Category Archives: Dad

9 Emotions Project, Alisa, Animals, Art, Becca, Bethany, Black & White, Blogging, Boone FUMC, Brandon, Calendar, Candid Portrait, Cousin Amy, Dad, Dae Hee, Dawn, Derrick, Drone, Elizabeth, Evie, Flowers, Football, Formal Portrait, Fran, History, Iowa State, Jay, Jen, Jesse, Jill, Joe Duff, Kalista, Layla, Logan, Lowell, Mission Trip, Mom, Movies, Music, Nader, Naima, Nate, Nathanial, Nature, Railroad, Road Trip, Sara, Saydie, Scottie D., Self-Portrait, Shannon, Shorty, Sign, State Fair, Street Photography, Taylan, Tenderloining, Teresa, Tim, Travel, Willy, Yin

Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand, Six Hundred Minutes

January 1, 2025 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

All of the 2025 Photography 139 Calendars have been distributed or mailed except for one. It is fair game now to start sharing the calendar images. This is the front cover image:

2025 Photography 139 Calendar Front Cover

FRONT COVER – 2025

Technical Details:

CAMERA: SONY 7M4
LENS: SIGMA 14-24 f/2.8 DG DN ART
FOCAL LENGTH: 20mm
APERTURE: f/8
SHUTTER SPEED: 1/500
DATE TAKEN: April 27, 2024

The subject of this picture is the statue of John Wayne in front of the John Wayne Birthplace Museum in Winterset, Iowa. I visited this museum with Nader on a road trip that is as close to a birthday road trip as I took in 2024. This trip was a bit of what I would call “unfinished business”. My Mom was a big fan of John Wayne movies. As are/were many members of her family. One of the last places we went to on the final road trip I took with my Mom was to Winterset and walking around the John Wayne Birthplace Museum. However, it was during the pandemic, so we never went inside. It was important to me to finally go inside and see the museum.

A few notes about the calendar.

1. I switched to a different printer. For the last several years I have had the calendar printed at VistaPrint. This year I switched to Snapfish. The movie saved me over $200. I’m very pleased with the quality. In fact, I think the quality is actually slightly higher as far as image quality and paper quality. However, the proof is usually in the pudding and what that means for the calendar is we will have to see how it holds up for 365 days. The other part of that equation is that I’m not a master of the Snapfish editing software, so there were a few mistakes made. Next year, those mistakes we hopefully be corrected, if Snapfish manages to maintain the Photography 139 account next year I look forward to correcting those. I can’t predict the future. After all, as the source of much of my Christian wisdom (Christian Mingle: The Movie) tells us. “The Heart of a man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”*

2. The calendars that are mailed were mailed on December 18th. Not a single one has arrived (as far as I know) a full 2 weeks later. And most of them weren’t going all that far. 2 to Minnesota. 2 to Kansas. 1 to Nebraska. 1 to Arizona. 1 package of 2 to Texas. Very frustrating. Unfortunately I don’t have any tracking info, so either they are just completely lost, will show up sometime in mid April, will show back up on my front porch in a month, are completely lost and will never show up, or maybe they were stolen. It is a mystery that hopefully is solved soon. Very soon!

3. When I reveal each calendar image I will reveal the people that picked it as it their favorite image from the calendar. Not a single person picked the front cover. So nothing to reveal here for this image.

Hopefully you enjoy the reveal of the calendar images for this year.

+++++++

It is a new year, but I like to look back at 2024 and reveal statistics that mostly me and Joe Duff find interesting.

Every post has categories. While I’m in the process of redoing how I do the categories, here are where the categories currently rank.

TOP 20 CATEGORIES – ALL-TIME

1.Black & White – 1,298
2.Flowers – 1,044
3. Art – 913
4. Animals-850
5. Jesse – 795
6.Teresa – 712
7. Road Trip – 696
8. Macro – 688
9. Formal Portrait – 669
10. Carla – 665
11. Shannon – 644
12. Nature – 595
13. WPC – Submissions – 589
14. Still Life – 560
15. Candid Portrait – 533
16. Mom – 479
17. Logan – 474
18. Kim – 469
19. Photoshop – 437
20. Micky – 425

TOP 20 HUMAN CATEGORIES – ALL TIME

1. Jesse – 795
2. Teresa – 712
3. Carla – 665
4. Shannon – 644
5. Mom – 479
6. Logan – 474
7. Kim – 469
8. Micky – 425
9. Vest – 417
10. Willy – 414
11. Andy – 404
12. Sara – 378
13. Jay – 376
14. Jen – 373
15. Dawn – 367
16. Derrick – 355
17. Cathie – 352
18. Tamara – 343
19. Angie – 337
20. Michelle – 330

TOP 20 NON-HUMAN CATEGORIES

1. Black & White – 1,298
2. Flowers – 1,044
3. Art – 913
4. Animals-850
5. Road Trip – 696
6. Macro – 688
7. Formal Portrait – 669
8. Nature – 595
9. WPC – Submissions – 589
10. Still Life – 560
11. Candid Portrait – 533
12. Photoshop – 437
13. Street Photography – 410
14. History – 407
15. Self-Portrait – 405
16. Naima – 404
17. Christianity – 390
18. Iowa State – 346
19. WPC – Reminder – 322
20. Night – 281

Now to look at what were the most used categories of just 2024.

TOP 20 CATEGORIES – 2024

1. Art – 146
2. Still Life – 144
3. Street Photography – 143
4. Teresa – 104
5. Jesse – 95
6. Logan – 83
7. Black & White – 77
8. Flowers – 74
9. Carla – 72
10. Road Trip – 71
11. Elizabeth – 68
12. Andy – 66
12. Sabas – 66
14. Brandon – 65
15. Kim – 63
15. Scottie D. – 63
17. Willy – 62
18. Nathanial – 61
19. Dawn – 60
19. Aunt Linda – 60

TOP 20 HUMAN CATEGORIES – 2024

1. Teresa – 104
2. Jesse – 95
3. Logan – 83
4. Carla – 72
5. Elizabeth – 68
6. Andy – 66
6. Sabas – 66
8. Brandon – 65
9. Kim – 63
9. Scottie D. – 63
11. Willy – 62
12. Nathanial – 61
13. Dawn – 60
13. Aunt Linda – 60
14. Shannon – 59
15. Vest – 58
15. Angie – 58
15. Lowell – 58
18. Cathie – 57
19. Bill – 56
20. Micky – 55
20. Mindi – 55

TOP 20 NONHUMAN CATEGORIES – 2024

1. Art – 146
2. Still Life – 144
3. Street Photography – 143
4. Black & White – 77
5. Flowers – 74
6. Road Trip – 71
7. Tenderloining – 54
8. Nature – 53
8. WPC – Submissions – 53
10. Macro – 52
11. Animals – 51
12. Christianity – 47
13. Candid Portrait – 45
14. Birthdays – 43
15. Self-Portrait – 42
16. Travel – 35
17. History – 33
17. WPC – Alternate – 33
19. Music – 32
20. Railroad – 29

If you have spent any time on this website you realize the 100 most used categories are listed on the left side. When I’m looking at these stats, I also like to look at the bottom 10 of the top 100.

Bottom 10 of the Top 100

91. Nathanial – 117 (+61)
92. Russell – 114 (+3)
93. Pufferbilly Days – 105 (+14)
94. Mindi – 98 (+55)
95. Faust – 97 (+5)
96. Becca – 96 (+6)
97. Pastor Sarah – 94 (+3)
98. Writing – 93 (+1)
99. Sheri – 91 (+54)
99. House – 91 (0)
99. Layla – 91 (+2)

The categories that are most likely to fall into the Bottom 10 of the Top 100 in 2025 are:

+ Bethany
+ Blogging
+ Tenderloining
+ Jill
+ Nate

I’m sure Tenderloining is pretty safe. I need to get out of my house and visit Nate and Bethany this year. I hermitted pretty hard this year. As we will see later.

The categories that are most likely to climb into the Bottom 10 of the Top 100 in 2025 are:

+ Mary
+ Commercial
+ Andree
+ Photo Journal
+ Flat Earth Joe

Although there are probably some categories that aren’t as close to the Top 100 currently that have a better chance to break in. Like Bokeh, for example.

On to the most popular Photography 139 Galleries in 2024:

20. Drone – 54,022 Views

19. Daisies – 55,109 Views

18. South Dakota Trip – 2017 – 55,869 Views

17. Iowa State Fair – 2023 – 57,439 Views

16. Naima – 57,919 Views

15. Photo Journal Rejects – 59,548 Views

14. Phonetos – 61,145 Views

13. New Orleans – 2024 – 69,224 Views

12. Home Improvement – 72,195 Views

11. WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – YEAR 10 – 83,769 Views

10. 365 Day Photo Project – 2012 – 94,307 Views

9. 9 Emotions Project – 116,852 Views

8. Town Sign Project Auxiliary Images – 125,685 Views

7. Town Sign Project – 137,773 Views

6. Life – 147,856 Views

5. 365 Day Photo Project – 2013 – 148,808 Views

4. Tenderloining – 151,436 Views

3. Weekly Photo Challenge Year 3 – 193,931 Views

2. WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – YEAR 11 – 398,026 Views

1. Instagram – 496,850

To look at any of the galleries, you can just click on the picture and voila, you will be there. And yes, I purposely picked pictures that had people that are no long with us to represent some of the galleries.

In 2024, the gallery had 6,616,054 views.

