It is the last Monday of the month, so it is a good time revisit the THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE FAQ:

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS – WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE

What skill level photographer can participate?

THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE is open to photographers of all skill levels. From award winning photographers to professionals to the highly ranked amateurs to those that are just beginning to those who don’t even know how to focus a camera. All skill levels are encouraged and welcome. You can’t be too bad and you can’t be too good! Everyone has room to learn and be challenged!

Award winning photographers? Really?

Yes. I can think of at least 5 photographers that participate regularly that have won a photography award of some kind.

Is this a competition?
No.

Is there a limit to the number of submissions I can have each week?

Yes. That limit is 3. If you send me more than 3, I will post the first 3 that you send. I’m not trying to harsh your photography buzz, but any more than that start to overwhelm the other submissions and it takes me about 5 minutes to take a picture from my inbox to code it on the website. So I have to manage my workload.

If participation rates climb, that limit of 3 is subject to lower.

Can I send you several pictures and have you pick the best one?

No! No! NO! If those words come out of your mouth or your keyboard, I consider that to be a non-submission.

Do you ever question whether somebody’s submission fits the theme?

Meh. Only if I think somebody is clearly confusing this week’s theme with last week or next week’s theme. Otherwise, if the submission makes sense in your head, that is good enough to me. However, I would urge you to not try to fit your favorite subject into the theme. This isn’t a challenge to share a picture every week of your kid or your business or your pet. It is a challenge to take pictures of different things every week. Which isn’t to say subjects can’t be repeated, but you shouldn’t become reliant on the same ones.

Why can’t I submit after 11 AM on Mondays if the post doesn’t publish until 12:01 PM?

I go to lunch at 11 AM. I leave my office. I’m not near a computer. At 11 AM I hit “Schedule” and then I go throw food down my throat. 167 hours is more than enough time to send a submission. Okay, 166 hours and 59 minutes. You got me.

Are there resolution requirements for submissions?

I won’t turn down submissions that are too small. I will probably ask you for a picture of greater resolution if it is really small. The typical 4 x 6 image posted to my website has a resolution of 1280 pixels x 853 pixels. While a 400 x 300 image might look okay on your phone, it looks like trash on a computer monitor. I prefer images that are at least 1000 pixels at their largest point, but don’t ban smaller pictures at this point.

What format should my submission be?

.JPG but .PNG also works.

If I write a description of my image will you include that in your post?

No. Photography is art that should stand on its own. Only exception is the SLICE OF LIFE theme.

When will you start accepting suggestions for next year’s THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE themes?

Suggestions are closed for next year’s list. It will be a minute before they open up for Year 11 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE.

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MUSIC! Did you know that there are people in the world that don’t like MUSIC? They are called bad people. But were there a lot of good people out there that submitted picture of MUSIC? You will have to keep scrolling to find out.

As of 12:01 PM on Monday, February 20, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks (ignore the numbers in parentheses):

1-Scott Degeneffe – 1 week
2-Sarah Karber – 1 week
3-Mindi Terrell – 1 week (3)
4-Willy McAlpine – 2 weeks
5-Becky Parmelee – 4 weeks
6-Suzie Brannen – 5 weeks
7-Sabas Hernandez – 5 weeks
8-Jesse Howard – 5 weeks
9-Monica Jennings – 5 weeks
10-Nathanial Brown – 6 weeks (3)
11-Mike Vest – 6 weeks
12-Tamara Peterson – 16 weeks (2)
13-Brandon Kahler – 26 weeks
14-Linda Bennett – 30 weeks
15-Sarah Toot – 31 weeks
16-Angie DeWaard – 35 weeks
17-Dawn Krause – 39 weeks
18-Kim Barker – 44 weeks
19-Joe Duff – 46 weeks
20-Logan Kahler – 47 weeks (3)
21-Teresa Kahler – 57 weeks (2)
22-Carla Stensland – 57 weeks (3)
23-Micky Augustin – 59 weeks
24-Andy Sharp – 60 weeks
25-Bill Wentworth – 61 weeks
26-Cathie Morton – 64 weeks
27-Elizabeth Nordeen – 66 weeks
28-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 67 weeks
29-Kio Dettman – 69 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:

Angie DeWaard (Iowa) – 36 weeks

Kim Barker (Nevada) – 45 weeks

Kim Barker (Nevada)

