It’s Dollars to Doughnuts!

Here are some general pictures from my recent trips to the Iowa State Fair with Baby Got Rack, Stephanie, Kelly, Yin, Jeff, and the Beavers!

I was going to tell this story about the New Jersey woman I met that was just the worst. Like all people from New Jersey. But at this time I think it is just enough to point out that people from New Jersey are the worst.

If I get motivated, I might leave the story in the COMMENTS section of this here post later.

So without further adieu…


It was a successful Iowa State Fair. Next year, I might unretire and enter the Photo Contest again. Of course, I said that about Pufferbilly Days as well and decided that it just wasn’t for me this year.

Critter Sunday

One of the new things that our new pastor (Doug) brought to our church in an animal blessing ceremony. On Sunday, you could bring your pet to church or email a picture of your pet and the church blessed your pet.

I took Naima to the service and she handled as well as she does. Kio wanted pictures for the Boone News Republican taken of the service. So while I did that, Summer (from our Youth Group) handled Naima. They even went on a walk.

While Naima was getting blessed, Teresa took the photos.

Here are some photos from Critter Sunday:


It was an interesting experience for Naima. When she has been in the church in the past, she hasn’t had to be on a leash and has been able to slam into people as hard as she wants. She obviously couldn’t slam into people on Sunday.

This is a great new tradition. I hope a lot more people come to it next year.

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 50 – MACRO

Lots and lots of up close and personal submissions for MACRO this week.

Don’t take my word for it, have a look:


WEEK 50 - MACRO - ANGIE DEWAARD 1
Angie DeWaard 1

WEEK 50 - MACRO - ANGIE DEWAARD 2
Angie DeWaard 2

WEEK 50 - MACRO - MICKY AUGUSTIN
Micky Augustin

WEEK 50 - MACRO - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker

WEEK 50 -  MACRO - SARAH KARBER
Sarah Karber

WEEK 50 - MACRO - STEPHANIE KIM 1
Stephanie Kim 1

WEEK 50 - MACRO - STEPHANIE KIM 2
Stephanie Kim 2

WEEK 50 - MACRO - TERESA KAHLER 1
Teresa Kahler 1

WEEK 50 - MACRO - TERESA KAHLER 2
Teresa Kahler 2

WEEK 50 - MACRO - TERESA KAHLER 3
Teresa Kahler 3

WEEK 50 - BECKY PERKOVICH - MACRO
Becky Perkovich

WEEK 50 - DAWN KRAUSE - MACRO
Dawn Krause

WEEK 50 - SHANNON BARDOLE - MACRO
Shannon Bardole

WEEK 50 - MACRO - MIKE VEST
Mike Vest

WEEK 50 - MACRO - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett

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 51 - ROAD TRIP
ROAD TRIP!

What a perfect excuse for loading up your favorite cooler with a six pack of be… soda… and hit the open road! Of course, maybe your schedule this week doesn’t allow for you to actually hit the open road. That’s no excuse Nancy! A wide assortment of photos can be taken that suggest a road trip. From maps, to your car, to your favorite tunes, to that bag of Funyuns you have to buy or it isn’t an official road trip. Just think about it and record and image that says ROAD TRIP to you. After all, you are free to translate the theme any way you want.


WARNING!!!

Remember that next Monday is Labor Day. While the government, your bank, and even the Computer Mine takes that day off, Photography 139 doesn’t. Plan your submissions accordingly!

HOUSEKEEPING

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 ANNOUNCEMENT DIVISION

A quick heads up that next Monday I will be revealing the 52 themes for the next 52 weeks of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE. In the comments section below is the last chance for you to have any input.

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. 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 this week showed class, taste or sophistication by signing up for a Photography 139 Email Subscription. I’ll try to 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 an open road kinda Monday.

National Naima Day

Today (Friday, August 26, 2016) apparently is National Dog Day. At least it is on Twitter. So I thought I would share a few photos of Naima and her recent trip to the Boone Pool.

At the end the swimming pool season, Boone has a take your day to the pool event that is a fundraiser for Boone’s dog park. I always take Naima because she enjoys some aspects of it. She loves being in water where she can touch the bottom. Water where she has to swim. Not a fan at all.

This year I did throw her into the 4 foot section of the pool. Which she did not enjoy and then she was a little leery of even getting too near the pool at all.


After about 45 minutes, Naima decided she was done. So she got out of the wading pool and then walked out the front door of the pool. So we went to the car and hit the open road. Where she enjoyed sticking her head out the window on the ride home. I sure she is already looking forward to leaving from next year’s event.

Naima is going to church on Sunday, so I’m sure there will be more Naima pictures in your future!

First!

I was recently summoned to the Junck farm in Ogden to photography the Junk people and one of their old timey firetrucks. This particular firetruck was the first ever in Boone County.

Here are some of my favorite images of the firetruck.


If you’re a thinking, “Man that is one sweet ride! I’d like to get up close and personal with it!” You are in luck! I’ll be riding on the back of that bad boy during the Pufferbilly Days Parade. Since you are already coming to Pufferbilly Days to vote for Baby Got Rack, you might as well spend the whole weekend here. Come over Saturday morning for the parade. Then head to the Photography 139 Worldwide Headquarters to watch the Iowa State-Iowa game. Then head up town to celebrate the Cyclones victory. Take a little nap. Then come back downtown on Sunday to vote for Baby Got Rack in the Pufferbilly Days Barbecue Contest!