There were the most popular days for the gallery in 2024:

1. 2024/09/21 – 72551
2. 2024/07/19 – 72168
3. 2024/04/05 – 70007
4. 2024/07/20 – 64376
5. 2024/07/21 – 56076
6. 2024/07/29 – 54710
7. 2024/08/01 – 53564
8. 2024/07/18 – 51727
9. 2024/07/22 – 51004
10. 2024/07/26 – 50839

But what about my 2024 that isn’t related to this website? I know, it is hard to believe that I exist outside of this website. But I do, I really exist in the physical world. But first, the social media world:

I had a goal to post on Instagram once a day in 2024 and failed miserably. I posted 99 times. But of those 99, these were my Top 9:

As for Snapchat?

I have no real Snapchat goals, except to not be the one who breaks the streaks. I ended the year with the following streaks:

+ Logan – 1,091
+ Brandon – 848
+ Nathanial – 681
+ Lowell – 235
+ Elizabeth – 232
+ Fran – 119
+ Dawn – 4

I don’t listen to much music on Spotify. It is almost exclusively a podcast vessel for me, but here are the highlights from my wrapped:

If you are wondering, 127,186 minutes is 2,119.8 hours. 88 days. I mostly put up that monster number because I listen to podcasts when I go to bed at night and they play all night.

But we talked about the physical world. I have to freely confess, my travels this year were pathetic!

7 States… That’s it?!!?

I never even made it to Minnesota or Kansas this year! I never saw Bethany or Nate once! The only reason I saw Becca is because she came to Iowa! I’ll have to address this in my 2025 goals.

In 2024 I attended 29 sporting events. Every single one of them was related to Iowa State. This was my favorite:

Iowa State 29 Kansas State 21

This game put Iowa State (as long as BYU beat Houston later that night) into the Big 12 Championship Game. And next to Iowa, Kansas State is the team I enjoy beating the most in football. To be honest, maybe more than beating Iowa. Farmageddon needs a trophy so freaking bad!

Honorable Mention goes to:
+ Iowa State 66 #4 Baylor 63 (Women’s Basketball)
+ Iowa State 96 #7 Kansas State 93 (Women’s Basketball)
+ Iowa State 69 #1 Houston 41 (Men’s Basketball – Big 12 Championship Game)
+ Iowa State 67 #25 Washington State 56 (Men’s Basketball – NCAA Tournament 2nd Round)
+ Iowa State 38 Central Florida 35 (Football)

I only saw 5 movies in the theater. A long cry from when I used to go about every week. But by far, the best movie I saw in the theater in 2024 was:

I didn’t track the concerts I went to, but it was also a pathetic number. I didn’t go to a single concert where I had to buy a ticket. A few Boone City Band concerts and some musical acts at some town festivals. The Step Show before Iowa State football games. So picking out my favorite concert was pretty easy.

Shannon Curfman

I also didn’t track how many television shows I watched this year, because the number would probably be terrifying. But the best television show I watched this year was pretty obvious:

Shrinking – Season 2

Honorable Mentions:
+ Hacks (Season 3)
+ Somebody Somewhere (Season 3)
+ Only Murders in the Building (Season 4)
+ Nobody Wants This (Season 1)
+ We Are Lady Parts (Season 2)

And finally a couple of random stats.
+ Christmas cards received – 10
+ Trick-or-Treaters – 48

+++++++

But enough about 2024. What are my goals in 2025.

In general, I want to freshen up this website. It has had the same look for years now. Nothing wrong with it. Nothing great about it either. I want to continue to add and delete and modify the way posts are categories. A fairly drastic reorganization of the Photography 139 Gallery is also underway. I hope to have a new logo in 2025, but my graphic designer has been working on it for like 3 years now. So we will see.

I hope to visit more than 7 states (including Iowa). So 8 states! I already have work trips on the calendar for Texas and Pennsylvania. I hope to go to Ireland this year, but I need to get on the ball with getting the details on that worked out. So I’m part of the way their in theory.

I always make a list of places in Iowa I want to visit. It has been fairly fruitless, but I am going to make that list again this year and this time, when I think about going to on a road trip, but am lacking inspo, I’m going to go look at the list. Duh!

But rather than making a list of places, I’m going to make a list of people I want to see in 2025. There are so many people that I haven’t seen. Some I didn’t see in 2024. But some that I haven’t seen since before pandemic or maybe even before that. Heck, you might even make that list. I know some people have chosen to remove themselves from my life. I get that, but to the others, fair warning. We are breaking bread or going to an art show or a movie or a concert.

I want to see more live music in 2025. It has been missing from my life for a few years and I need to get it back.

I plan on bringing back THE SELFIE PROJECT in 2025. Fair warning for that as well.

Finally. I’m thinking of having a birthday party in 2025. In May I will officially be older than Methuselah. I should celebrate that on some level. I have a few ideas and have my eye on a couple of you as caterers. Fair warning to you.

I wish all of you the best in the impending disaster that will be 2025! Happy New Year!

*Proverbs 16:9 in case you were wondering. (ESV)

Andy, Angie, Aunt Linda, Bill, Bokeh, Brandon, Carla, Cathie, Dad, Dawn, Deanna, Deb, Elainie, Elizabeth, Joe Duff, Kim, Kio, Logan, Lowell, Mary, Micky, Mindi, Mom, Monica, Nathanial, Sabas, Sara, Sarah, Scottie D., Shannon, Sheri, Tamara, Teresa, Vest, Willy, WPC - Submissions

WPC – WEEK 484 – 6:00 PM

December 23, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett 1 Comment

Today marks the 40th anniversary of my Dad’s passing. Without him, I probably wouldn’t be into photography. This website wouldn’t exist. None of the pictures on it would exist. I need to start this website by sharing some pictures of him.

WEEK 304 - HISTORY - CHIRSTOPHER D. BENNETT

I couldn’t find a picture of Dad with Carla right away, so here is a picture he took of Carla.

I read this quote once about grief. I’ve read too many quotes about grief. It isn’t the best quote about grief, but it has a lot of truth in it:

“Losing a parent is something like driving through a plate-glass window. You didn’t know it was there until it shattered, and then for years to come you’re picking up the pieces”

40 years later. Still picking up pieces, but another quote about grief that I like better.

“Life is full of grief, to exactly the degree we allow ourselves to love other people”.

The fact that you are here. Submitting pictures in this quirky little photo challenge is what I feel is an incredible testament to his legacy. And not just his kids. His grandkids. His sister. His niece. All of you.

+++++++

6:00 PM! What a great theme! But did enough people do something interesting at 6:00 PM just one time last week to make it a popular theme? You will have to keep scrolling to find out!

As of 12:01 PM on Monday, December 16, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks (ignore everything in parentheses):

1-Elainie Hernandez – 1 week (IA)
2-Sara Lockner – 2 weeks (IA, BHS, MN, FL)
3-Monica Jennings – 4 weeks (IA)
4-Sabas Hernandez – 5 weeks (IA, OH)
5-Suzie Brannen – 12 weeks (IA, MD)
6-Deb Powers – 16 weeks (MT, IA)
7-Willy McAlpine – 23 weeks (IA)
8-Deanna McClain – 27 weeks (IA, MN)
9-Mike Vest – 30 weeks (IA, MO, OK, AR, KS)
10-Lowell Davis – 50 weeks (IA, MO, KS)
11-Brandon Kahler – 51 weeks (IA, MN)
12-Scott Degeneffe – 69 weeks (IA, FL, UT, CO, KY, IN, IL, MN, WI)
13-Sheri Fakhouri – 79 weeks (IA, NE, GA)
14-Logan Kahler – 80 weeks (IA, MN, MO)
15-Nathanial Brown – 81 weeks (IA, SD, GA, TN, IRL, UK, FL, IL, KS, NE, MN, PA,, WI, NY)
16-Tamara Peterson – 92 weeks (IA, MN)
*17-Mindi Terrell – 96 weeks (IA)
*18-Linda Bennett – 125 weeks (KS, IA, MI, NY, MO)
*19-Sarah Toot – 126 weeks (PA, NY, VT, NV, NJ, NC, FL, MD)
20-Angie DeWaard – 129 weeks (IA, IL, SCT, ENG, MN, FL)
21-Dawn Krause – 134 weeks (IA, IL)
22-Kim Barker – 140 weeks (IA, CO, LA)
23-Joe Duff – 141 weeks (TX, NY)
24-Teresa Kahler – 152 weeks (IA, NE)
25-Carla Stensland – 152 weeks (IA, MO, SD, WY, CO)
26-Micky Augustin – 154 weeks (IA, IL, FL, AK)
27-Andy Sharp – 1545weeks (IA, NE, AR, MS, MO, TN, LA, IL, MN, WI, KS)
28-Bill Wentworth – 156 weeks (NE, MO, FL)
29-Cathie Morton – 160 weeks (IA, FL, BHS, MO, LA, AZ, NM, CO, UT)
30-Elizabeth Nordeen – 161 weeks (IA, OH)
31-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 163 weeks (IA, CA, NV, AR, MO, MEX, TX, MO)
*32-Kio Dettman – 165 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:

WPC - WEEK 484 - 6:00 PM - MICKY AUGUSTIN

Micky Augustin (Phoenix, Arizona) – 155 weeks

Deanna McClain (Iowa)- 28 weeks

Kio Dettman (Iowa) – 106 weeks

Lowell Davis (Iowa) – 51 weeks

Mary Green (Iowa) – 1 week

Mary Green (Iowa)

Angie DeWaard (Iowa) – 130 weeks

Sheri Fakhouri (Iowa) – 80 weeks

Deb Powers (Iowa) – 17 weeks

Tamara Peterson (Iowa) – 93 weeks

Scott Degeneffe (Iowa) – 70 weeks

Mindi Terrell (Iowa) – 97 weeks

Kim Barker (Iowa) – 141 weeks

Kim Barker (Iowa)

