Category Archives: Dae Hee

Postcard Recreation Project – Presbyterian Church

I need to start today by wishing Laura a happy birthday. Happy birthday Laura!


Nate and Laura Engagement Pictures

Miller Family - 2020

Jonah Turns 3

9 EMOTIONS PROJECT - LAURA MILLER

Baby Tri-Force 1st Birthday Party

I hope your birthday is as amazing as you want it to be!

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This set of old-timey postcards I recreated for THE POSTCARD RECREATION PROJECT, are of the First Presbyterian Church. Their website has a pretty good “History” section. Here is some of its content:

·The First Presbyterian Church of Montana, Boone County, Iowa was organized with nine members on March 12, 1866

·A church building was erected on the spot where the current Educational Building now stands on March 1, 1868. The cost of the structure was $1,500.

·The town of Montana changed its name to Boone on August 30, 1871.

·1878 was the year of the organization of the Presbyterian Women’s Missionary Society.

·A congregational meeting was held to consider the erection of a new church building on February 24, 1879.1879 also marked the beginning of a Christian Education Program.

·The present church building was dedicated on December 28, 1879.It was estimated that the cost was $10,000.

·At a congregational meeting on March 3, 1887, it was decided to build a manse, the cost not to exceed $2,000.

·Hope Chapel was erected at the corner of Sixteenth and Tama Streets in March 1895.The building and lot were sold in 1949.

·In 1906 this congregation was the largest in the Fort Dodge Presbytery with a communicant membership of 321.

·In 1916 the congregation numbered 519, the Sunday School enrollment was 615 and the annual budget was $5,302.The organizations included the Young People’s Society, the Men’s Brotherhood, and 3 women’s societies.

·On November 10, 1935, the present organ was dedicated.

·In 1939, the first Vacation Bible School was conducted for children.

·In 1947, the Women’s Groups voted to reorganize and become an all-inclusive group to be known as the Presbyterian Women’s Organization.

·The current Educational Building was completed in 1954 at a cost of $147,000.Dedication was held on March 27, 1955.

·The Jordan Presbyterian Church merged and was welcomed to the Boone church by action of the Presbytery on September 22, 1964.

I think the Presbyterian Church is the second oldest standing church building in Boone. I think the Marion Methodist Church is older, but I’ll have to get back to you on that.

Here are the postcards:


1st Presbyterian Church2229 - Boone Iowa - Original
1st Presbyterian Church – 2229 – Boone – Iowa – Original

1st Presbyterian Church2229 - Boone Iowa - Redux
1st Presbyterian Church – 2229 – Boone – Iowa – Redux

Presbyterian Church - Boone IA - 938 - Original
Presbyterian Church – Boone IA – 938 – Original

Presbyterian Church - Boone IA - 938 - Redux
Presbyterian Church – Boone IA – 938 – Redux

Presbyterian Church - Boone, Ia - Original
Presbyterian Church, Boone, Ia – Original

Presbyterian Church - Boone, Ia - Redux
Presbyterian Church, Boone, Ia – Redux

First Presbyterian Church - Boone, Iowa - Modern Interpretation
Presbyterian Church – Boone, Iowa – Modern Interpretation

The next time we check in with THE POSTCARD RECREATION PROJECT it will involve a train depot.

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This is your reminder that this week’s THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE theme is PLAY:


WEEK 286 - PLAY
PLAY

A PLAY image is simply an image where the composition includes either something that is PLAYed or somebody PLAYing. There are all types of things that can be PLAYed. Games to musical instruments to sports to people.

Of course, PLAY has multiple meanings. A PLAY can be words on a piece of paper that tell a story or a PLAY can be acting out those words on a stage. It is more than just humans that PLAY. Animals also PLAY.

Think about the following old proverb when you are considering your PLAY interpretation:

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy,
All play and no work makes Jack a mere toy.

Meditation on these words will no doubt lead to a fascinating PLAY image.

Happy photo harvesting!

Tell of Who You Are

I need to start today with wishing Dae Hee a happy birthday. Happy birthday Dae Hee!


9 EMOTIONS PROJECT - DAE HEE YOON

Photo of the Day 0103 - August 13, 2014

Franconia

Saint Paul - Irish Fair

I hope your birthday is as amazing as you want it to be.

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Gorshe Wedding
Mike

The main collection of pictures from today are alternates for last week’s THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE theme SELF-PORTRAIT. A few of those pictures were taken on the roof of my house. I climbed up there without anybody holding the ladder or spotting me.

I bring this up, because I acknowledge that is dangerous and foolish. I bring this up, because a guy I know recently fell off a roof and broke his back. He is now in need of help with the medical expenses that come with that kind of injury and our broken health care system. If you are interested in helping out with his medical expenses, you can make a donation to his GoFundMe page here:

We’ve Got Mike’s Back ( – He broke it!)

You may remember Mike as the lead singer and bass player for Derrick’s band. He’s a good guy with a long road to recovery in front of him.

