyes are too small. Dude has small eyes. Why you pickin’ on him?
These aren’t the pictures used on the holiday card. They aren’t even the best pictures from their shoots. Tey are just pictures that I liked.
An Artist’s Notebook will probably take Sundays off for the time being. I think we all need the break.
Today is a big day for THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE! COLORFUL inspired Jodie Cue to submit for the first time ever! Welcome aboard Jodie, we know you will do great things!
But you didn’t come here to listen to me talk all tommyrot about participation. You came to see the COLORFUL 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:
I should point out that I was pretty surprised to walk out my back door yesterday and see a bald eagle swooping around overhead. I’ve never seen one in my neighborhood.
WILD ANIMAL! What a great theme! But what is a WILD ANIMAL picture? It is a picture of an animal that is not domesticated. Not a pet. Not a farm animal. There is more than one definition for WILD ANIMAL. Therefore…
I look forward to seeing your interpretations!
Most likely, I will be out of state next Monday. So, look for next week’s WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE post to be posted on Tuesday.
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.
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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 wild Monday.
While I was at the Iowa State Fair, I came across a great subject for Page 78 and Page 79 for THE PHOTO JOURNAL PROJECT.
On my first trip to the Iowa State Fair I took the picture for Page 78. I’ll share those pictures today and you’ll have to wait for Page 79:
I visited the midway early on the morning while Baby Got Rack’s meat was smoking.
Only 1 picture can be physically adhered into the physical THE PHOTO JOURNAL. Here are some that will only exist in the digital world:
Next Friday we will definitely check in with Page 78.
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This is your reminder that the WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE theme this week is COLLECTIBLE:
A COLLECTIBLE photo is a photo of anything that people collect.
Happy photo harvesting!
As Pufferbilly Days wound to a close, I would like to share the photos that were selected by popular vote and how they did in the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest:
As far as I know, there wasn’t anybody else in the contest that I know. Once again, they didn’t put any names on any of the photos. In years past they had at least put a sheet of paper at the bottom of the display with a list of who finished 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. It is what it is.
I started entering the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest again 2 years ago because I was worried that the amount of entries had gotten really small. the last couple of years the numbers had ballooned. This year, the amount of entries atrophied again.
Hopefully it bounces back again next year.
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We are so close to the end of the 2016 backlog that you can probably feel it. After this post, there is only one photo shoot left to publish.
But before we get to that, we need to finish up with the pictures of Austin and Porter at a McHose Park playground.
Next Sunday, when hit the 2016 backlog, we look at a commercial photo shoot I did for a Minnesota leather company.