It is time to reveal the May image for the 2025 Photography 139 Calendar:
May
TECHNICAL DETAILS
CAMERA: Sony 7M4
LENS: Sigma 105mm f/2.8 DG DN Macro
FOCAL LENGTH: 105mm
APERTURE: f/9
EXPOSURE: 1/125
ISO: 800
DATE: August 13, 2024
I took this picture of a bee on a zinnia at the Iowa State Fair Discovery Garden. Well-documented to be one of my favorite parts of the Iowa State Fair. I used a longer macro lens to get closer to the bee without spooking it. I used a smaller aperture to try to keep as much of the bee in focus as possible. Then a somewhat faster shutter speed because of the length of the lens. To compensate for the small aperture and quick shutter speed I used a higher ISO than normal.
I don’t have a good reason for why this picture was selected for May. I normally put a picture that I personally love but think has a small audience appeal in May, since it is my birthday month. However, this picture ended up as the May image as it was the last image that didn’t have a home. Kind of disappointing reasoning I know.
May wasn’t a super popular image, but here are the people that selected it as their favorite:
Carla
Roger and Carol
I look forward to revealing the June image tomorrow!
+++++++
WHEELS! What a great theme! But did enough people roll out and get a WHEELS image to make it a popular theme? You will have to keep scrolling to find out!
As of 12:01 PM on Monday, December 30, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks (ignore everything in parentheses):
1-Jen Ensley-Gorshe – 1 week (IA, CO, MO, TX, TN, VA, IL, FL, IN, WV, PA, DC, WA)
2-Jesse Howard – 1 week (IA, MO, NE, FL, ABW, CUW, MN)
3-Becky Parmelee – 1 week (AR, IA, OK, NY)
*4-Kyle Sharp – 1 week (IA, MO, CO)
*5-Alexis Stensland – 1 week (IA)
*6-Mary Green – 2 weeks (MI, IA, IN, IL, PR)
*7-Suzie Brannen – 14 weeks (IA, MD)
*8-Deb Powers – 18 weeks (MT, IA)
9-Willy McAlpine – 25 weeks (IA)
10-Mike Vest – 32 weeks (IA, MO, OK, AR, KS)
11-Lowell Davis – 52 weeks (IA, MO, KS)
12-Brandon Kahler – 53 weeks (IA, MN)
13-Scott Degeneffe – 71 weeks (IA, FL, UT, CO, KY, IN, IL, MN, WI)
14-Sheri Fakhouri – 81 weeks (IA, NE, GA)
*15-Logan Kahler – 82 weeks (IA, MN, MO)
16-Nathanial Brown – 83 weeks (IA, SD, GA, TN, IRL, UK, FL, IL, KS, NE, MN, PA, WI, NY, MO)
*17-Tamara Peterson – 94 weeks (IA, MN)
*18-Mindi Terrell – 98 weeks (IA)
*19-Linda Bennett – 127 weeks (KS, IA, MI, NY, MO)
*20-Sarah Toot – 128 weeks (PA, NY, VT, NV, NJ, NC, FL, MD, KS, MO)
21-Angie DeWaard – 131 weeks (IA, IL, SCT, ENG, MN, FL)
22-Dawn Krause – 136 weeks (IA, IL)
*23-Kim Barker – 142 weeks (IA, CO, LA)
*24-Joe Duff – 143 weeks (TX, NY)
*25-Teresa Kahler – 154 weeks (IA, NE)
*26-Carla Stensland – 154 weeks (IA, MO, SD, WY, CO)
27-Micky Augustin – 156 weeks (IA, IL, FL, AK, AZ)
*28-Andy Sharp – 157 weeks (IA, NE, AR, MS, MO, TN, LA, IL, MN, WI, KS, AZ, CO, NM, UT)
29-Bill Wentworth – 158 weeks (NE, MO, FL)
30-Cathie Morton – 162 weeks (IA, FL, BHS, MO, LA, AZ, NM, CO, UT)
*31-Elizabeth Nordeen – 163 weeks (IA, OH)
32-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 165 weeks (IA, CA, NV, AR, MO, MEX, TX, MO)
*33-Kio Dettman – 167 weeks (IA)
WHEELS was the last theme for Year 11 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE. The rule for Year 12 are pretty much the same, maybe some minor tweaks to the language.
Here is the list of rules for Year 12 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. If you submit 2 pictures, make sure they are of different subjects.
3. Deadline to submit your submission is 11 AM Central Time the following Monday. But that is a deadline. Pictures can be submitted as soon as you take them.
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.