Elizabeth Nordeen (Ames, Iowa) – 162 weeks

Brandon Kahler (Ames, Iowa) – 52 weeks

Elainie Hernandez (Ankeny, Iowa) – 2 weeks

Christopher D. Bennett (Boone, Iowa)

Monica Jennings (Boone, Iowa) – 5 weeks

Logan Kahler (Boone, Iowa) – 81 weeks

Dawn Krause (Boone, Iowa) – 135 weeks

Willy McAlpine (Boone, Iowa) – 24 weeks

Teresa Kahler (Boone, Iowa) – 153 weeks

Nathanial Brown (Seven Oaks – Boone County, Iowa) – 82 weeks

Andy Sharp (Pizza King – Council Bluffs, Iowa) – 156 weeks

Mike Vest (Des Moines, Iowa) – 31 weeks

Sara Lockner (Johnston, Iowa) – 3 weeks

Cathie Morton (Norwalk, Iowa) – 161 weeks

Carla Stensland (Ogden, Iowa) – 153 weeks

Carla Stensland (Ogden, Iowa)

Shannon Bardole-Foley (Summerset, Iowa) – 164 weeks

Linda Bennett (Kansas) – 126 weeks

Linda Bennett (Kansas)

Sarah Toot (Easton, Kansas)- 127 weeks

Bill Wentworth (Omaha, Nebraska) – 157 weeks

Joe Duff (Texas) – 142 weeks

Joe Duff (Texas)

Sabas Hernandez (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) – 6 weeks

34 participants this week. That is a fair week.

There were submissions this week taken in the following places:

+ Arizona (1)
+ Iowa (32)
+ Kansas (3)
+ Nebraska (1)
+ Texas (2)
+ Wisconsin (1)

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

+ Alaska (1)
+ Arizona (2)
+ Arkansas (20.5)
+ California (3)
+ Colorado (11)
+ Florida (16)
+ Georgia (3)
+ Hawaii (2)
+ Illinois (14)
+ Indiana (6)
+ Iowa (1894)
+ Kansas (69)
+ Kentucky (1)
+ Louisiana (8)
+ Maryland (2)
+ Michigan (13)
+ Minnesota (15)
+ Mississippi (2.5)
+ Missouri (24.5)
+ Montana (4)
+ Nebraska (60)
+ Nevada (5)
+ New Jersey (5)
+ New Mexico (2)
+ New York (23)
+ North Carolina (2)
+ Ohio (5)
+ Oklahoma (2)
+ Pennsylvania (41)
+ Puerto Rico (4)
+ South Dakota (5)
+ Tennessee (2.5)
+ Texas (75)
+ Utah (2)
+ 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) – 14
+ Jen Ensley-Gorshe (IA, CO, MO, TX, TN, VA, IL, FL, IN, WV, PA, DC, WA) – 13
+ Andy Sharp (IA, NE, MO, AR, TN, MS, LA, IL, MN, WI, KS) – 11
+ Scott Degeneffe (IA, FL, UT, CO, IN, KY, IL, MN, WI) – 9
+ Cathie Morton (IA, FL, BHS, MO, LA, AZ, NM, CO, UT) – 9
+ Sarah Toot (PA, NY, VT, NV, NJ, NC, FL, MD, KS) – 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
+ 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
+ Kyle Sharp (IA, MO) – 2

Nathanial is clinging lead to be crowned “The Most Travelled THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE Photographer!”

Their were a couple of big milestones reached this week. Brandon joined the 1 Year Streak Club! WooHoo! Angie joined the 2 and Half Year Streak Club! WooHoo! WooHoo! Woo! Anndy joined the 3 Year Streak Club! WooHoo! WooHoo! WooHoo! Plus no streaks were snapped this week!

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:

HOLIDAYS

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

Just don’t get so wrapped up in the HOLIDAYS that you don’t forget to submit a HOLIDAYS photo next Monday.

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 HOLIDAYS in this place that doesn’t take many next Monday.

Art, Contests, Dad, Elainie, Evie, Jen, Layla, Lists, Logan, Mom, Nader, Sabas, Self-Portrait, Shannon, State Fair, Street Photography, Tenderloining, Teresa

State Fairin’: Best New Food Field Work

August 25, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett 4 Comments

A tradition I started last year was my Iowa State Fair Power Rankings. Last year I just compiled my list of my 10 Favorite Fair Things. This year I’m going to power rank the 10 Iowa State Fair Buildings:

10 Best Iowa State Fair Buildings Power Rankings

#10 MURALS

Murals is actually an electrical sub-station. You can’t go in it, but every side is covered with an incredible mural and is by far the best place on the fairgrounds to do a selfie. Or even a self-portrait. Also a good spot to grab a clandestine smoke apparently.

#9 ANN & BILL RILEY STAGE

Some might argue it isn’t a building, but to me it meets all the requirements. It is one of three free stages to watch entertainment at the Fair and by far the best. Not only is it the site of the Bill Riley Talent Show (which lowkey is one of my favorite parts of the Fair). It seats over 3,000 people. There is shade and it is located right smack in the middle of a good majority of the food options. When I’m on the job of eating with a group of people, I like to setup base there. Then everyone can scatter and find their own food and come back and watch some kid from Decatur City belt out a showtune!

#8 GRANDSTAND

The Grandstand hosts the big time acts that come to the Fair. Admittedly I haven’t been to a concert at the Grandstand since I went to see Maroon 5 with Jill. So that tells you it has been probably a decade. But this year there were many shows that tempted me. Foreigner. Greta Van Fleet. The Avett Brothers. To name a few. I didn’t go to any, but I was tempted. The inside hosts a bunch of flea market type stuff. But most importantly it is the home of Nitro Ice Cream. A must get at the Fair for me every year!

#7 ELWELL FAMILY FOOD CENTER

This is a bit of a nostalgic pick. This was one of my Mom’s must-sees every year. It hosts the food contests. But the favorite here is the cake contests. Both the Ugly Cake Contest and then the, not sure what it is actually called, but the Pretty Cake Contest. An added bonus is that it is air conditioned and it has some of the cleanest bathrooms at the State Fair. But in the last couple of years I have gotten to introduce Elainie to the joy of the Ugly Cake Contest and that makes my heart all warm and fuzzy.

#6 DNR BUILDING

This building would be higher on the list in past years, but in recent years there haven’t been many birds on the pond because of the stupid avian flu. But there are a few, so partial credit. There are still turtles. There are also still the lunkers in the fish tanks inside. Plus sometimes there are snakes and other various creatures. Plus some of the gates were designed and built and installed by an artist that lives 2 houses down from me from garbage pulled out of Iowa rivers. This year they added an archery range, but unfortunately got rid of the water feature that housed a couple of water lilies.

#5 BRUCE L. RASTETTER 4-H EXHIBITS BUILDING

This is another slightly nostalgic pick. Both my sisters were very active in 4-H and frequently had pictures on display in this building. I still love looking at the 4-H photo contest and just looking at all the other exhibits that the young people of our state have put together. They are frequently equal parts fascinating and awe inspiring. It is also an air conditioned building with clean bathrooms and water bottle refill stations. Plus the 4-H food stand is decent and your dollars go to support a good cause.

#4 PAUL R. KNAPP ANIMAL LEARNING CENTER

This is by far the newest and smelliest building on my power rankings. But it is air conditioned. The bathrooms are clean. It is by far the best place to see baby animals. Baby pigs. Baby sheep. Baby goats. Baby cows. Baby chickens. Baby ducks. All super adorable!

#3 PIONEER HALL

There is definitely some nostalgia in this pick. Many of my earliest State Fair memories involve Pioneer Hall. My Dad used to sell antiques here during the Iowa State Fair. It is the oldest building on this list and I think the oldest building of the Iowa State Fair. It was built in 1886 and was originally a poultry building. But nostalgia aside it is one of my favorite buildings to visit. Not just because of all the antique dealers. But the blacksmith display. The old-timey music that comes from the stage. Plus it hosts some of the best contests of the fair. Cow Chip Throwing. Rubber Duck Throwing. Husband Calling. Hog Calling. Turkey Calling. To name a few. Plus it is one of the places to get on the sky glider. There are tractor displays in the courtyard. Plenty to do, even if you don’t like antiques.

#2 JOHN DEERE AGRICULTURE BUILDING

The Agriculture Building doesn’t rank this high just because it is sponsored by John Deere. But it definitely helps. Next to the Agriculture Building is the Discovery Garden. Which is well documented as one of my favorite parts of the Fair. But next to that is the Largest Pumpkin Contest. Inside is where you can get a free hard boiled egg. The butter sculptures are housed here. Plus just a myriad of strange contests that are amongst my favorites. Like the seed mosaic art contest. The Odd Vegetable Contest. Upstairs is where the honey producers have their contests and sell honey lemonade. It is truly atrocious (the lemonade), but you can see Shannon, so that is something! Plus, the 4-H has their Dairy Barn there. Applelishus has a food stand. There is also a small State Fair Souvenir Stand. It really has something for everybody and don’t sleep on that free hard boiled egg!

