Becky, Carla, Cathie, Dawn, Kim, Kio, Micky, Tamara, Teresa, WPC - Submissions

WPC – WEEK 282 – USE OF SPACE

February 8, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett

I have to confess, I had my doubts about USE OF SPACE. It is a little more technical theme and the technical themes scare many people away. But we did it! 71 weeks in a row of double digits!

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

Carla Stensland

Christopher D. Bennett

Carla Stensland

Tamara Peterson

Becky Parmelee

Teresa Kahler

Kim Barker

Micky Augustin

Dawn Krause

Kio Dettman

Cathie Raley

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:

WIND

WIND! Another great theme for Year 8 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE.

WIND was a theme that was suggested by Andy. He practically dared me to use it as a theme because he said it would break the double digit streak. Well, challenge accepted!

But what is a WIND picture? You can’t see the WIND after all. While WIND might be invisible, you can see the effects of WIND on many, many things. In the photo reveal/example image, it is WIND that is blowing snow across the road. Tamara’s submission for USE OF SPACE could just as easily be WIND submission. At least here in central Iowa, WIND will be a major factor in our lives this week. WIND chill temperatures could get lower than -30. Andy says we can’t do double digit submissions for WIND. I say that it is almost too easy!

But while thinking of how you are going to compose your wind image, think on the song (one of my favorite songs of all-time) lyrics to this song by Yusuf Islam:

I listen to the wind, to the wind of my soul
Where I’ll end up, well, I think only God really knows
I’ve sat upon the setting sun
But never, never, never, never
I never wanted water once
No never, never, never
I listen to my words but they fall far below
I let my music take me where my heart wants to go
I swam upon the Devil’s lake
But never, never, never, never
I’ll never make the same mistake
No, never, never, never

Meditate on those words while you make your WIND interpretation.

Then send me you submission(s) by 11 AM CST next Monday. Remember, while I might consider you FAMILY, the picture has to be taken between 12:01 PM today and 11 AM next Monday. This isn’t a curate your photos project. This is a get your butt off the couch (unless you are taking your picture from the couch) and take pictures challenge.

You can send your images to either bennett@photography139.com OR you may text them to my Pixel 5.

That is all I got, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will all be sharing our idea of WIND in this place that can be windy when its CDO gets talking next Monday.

Railroad

Welcome to Boone

February 7, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

Normally I’ve been sharing family portrait type pictures on Sunday, but I wasn’t all that productive this weekend. I don’t know if it was because I’m not sure it got over -1 all weekend. Or I was just having a lazy weekend. But I never go into my mode.

So here is a small collection of pictures of the “Welcome to Boone” Train that I took back in November:

Next Sunday, I’ll get back to some family portrait type pictures.

Animals, Black & White, Flowers, Macro, Still Life

2010-06-25

February 6, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett

Most of the pictures in the folder 2010-06-25 are of lilies. Lots of lilies. But also of a deer. Then one of a clothespin.

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:

PERSONAL PHOTO PROJECT OF THE WEEK #31 ALPHA

PERSONAL PHOTO PROJECT OF THE WEEK #31 BETA

RWPE #25 – STILL LIFE

Next Saturday’s walk down memory lane involves skydiving.

Art, Black & White, Christianity, Mom, Road Trip, Self-Portrait, Teresa, WPC - Reminder

Webster County Auxiliary Images

February 5, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

Today feels like a good day to share the images I took while I was prowling around Webster County harvesting their town signs with Mom and Teresa several weeks ago.

I truly love this sign so much!

I do love small town water towers.

Stumpy’s Finished Top 5 Tenderloins in the State of Iowa in 2016 – What, you don’t think I have that list memorized?

Business Opportunity!

Stop… You had me at Charlie Brown. You had me at Charlie Brown.

Badger, Iowa in case you were wondering.

Whenever I hear people say God Bless America, I think of Rob Bell’s “Rich”.

Also “Noon Specials”.

Insect sculptures? Yes please!

Don’t you even think of invading Clare, Iowa!

Best Wishes T & Morga!

Tell me there is a better mailbox in the world and I will call you a liar, straight to your face!

The church where T & Morga tied the knot appears to be out of business.