I am actually looking for a couple of people to help distribute candy during the parade. If you’re interested, you know where to find me.

State Champs!

As some may have heard from various social media outlets or via press release, Baby Got Rack competed at the Iowa State Fair barbecue contest in the Combination category last Tuesday and brought home the championship.

Word on the street is that we were very close to winning the Grand Championship, but fell just short because we didn’t have our own barbecue sauce. An oversight that has been remedied. 4X over.

Here are a few photos from the day.





We were set up and ready to rock by 5 AM.


This corn dog stand can take a long walk off a short pier.


Marcus holding down the smoker.


Chicken and pork loin on!


IPTV setup a timelapse camera in our booth, but didn’t use the footage in their show.


Meat check.


Meat resting.


This guy’s shirt. Came to the right place.


60 total barbecue combatants.


Never hurts to work the Staties.


Getting the pizza ready.


The Marriage Saver


Scott and the judges.


Cynthia Fodor spent quite a bit of time hanging around our booth.


Media Obligations


More Media Obligations


Even More Media Obligations. This interview was on IPTV.

The Grand Champion Judges


Scott receiving his award. If we would’ve won Grand Champion, he would’ve gotten that crown.

I also took some pictures of the preparations, but we don’t want any of the trade secrets going public.

If you’re sad you missed Baby Got Rack’s most recent competition, we will be competing again during the Pufferbilly Days barbecue contest. We will be looking to defend our People’s Choice Award. We have a few tricks up our sleeve for this one. An ace in the hole from a marketing standpoint. Almost as good as our trademark fedoras.

Some come up and try our free samples on Sunday, September 11. Downtown Boone. Follow the smell of smoky and goodness. Vote for Baby Got Rack! The one vote you can cast this fall that you won’t regret later.

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 49 – REFLECTIONS

I have to confess, I was a little worried about this week. As I crawled out of bed this morning to head to the Computer Mine, I had only received 1 submission in my email inbox. Despite one person telling me at the State Fair that they had just taken their picture and another person messaging me to ask me if a certain subject met the criteria of the theme.

SPOILER ALERT:

Every time you ask me that question, my response is going to be: “Define the theme any way you see fit.”

I mean yes, if you just send me a picture every week of your kid, dog, cat, chinchilla, iguana, ’64 Impala, Uncle Art… I’m eventually going to call poppycock on your “interpretations” of the theme. However, if your subject makes sense to you. It makes sense to me. I’m not going to question it.

But I digress.

The good news is that my worries were for naught, as REFLECTIONS submissions flooded my inbox this morning. Including 2 first time submitters in Debra Krause and Scott Krause. A brother-sister tandem that hails from Boone, Iowa. Hopefully, this is just the beginning of their submitting ways.

But I could stand here and talk tommyrot about this morning, or I could show you the submissions. I know you guys love tommyrot, but here are the submissions:


WEEK 49 - REFLECTIONS - ANGIE DEWAARD
Angie DeWaard

WEEK 49 - REFLECTIONS - MIKE VEST
Mike Vest

WEEK 49 - REFLECTIONS - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett

WEEK 49 - REFLECTIONS - STEPHANIE KIM 1
Stephanie Kim 1

WEEK 49 - REFLECTIONS - STEPHANIE KIM 2
Stephanie Kim 2

WEEK 49  - REFLECTIONS - DEBRA KRAUSE 1
Debra Krause 1

WEEK 49 - REFLECTIONS - DEBRA KRAUSE 2
Debra Krause 2

WEEK 49 - REFLECTIONS - DAWN KRAUSE 1
Dawn Krause 1

WEEK 49 - REFLECTIONS - DAWN KRAUSE 2
Dawn Krause 2

WEEK 49 - REFLECTIONS - DAWN KRAUSE 3
Dawn Krause 3

WEEK 49 - REFLECTIONS - DAWN KRAUSE 4
Dawn Krause 4

WEEK 49 - REFLECTIONS - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker

WEEK 49 - REFLECTIONS - SCOTT KRAUSE 1
Scott Krause 1

WEEK 49 - REFLECTIONS - SCOTT KRAUSE 2
Scott Krause 2

WEEK 49 - REFLECTIONS - BECKY PERKOVICH
Becky Perkovich

WEEK 49 - REFLECTIONS - BILL WENTWORTH
Bill Wentworth

WEEK 49 - REFLECTIONS - SHANNON BARDOLE
Shannon Bardole

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 50 - MACRO
Macro!

But what is this MACRO you speak of? Is it pictures of carrots?

No, that’d be crazy! (Picks up a pencil and writes down CARROTS as a theme for the next 52 weeks.) There is a terribly sterile definition of MACRO that involves a 1:1 ratio of subject to 35mm film and you don’t want to hear it and while I want to tell you about it, I’ll restrain myself and define MACRO like this:

MACRO photography is all about getting up into something/sombebody’s grill and telling it “I’m here. I’m up in your grill. I’m not backing down. I’m taking your picture.”

Another way to look at it is that MACRO photography is close-up photography.

But as always, feel free to define the theme anyways you want.

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. 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 this week showed class, taste or sophistication by signing up for a Photography 139 Email Subscription. I’ll try to 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 no-personal-space kinda Monday.