#1 PATTY & JIM COWNIE CULTURAL CENTER

You should have known this was going to be #1. A very ugly building on the inside and out, it was built in 1949 as the 4-H Girls Dormitory. You can see the 4-H Logo engraved on the corners of the building as the remnants of its original use. But perhaps it is because it is so utilitarian, it is perfect for all of the art that it hosts. Obviously, it hosts the Photography Salon. But it also host the Fine Arts Contest. Plus it hosts the Dollhouse Contest. Woodworking exhibits. The Artist Fair. On the ground floor by the main entrance on the east wall one of my favorite artists has setup and sold for years. I always stop and pickup some new stickers. There is just art of every kind there. And if you like art at all (and if you don’t and are here, my feelings are a touch hurt) this is the best building at the State Fair.

Next year I might Power Rank the best State Fair Contests, but there are so many I don’t know I could do such a list justice. It is a year away, so who knows what will change, but it is my first idea.

+++++++

Today is a long one, so buckle up.

I’m going to start by ranking the Finalists for Best New Fair Food. Then just share all the food I ate at the Iowa State Fair:

#3 Iowa Sm’Oak’ed Roll – Whatcha Smokin? BBQ – $14

The description:

Smoked Pork tenderloin stuffed with jasmine rice, jalapeno creamed corn, smoked poblano queso and Giddy Up Texas taco sauce, poblano ranch and smoked sesame seeds.

It just wasn’t good. It was bland. The sauces didn’t work. It was served barely above room temperature. Jesse is the only person I heard say anything good about it. It was one of the worst things I’ve ever had at the Iowa State Fair. Period. Which was disappointing because they are basically a local restaurant for me AND last year, their Iowa Twinkie was my favorite. I have no doubt they will rebound and offer something delicious again next year.

#2 Bacon Cheeseburger Egg Roll – Winn & Sara’s Kitchen – $12

Description:

Ground beef cooked with bacon and pickles with a cheese filling, wrapped in a golden pastry egg roll drizzled with house made burger sauce.

This is the one that went on to win Best New Fair Food. I don’t have a qualm with it. This was definitely tasty AutoFocus. I could see myself sitting in a bar and just hammering these down. But I don’t know that it was transcendent. I definitely plan to hit their actual restaurant in Indianola with Shannon at some point in the future.

#1 Lobster Corn Dog – Destination Grille – $20

Description:

Lobster tail pulled through batter season with cayenne pepper and salt, topped with a lemon aioli drizzle.

I had very little expectation for this. I’m not a big fan of lobster, but this really knocked my sweaty from a full day of State Fair walking socks off! If Red Lobster was like this, I might almost be a lobster man. But not likely. Too much work for me. My theory on why it didn’t win best food is because the price tag was pretty steep and the size of the portion varied wildly. You can look at the picture with me, Logan, and Sabas and see that Sabas clearly got robbed!

I can’t wait to see what new foods come to next year’s Iowa State Fair!

But wait… I’m not done. Here is the rest of the food I ate on my 4 trips to the Iowa State Fair:

Dill Pickle Fried Cheese Curds – From Trip 1 with Teresa

Fry Bread – From Trip 2 with Jen, Evie, and Layla.

Beef Brisket Sandwich – Trip 2

Fried Mushrooms – Stolen from Jen

Evie and Layla enjoying their Piggy in a Donut and Apple Egg Rolls

Biscuit Bar – Trip 3 with Logan and eventually Elainie and Sabas

Layla’s Piggy in a Donut looked so good I had to have one!

Logan’s Mississippi Pot Roast

Logan’s Potato Salad – the best potato salad I’ve had in my life… no fooling!

Logan and his trophy, but we will get into that at a later date!

Italian Grinder – Still Trip 3

Cookies and Milk – Still Trip 3

Smash Burger – Trip 4 with Nader – Jesse and Nader crapped out

I didn’t eat at the Methodist Food Stand, but I did stop to see my favorite server!

Nitro Ice Cream!

The Bacon Cheeseburger Egg Roll sold out!

Fried Veggie Platter

With a Pepsi

Apple Slushie

And my final Iowa State Fair food: Funnel Cake Cheeseburger

This was tasty but messy AutoFocus to eat. I don’t think I would get it again.

One last Pepsi for the road.

Farewell dear Fair!

Next week’s food adventure will involve Logan competing at the State Fair Grilling Contest. Then we will get back to chronological order!

Adam, Alexis, Andy, Angie, Aunt Linda, Beckham, Becky, Bill, Black & White, Brandon, Carla, Cathie, Dad, Dawn, Elainie, Elizabeth, Flowers, Jen, Jesse, Joe Duff, Kim, Kio, Logan, Lowell, Mary, Michelle, Micky, Mindi, Monica, Nader, Nathanial, Sabas, Sara, Sarah, Scottie D., Shannon, Sheri, Slice of Life, Suzie, Tamara, Teresa, Vest, Willy, WPC - Submissions

WPC – WEEK 456 – ANYTHING BUT A CAT

June 10, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

READ THE THEME DESCRIPTION THIS WEEK. THERE ARE SPECIAL RULES!

ANYTHING BUT A CAT! A great theme, but did enough people get pumped to not take a picture of a cat to make it a popular theme? You’ll have to keep scrolling to find out!

As of 12:01 PM on Monday, June 3, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks (ignore everything in parentheses):

1-Monica Jennings – 1 week (IA) <2>
2-Willy McAlpine – 2 weeks (IA)
3-Johnathan Stensland – 3 weeks (IA)
4-Suzie Brannen – 4 weeks (IA, MD) <2>
5-Mike Vest – 4 weeks (IA, MO)
6-Alexis Stensland – 6 weeks (IA) <2>
7-Sabas Hernandez – 8 weeks (IA, OH) <2>
8-Adam Gordon – 14 weeks (IA, MS, MO) <2>
9-Becky Parmelee – 15 weeks (AR, IA, OK)
10-Lowell Davis – 22 weeks (IA) <2>
11-Michelle Haupt – 22 weeks (IA, MO, KS, LA)
12-Brandon Kahler – 23 weeks (IA, MN)
13-Scott Degeneffe – 41 weeks (IA, FL, UT, CO, KY, IN)
14-Sheri Fakhouri – 51 weeks (IA, NE)
15-Logan Kahler – 51 weeks (IA, MN) <2>
16-Nathanial Brown – 53 weeks (IA, SD, GA, TN)
17-Jesse Howard – 53 weeks (IA, MO, NE, FL, ABW, CUW) <2>
18-Tamara Peterson – 65 weeks (IA, MN)
19-Mindi Terrell – 68 weeks (IA) <2>
20-Linda Bennett – 97 weeks (KS) <2>
21-Sarah Toot – 98 weeks (PA, NY, VT, NV)
22-Angie DeWaard – 102 weeks (IA, IL) <2>
23-Dawn Krause – 106 weeks (IA) <2>
24-Kim Barker – 112 weeks (IA, CO, LA)
25-Joe Duff – 113 weeks (TX)
26-Teresa Kahler – 124 weeks (IA, NE) <2>
27-Carla Stensland – 124 weeks (IA, MO) <2>
28-Micky Augustin – 126 weeks (IA, IL)
29-Andy Sharp – 127 weeks (IA, NE, AR, MS, MO, TN, LA) <2>
30-Bill Wentworth – 128 weeks (NE, MO) <2>
31-Cathie Morton – 131 weeks (IA, FL, BHS, MO, LA)
32-Elizabeth Nordeen – 133 weeks (IA, OH)
33-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 135 weeks (IA, CA, NV)
34-Kio Dettman – 137 weeks (IA)

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

WPC - WEEK 456 - ANYTHING BUT A CAT - ADAM GORDON

Adam Gordon (Iowa) – 15 weeks

Adam Gordon (Iowa)

Alexis Stensland (Iowa) – 7 weeks

Alexis Stensland (Iowa)

Andy Sharp (Boone, Iowa) – 128 weeks

Andy Sharp (Boone, Iowa)

Angie DeWaard (Iowa)

Beckham Gorshe (Iowa) – 1 week

Becky Parmelee (Bella Vista, Arkansas) – 16 weeks

Bill Wentworth (Omaha, Nebraska) – 129 weeks

Brandon Kahler (Iowa) – 24 weeks

Carla Stensland (Ogden, Iowa) – 125 weeks

Cathie Morton (West Des Moines, Iowa) – 132 weeks

Christopher D. Bennett (Boone, Iowa)

Dawn Krause (Boone, Iowa) – 107 weeks

Elainie Hernandez (Ankeny, Iowa) – 1 week

Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa) – 134 weeks

Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa)

Jen Ensley-Gorshe (Iowa) – 1 week

Jesse Howard (Waukee, Iowa) – 54 weeks

Joe Duff (Texas) – 114 weeks

Joe Duff (Texas)

Johnathan Stensland (Iowa) – 4 weeks

Kim Barker (Nevada, Iowa) – 113 weeks

Kio Dettman (Boone, Iowa) – 138 weeks

Kyle Sharp (Boone, Iowa) – 1 week

Linda Bennett (Kansas) – 98 weeks

Linda Bennett (Kansas)

Logan Kahler (Boone, Iowa) – 52 weeks

Logan Kahler (Iowa)

Lowell Davis (Iowa) – 23 weeks

Lowell Davis (Iowa)

Mary Green (Vieques, Puerto Rico) – 1 week

Mary Green (Vieques, Puerto Rico)

Michelle Haupt (Iowa) – 23 weeks

Micky Augustin (Colo, Iowa) – 127 weeks

Mike Vest (Madrid, Iowa) – 5 weeks

Mindi Terrell (Iowa) – 69 weeks

Mindi Terrell (Iowa)

Monica Jennings (McHose Park – Boone, Iowa) – 2 weeks

Nader Parsaei (Iowa) – 1 week

Nader Parsaei (Iowa)