Now this is what I call outreach! Too bad coffee sucks!

Teresa’s co-worker Eduardo gave us a couple tip on places to see in Webster County. Apparently Vincent and Badger are his old stomping grounds. It was his tip to visit the John F. Kennedy Memorial Park near Badger that lead to the discovery of those sweet, sweet insect sculptures.

+++++++

This is your reminder that this week’s THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE theme is USE OF SPACE:

USE OF SPACE

USE OF SPACE is an important theme historically for THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE. It was the very first theme ever for THE WEEKY PHOTO CHALLLENGE. All the way back when Vest and I invented THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE in the build area of the Computer Mine. Back then it was called THE RANDOM WEEKLY PHOTO EXPERIMENT and the theme was determined each week by a program that Vest wrote. Back then we both received submissions and he also published submissions on his website.
Much has changed back then, and not just the name. While that little bit of history is fascinating, it doesn’t answer the question, what is a USE OF SPACE picture?

It is possibly a confusing theme on the surface, but couldn’t be simpler in reality. All you have to understand is that in an image, there are two types of “space”. Positive space and negative space.

Positive space is the area in the photo that attracts the viewer’s eye. It’s the main subject that commands attention in the composition.

Negative space is the space in the composition that is typically the background. It usually doesn’t attract very much attention. It is used to define or contour the positive space.

In the example, my hand is the positive space. The brick wall is the negative space. In a USE OF SPACE (or negative space) photo, the photographer uses the space that is usually not the primary focus and uses it to fill in most of the composition. The negative space commands more attention than the positive space and creates a unique perspective. It also adds definition and can create strong emotions.

The challenge of this week is to make an image that is mostly negative space.

It is a counterintuitive way to compose an image. The natural instinct is to fill most of the frame with positive space. But you can really ratchet up the emotional impact by putting more negative space in an image than you normally would.

Of course, there are other ways to define USE OF SPACE. You can meditate on this quote by Bob Dylan, while you think about how to compose your USE OF SPACE picture:

Gates appeal to me because of the negative space they allow. They can be closed but at the same time they allow the seasons and breezes to enter and flow. They can shut you out or shut you in. And in some ways there is no difference.

Meditate on these words while you thinking about how you are going to create your USE OF SPACE photo.

Happy photo harvesting!

Photoshop, Postcard

Postcard Recreation Project – Downtown Boone

February 4, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

My most recent creations for the POSTCARD RECREATION PROJECT all involve looks at intersections in Downtown Boone.

There is no modern interpretation for these because I’m not sure there is a modern interpretation for intersections for Downtown Boone. There probably is, but I’ll save that until I complete all the old-timey postcards that I can find of Boone downtown streets. There are still several out there that I know about.

Here are the old timey postcards and their recreations:

Boone, IA 786 – Original

Boone, IA 786 – Redux

Corner 8th and Story Streets, Boone, Iowa – Original

Corner 8th and Story Streets, Boone, Iowa – Redux

East Side Story Street North from Eighth – Boone, Ia 2222 – Original

East Side Story Street North from Eighth – Boone, Ia 2222 – Redux

The next time we look in on THE POSTCARD RECREATION PROJECT, it will involve hotels that aren’t there any more.

Mom, Road Trip, Town Sign Project

Town Sign Project: Jasper County

February 3, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett 37 Comments

A few weeks back, I loaded up into the car with my Mom and we drove around the enormous county that is Jasper County harvesting the signs that I was missing. It was a good trip that include the traditional breakfast from Hardee’s. If the TOWN SIGN PROJECT has a sponsor it would be Hardee’s breakfast. I’m waiting Hardee’s. Just open up the checkbook!

Here are some facts about Jasper County:

+ As of the 2010 census, the population was 36,842.
+ The county seat is Newton.
+ The county was organized in 1846 and is named after Sergeant William Jasper, a Revolutionary War hero.

Here is a look at the Jasper County Photo Map:

Boundaries are approximate at best.

Here is the updated Photography 139 Conquest Map:

PUPRLE=COMPLETED

12 counties completed. 12.1% of the Cyclone State conquered.

