It is time to begin the 10th year of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE! I’m pumped! Are you pumped? Of course you are pumped? The theme is clearly called TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES, but I had a few people enter under a completely different theme PLANES, TRAINS, & AUTOMOBILES. I decided to accept their submissions because I am super magnanimous!
But the real question is, was TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES a popular theme? You will have to keep scrolling to find out!
As of 12:01 PM on Monday, January 2, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks (ignore the numbers in parentheses):
1-Mary Green – 1 week (2)
2-Jesse Howard – 1 week
3-Monica Jennings – 1 week
4-Sarah Karber – 1 week
5-Sara Lockner – 1 week
6-Sabas Hernandez – 3 weeks
7-Becky Parmelee – 3 weeks
8-Willy McAlpine – 7 weeks
9-Tamara Peterson – 9 weeks
10-Brandon Kahler – 20 weeks
11-Linda Bennett – 23 weeks (3)
12-Sarah Toot – 24 weeks
13-Angie DeWaard – 28 weeks (2)
14-Dawn Krause – 32 weeks
15-Kim Barker – 38 weeks
16-Joe Duff – 39 weeks
17-Logan Kahler – 41 weeks
18-Teresa Kahler – 50 weeks (2)
19-Carla Stensland – 50 weeks (2)
20-Michelle Haupt – 51 weeks
21-Micky Augustin – 52 weeks
22-Andy Sharp – 53 weeks
23-Bill Wentworth – 54 weeks
24-Cathie Morton – 58 weeks
25-Elizabeth Nordeen – 59 weeks
26-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 61 weeks
27-Kio Dettman – 63 weeks (3)
28-Christopher D. Bennett – 485 weeks
But you didn’t come here to listen to me talk all tommyrot about participation rates or streaks. You came to see the submissions and what streaks continued and what streaks flamed out:
Bill Wentworth (Nebraska) – 55 weeks
Carla Stensland (Iowa) – 51 weeks
Carla Stensland (Iowa)
Kim Barker (Iowa) – 39 weeks
Joe Duff (Texas) – 40 weeks
Linda Bennett (Kansas) – 24 weeks
Christopher D. Bennett (Iowa)
Sarah Toot (Pennsylvania) – 25 weeks
Tamara Peterson (Iowa) – 10 weeks
Shannon Bardole-Foley (Iowa) – 62 weeks
Angie DeWaard (Iowa) – 29 weeks
Angie DeWaard (Iowa)
Angie DeWaard (Iowa)
Brandon Kahler (Iowa) – 21 weeks
Micky Augustin (Iowa) – 53 weeks
Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa) – 60 weeks
Dawn Krause (Iowa) – 33 weeks
Teresa Kahler (Iowa) – 51 weeks
Becky Parmelee (Arkansas) – 4 weeks
Kio Dettman (Iowa) – 64 weeks
Suzie Brannen (Iowa) – 1 week
Andy Sharp (Iowa) – 54 weeks
Andy Sharp (Iowa)
Sabas Hernandez (Iowa) – 4 weeks
Logan Kahler (Iowa) – 42 weeks
Logan Kahler (Iowa)
Michelle Haupt (Iowa) – 52 weeks
Cathie Morton (Iowa) – 59 weeks
Jesse Howard (Iowa) – 2 weeks
Mike Vest (Iowa) – 1 week
25 participants! A solid but not spectacular start to the new year!
We had submissions from:
+ Iowa
+ Kansas
+ Arkansas
+ Texas
+ Pennsylvania
+ Nebraska
Pictures taken in 6 different states isn’t bad.
My submission for this week was taken about 15 miles from my front door.
Year 9 we finished with submissions taken in the following states:
+ California
+ Nevada
+ Arizona
+ Colorado
+ Texas
+ Kansas
+ Nebraska
+ South Dakota
+ Minnesota
+ Iowa
+ Missouri
+ Arkansas
+ Louisiana
+ Wisconsin
+ Illinois
+ Michigan
+ Indiana
+ Ohio
+ New York
+ Pennsylvania
+ New Jersey
+ Washington D.C.
+ North Carolina
+ Florida
+ Alaska
25 different states. I hope we can beat that this year. Although, I don’t know that I will contribute much. Right now for 2023 I have work trips planned for Las Vegas and Chicago. I’m going to a concert in Omaha. I’m going to visit the triplets in Little Manhattan. I’m sure I will have other trips, but that is what is on the calendar for now.
I rely on my big travelers like Cathie and Sarah and Kim to help fill out the map. No pressure.
We did have many submissions from foreign countries as well. Spain and Mexico and France and a few Caribbean islands come to mind. I plan on tracking that better this year as well.
The big milestone this week was Michelle hitting 52 weeks and joining the 1 Year Streak Club! A big accomplishment! She has said that after hitting one year she would throw in the towel. I guess we’ll wait and see what happens.
It wasn’t all sunshine and roses though. The following streaks went kaput:
+ Mary Green – 1 week
+ Monica Jennings – 1 week
+ Sarah Karber – 1 week
+ Sara Lockner – 1 week
+ Willy McAlpine – 7 weeks
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:
REFLECTION
REFLECTION! What a great theme to kick of Year 10 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!
But what in tarnation is a REFLECTION picture. It is simply enough a picture where a major compositional element of the picture is a REFLECTION. Mirrors obviously make great REFLECTIONs. But there are other things that REFLECT(ION) as well. For example water. I nicely waxed floor. Eyes. The list just goes on and on. Also, don’t forget that there is more than one definition of REFLECTION.
While considering possible subjects for your REFLECTION picture reflect on the following quote and I’m sure you will create a magnificent REFLECTION image.
By three methods we may learn wisdom: First by reflection, which is noblest. Second, by imitation, which is easiest, and third by experience, which is the bitterest.
-Confucius
I look forward to seeing your interpretation of the theme.
RULES
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. There is a limit of 3 submissions per participant. To be considered the photographer, you have to be the one that takes the picture. Don’t be stealing the work of other artists. You can submit pictures for other photographers that took pictures with your camera or phone, but give credit where credit is ude.
You can send your images to either bennett@photography139.com OR you may text them to my Pixel 5.
That is it. Thems the rules!
That is all I got, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will all be sharing your idea of REFLECTION in this place that holds up a mirror to me next Monday.