Black & White, Contests, Drone, Flowers, Iowa State, Macro, Nature, Photoshop, Pufferbilly Days, Railroad

Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest Results

September 8, 2019 Christopher D. Bennett

Another Pufferbilly Days has drawn to a close. Seems like a fitting time to share the pictures that my loyal fans selected for me to enter into the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest and furthermore, if any of those pictures received any form of love.

Here are my entries:

Displayed – Hidden Treasures of Boone County

Displayed – Photojournalism

1st Place – Photoshop

1st Place – Nature

Displayed – Nature

In the last 2 years I’ve been blessed to get 1st Place in 3 of the 4 enigmatic Pufferbilly Days categories. However, Hidden Treasures of Boone County has still eluded me. I got a 3rd Place in that category last year. I might have to make that a focal point of some of my photography in the next few months. Unless I somehow get my wish and get some kind of administrative role with the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest.

I do have a small group of photographers that would probably help me start my own Photo Contest, I just don’t know in what context I could start a contest and have it work.

Thanks again to everybody who voted to help select my entries!

Flowers, Macro

2009-05-29

September 7, 2019 Christopher D. Bennett

The pictures in the folder 2009-05-29 are of assorted flowers that were in my backyard. One thing that I inherited and I’ve tried to not, at the very least, destroy is a wonderful backyard.

I have a tendency to let parts of it become overgrown now and again, but I think for the most part, it is still a very cute backyard.

It appears that this is the first time I’ve ever published these pictures.

Next week’s walk down memory lane will involve more of my time with the Ames Jaycees. It was a brief run and this was near the beginning of the end. I can’t quite remember when it actually all started to unravel. But I think it had already happened or it was going to happen soon. I guess as I continue to work on restoring old “An Artist’s Notebook” entries we’ll find out if I ever wrote about it.

Candid Portrait, Micky, Photo Journal, Still Life, WPC - Reminder

A Photo Journal – Page 18

September 6, 2019 Christopher D. Bennett

Pufferbilly Days is upon us! That means that by the time this entry sees the light of the day the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest should be up for delay. In addition to the 6 photos that all of you helped select, Carla has entered photos. Logan has entered photos. Vest has entered photos. So when you head up to Pufferbilly Days this weekend, you should go check out the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest. They are on display in the new KWBG building on the corner of 9th and Keeler. If you don’t know where that is, check the image below:

Follow the Arrow

I’m excited that so many people that regularly contribute to this website have entered the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest. I started entering again a couple years back because I was worried that the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest was going to go away, like the barbecue contest or The Amazing Race. It sounds like there will be close to 20 entries just from people I know. It sounds like I could start my own Photography Contest at some point. It would tide over my burning desire to run the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest.

Another reason I’m excited about the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest is that Logan has become the 3rd Generation of Bennetts to enter the Pufferbilly Days Contest. Our Dad used to enter the contest. Carla and I have entered the contest. Now our nephew Logan has entered the contest. Looks like today I put the clock on Kanoa.

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I recently went out in the woods with Micky to complete Page 18 of THE PHOTO JOURNAL PROJECT. Page 18 is by far my least favorite page in THE PHOTO JOURNAL PROJECT, but completing it was actually pretty fun.

Shoot the other half of the picture by Jason Evans

The picture by Jason Evans is a picture of some cups sideways on top of a geometric pattern. There was no way I was going to reconstruct this cup thing, so I decided to redefine the intended meaning of shoot. I printed out the whole picture (more or less) and then Micky shot it, with arrows.

Only one picture can be physically adhered into the physical THE PHOTO JOURNAL, but we did take a few other pictures that I liked:

This leaves only the following images left to capture before finally closing the book on THE PHOTO JOURNAL PROJECT:

Page 28 – Recreate a famous photograph without looking it up.
Page 64 – Head out with a fellow photographer and play a game of photography dare.
PAGE 66-67 – Make a sequence of four pictures inspired by the rise and fall of Britney Spears (or another celebrity).
Page 106-107 – Email one of your pictures to your photography hero and ask them what they hate about it.
PAGE 121 – Show us that photography is a form of magic.
Page 123 – Don’t take any more photographs -none- until you see something that emotionally moves you. Only then pick up your camera.