Here are the Jasper County Town Signs:

Newton, Iowa
Newton
Population: 15,254

Mitchellville, Iowa (Mostly in Polk County)
Welcome to Mitchellville
Population: 2,093

Colfax, Iowa
Colfax – Est. 1866
Population: 2,093

Monroe, Iowa
Welcome to Monroe – Home of the PCM Mustangs
Population: 1,830

Prairie City
Prairie City
Population: 1,680

Baxter, Iowa
Welcome to Baxter
Population: 1,101

Sully, Iowa
Welcome to Sully – Est. 1882 – Home of the Jasper County Freedom Rock
Population: 821

Kellogg, Iowa
Welcome to Kellogg – Founded 1865
Population: 591

Lynnville, Iowa
Lynnville – A great place to live
Population: 379

Mingo, Iowa
Mingo
Population: 302

Lambs Grove, Iowa
Lambs Grove
Population: 172

Oakland Acres, Iowa
Oakland Acres – West
Population: 156

Reasnor, Iowa
Welcome to Reasnor – Founded 1877 – Population 190
Population: 152

Valeria, Iowa
Valeria – Town of a Railroad Romance
Population: 57

Ira, Iowa
Ira – Est. 1883
Unincorporated Community

Jasper County covers a lot of space and has 14 communities and 1 unincorporated community that I stumbled across. Once again, I no longer pursue unincorporated communities. That being said, I think Ira is more of a town than Valeria. And Oakland Acres. I don’t think Oakland Acres is a town at all. I think it is a bunch of rich pricks that live around a golf course that probably founded a “town” to escape paying their fair share of taxes. I could be way off base on that one, but I mean, prove me wrong. There is no city hall even. They have their city council meetings in the maintenance shed of the golf course. I’m going to give Oakland Acres, dead last for the worst town sign in Jasper County.

Best in Show. Hmmmm… I really like the town sign for Lambs Grove. Although I’m not really sure Lambs Grove is an actual town or just a neighborhood in Newton that doesn’t want to admit it is part of Newton. Monroe has a really nice sign. For an expensive town sign, I actually like it. I also like Sully’s sign. I’m not sure what the word Sully is supposed to be on, but my guess it that the blob is supposed to represent the Freedom Rock. I’d give it more points if it actually looked like their Freedom Rock a little bit. Newton’s sign is okay. There is an alternate Newton sign that I would consider the best town sign in Jasper County, which would be the first ever win for the best town sign in a county to go to the biggest town in that county, but I’m not 100% sure it is a town sign. So I’m holding it back. Best in Show in Jasper County goes to…

Jasper County Best in Show – Lynnville, Iowa

Although, I could probably be talked into giving this award to Ira.

There were a couple of alternate town signs in Jasper County:

Oakland Acres – Alternate

Baxter – Alternate

Newton – Alternate

Kellogg Sign – Backside

Kellogg – Alternate

However, there was one sign that bothered me. I couldn’t get it out of my mind. It was Valeria:

What is this “railroad romance”? The railroad has long since left Valeria. There is a trail nearby where the railroad used to be. There aren’t any historic markers in Valeria. There is nothing to indicate what this is all about. My mad Google searches found the story on what appears to be a now defunct website called Iowa Backroads:

This modest metal sign welcomes visitors to the Jasper County community of Valeria, highlighting the railroad romance that led to its establishment. In the early 1860s, the William H. Johnson family left the South to escape the atmosphere and attitudes of the Civil War, and settled at the present-day site of Valeria. William’s son Nicholas and his sister Edna Valeria would play key roles in the birth of the village.

Edna fell in love with a young civil engineer named McBride, who worked for the Chicago and Great Western Railroad. She and her beau convinced her father to allow the tracks to cross the Johnson land. An agreement was reached based on the condition that the community’s depot would be known as Valeria. The couple ultimately married, though McBride left the railroad to become a dentist.

I’ll assume it is true because I could find no other information on the story.

