Animals, Black & White, Contests, Jay, Politics, Railroad, Writing

Estranged

August 31, 2008 Christopher D. Bennett

A couple more pictures that were not selected.

I took this picture last year when Jay went on his first ever trip on the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad. I threw this particular picture into the mix to see if anybody would consider selecting this picture because of the nature of the photo contest.

Nobody took the bait. That is good, because it would have been pandering on the scale of a John McCain VP nominee.

I took this picture at Jester Park. Jay was impressed by this picture and I gave it to him as a birthday present. I think of this picture as being melancholy at first glance, but as being hopeful the longer it is gazed upon.

I named this picture based on an Emily Dickinson poem.

Hope

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune–without the words,
And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.

I’ve heard it in the chillest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.

Alexis, Black & White, Contests, Flowers, Formal Portrait, Macro

Spurned

August 30, 2008 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

Two more pictures that were not selected.

It took me some time to actually find one of these old merry-go-rounds. I searched high and low and only found one in Boone. Perhaps there is another one somewhere, but the only one I could find was at the Trinity playground.

The point of this picture was to convey movement by making the background a motion blur, but keeping the foreground in focus.

I don’t really have much to say about this picture. I can’t even remember when or where I took it. It is a black and white flower picture.

Contests, Music, Portrait

Jilted

August 29, 2008 Christopher D. Bennett

This is a second picture that was not entered.

This picture was created with an in camera zoom special effect. This picture was taken at The Venue when the Inebriated Saints were playing in a Battle of the Bands.

Mike contacted me to take pictures of the band. I went to The Venue on the agreed night, but the Fire Marshall had closed the place down because water was not hooked up to the fire extinguisher system.

This was the first time I had been to a Boone Bar in almost 2.5 years. I have yet to return.

Christianity, Contests, Night

Not Loved

August 28, 2008 Christopher D. Bennett

It is that time of year when we are nearing the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest. I took a different tact for selecting pictures this year. I am pleased with the results.

I will get into the process at a later date. But first, I want to reveal the pictures that were nominated, but did not get selected for entry this year.

Below is the first picture that I did not enter.

This picture is of the Downtown First United Methodist Church in Des Moines. I took this picture after eating at a buffet with Russell, Baier and Andree. I took it from the top of a parking ramp across the street.

Boone FUMC, Lowell, Movies

But I love gatherings. Isn’t it ironic?

August 27, 2008 Christopher D. Bennett

Lowell has signed on to teach Sunday School for Middle Schoolers. He was recently give a stack of potential books to use as curriculum. One of these books was trying way too hard to be “young” and “hip”.

Not only did they try to make the guy on the cover look like a cartoon version of Randal Graves from Clerks, they gave lessons titles like: “That isn’t fair. What’s up with that?”

There is also a great lesson on the similarities between Jericho and what the United States government did to the Native Americans.

Art, Derrick, Jen

The Wedding of the Year (Prelude)

August 27, 2008 Christopher D. Bennett

Not only did I get the honor of being a triple threat at The Wedding of the Year, I also received one of the greatest present I have ever received in my life. That means a lot coming from me. I’m not prone to superlatives.

Jen made a sweet stained glass flower. Rumor has it that Derrick even helped out.

They made 1 for each member of the wedding party. I don’t want to brag, but I came home with the orange flower or as I like to call it, “Derrick’s Favorite”.

Black & White, Brog Frog, Candid Portrait, Derrick, Jen, Jesse, Kelly, Monica, Sara, Weddings

The Wedding of the Year (Part 3)

August 25, 2008 Christopher D. Bennett

As Shawn and I were called to perform our secondary duty of ushering, I handed my camera to Kelly. She took the following pictures before the battery on the camera gave out.

I was so completely drained from this wonderful day that I didn’t wake up until 1:30 on Sunday afternoon. It was probably a good thing that I limited my dancing at the reception. It is possible that I could still be sleeping.

Black & White, Candid Portrait, Derrick, Jay, Jen, Monica, Sara, Weddings

The Wedding of the Year (Part 2)

August 24, 2008 Christopher D. Bennett

This is really a continuation of more pictures of the wedding principals taking it easy backstage before the big show.

Monica took the pictures of me, including my picture with Jay, the one where he reveals that he truly doesn’t like me all that much.

Black & White, Brog Frog, Candid Portrait, Derrick, Jen, Jesse, Jill, Kelly, Monica, Sara, Weddings

The Wedding of the Year (Part 1)

August 23, 2008 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

I didn’t take many pictures from The Wedding of the Year because I was quite busy being a triple threat: Groomsman, Usher and Reader Guy. However, I did manage to snap off a few photos here and there.