Retreat 2016!

I told you would be hearing more about my weekend with the Youth Group. There might even small bits of solicitation coming your way. (Hint! Hint!)

This is the closest to a full group photo from the weekend I got:


Not pictured is other male chaperon Corey and the photographer Megan or Megyn or Meegan (I don’t really know. She seems to mostly answer to Bae.)

This picture is taken at the top of the hill at the Y Camp. The climb up the hill was a pretty good reminder, that dude, you need to get back to the gym!

Don’t worry, more about that weekend still in the chute.

#MERICA

This past weekend I spent hanging with my church’s youth group at the Y Camp.

There were numerous interesting moments, that I’d share with a person face to face.

But one of my favorite moments was watching a bald eagle swoop down out of the air and onto a sandbar on the opposite side of the Des Moines River. Although the eagle was too far away for me to get a decent photo, I did at least get a photo.

Here is that photo:




This will not be the last time you hear about that weekend.

PARTICULARS

CAMERA: SONY SLT-A65V
ISO: 800
FOCAL LENGTH: 300mm
APERTURE: f/5.6
EXPOSURE: 1/500
DATE: 03/06/2016 – 8:24
NO GPS DATA

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 25 – SELF-PORTRAIT

I think there were a healthy amount of SELF-PORTRAIT submissions this week. I know that submitting a selfie isn’t for everybody, it takes a certain amount of courage or arrogance. Whatever. Not judging.

Here are this week’s submissions for SELF-PORTRAIT:


WEEK 25 - SELF-PORTRAIT - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker

WEEK 25 - SELF-PORTRAIT - MICHELLE HAUPT
Michelle Haupt

WEEK 25 - SELF-PORTRAIT - ANGIE DEWAARD
Angie DeWaard

WEEK 25 - SELF-PORTRAIT - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett

WEEK 25 - SELF-PORTRAIT - BILL WENTWORTH
Bill Wentworth

Some great submissions… obviously.

But why dwell on the past… Let’s look to the future or more specifically… let’s look to this week’s theme:


WEEK 26 - PET
PET!

Almost everybody has a pet. Yes there are a few out there that don’t have pets. Living lives of quiet desperation. Usually in Ankeny. However, even these people have access to the pets of other people. So I’m expecting big numbers next week.

As always, I can’t wait to see the submissions.

Also, remember. Your submission has to be taken the week of the theme AND has to be emailed to me at bennett@photography139.com by noon on Monday.

HOUSEKEEPING

PHOTOGRAPHY 139 SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION DIVISION

I am pleased to announce that the latest person to show off their keen intellect and sophisticated taste by becoming an email subscriber to Photography 139 is noted Iowa State journalist Logan Kahler. What do you need to know about Logan? He is related to me… by blood… so you can imagine how badass he is. I expect that he will become a fairly regular contributor to the WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE at some point in the near future. He is a student at Iowa State University. A university I believe is the highest ranked college in this country when graded on academics, aesthetics, athletics, and how much its president looks like a James Bond villain. Logan enjoys spicy food and has knocked the spicy wings challenge at B-Dubs, but as a poor college student, he was disappointed to find out that didn’t mean his meal was free. If you see Logan walking the mean streets of Ames, give him a knowing glance and feel free to show him the Photography 139 Super-Secret Handshake.

Want to become an email subscriber and join this elite group of highly intelligent people, but don’t know how. Email me for details.

Slip. Slide.

I’ve written in the past about the treachery of the footing on my recent trip to Minnehaha Falls with Bethany.

This is the picture I took after I biffed it. Hard.




I’m sorry this is late… but you know… life.

PARTICULARS

CAMERA: SONY SLT-A65V
ISO: 100
FOCAL LENGTH: UNRECORDED
APERTURE: UNRECORDED
EXPOSURE: 30 seconds
DATE: 02/26/2016 – 18:03
LATITUDE: 44.91503°
LONGITUDE: -93.20979°

Mini + 2(Ha)

On my recent trip to Minneapolis I efforted to photograph Minnehaha Falls.

Below is a picture from those efforts. (Waterfall not included)


Minnehaha Creek

Bethany and Tempe accompanied me on this trip. It was then that she revealed to me that her favorite way to break the law iS to illegally park. My favorite way to break the law is to trespass to take photographs. Although what really constitutes trespassing, really?

The trail to get down to THE falls was chained off, but since the area was already lousy with people, I pressed on. As soon as I got to the bottom of the stairs it became incredibly evident why this trail was closed down. The trail was a victim of the perfect storm of slippery. Packed snow, that had melted and then froze over. Then to add another layer of slick, the mist from the waterfall was falling onto the trail and freezing.

I managed to only bite it hard one time. Not on this picture though.

Don’t worry Bethany and Tempe stayed safe up top.


PARTICULARS

CAMERA: SONY SLT-A65V
ISO: 100
FOCAL LENGTH: 26mm
APERTURE: f/25
EXPOSURE: 5 seconds
DATE: 03/26/2016 – 15:50
LATITUDE: 44.91524°
LONGITUDE: -93.21016°