Here is the current list of Best in Shows:

Best in Show – Boone County

Best in Show – Carroll County

Best in Show – Crawford County

Best in Show – Dallas County

Best in Show – Greene County

Best in Show – Hamilton County

Best in Show – Jasper County

Best in Show – Marshall County

Best in Show – Polk County

Best in Show – Story County

Best in Show – Webster County

Best in Show – Wright County

No change to the BENNETT TOWN SIGN POWER RANKINGS:

#10. Scranton

#9. Ricketts

#8. Liscomb

#7. Dexter

#6. Templeton

#5. Haverhill

#4. Farnhamville

#3. Pilot Mound

#2. Moingona

#1. Coon Rapids

I’m not sure what county I will visit next. The last couple of weekends the weather has been rough, so I haven’t done any sign harvesting. The hopper is clear. Hopefully I get out on the open road this weekend!

Naima, Self-Portrait Project

Selfie Project – January 2021

February 2, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

I decided last year to bring back THE SELFIE PROJECT for 2021. If you don’t recall, that is where I take a picture of myself everyday for the entire year. It is a little different in a pandemic because for the first month, there isn’t a single picture with anybody else in it. Not I don’t know if that will continue, but I sure hope not.

We are more than a month into 2021 and the only people I have seen in person this year are my Mom, Teresa, Jesse, and Jay. Yes, I’ve seen other human beings in grocery stores and I’ve been to Wal-Mart once this year. But, that is really it for human beings that I’ve seen in the flesh.

Because I barely leave a 3 block radius of my house, sometimes it is hard to remember to do this project, because I’m not doing much of interest. I think my greatest accomplishment in 2021 is watching all 6 seasons of SEX AND THE CITY and both movies to prepare myself for the reboot. My biggest surprise from that project, I liked Big more than I liked Aiden.

I also completed season 1 of BRIDGERTON. There is more sex in BRIDGERTON than there is in SEX AND THE CITY. In case you are say, going to watch that show with your Mom and sister.

My point is really this. In January, there are more times than I care to admit where I laid in bed and realized I hadn’t taken my picture yet, so I just snapped a picture there. Done, but not interesting. Thankfully the selfie flash on the Pixel 5 is pretty solid.

Here are my favorite pictures from January:

December 31

January 1

January 2

January 3

January 6

January 7

January 9

January 10

January 12

January 15

January 17

January 19

January 21

January 22

January 23

January 24

January 25

January 27

January 29

January 30

January 31

I’m not posting these on the social medias on the regular. But if you want to peruse all the images, you can clink on the link below:

Selfie Project – 2021

And if you want to look at the ghosts of Selfie Projects Past, click on one of the links below:

Selfie Project – 2019

Selfie Project – 2017

Hopefully next month, there might be a couple of humans in the pictures besides me.

Andy, Becky, Carla, Dawn, Elizabeth, Jesse, Kim, Kio, Michelle, Micky, Monica, Shannon, Tamara, WPC - Submissions

WPC – WEEK 281 – BLACK

February 1, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett

BLACK! Another theme. Another Monday. Another week of double digit submissions! 70 weeks in a row to be exact! WooHoo!

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

Jesse Howard

Kim Barker

Jesse Howard

Kio Dettman

Carla Stensland

Kio Dettman

Michelle Haupt

Kio Dettman

Shannon Bardole-Foley

Tamara Peterson

Christopher D. Bennett

Andy Sharp

Dawn Krause

Elizabeth Nordeen

Becky Parmelee

Monica Henning

Micky Augustin

USE OF SPACE

USE OF SPACE! Another great theme for Year 8 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE.

Positive space is the area in the photo that attracts the viewer’s eye. It’s the main subject that commands attention in the composition.

Negative space is the space in the composition that is typically the background. It usually doesn’t attract very much attention. It is used to define or contour the positive space.

The challenge of this week is to make an image that is mostly negative space.

Of course, there are other ways to define USE OF SPACE. You can meditate on this quote by Bob Dylan, while you think about how to compose your USE OF SPACE picture:

Gates appeal to me because of the negative space they allow. They can be closed but at the same time they allow the seasons and breezes to enter and flow. They can shut you out or shut you in. And in some ways there is no difference.

Meditate on these words while you thinking about how you are going to create your USE OF SPACE photo.

You can send your images to either bennett@photography139.com OR you may text them to my Pixel 5.

That is all I got, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will all be sharing our idea of USE OF SPACE in this place that is tries to make wise USE OF SPACE next Monday.