Nathanial Brown (Guinness Storehouse – Dublin, Ireland) – 54 weeks

Nathanial Brown (Teeling Distillery – Dublin, Ireland)

Sabas Hernandez (Marshalltown, Iowa) – 9 weeks

Sabas Hernandez (State Center, Iowa)

Sara Lockner (Iowa) – 1 week

Sarah Toot (New York City, New York) – 99 weeks

Sarah Toot (Las Vegas, Nevada)

Scott Degeneffe (Boone County, Iowa) – 42 weeks

Scott Degeneffe (Illinois)

Shannon Bardole-Foley (Honey Hollow – Summerset, Iowa) – 136 weeks

Sheri Fakhouri (Ankeny, Iowa) – 52 weeks

Suzie Brannen (Clive, Iowa) – 5 weeks

Suzie Brannen (Clive, Iowa)

Tamara Peterson (Iowa) – 66 weeks

Teresa Kahler (McHose Park – Boone, Iowa) – 125 weeks

Teresa Kahler (Boone, Iowa)

Willy McAlpine (Lost Lake – Ledges State Park – Boone County, Iowa) – 2 weeks

NOTE: A surly person that might have sent me hate mail over this theme may have noticed that there is one picture that does in fact include a cat. You might be wondering why that picture was NOT rejected. It isn’t cause I like Scott more than the rest of you. Although he does feed me. (But the list of people that have cooked me or given me some kind of food is pretty extensive. – See Michelle’s submission.) It is for 2 reasons. That cat is Fred. And Fred, I’m told, identifies as a dog. And on this website we believe that Love is Love. Black Lives Matter. Women’s Rights are Human Rights. No Human is Illegal. Science is Real. Kindness is Everything. In Religious Freedom. Hate Has No Home Here. But secondly and sadly, sometime between when that picture was taken and this post published, Fred may have crossed over the rainbow bridge. Fred was not expected to make it through the night. And I would not deny Fred, who has the outwards appearance of being a cat, but is in fact a dog, one final appearance on this website. And if this makes you mad, ask yourself, why you hate cats so much?

42 participants this week! Man, people were so thirsty for pictures that don’t have cats in them. I guess that Andy Sharp knows how to come up with the theme ideas!

There were submissions this week taken in the following places:

+ Arkansas (1)
+ Illinois (1)
+ Iowa (47)
+ Ireland (2)
+ Kansas (2)
+ Nebraska (1)
+ Nevada (1)
+ New York (1)
+ Puerto Rico (2)
+ Texas (2)

Thanks to the travels of Nathanial we added Ireland to the list. And thanks to the travels of Mary we added Puerto Rico to the list! WooHoo!

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

+ Arkansas (15.5)
+ Aruba (1)
+ Bahamas (2)
+ California (3)
+ Curacao (1)
+ Colorado (5)
+ Florida (85)
+ Georgia (1)
+ Hawaii (2)
+ Illinois (7)
+ Indiana (4)
+ Iowa (830)
+ Ireland (2)
+ Kansas (34)
+ Kentucky (1)
+ Louisiana (8)
+ Maryland (1)
+ Michigan (5)
+ Minnesota (8)
+ Mississippi (1.5)
+ Missouri (13.5)
+ Nebraska (30)
+ Nevada (4)
+ New York (13)
+ Ohio (2)
+ Oklahoma (1)
+ Pennsylvania (16)
+ Puerto Rico (2)
+ South Dakota (3)
+ Tennessee (2.5)
+ Texas (35)
+ Utah (1)
+ Vermont (1)
+ Virginia (1)
+ Wisconsin (1)

29 states so far! 1 U.S. Terriorty! 4 foreign countries! Not bad! So far, the following people have submitted from multiple places:

+ Jen Ensley-Gorshe (IA, CO, MO, TX, TN, VA, IL, FL) – 8
+ Andy Sharp (IA, NE, MO, AR, TN, MS, LA) – 7
+ Scott Degeneffe (IA, FL, UT, CO, IN, KY, IL) – 7
+ Jesse Howard (IA, MO, NE, FL, ABW, CUW) – 6
+ Christopher D. Bennett (IA, MO, NE, IL, IN, LA) – 6
+ Cathie Morton (IA, FL, BHS, MO, LA) – 5
+ Mary Green (MI, IA, IN, IL, RP) – 5
+ Nathanial Brown (IA, SD, TN, GA, IRL) – 5
+ Michelle Haupt (IA, MO, KS, LA) – 4
+ Sarah Toot (PA, NY, VT, NV) – 4
+ Kim Barker (IA, CO, LA) – 3
+ Shannon Bardole-Foley (IA, CA, NV) – 3
+ Adam Gordon (IA, MS, MO) – 3
+ Becky Parmelee (AR, IA, OK) – 3
+ Sara Lockner (IA, BHS, MN) – 3
+ Micky Augustin (IA, IL) – 2
+ Susanna Funk (IA, CO) – 2
+ Brandon Kahler (IA, MN) – 2
+ Logan Kahler (IA, MN) – 2
+ Tamara Peterson (IA, MN) – 2
+ Carla Stensland (IA, MO) -2
+ Mike Vest (IA, MO) – 2
+ Teresa Kahler (IA, NE) – 2
+ Sheri Fakhouri (IA, NE) – 2
+ Angie DeWaard (IA, IL) – 2
+ Sabas Hernandez (IA, OH) – 2
+ Suzie Brannen (IA, MD) – 2
+ Elizabeth Nordeen (IA, OH) – 2
+ Linda Bennett (KS, IA) – 2
+ Bill Wentworth (NE, MO) – 2
+ Deanna McClain (IA, MN) – 2

Jen is currently in the lead to be crowned “The Most Travelled THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE Photographer!” Jesse and Andy and Scott are in striking distance though!

There were a couple of big milestones this week! Sheri and Logan both reached the 1 Year Streak Club! WooHoo! WooHoo!

No streaks were killed this week! WooHoo!

SLICE OF LIFE – IN HONOR OF MY DAD

SLICE OF LIFE! What a great theme for Year 11 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!

But what exactly is a SLICE OF LIFE image? This is where I normally give you kind of a broad definition of the theme, but not this week. For those that don’t know SLICE OF LIFE is the name of the postcard company that my Dad started and ran out of the basement darkroom in our house.

He specialized in black & white postcards of local interest. Here is this week’s assignment. It is to take a picture that you could see being used on a postcard. Now back in the day, they used to take pictures of all sorts of things and put them on postcards. So don’t think that there is nothing in your area that would make it on a postcard. It could be a building that is interesting looking or has a historical significance. It could simply be a pretty scene. Back when I was doing THE POSTCARD RECREATION PROJECT, sometimes they took pictures of downtown intersections and put those on postcards.

While I will require your submission to be a postcard like image, meaning don’t try to “interpret” Slice of Life to mean something different, I will only strongly encourage you to submit the picture in black & white and also only slightly encourage you to throw some text on the image, if you have the editing skills or software. You know, design a postcard!

There is one more thing. This is the one and only theme where if you write a SHORT description of your image (like you would see on the backside of a postcard) that I will include it along with your submission.

I don’t manipulate the order of themes for THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE. I put the 52 themes in a random generator and then I have it generate the the order of the themes EXCEPT for this theme. This theme I put this week specifically. This week is my Dad’s birthday. In fact, it is tomorrow. He would have turned 81. So it seemed apropos to put the theme that is an homage to him during this week.

And if you don’t know, he is the person in the theme reveal image.

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 SLICE OF LIFE in this place that is a continuation in many ways next Monday.

Art, Dad, Macro, Mom, Nature, Still Life, WPC - Alternate

Does She Mean You Forgot About Me?

March 26, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett

A few weeks back the THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE theme was SENTIMENTAL. Thought I would share some of the spare images I took for the theme that didn’t make the cut.

SENTIMENTAL was a good theme. A real thinker! I hope everybody enjoyed it as much as I did.

Adam, Alexis, Andy, Angie, Aunt Linda, Baier, Becky, Bill, Birthdays, Brandon, Carla, Cathie, Dad, Dawn, Elizabeth, Jesse, Joe Duff, Kim, Kio, Logan, Lowell, Mary, Michelle, Micky, Mindi, Monica, Nathanial, Sabas, Sara, Sarah, Scottie D., Shannon, Sheri, Steph, Still Life, Suzie, Tamara, Teresa, Vest, Willy, WPC - Submissions

WPC – WEEK 443 – SENTIMENTAL

March 11, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett

Today is Dawn’s birthday, so I must wish her a happy birthday.

Happy birthday Dawn!

I hope your birthday is filled with plenty of time to sit down and read!

+++++++

Today is also Baier’s birthday, so I must with him a happy birthday!

Happy birthday Baier!

I hope your birthday is filled plenty of thoughts of the Chiefs winning another Super Bowl!

+++++++

SENTIMENTAL! Maybe a little bit of a hard one for some people. Sometimes it is hard to think about the things that we are sentimental about. But was it easy enough for enough people to make SENTIMENTAL a popular theme? You will have to keep scrolling to find out!

If you are like me at all, you will really wonder the backstory on so many of the photographed subject. Fortunately for me, I actually know the story on most of the subjects in the story, but I will never tell.