Monica Jennings (Iowa) – 6 weeks

Monica Jennings (Iowa)

Mindi Terrell (Iowa) – 2 weeks

Mindi Terrell (Iowa)

Micky Augustin (Iowa) – 60 weeks

Andy Sharp (Iowa) – 61 weeks

Andy Sharp (Iowa)

Sara Lockner (Iowa) – 1 week

Teresa Kahler (Iowa) – 58 weeks

Dawn Krause (Iowa) – 40 weeks

Dawn Krause (Iowa)

Dawn Krause (Iowa)

Willy McAlpine (Iowa) – 3 weeks

Brandon Kahler (Iowa) – 27 weeks

Bill Wentworth (Nebraska) – 62 weeks

Cathie Morton (Nevada) – 65 weeks

Cathie Morton (Nevada)

Carla Stensland (Iowa) – 58 weeks

Joe Duff (Texas) – 47 weeks

Kio Dettman (Iowa) – 70 weeks

Kio Dettman (Iowa)

Linda Bennett (Kansas) – 31 weeks

Logan Kahler (Iowa) – 48 weeks

Mary Green (Iowa) – 1 week

Sarah Karber (Minnesota) – 2 weeks

Sarah Toot (Pennsylvania) – 32 weeks

Sarah Toot (Pennsylvania)

Sarah Toot (Pennsylvania)

Tamara Peterson (Iowa) – 17 weeks

Elizabeth Nordeen (Nevada) – 67 weeks

Elizabeth Nordeen (Nevada)

Christopher D. Bennett (Nevada)

Nathanial Brown (Iowa) – 7 weeks

Nathanial Brown (Iowa)

Mike Vest (Iowa) – 7 weeks

Shannon Bardole-Foley (Iowa) – 68 weeks

Jen Ensley-Gorshe (Iowa) – 1 week

Jen Ensley-Gorshe (Iowa)

Suzie Brannen (Iowa) – 6 weeks

Jesse Howard (Iowa) – 6 weeks

30 participants for the 2nd week in a row! I’m pretty excited about that!

I got an email after the books submission that (this is me paraphrasing) that said that they loved the BOOKS theme because after they saw that books that other people owned they felt an instant kinship with some other people. I thought something like that might happen again with MUSIC. I’m not sure it will, but maybe it will.

This week we had our first submission of the year from Mary Green. At least I think. I wouldn’t swear to it in a court of law.

This week we had submissions taken in the following states:

+ Iowa
+ Kansas
+ Minnesota
+ Nevada
+ Nebraska
+ Pennsylvania
+ Texas

It is weird that my picture and Cathie’s and Elizabeth’s and Kim’s pictures were all taken in Nevada. It is almost like we were all in Las Vegas together for some reason.

This is my first submission taken outside of Iowa this year. My picture was taken 1,441 miles from my front door. By car.

No new states added this week. Here is the current calendar year list:

+ Arkansas
+ Florida
+ Georgia
+ Iowa
+ Kansas
+ Minnesota
+ Nebraska
+ Nevada
+ Missouri
+ Oklahoma
+ Pennsylvania
+ Texas
+ Wisconsin

The Outside of the United State map stays at:

+ British Virgin Islands

But I think one of these maps might extend next week. A little birdie tells me somebody is going on a cruise at the end of this week.

There were no big milestones this week. Except all 3 Sara(h)s did contribute. Which I always like to see.

It wasn’t all sunshine and face melting guitar riffs this week. Three streaks did go poof! Scott’s streak ended before it even became a streak. Becky’s 4 week streak is gone. Sabas’ 5 week streak is also gone.

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:

STORE

STORE! What a great theme for Year 10 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE?

But what is a STORE image? It is simply an image of a STORE or taken inside of a STORE. There are all kinds of STORE(s) out there. From department to convenience to junk to antique to book to music to grocery to dollar to a little kids lemonade stand. Of course, there is more than one definition of the word STORE.

While considering possible subject for your STORE submission, meditate on the following quote and you will no doubt come up with a great idea:

Under capitalism, man exploits man. Under communism, it’s just the opposite.
John Kenneth Galbraith

I look forward to seeing your interpretation.

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 due.

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 STORE in this place that is technically a commerce site next Monday.