It is the last Monday of the month and on the last Monday of the month I like to revisit our Frequently Asked Questions. Who asks these questions? I mostly ask them of myself. But that isn’t a Frequently Asked Question. But as we are heading into a new year, I’m going to update and tackle the FAQ in a slightly different direction. Here is the FAQ:

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS – WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE

Who are your favorite submitters?

Obviously all of you are my favorites. But the real ones do 4 things.
1. Submit by Sunday night. (Yes, the deadline is 11 AM, but we’re talking about the real ones.)
2. Submit in the correct format. (That is .jpg or .png. Notice, not listed is .heic. I get it. You are a big time Apple fanboy. But .heic images have to be converted. Please save me from having to convert your images!)
3. Their submission communication includes that the picture if for THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE and isn’t just some random image that they are sending me to share about their life, hopes, and dreams.
4. Their submission communication includes where the picture was taken.

Here is an example of a PERFECT submission text message:

Here is an example of a PERFECT submission email:

Here is an example of why size matters:

This isn’t to single Mary out. It is just an example I have from this week. Those are great pictures, but they can barely be seen. Remember that the “suggested” minimum resolution is 1280 pixels x 853 pixels for a 4 x 6 image. Don’t overcrop.* Check your email and text message settings. Are they resizing your images?

Is this a competition?
NO. It is a challenge. There are no winners and losers. Well the people that don’t participate are losers.

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

Yes. That limit is 2. If you send me more than 2, I will post the first 2 that you send. I’m not trying to harsh your photography buzz, but any more than that starts 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 you are going to submit more than one picture, I strongly urge you to choose completely different subjects for each submission. If you are submitting multiple pictures of the same subject, make sure that each picture is saying something unique.

If I start to average 45 participants a week, I will lower the limit to 1.

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 for me. However, I would urge you to not try to fit your favorite subject into the theme every week. 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.

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

I will take suggestions only and ONLY in the comments sections of the THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE posts the last week of October and the 1st week of November.

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HOLIDAYS! What a great theme! But did enough people holiday it up to make it a popular theme? You will have to keep scrolling to find out!

As of 12:01 PM on Monday, December 23, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks (ignore everything in parentheses):

*1-Mary Green – 1 week (MI, IA, IN, IL, PR)
2-Elainie Hernandez – 2 weeks (IA)
3-Sara Lockner – 3 weeks (IA, BHS, MN, FL)
4-Monica Jennings – 5 weeks (IA)
5-Sabas Hernandez – 6 weeks (IA, OH, WI)
*6-Suzie Brannen – 13 weeks (IA, MD)
7-Deb Powers – 17 weeks (MT, IA)
8-Willy McAlpine – 24 weeks (IA)
9-Deanna McClain – 28 weeks (IA, MN)
10-Mike Vest – 31 weeks (IA, MO, OK, AR, KS)
11-Lowell Davis – 51 weeks (IA, MO, KS)
12-Brandon Kahler – 52 weeks (IA, MN)
13-Scott Degeneffe – 70 weeks (IA, FL, UT, CO, KY, IN, IL, MN, WI)
14-Sheri Fakhouri – 80 weeks (IA, NE, GA)
15-Logan Kahler – 81 weeks (IA, MN, MO)
16-Nathanial Brown – 82 weeks (IA, SD, GA, TN, IRL, UK, FL, IL, KS, NE, MN, PA,, WI, NY)
17-Tamara Peterson – 93 weeks (IA, MN)
18-Mindi Terrell – 97 weeks (IA)
*19-Linda Bennett – 126 weeks (KS, IA, MI, NY, MO)
20-Sarah Toot – 127 weeks (PA, NY, VT, NV, NJ, NC, FL, MD, KS)
21-Angie DeWaard – 130 weeks (IA, IL, SCT, ENG, MN, FL)
22-Dawn Krause – 135 weeks (IA, IL)
*23-Kim Barker – 141 weeks (IA, CO, LA)
*24-Joe Duff – 142 weeks (TX, NY)
25-Teresa Kahler – 153 weeks (IA, NE)
*26-Carla Stensland – 153 weeks (IA, MO, SD, WY, CO)
27-Micky Augustin – 155 weeks (IA, IL, FL, AK, AZ)
28-Andy Sharp – 156 weeks (IA, NE, AR, MS, MO, TN, LA, IL, MN, WI, KS)
29-Bill Wentworth – 157 weeks (NE, MO, FL)
30-Cathie Morton – 161 weeks (IA, FL, BHS, MO, LA, AZ, NM, CO, UT)
31-Elizabeth Nordeen – 162 weeks (IA, OH)
32-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 164 weeks (IA, CA, NV, AR, MO, MEX, TX, MO)
33-Kio Dettman – 166 weeks (IA)

Here is the list of rules for Year 11 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE:

1. The picture must 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 and take pictures challenge!
2. There is a limit of 2 submissions per person per theme. If you send me more than 2, I will use the first 2 that you submit.
3. Deadline to submit your submission is 11 AM next Monday.
4. To be considered the photographer of an image, you have to be the one that clicks the shutter. If you hand your camera over to somebody else to take a picture of you, you are NOT the photographer of that image.
5. No screen captures. This is a photography challenge. Not a “look at what I found on the internet” challenge.