As of 12:01 PM on Monday, March 4, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks (ignore the numbers in parentheses):

1-Adam Gordon – 1 week
2-Deanna McClain – 1 week
3-Johnathan Stensland – 1 week
4-Mary Green – 3 weeks (2)
5-Stehanie Kim – 3 weeks
6-Becky Parmelee – 3 weeks
7-Willy McAlpine – 5 weeks
8-Sara Lockner – 7 weeks
9-Lowell Davis – 9 weeks
10-Michelle Haupt – 9 weeks
11-Alexis Stensland – 9 weeks (2)
12-Brandon Kahler – 10 weeks
13-Scott Degeneffe – 28 weeks
14-Sabas Hernandez – 29 weeks
15-Mike Vest – 34 weeks
16-Sheri Fakhouri – 38 weeks
17-Logan Kahler – 39 weeks (2)
18-Nathanial Brown – 40 weeks
19-Jesse Howard – 40 weeks
20-Tamara Peterson – 43 weeks
21-Mindi Terrell – 55 weeks (2)
22-Linda Bennett – 84 weeks
23-Sarah Toot – 85 weeks (2)
24-Angie DeWaard – 89 weeks
25-Dawn Krause – 93 weeks
26-Kim Barker – 99 weeks (2)
27-Joe Duff – 100 weeks
28-Teresa Kahler – 111 weeks
29-Carla Stensland – 111 weeks (2)
30-Micky Augustin – 113 weeks
31-Andy Sharp – 114 weeks
32-Bill Wentworth – 115 weeks
33-Cathie Morton – 119 weeks
34-Elizabeth Nordeen – 120 weeks
35-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 122 weeks
36-Kio Dettman – 124 weeks (2)

Reminder. Here is the list of rules for Year 11 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO 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.

WPC - WEEK 443 - SENTIMENTAL - ADAM GORDON

Adam Gordon (Kresge Chapel – Kansas City, Missouri) – 2 weeks

Adam Gordon (Kresge Chapel – Kansas City, Missouri)

Alexis Stensland (Ogden, Iowa) – 10 weeks

Alexis Stensland (Sacred Heart Cemetery – Boone, Iowa)

Andy Sharp (Arkansas/Mississippi Border) – 115 weeks

Andy Sharp (Missouri/Tennessee Border)

Angie DeWaard (Ames, Iowa) – 90 weeks

Becky Parmelee (Arkansas) – 4 weeks

Bill Wentworth (Omaha, Nebraska) – 116 weeks

Brandon Kahler (Iowa) – 111 weeks

Carla Stensland (Iowa) – 112 weeks

Cathie Morton (Norwalk, Iowa) – 120 weeks

Christopher D. Bennett (Boone, Iowa)

Dawn Krause (Iowa) – 94 weeks

Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa) – 121 weeks

Jesse Howard (Iowa) – 41 weeks

Joe Duff (Texas) – 101 weeks

Kim Barker (Nevada, Iowa) – 100 weeks

Kio Dettman (Boone, Iowa) – 125 weeks

Kio Dettman (Boone, Iowa)

Linda Bennett (Kansas) – 85 weeks

Logan Kahler (Boone, Iowa) – 40 weeks

Logan Kahler (Boone, Iowa)

Lowell Davis (Val-Air Ballroom – Des Moines, Iowa) – 10 weeks

Lowell Davis (Val-Air Ballroom – Des Moines, Iowa)

Mary Green (Iowa) – 4 weeks

Mary Green (Iowa)

Michelle Haupt (Iowa) – 10 weeks

Micky Augustin (Schaumburg, Illinois) – 114 weeks

Mike Vest (Missouri) – 35 weeks

Mindi Terrell (Cherry Glenn – Near Ankeny, Iowa) – 56 weeks

Mindi Terrell (Cherry Glenn – Near Ankeny, Iowa)

Monica Jennings (Boone, Iowa) – 1 week

Nathanial Brown (Des Moines, Iowa) – 41 weeks

Sabas Hernandez (Ankeny, Iowa) – 30 weeks

Sara Lockner (Burnsville, Minnesota) – 8 weeks

Sarah Toot (Pennsylvania) – 86 weeks

Scott Degeneffe (Panama City Beach, Florida) – 29 weeks

Shannon Bardole-Foley (Honey Hollow – Summerset, Iowa) – 123 weeks

Sheri Fakhouri (Ankeny, Iowa) – 39 weeks

Sheri Fakhouri (Ankeny, Iowa)

Stephanie Kim (Fort Greene – Brooklyn, New York) – 4 weeks

Suzie Brannen (Iowa) – 1 week

Tamara Peterson (Iowa) – 44 weeks

Teresa Kahler (Boone, Iowa) – 112 weeks

Teresa Kahler (Boone, Iowa)

Willy McAlpine (McHose Park – Boone, Iowa) – 6 weeks

37 participants! That is a pretty great week! Same as last week!

There were submissions this week taken in the following places:

+ Arkansas (1.5)
+ Florida (1)
+ Illinois (1)
+ Iowa (33)
+ Kansas (1)
+ Minnesota (1)
+ Mississippi (.5)
+ Missouri (3.5)
+ Nebraska (1)
+ New York (1)
+ Pennsylvania (1)
+ Tennessee (.5)
+ Texas (1)

Thanks to the travels of Scott, we added Florida to the list! And thanks to Andy’s travels we added Tennessee to the list.

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

+ Arkansas (5.5)
+ California (1)
+ Colorado (4)
+ Florida (1)
+ Hawaii (2)
+ Illinois (1)
+ Indiana (2)
+ Iowa (372)
+ Kansas (14)
+ Michigan (4)
+ Minnesota (4)
+ Mississippi (1.5)
+ Missouri (4.5)
+ Nebraska (13)
+ New York (7)
+ Pennsylvania (9)
+ South Dakota (3)
+ Tennessee (.5)
+ Texas (17)
+ Vermont (1)

20 states so far! Not bad! So far, the following people have submitted from multiple states:

+ Andy Sharp (IA, NE, MO, AR, TN, MS)
+ Jen Ensley-Gorshe (IA, CO, MO, TX)
+ Adam Gordon (IA, MS, MO)
+ Sarah Toot (PA, NY, VT)
+ Mary Green (MI, IA, IN)
+ Susanna Funk (IA, CO)
+ Tamara Peterson (IA, MN)
+ Nathanial Brown (IA, SD)
+ Brandon Kahler (IA, MN)
+ Micky Augustin (IA, IL)
+ Scott Degeneffe (IA, FL)
+ Mike Vest (IA, MO)
+ Sara Lockner (IA, MN)

Andy has taken a 2 state lead over Jen with his sentimental road trip to be crowned the Emperor of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE Travel! I’ll keep workshopping that name. But I might buy a crown for the winner. Just another idea I’m spitballing.

Micky, Scott, and Vest all joined the club of people that have submitted from multiple states. Adam added a third state to his list!

There were a few big milestones reached this week! Michelle and Lowell and Alexis all joined the Double Digit Streak Club! Kim joined the Triple Digit Streak Club! WooHoos all around!

But it was not all unicorns and rainbows though. Deanna and Johnathan couldn’t build on their submissions from last week and their streaks are over before the even began.

DECORATION

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

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 all be sharing your idea of DECORATION in this place in this place that decorates my life next Monday.

Alexis, Angie, Aunt Linda, Bill, Black & White, Brandon, Carla, Cathie, Dad, Dawn, Drone, Elainie, Elizabeth, Flowers, Jesse, Kim, Kio, Macro, Micky, Mindi, Monica, Nathanial, Sara, Sarah, Slice of Life, Suzie, Tamara, Teresa, Willy, WPC - Submissions

WPC – WEEK 404 – SLICE OF LIFE

June 12, 2023 Christopher D. Bennett 3 Comments

SLICE OF LIFE. As you know, this is a very special theme for me. My Dad would have turned 80 years old yesterday. My hope was that his photography legacy would inspire many people to submit this week. Did it? You’ll have to keep scrolling to find out.

As of 12:01 PM on Monday, June 5, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks (ignore the numbers in parentheses):

1-Suzie Brannen – 1 week
2-Nathanial Brown – 1 week
3-Jen Ensley-Gorshe – 1 week
4-Layla Gorshe – 1 week
5-Jesse Howard – 1 week (2)
6-Becky Parmelee – 1 week
7-Susanna Funk – 2 weeks (2)
8-Willy McAlpine – 2 weeks
9-Scott Degeneffe – 3 weeks (2)
10-Sara Lockner – 3 weeks
11-Tamara Peterson – 4 weeks
12-Mike Vest – 6 weeks
13-Alexis Baugher – 9 weeks (3)
14-Mindi Terrell – 16 weeks (3)
15-Brandon Kahler – 41 weeks
16-Linda Bennett – 45 weeks
17-Sarah Toot – 46 weeks
18-Angie DeWaard – 50 weeks (2)
19-Dawn Krause – 54 weeks (2)
20-Kim Barker – 60 weeks (2
21-Joe Duff – 61 weeks
22-Teresa Kahler – 72 weeks (2)
23-Carla Stensland – 72 weeks (3)
24-Micky Augustin – 74 weeks
25-Andy Sharp – 75 weeks (3)
26-Bill Wentworth – 76 weeks
27-Cathie Morton – 80 weeks
28-Elizabeth Nordeen – 81 weeks
29-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 83 weeks
30-Kio Dettman – 85 weeks (2)

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:

Kio Dettman (Moingona, Iowa) – 86 weeks
Kate Shelley Museum, Moingona, Iowa. ( Note: In need of refunding, repair and renovation. )

Cathie Morton (Cumming, Iowa) – 81 weeks

Cathie Morton (North of Cumming, Iowa)

Monica Jennings – Front (Monicaville, Iowa) – 1 week

Monica Jennings – Back (This is not my address, so if you go looking for me, this won’t help)

Monica Jennings (Des Moines, Iowa)

Shannon Bardole-Foley (Rural Warren County, Iowa) – 84 weeks
This is the queen mating yard at Honey Hollow.