6. Please include the location of where the picture was taken with your submission.
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:
Sabas Hernandez (Iowa) – 1 week
Monica Jennings (Iowa) – 1 week
Deanna McClain (Perry, Iowa) – 1 week
Johnathan Stensland (Ogden, Iowa) – Ogden, Iowa
Alexis Stensland (Ames, Iowa) – 2 weeks
Suzie Brannen (Iowa) – 15 weeks
Deb Powers (Ankeny, Iowa) – 19 weeks
Deb Powers (Ankeny, Iowa)
Willy McAlpine (Boone, Iowa) – 26 weeks
Mike Vest (Madrid, Iowa) – 33 weeks
Lowell Davis (Ames, Iowa) – 53 weeks
Brandon Kahler (Iowa) – 54 weeks
Scott Degeneffe (Boone County, Iowa) – 72 weeks
Sheri Fakhouri (Iowa) – 82 weeks
Logan Kahler (Boone, Iowa) – 83 weeks
Logan Kahler (Boone, Iowa)
Nathanial Brown (Saint Louis, Missouri) – 84 weeks
Tamara Peterson (Iowa) – 95 weeks
Mindi Terrell (Iowa) – 99 weeks
Mindi Terrell (Iowa)
Linda Bennett (Kansas) – 128 weeks
Sarah Toot (E. Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania) – 129 weeks
Angie DeWaard (West Des Moines, Iowa) – 132 weeks
Dawn Krause (Les’s Auto – Boone, Iowa) – 137 weeks
Dawn Krause (Urbandale, Iowa)
Kim Barker (Nevada, Iowa) – 143 weeks
Joe Duff (Texas) – 144 weeks
Joe Duff (Texas)
Teresa Kahler (Boone, Iowa) – 155 weeks
Teresa Kahler (House of Colour – Ankeny, Iowa)
Carla Stensland (Ogden, Iowa) – 155 weeks
Carla Stensland (Ames, Iowa)
Micky Augustin (Ames, Iowa) – 157 weeks
Andy Sharp (Ankeny, Iowa) – 158 weeks
Andy Sharp (Dakota Dunes, South Dakota)
Bill Wentworth (Omaha, Nebraska) – 159 weeks
Cathie Morton (Norwalk, Iowa) – 163 weeks
Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa) – 164 weeks
Shannon Bardole-Foley (Honey Hollow – Rural Warren County, Iowa) – 166 weeks
Kio Dettman (Boone County Courthouse – Boone, Iowa) – 168 weeks
Christopher D. Bennett (Boone, Iowa) – 590 weeks
There were 33 participants this week. Year 11 goes out with a bit of whimper. But not doubt Year 12 will see a significant rebound in participation!
There were submissions this week taken in the following places:
+ Iowa (35)
+ Missouri (1)
+ Nebraska (1)
+ Pennsylvania (1)
+ South Dakota (1)
+ Texas (2)
Here is the final 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 (14)
+ Florida (16)
+ Georgia (3)
+ Hawaii (2)
+ Illinois (14)
+ Indiana (6)
+ Iowa (1968)
+ Kansas (71)
+ Kentucky (1)
+ Louisiana (8)
+ Maryland (2)
+ Michigan (13)
+ Minnesota (15)
+ Mississippi (2.5)
+ Missouri (28.5)
+ Montana (4)
+ Nebraska (61)
+ Nevada (5)
+ New Jersey (5)
+ New Mexico (1.5)
+ New York (23)
+ North Carolina (3)
+ Ohio (5)
+ Oklahoma (2)
+ Pennsylvania (42)
+ Puerto Rico (4)
+ South Dakota (6)
+ Tennessee (2.5)
+ Texas (79)
+ 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:
+ Andy Sharp (IA, NE, MO, AR, TN, MS, LA, IL, MN, WI, KS, AZ, CO, NM, UT, SD) – 16
+ Nathanial Brown (IA, SD, TN, GA, IRL, NIR, FL, IL, KS, NE, MN, PA, WI, NY, MO) – 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
Andy ends Year 11 as the “THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE most travelled photographer!”
Amazingly, there were no minor or major milestones reached this week. But on the contrary, there was a bloodbath of streaks. Jen, Jesse, Becky, and Kyle. Not a one of them could build on last week’s theme and their streaks are over before they began. Mary’s streak goes kaput at 2 weeks. It was indeed a bleak week in THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE world.
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:
MOTION
MOTION! What a great first theme for Year 12 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!
There are really two ways to capture MOTION in a photograph.
1. Use a fast shutter speed to freeze motion.
2. Use a slow shutter speed to blur the motion.
I look forward to your interpretation!
That is all I got, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will see your MOTION in this place that tries to keep moving forward next Monday.