Of the 6 left on the list, I have 3 left to shoot. I have a solid 3 ideas for all 3 of them. 2 of them I still need to find models. The third one, I know the models, but they don’t yet.

If you are interested in modeling for one of the last 2 pages, let me know. In 1, you might get a little wet. In the other, you might have to be placed in a slightly embarrassing situation.

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Here is your reminder that this week’s WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE theme is SKY:

SKY

A SKY picture is any picture that involves the SKY in some way, shape, or form.

Happy photo harvesting!

Candid Portrait, Photo Journal, State Fair, Street Photography

A Photo Journal – Page 64

September 5, 2019 Christopher D. Bennett

On the last day of the Iowa State Fair I went to the Fair with Nader and Logan met us down there. Logan has recently purchased a new camera and is thinking of coming back to the family and being a Sony man.

Logan was using his new camera to take some street photography pictures. I used this as an opportunity to knock off Page 64 of THE PHOTO JOURNAL PROJECT:

Page 64 – Head out with a fellow photographer and play a game of photography dare.

The point of this page was to be pushed to take a picture that pushes you outside of your comfort zone. I have a pretty big comfort zone when it comes to photography and street photography is something I enjoy for the most part. So I decided to use this as an opportunity to get closer to an unknown subject than I normally do. Thus, this photo of a vendor at the Iowa State Fair.

I actually did take several other pictures on this day, but I don’t like any of them, so you don’t get to see them.

This leaves only the following images left to capture before finally closing the book on THE PHOTO JOURNAL PROJECT:

Page 18 – Shoot the other half of this picture by Jason Evans. – This is a profoundly stupid page, but I guess I’ll have to bite the bullet and do it at some point.
Page 28 – Recreate a famous photograph without looking it up.
PAGE 66-67 – Make a sequence of four pictures inspired by the rise and fall of Britney Spears (or another celebrity).
Page 106-107 – Email one of your pictures to your photography hero and ask them what they hate about it.
PAGE 121 – Show us that photography is a form of magic.
Page 123 – Don’t take any more photographs -none- until you see something that emotionally moves you. Only then pick up your camera.

Flowers, Macro

Datura

September 4, 2019 Christopher D. Bennett

It is well-established that my favorite flower is the moonflower. This has bothered people who visit me in my home. Due to my deep affection for the moonflower I let it grow anywhere it wants. If that means it blocks off the backdoor to the porch, so be it.

If you ever come to my house and think a moonflower looks tasty, let me tell you some of the effects of ingestion:

Due to the potent combination of anticholinergic substances it contains, Datura intoxication typically produces effects similar to that of an anticholinergic delirium (usually involving a complete inability to differentiate reality from fantasy); hyperthermia; tachycardia; bizarre, and possibly violent behavior; and severe mydriasis (dilated pupils) with resultant painful photophobia that can last several days. Muscle stiffness, urinary retention, temporary paralysis, and confusion is often reported and pronounced amnesia is another commonly reported effect.

Here are some moonflower pictures from the 2018 backlog:

I need to take some pictures of my current set of moonflowers.

Brandon, Candid Portrait, Football, Iowa State, Self-Portrait

Iowa State 29 Northern Iowa 26

September 3, 2019 Christopher D. Bennett

On Saturday, the Iowa State Cyclones opened their season by thrashing an upstart team from Cedar Falls. The referees tried valiantly to keep the Purple Hawks in the game by awarding them 2 touchdowns they didn’t earn. The first was an incomplete pass that UNI “recovered” and returned for a touchdown, which shocked everybody in the stadium because you can not recover an incomplete pass. Let alone return it. The Purple Hawks second “touchdown” was an incomplete pass that was the product of a helluva scramble by their midget quarterback and then “caught” with the aid of the ground in the endzone by the Purple Hawk running back. I’m guessing the refs just felt bad for the QB since he was running for his life and couldn’t even be aided by his running back to make a simple catch. So they just gave them the touchdown.

The referees’ efforts were in vain. The Cyclones prevailed in the third overtime when Sheldon Croney bowed into the endzone to end the game and send the Cyclone faithful home, well relieved more than anything else.