Tamara Peterson (Iowa) – 5 weeks
Nothing better than fresh popped popcorn from the popcorn stand on a June afternoon.

Bill Wentworth (Ashland, Nebraska) – 77 weeks
Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum
Ashland, NE

Angie DeWaard (Portland, Oregon) – 51 weeks

Joe Duff (Texas) – 62 weeks
Second only to the Manhattan Project, the US Synthetic Rubber Program was critical to the success of the Allies in WWII.

Joe Duff (Texas)
Images from the historic files of a chemical plant in Houston, Texas

Micky Augustin (Iowa) – 75 weeks

Kim Barker (Iowa) – 61 weeks

Andy Sharp (Albert Lea, Minnesota) – 76 weeks

Elizabeth Nordeen (Ames, Iowa) – 82 weeks

Elizabeth Nordeen (Ames, Iowa)

Suzie Brannen (Iowa) – 2 weeks

Suzie Brannen (Iowa)

Dawn Krause (Wall Drug, South Dakota) – 55 weeks
Animated T-Rex at Wall Drug, SD

Dawn Krause (Badlands, South Dakota)
Badlands National Park

Mindi Terrell (Iowa) – 17 weeks

Mindi Terrell (Urbandale, Iowa)

Mindi Terrell (Adair, Iowa)

Jesse Howard (Boone, Iowa) – 2 weeks
The murals of Boone County remain mostly untouched and give us a glance of what life was like in yesteryear!

Willy McAlpine (South Dakota) – 3 weeks
Pit Stop

Sara Lockner (Johnston, Iowa) – 4 weeks

Sara Lockner (Johnston, Iowa)

Nathanial Brown (Mexico) – 2 weeks

Mike Vest (Noel, Missouri) – 7 weeks

Sabas Hernandez (Chicago, Illinois) – 1 week

Sarah Toot (Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania) – 47 weeks
The Sherman Theater first debuted on January 7th, 1929; exposing the Stroudsburg area to newfound cultural beginnings on opening night with Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy.

Sarah Toot (Buttzville, New Jersey)
Hot Dog Johnny: New Jersey
SINCE 1944
Hot Dog Johnny’s – With the Pequest River flowing in the background, Hot Dog Johnny’s is a landmark to anyone having traveled Route 46 through Buttzville, New Jersey.

Brandon Kahler (Iowa) – 42 weeks
I’d send a postcard with dp on it

Elainie Hernandez (Chicago, Illinois) – 1 week
National Museum of the American Sailor in Great Lakes, IL

Logan Kahler (Ames, Iowa) – 1 week

Alexis Baugher (Swaledale, Iowa) – 10 weeks

Alexis Baugher (Nevada, Iowa)

Linda Toot (Boone, Iowa) – 46 weeks
🌷Since 1983🌷
Van Hemert’s Dutch Oven Bakery
605 Story Street. Boone, Iowa

Linda Bennett (Iowa)
This is a print produced by the owner of the Slice of Life postcard company. It was sent to me in 1983. Perhaps not one to use on a post card to encourage visitors to come to a particular spot but I’ve always liked it.

Teresa Kahler (Boone, Iowa) – 73 weeks

Teresa Kahler (Boone, Iowa)

Carla Stensland (Ames, Iowa) – 73 weeks

Carla Stensland (Ledges State Park, Boone County, Iowa)

Carla Stensland (Iowa)

Christopher D. Bennett (Boone County, Iowa)

30 participants! That is a great week. I think the 4th in a row where we’ve broken 30. In this theme that is an homage to my Dad’s photography, there were submission from one of his nieces, his sister (and last living sibling), 4 of 5 grandchildren, one grandson-in-law and all 3 of his children. (I know. I know. You don’t need to bring it up Elizabeth. )

I think that is a great legacy.

There were submissions this week taken in the following places:

+ Illinois
+ Iowa
+ Nebraska
+ Mexico
+ Minnesota
+ Missouri
+ New Jersey
+ Oregon
+ Pennsylvania
+ South Dakota
+ Texas

Here is the current calendar year list for states:

+ Arizona
+ Arkansas
+ California
+ Colorado
+ Florida
+ Georgia
+ Illinois
+ Iowa
+ Kansas
+ Nebraska
+ New Jersey
+ New York
+ Nevada
+ Michigan
+ Minnesota
+ Missouri
+ North Dakota
+ Ohio
+ Oklahoma
+ Oregon
+ Pennsylvania
+ South Dakota
+ Texas
+ Utah
+ Washington
+ Washington D.C.
+ Wisconsin
+ Wyoming

27 states and 1 district! That is pretty impressive! Over halfway there!

The Outside of the United States map is currently:

+ British Virgin Islands
+ Mexico
+ Nassau Bahamas
+ Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

I travelled about 70 miles or so to take the images for my composite, but never left Boone County. I continue not to contribute to expanding the map.

The big accomplishment this week was Alexis hitting the double digit club! WooHoo!

Also, Elainie submitted for the 1st time ever! WooHoo!

But there was a veritable bloodbath of streaks snapped. Jen, Layla, and Becky couldn’t build on last week’s submissions. Funk’s streak is gone at 2. Scott’s streak is over at 3.

FLOWER

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

But what is a FLOWER picture? Come on! You aren’t new here. You know about Thursdays! A flower picture is simply a picture of a FLOWER. Live, dead, painting, sculpture. Doesn’t matter. Time to get your flowertography on! Or as Micky might say, your flower porn on!

While considering possible flower subjects for your submission, meditate on the following quote, and I have no doubt you will make a great flowertography image!

“There are always flowers for those who want to see them.”
— Henri Matisse

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 FLOWER in this place that has a rose for a favicon next Monday.

Art, Baseball/Softball, Black & White, Dad, Lowell, Slice of Life, Street Photography, Travel, Work

THE WINDY CITY: DAY 2B

June 9, 2023 Christopher D. Bennett

Last time we left off with The Windy City Chronicles Lowell, Tony, and I had just arrived at Wrigley Field. Due to rain, the game had been postponed an hour. This gave us some time to walk around Wrigley Field and take in the ambiance of Wrigleyville.

I don’t care about the Cubs one way or the other, but I hate the Dodgers.

It would be pretty sweet to watch a Cubs game from a roof top.

Apparently the souls of the children Harry Caray murdered?

Would also love to watch a game from the bleachers.

More expensive to watch a game from there than from inside Wrigley Field.

A beautiful view.

Majority of concession stands at Wrigley were self-serve, which kinda sucked.

I never actually had a Chicago Dog in Chicago.

My Savannah Bananas shirt made me popular with every usher in the stadium, except the one in our section.

The salespeople showed up about halfway through the 3rd inning. They left about halfway through the 4th inning. At least that is what it felt like.

Still one more collection of images to share from Day 2 of my work trip to Chicago.

+++++++

NOTE: THERE ARE SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THIS WEEK’S THEME, SO MAKE SURE TO PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THEM. JUST DON’T SKIM BY THEM. NOT THAT ANYBODY DOES THAT. EVERYBODY HANGS ON MY EVERY WORD.

This is your reminder that this week’s THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE theme is SLICE OF LIFE.

SLICE OF LIFE

SLICE OF LIFE! What a great theme for Year 10 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!

Here is the Trade Name documentation he filed in March of 1984:

He passed away in December of the same year.

There is one more thing. The is the one and only theme where if you write a SHORT description of your image (like you would see on the backside of a postcard) that I will include it along with your submission.

Here are some examples of my Dad’s postcards that will hopefully inspire you (excuse the low quality of the scans):

I don’t manipulate the order of themes for THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE. I put the 52 themes in a random generate it and then I have it generate the theme the number of times as there are letters in the name of my favorite person at that moment*. EXCEPT for this theme. This theme I put this week specifically. This week is my Dad’s birthday. So it seemed apropos to put the theme that is an homage to him during this week.

Happy photo harvesting!

Alexis, Andy, Angie, Art, Aunt Linda, Becky, Bill, Black & White, Brandon, Carla, Cathie, Dad, Dawn, Elizabeth, Funk, Jen, Jesse, Joe Duff, Kim, Kio, Layla, Macro, Micky, Mindi, Nathanial, Nature, Sara, Sarah, Shannon, Slice of Life, Suzie, Tamara, Teresa, Vest, Willy, WPC - Submissions

WPC – WEEK 403 – TEXTURE

June 5, 2023 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

TEXTURE. It is something you really have to feel. But as a theme, did a bunch of people feel it? You will have to keep scrolling to find out.