There are still 2 ways to submit:
1. Email your submission to bennett@photography139.com.
2. Text your submission to my Google Pixel 8 Pro.

But you didn’t come here to listen to me talk all tommyrot about participation rates or streaks or the rules of the challenge or how to submit. You came to see the submissions and what streaks continued and what streaks flamed out:

Kio Dettman (Hy-Vee – Boone, Iowa)- 167 weeks

Kio Dettman (1st Baptist Church – Boone, Iowa)

Shannon Bardole-Foley (Dakota City, Iowa) – 165 weeks

Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa) – 163 weeks

Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa)

Cathie Morton (Norwalk, Iowa) – 162 weeks

Bill Wentworth (St. Louis, Missouri) – 158 weeks

Andy Sharp (4 Corners – Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah) – 157 weeks

Andy Sharp (4 Corners – Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah)

Micky Augustin (Des Moines, Iowa) – 156 weeks

Teresa Kahler (Boone, Iowa) – 154 weeks

Teresa Kahler (Boone, Iowa)

Carla Stensland (Boone First United Methodist Church – Boone, Iowa) – 154 weeks

Carla Stensland (Ogden, Iowa)

Joe Duff (Texas) – 143 weeks

Joe Duff (Texas)

Kim Barker (Nevada, Iowa) – 142 weeks

Kim Barker (Nevada, Iowa)

Dawn Krause (Iowa) – 136 weeks

Angie DeWaard (Iowa) – 131 weeks

Sarah Toot (Kansas City, Missouri) – 128 weeks

Sarah Toot (Charlotte Douglas International Airport – Charlotte, North Carolina)

Linda Bennett (Kansas) – 127 weeks

Linda Bennett (Kansas)

Mindi Terrell (Iowa) – 98 weeks

Mindi Terrell (Iowa)

Tamara Peterson (Iowa) – 94 weeks

Tamara Peterson (Iowa)

Nathanial Brown (St. Louis, Missouri) – 83 weeks

Logan Kahler (Boone, Iowa) – 82 weeks

Logan Kahler (Boone, Iowa)

Sheri Fakhouri (Iowa) – 81 weeks

Scott Degeneffe (Nob Hill – Boone County, Iowa) – 71 weeks

Brandon Kahler (Iowa) – 53 weeks

Lowell Davis (Iowa) – 52 weeks

Mike Vest (Madrid, Iowa) – 32 weeks

Willy McAlpine (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) – 25 weeks

Deb Powers (Ankeny, Iowa) – 18 weeks

Deb Powers (Ankeny, Iowa)

Suzie Brannen (Iowa) – 14 weeks

Suzie Brannen (Iowa)

Mary Green (Iowa) – 2 weeks

Mary Green (Iowa)

Jen Ensley-Gorshe (Reiman Gardens – Iowa State University – Ames, Iowa) – 1 week

Alexis Stensland (Iowa) – 1 week

Alexis Stensland (Iowa)

Kyle Sharp (Colorado) – 1 week

Kyle Sharp (Colorado) – 1 week

Jesse Howard (Reiman Gardens – Iowa State University – Ames, Iowa) – 1 week

Becky Parmelee (Napier, Iowa) – 1 week

Christopher D. Bennett (Maccabees Kosher Deli – Des Moines, Iowa)

34 participants this week! That is a fair week!

There were submissions this week taken in the following places:

+ Arizona (.5)
+ Colorado (2.5)
+ Iowa (41)
+ Kansas (2)
+ Missouri (3)
+ New Mexico (.5)
+ North Carolina (1)
+ Texas (2)
+ Utah (.5)

Here is the Year 11 list of places where submissions have been taken (submissions taken in each places):