The good news is that the Cyclones have 2 weeks to figure out what the hades just happened and fix a bunch of mistakes that kept a game that wasn’t all that close on the field, close on the scoreboard.

I took an old “point and shoot” camera to the game that Logan had given me a few weeks back. I thought I’d take it to play with since nobody really cares all that much about the UNI game, including what appeared to be most of the Iowa State players.

I didn’t take many pictures because as I tinkered with it I determined that this camera isn’t right for taking pictures in this situation. Also, the game was a little too close for comfort and while I know full well that nothing I do in the stands effects the outcome of the game, I have noticed that every time I fiddle with a camera, Iowa State starts to suck it up.

So here are a few pictures of the band and cheerleaders and from tailgating. We did a dry run for Taco Tailgate, which is still tentatively scheduled for either the TCU or Oklahoma State game.

Derrick couldn’t go to the game because he “cares about his job” or some nonsense like that, so Brandon took his ticket.

Carla, Cathie, Elizabeth, Flowers, Jen, Jodie Cue, Kim, Logan, Michelle, Vest, WPC - Submissions

WPC – WEEK 207 – TOY

September 2, 2019 Christopher D. Bennett

The holiday weekend did take the predictable hit on participation rates, but considering it was a holiday, I can’t complain about participation rates too much.

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

Jen Ensley-Gorshe

Kim Barker

Jodie Cue

Tamara Peterson

Kim Barker

Christopher D. Bennett

Jodie Cue

Michelle Haupt

Carla Stensland

Logan Kahler

Cathie Raley

Elizabeth Nordeen

Mike Vest

Elizabeth Nordeen

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:

SKY

SKY! What a great theme. It is also the last theme for this set of 52 themes. Here are the next 52 themes, in no particular order:

Lines
Government
Religion
Animal
Formal Portrait
Music
Self-Portrait
Junk
HDR
Texture
Flower
Nature
Transportation
Framed
Rule of Thirds
Yellow
Art
Orange
Reflection
Food
Street Photography
Faceless Portrait
High Perspective
Black and White
Colorful
Family
Low Perspective
Abstract
Night
Shadow
Candid Portrait
Road Trip
Emotions
Nose
Old
Friends
Ruins
Work
Entertainment
Macro
Sports/Games
Fashion
Sky
Signs
Tree
Water
Landscape
Still Life
Architecture
Country
Ears
Purple

I put in a couple of themes that are a little more technically demanding because I think you guys have earned it. Don’t worry, there are a couple that I will explain when we get there.

As always, I look forward to seeing your interpretations of this weeks theme!

HOUSEKEEPING

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 RULES DIVISION

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.

Your submission needs to be emailed to bennett@photography139.com by 11 AM on the Monday of the challenge due date.

I now allow people to text me their submissions. In the past, I had made exceptions for a couple people that aren’t real computer savvy, even though it was an inconvenience for me and required at least 3 extra steps for me. I am now lifting that embargo because I have a streamline way of uploading photos. I’m not giving out my phone number, but if you have it, you can text me.

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 cloudy Monday!

Animals, Baier, Black & White, Candid Portrait, Derrick, Ernie, Event, Faust, House, James, Jay, Jen, Jesse, Jill, Logan, Monica, Russell, Sara, Scottie D., Shannon, Steve, Teresa

2009-05-29

September 1, 2019 Christopher D. Bennett 1 Comment

There are a wide variety of pictures in the folder 2009-05-29. They range from pictures of socks that Shannon made to Ernie trimming trees to baby worst birds to invites to my housewarming party to pictures Sara took at my housewarming party.

The guy in the picture with me and Jesse was my neighbor across the street from me. He would sometimes drop by at all hours of the night. He was a good guy, but his struggles overcame him and he passed away a couple years after this picture was taken.

However, looking at these pictures, it does inspire me to bring back the birthday party in 2020. I’m about 95% sure that I will.

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

The Fruit of the Mystery Trees
Mr. Bunyan
Memorial Day Backyard
Shindy
Housewarming Invites

Next Saturday’s walk down memory lane will involve flowers.