As of 12:01 PM on Monday, May 29, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks (ignore the numbers in parentheses):

1-Susanna Funk – 1 week (3)
2-Willy McAlpine – 1 week
3-Melissa Degeneffe – 2 weeks
4-Scott Degeneffe – 2 weeks (2)
5-Mary Green – 2 weeks (3)
6-Sara Lockner – 2 weeks
7-Tamara Peterson – 3 weeks (2)
8-Sabas Hernandez – 5 weeks
9-Mike Vest – 5 weeks
10-Alexis Baugher – 8 weeks (3)
11-Mindi Terrell – 15 weeks (3)
12-Monica Jennings – 20 weeks (2)
13-Brandon Kahler – 40 weeks
14-Linda Bennett – 44 weeks
15-Sarah Toot – 45 weeks (2)
16-Angie DeWaard – 49 weeks
17-Dawn Krause – 53 weeks (3)
18-Kim Barker – 59 weeks
19-Joe Duff – 60 weeks (2)
20-Logan Kahler – 62 weeks (2)
21-Teresa Kahler – 71 weeks (2)
22-Carla Stensland – 71 weeks
23-Micky Augustin – 73 weeks
24-Andy Sharp – 74 weeks (2)
25-Bill Wentworth – 75 weeks
26-Cathie Morton – 79 weeks
27-Elizabeth Nordeen – 80 weeks
28-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 82 weeks
29-Kio Dettman – 84 weeks (3)

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:

Suzie Brannen (Iowa) – 1 week

Nathanial Brown (Iowa) – 1 week

Nathanial Brown (Iowa)

Jen Ensley-Gorshe (Iowa) – 1 week

Layla Gorshe (Iowa) – 1 week

Jesse Howard (Ames, Iowa) – 1 week

Jesse Howard (Boone, Iowa)

Becky Parmelee (Bella Vista, Arkansas) – 1 week

Susanna Funk (Oregon) – 2 weeks

Susanna Funk (Oregon)

Willy McAlpine (Boone, Iowa) – 2 weeks

Scott Degeneffe (Rural Boone County, Iowa) – 3 weeks

Scott Degeneffe (Iowa)

Sara Lockner (Iowa) – 3 weeks

Tamara Peterson (Iowa) – 4 weeks

Mike Vest (Madrid, Iowa) – 6 weeks

Alexis Baugher (Iowa) – 9 weeks

Alexis Baugher (Iowa)

Mindi Terrell (Iowa) – 16 weeks

Mindi Terrell (Iowa)

Brandon Kahler (Iowa) – 41 weeks

Linda Bennett (Boone, Iowa) – 45 weeks

Sarah Toot (Pennsylvania) – 46 weeks

Angie DeWaard (Ames, Iowa) – 50 weeks

Angie DeWaard (Ames, Iowa)

Dawn Krause (Iowa) – 54 weeks

Dawn Krause (Iowa)

Kim Barker (Altoona, Iowa) – 60 weeks

Kim Barker (Altoona, Iowa)

Joe Duff (Texas) – 61 weeks

Teresa Kahler (Iowa) – 72 weeks

Teresa Kahler (Iowa)

Carla Stensland (Iowa) – 72 weeks

Carla Stensland (Iowa)

Micky Augustin (Iowa) – 74 weeks

Andy Sharp (Iowa) – 75 weeks

Andy Sharp (Boone, Iowa)

Andy Sharp (Iowa)

Bill Wentworth (Nebraska) – 76 weeks

Cathie Morton (Norwalk, Iowa) – 80 weeks

Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa) – 81 weeks

Shannon Bardole-Foley (Iowa) – 83 weeks

Kio Dettman (Iowa) – 85 weeks

Kio Dettman (Iowa)

Christopher D. Bennett (Boone, Iowa) – 507 weeks

Before I get into participation rates and all that jazz, I want to reveal something on I saw on Instagram from one of our regular participants yesterday. I came across one of Mindi’s posts and the caption was:

Weekly Photo Challenge has made me excited about photography again.

This is up there with one of my favorite things anybody has ever said about THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE. It is up there with when Joe told me that THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE changed the way he sees the world.

To be excited about photography and change the way you see the world. These are two of the very unstated goals of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE.

Thanks Mindi! I’m very excited that you are a regular participant and I always look forward to seeing your submissions.
However, the answer is still “No” about starting a Facebook group. Maybe a THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE participants “party” could happen though. Probably not though.

31 participants! That is a GREAT week! That is 3 straight weeks with 30+ participants. WooHoo!

Thanks to Funk being a mountain climbing badass, Oregon was added to the map this week.

There were submissions this week taken in the following places:

+ Arkansas
+ Iowa
+ Nebraska
+ Oregon
+ Pennsylvania
+ Texas

Here is the current calendar year list for states:

27 states and 1 district! That is pretty impressive! Over halfway there!

The Outside of the United States map is currently:

+ British Virgin Islands
+ Mexico
+ Nassau Bahamas
+ Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

I took my picture about 24 steps from my front door, so I continue to not contribute to expanding the map.

There were no major milestones reached this week. But there are some people closing in on some in the coming weeks. Particularly exciting this week was the 1st submission of the year from Layla! WooHoo!

However, it wasn’t all good news. There was a bloodbath of streaks, including some major streaks biting the dust. Melissa and Mary’s 2 week streaks are no more. Sabas’ 5 week streak is also no more. Monica’s 20 streak is history. Devastating. Just devastating. But perhaps most heartbreaking is that Logan’s 62 week streak is over. The longest streak to ever come to an end.

SLICE OF LIFE

SLICE OF LIFE! What a great theme for Year 10 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!

Here is the Trade Name documentation he filed in March of 1984:

He passed away in December of the same year.

Here are some examples of my Dad’s postcards that will hopefully inspire you (excuse the low quality of the scans):

RULES

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 SLICE OF LIFE in this place that is a continuation in many ways next Monday.

Andy, Aunt Linda, Becky, Bill, Black & White, Brandon, Carla, Cathie, Dad, Dawn, Elizabeth, Jen, Jesse, Kim, Kio, Logan, Micky, Monica, Nathanial, Sabas, Sara, Sarah, Self-Portrait, Shannon, Suzie, Tamara, Teresa, Vest, WPC - Submissions

WPC – WEEK 386 – BOOKS

February 6, 2023 Christopher D. Bennett 4 Comments

It is time to determine whether or not BOOKS was a popular theme. I thought it might be, because I’m pretty sure the Photography 139 readership is highly literate. But you won’t know until you scroll down:

As of 12:01 PM on Monday, January 30, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks (ignore the numbers in parentheses):

1-Becky Parmelee – 1 week
2-Suzie Brannen – 2 weeks
3-Sabas Hernandez – 2 weeks
4-Jesse Howard – 2 weeks
5-Monica Jennings – 2 weeks
6-Nathanial Brown – 3 weeks
7-Mike Vest – 4 weeks
8-Tamara Peterson – 13 weeks
9-Brandon Kahler – 24 weeks
10-Linda Bennett – 27 weeks
11-Sarah Toot – 28 weeks
12-Angie DeWaard – 32 weeks
13-Dawn Krause – 36 weeks
14-Kim Barker – 42 weeks
15-Joe Duff – 43 weeks
16-Logan Kahler – 45 weeks (2)
17-Teresa Kahler – 54 weeks (2)
18-Carla Stensland – 54 weeks
19-Micky Augustin – 56 weeks
20-Andy Sharp – 57 weeks
21-Bill Wentworth – 58 weeks
22-Cathie Morton – 62 weeks (2)
23-Elizabeth Nordeen – 63 weeks
24-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 65 weeks
25-Kio Dettman – 67 weeks (3)

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:

Jen Ensley-Gorshe (Texas) – 1 week

Sara Lockner (Iowa) – 1 week

Becky Parmelee (Missouri) – 2 weeks

Suzie Brannen (Iowa) – 3 weeks

Sabas Hernandez (Iowa) – 3 weeks

Jesse Howard (Iowa) – 3 weeks

Monica Jennings (Iowa) – 3 weeks

Nathanial Brown (Iowa) – 4 weeks

Nathanial Brown (Iowa)

Mike Vest (Iowa) – 5 weeks

Tamara Peterson (Iowa) – 14 weeks

Brandon Kahler (Iowa) – 25 weeks

Linda Bennett (Kansas) – 28 weeks

Linda Bennett (Kansas)

Sarah Toot (Pennsylvania) – 29 weeks

Angie DeWaard (Iowa) – 33 weeks

Angie DeWaard (Iowa)

Dawn Krause (Iowa) – 37 weeks

Dawn Krause (Iowa)

Kim Barker (Iowa) – 43 weeks

Joe Duff (Texas) – 44 weeks

Logan Kahler (Iowa) – 46 weeks

Logan Kahler (Iowa)

Teresa Kahler (Iowa) – 55 weeks

Teresa Kahler (Iowa)

Carla Stensland (Iowa) – 55 weeks

Micky Augustin (Iowa) – 57 weeks

Andy Sharp (Iowa) – 58 weeks

Bill Wentworth (Nebraska) – 59 weeks

Cathie Morton (Iowa) – 63 weeks

Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa) – 64 weeks

Shannon Bardole-Foley (Iowa) – 66 weeks

Kio Dettman (Iowa) – 68 weeks

Kio Dettman (Iowa)

Christopher D. Bennett (Iowa) – 490 weeks

28 participants! That is a pretty great week!

This week we had submissions from:

+ Iowa
+ Kansas
+ Missouri
+ Nebraska
+ Pennsylvania
+ Texas

There were no new additions to the map. This year’s list is:

+ Arkansas
+ Florida
+ Georgia
+ Iowa
+ Kansas
+ Nebraska
+ Nevada
+ Missouri
+ Pennsylvania
+ Texas

10 states is still pretty good for this time of year though!

This week I took my picture about 2 miles from my front door. I’m still not helping to grow the map.

There were no major milestones reached this week, BUT there were also no streaks snapped either. So that is good news.

PLAY

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

But what is a PLAY image? It is simply a picture of something that is PLAYed with or somebody at PLAY. There are all sort of different things that can be PLAYed. A sport. A game. A musical instrument. A human being. Or even a PLAY is PLAYed. Remember, what some might consider WORK others consider PLAY.

While considering possible subjects for your PLAY submission, meditate on the following quote and I have no doubt you will come up with a great picture:

It’s the things we play with and the people who help us play that make a great difference in our lives.
-Fred Rogers

I look forward to seeing your interpretation.

RULES

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 PLAY in this place that is in a constant state of play next Monday.