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Here is a collection of SELF-PORTRAIT images that I took for THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE, but didn’t use on Monday. They are mostly cruddy cell phone pictures, but a few were taken with Rodan139.


Week 265 - Self-Portrait Alternate

Week 265 - Self-Portrait Alternate

Week 265 - Self-Portrait Alternate

Week 265 - Self-Portrait Alternate

Week 265 - Self-Portrait Alternate

Week 265 - Self-Portrait Alternate

Week 265 - Self-Portrait Alternate

Week 265 - Self-Portrait Alternate

Week 265 - Self-Portrait Alternate

Week 265 - Self-Portrait Alternate

Week 265 - Self-Portrait Alternate

Week 265 - Self-Portrait Alternate

Week 265 - Self-Portrait Alternate

Week 265 - Self-Portrait Alternate

Week 265 - Self-Portrait Alternate

Week 265 - Self-Portrait Alternate

Week 265 - Self-Portrait Alternate

Week 265 - Self-Portrait Alternate

Week 265 - Self-Portrait Alternate

Week 265 - Self-Portrait Alternate

Week 265 - Self-Portrait Alternate

Week 265 - Self-Portrait Alternate

Week 265 - Self-Portrait Alternate

The pictures taken down by the river are with the remains of the bridge that Kate Shelley crossed to save all those lives, all those years. If you don’t know the story of Kate Shelley, don’t worry. You will at some point.

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This is your reminder that BLACK AND WHITE is the week’s theme for THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE:


WEEK 266 - BLACK AND WHITE
BLACK AND WHITE

A BLACK AND WHITE image is a picture of any subject that is taken in BLACK AND WHITE, sometimes called monochrome.

Happy photo harvesting!

Baby Animals and Cows

I need to start today’s post by wishing my niece Nora a very happy birthday! Nora is like 4 years old now. How did she get so old! Here are some Nora pictures:


Nora

Memorial Day - 2017

Nora

Nora - 4 Months Old

Thomas the Tank - 2018

I hope Nora has a very happy birthday!

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I still have quite a few pictures to share from my day at the Iowa State Fair with Nader and Logan:


Iowa State Fair - 2019

Iowa State Fair - 2019

Iowa State Fair - 2019

Iowa State Fair - 2019

Iowa State Fair - 2019

Iowa State Fair - 2019

Iowa State Fair - 2019

Iowa State Fair - 2019

Iowa State Fair - 2019

Iowa State Fair - 2019

Iowa State Fair - 2019

Iowa State Fair - 2019

Iowa State Fair - 2019

Iowa State Fair - 2019

Iowa State Fair - 2019

Iowa State Fair - 2019

Iowa State Fair - 2019

I still have plenty more pictures left from my Iowa State Fair day and I haven’t even started the flower pictures yet!

Part Ballroom, Part Baller

Last April I went up to Minneapolis to checkout all the hoopla that surrounds the Final Four. Dae Hee and I went downtown and checked everything out. I snapped a few pictures. Here are some of my favorites:


Final Four

Final Four

Final Four

Final Four

Final Four

Final Four

Final Four

Final Four

Final Four

Final Four

Final Four

Final Four

Final Four

Final Four

Final Four

Final Four

Final Four

Final Four

Final Four

Final Four

Final Four

Final Four

Final Four

Final Four

Final Four

Final Four

Final Four

Final Four

It appears to be a down season for the Cyclones this year. I can only imagine what this team would look like if THT would’ve come back instead of going to the NBA. That being said, there is still time for the current team to get it figured out, starting tonight against Kansas. Go Cyclones!

Gratitudo

Happy Thanksgiving! Every year on Thanksgiving I like to think about my many, many blessings. I know, real original. You should feel free to try it sometime. But make sure you let everybody know that I invented gratitude.


I am thankful for my family, no matter how family is defined:

April 9, 2019

May 18, 2019

May 25, 2019

August 24, 2019

September 19, 2019

October 26, 2019

January 26, 2019

February 25, 2019

June 29, 2019

July 6, 2019

August 4, 2019

April 6, 2019

May 12, 2019

I am thankful for my friends:

January 16, 2019

March 12, 2019

PHOTO JOURNAL - PAGE 121 ALTERNATE

Photo Journal - Page 56 Reject

March 21, 2019

May 6, 2019

May 17, 2019

June 1, 2019

June 6, 2019

August 25, 2019

July 12, 2019

August 10, 2019

August 13, 2019

August 18, 2019

September 7, 2019

September 20, 2019

September 21, 2019

October 5, 2019

October 21, 2019

April 27, 2017

Selfie Project - January 21

March 3, 2019

I am blessed with an amazing church family:

April 7, 2019

Selfie Project - January 27

April 17, 2019

May 1, 2019

June 15, 2019

June 23, 2019

June 24, 2019

June 25, 2019

June 27, 2019

July 13, 2019

September 25, 2019

October 27, 2019

June 28, 2017

I am blessed with a decent job and work friends that I don’t mind seeing more than 40 hours a week:

January 12, 2019

August 30, 2019

May 2, 2017

Selfie Project - March 27

Iowa State vs. Northern Iowa

I’m blessed to share my house with Naima:

January 10, 2019

October 6, 2019

July 9, 2019

Naima

This is only a small sampling of my blessings, but I feel to go on much longer would sound like boasting. Thank all of you for choosing to be part of my life!