+ Alaska (1)
+ Arizona (2.5)
+ Arkansas (20.5)
+ California (3)
+ Colorado (11.5)
+ Florida (16)
+ Georgia (3)
+ Hawaii (2)
+ Illinois (14)
+ Indiana (6)
+ Iowa (1934)
+ Kansas (71)
+ Kentucky (1)
+ Louisiana (8)
+ Maryland (2)
+ Michigan (13)
+ Minnesota (15)
+ Mississippi (2.5)
+ Missouri (27.5)
+ Montana (4)
+ Nebraska (60)
+ Nevada (5)
+ New Jersey (5)
+ New Mexico (2.5)
+ New York (23)
+ North Carolina (3)
+ Ohio (5)
+ Oklahoma (2)
+ Pennsylvania (41)
+ Puerto Rico (4)
+ South Dakota (5)
+ Tennessee (2.5)
+ Texas (77)
+ Utah (2.5)
+ Vermont (1)
+ Virginia (1)
+ Washington (2)
+ Washington D.C. (1)
+ West Virginia (1)
+ Wisconsin (6)
+ Wyoming (1)
+ Aruba (1)
+ Bahamas (4)
+ Canada (2)
+ Curacao (1)
+ Ireland (3)
+ England (2)
+ Mexico (2)
+ North Ireland (1)
+ Scotland (1)

39 states so far! 1 U.S. Territory! 1 District! 7 foreign countries! Not bad! So far, the following people have submitted from multiple places:

+ Nathanial Brown (IA, SD, TN, GA, IRL, NIR, FL, IL, KS, NE, MN, PA, WI, NY, MO) – 15
+ Andy Sharp (IA, NE, MO, AR, TN, MS, LA, IL, MN, WI, KS, AZ, CO, NM, UT) – 15
+ Jen Ensley-Gorshe (IA, CO, MO, TX, TN, VA, IL, FL, IN, WV, PA, DC, WA) – 13
+ Sarah Toot (PA, NY, VT, NV, NJ, NC, FL, MD, KS, MO) – 10
+ Scott Degeneffe (IA, FL, UT, CO, IN, KY, IL, MN, WI) – 9
+ Cathie Morton (IA, FL, BHS, MO, LA, AZ, NM, CO, UT) – 9
+ Jesse Howard (IA, MO, NE, FL, ABW, CUW, MN) – 7
+ Shannon Bardole-Foley (IA, CA, NV, AR, MO, MEX, TX) – 7
+ Christopher D. Bennett (IA, MO, NE, IL, IN, LA) – 6
+ Adam Gordon (IA, MS, MO, KS, MI, CAN) – 6
+ Angie DeWaard (IA, IL, SCT, ENG, MN, FL) – 6
+ Linda Bennett (KS, IA, MI, NY, MO) – 5
+ Carla Stensland (IA, MO, SD, WY, CO) -5
+ Mary Green (MI, IA, IN, IL, RP) – 5
+ Michelle Haupt (IA, MO, KS, LA, MI) – 5
+ Mike Vest (IA, MO, AR, OK, KS) – 5
+ Micky Augustin (IA, IL, FL, AK, AZ) – 5
+ Becky Parmelee (AR, IA, OK, NY) – 4
+ Sara Lockner (IA, BHS, MN, FL) – 4
+ Lowell Davis (IA, MO, KS) – 3
+ Logan Kahler (IA, MN, MO) – 3
+ Bill Wentworth (NE, MO, FL) – 3
+ Sabas Hernandez (IA, OH, WI) – 3
+ Kim Barker (IA, CO, LA) – 3
+ Kyle Sharp (IA, MO, CO) – 3
+ Susanna Funk (IA, CO) – 2
+ Brandon Kahler (IA, MN) – 2
+ Tamara Peterson (IA, MN) – 2
+ Teresa Kahler (IA, NE) – 2
+ Sheri Fakhouri (IA, NE) – 2
+ Suzie Brannen (IA, MD) – 2
+ Elizabeth Nordeen (IA, OH) – 2
+ Deanna McClain (IA, MN) – 2
+ Dawn Krause – (IA, IL) – 2
+ Joe Duff (TX, NY) – 2
+ Evie Gorshe (IA, IN) – 2
+ Layla Gorshe (IA, OH) -2
+ Deb Powers (MT, IA) – 2

Heading into the last week of Year 11 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE, Nathanial and Andy are tied to be crowned “The Most Travelled THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE Photographer of Year 11!”

The milestone this week is that Lowell joined the 1 Year Streak Club! WooHoo! Micky joined the 3 Year Streak Club! WooHoo! WooHoo! WooHoo!

But it wasn’t all candy canes and sugar plums! There was a literal bloodbath of people who couldn’t make merry with their camera this week. Elainie’s streak is gone at 2. Sara’s is over at 3. Monica’s streak goes kaput at 4. Sabas’ streak is no more at 6. And worst of all scarecrow, Deanna’s streak is now only something you’ll read about it in history books at 28! Bah humbug!

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:

WHEELS (Suggested by Sarah Toot)

WHEELS! What a great FINAL theme for Year 11 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!

I look forward to seeing your interpretation!

That is all I got, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will see your idea of WHEELS in this place that isn’t stationary next Monday.

*Don’t overcrop is a rule you should live by. Or as I would say, in almost all situations crop (or zoom) with your feet.