Selfie Project – April

Seems like a good time to share my favorite pictures from THE SELFIE PROJECT from April.

I’ve been trying to be more interesting with the pictures, or at least more interesting with my life, since it felt like in January and February I didn’t do anything.

I don’t know if I’m accomplishing that or not, but at least in the month of
April I did leave the Cyclone State once. So that is something.

Here are my favorites from April:


April 1, 2019
April 1

April 3, 2019
April 3

April 5, 2019
April 5

April 6, 2019
April 6

April 7, 2019
April 7

April 8, 2019
April 8

April 9, 2019
April 9

April 12, 2019
April 12

April 14, 2019
April 14

April 16, 2019
April 16

April 17, 2019
April 17

April 18, 2019
April 18

April 19, 2019
April 19

April 21, 2019
April 21

April 23, 2019
April 23

April 24, 2019
April 24

April 27, 2019
April 27

April 28, 2019
April 28

April 30, 2019
April 30

As of this writing, I haven’t taken my picture for today, but my May 1 picture does involve a giant check, so May is shaping up to be quite the month!

Post #3252 – 2018 Year in Review

Happy New Year to people who celebrate such things.

I like to look at some meaningless statistics every 250 posts and I also look at fairly meaningless year end statistics.

Just so happens that I get to combine them today!!

Here is both a year in review and a celebration that I have made it to 3252 blog posts. I was on the Alamo Bowl Road Trip visiting submarines, cults, and reality television stars when post #3250 came around, so I hope you can excuse the tardiness.

The first thing I want to look at are the most popular CATEGORIES in the history of “An Artist’s Notebook”.

Top 10 Journal Entry Categories

1. Portrait – 527
2. Weekly Photo Challenge – 504
3. Flowers – 497
4. Animals – 405
5. Jesse – 361
6. Photography – 355
7. Shannon – 320
8. Teresa – 296
9. Black & White – 291
10. Carla – 280

Top 10 People Categories

1. Jesse – 361
2. Shannon – 320
3. Teresa – 296
4. Carla – 280
5. Jay – 279
6. Mom – 277
7. Derrick – 256
8. Willy – 227
9. Vest – 221
10. Jen – 209

Top 10 Not-People Categories

1. Portrait – 527
2. Weekly Photo Challenge – 504
3. Flowers – 497
4. Animals – 405
5. Photography – 355
6. Black & White – 291
7. Road Trip – 262
8. Personal Photo Project – 261
9. Life – 234
10. Nature – 215

“Photography” and “Life” are general categories that I have been working on eliminating as I go back and restore historical “An Artist’s Notebook” entries to their original glory. Hopefully they will have both dropped off the Top 10 Lists by journal entry #3500.

If you are wondering how to become a Top 10 person on this list. The easiest way is to submit to the Weekly Photo Challenge. After that, the best way is to volunteer to model and photo assist for photography projects. Then after that, I would suggest going on road trips with me or attending Iowa State athletic events with me or going on road trips to Iowa State athletic events with me.

The people that are right outside of the Top 10 are:: Sara, Kim, Dawn, Becky, and Nader.

If you are looking for a goal for 2019, you could do worse than trying to crack the Photography 139 Top Ten People Category List. You obviously could do way, way, way, way, way, way, way better too.

Now we will turn out eye towards 2018.

Top 10 Most Popular Photography 139 Galleries of 2018 by Views

1. 9 EMOTIONS PROJECT – 48,722
2. WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE YEAR 5 – 37,614
3. WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE YEAR 5 – ALTERNATES – 33,622
4. 2008 – JANUARY – JUNE – 26,032
5. SELFIE PROJECT – 2017 – 23,141
6. HOUSTON MISSION TRIP – 2018 – 22,046
7. SOUTH DAKOTA TRIP – 2017 – 21,868
8. BOONE COUNTY FAIR CONTEST NOMINEES – 2018 – 17,211
9. SAYDIE HOWARD – CLASS OF 2017 – 14,808
10. IOWA STATE CYCLONES FOOTBALL – 2018

The 10 Most Popular Photography 139 Images by Views


Selfie Project - January 27
1. 2524

01-01-08
2. 2386


3. 2327

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
4. 1958

No. 45
5. 1621

No. 43
6. 1456

No. 12
7. 1445

July 15, 2017
8. 1321

WEEK 110 - REFLECTION - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
9. 1293

No. 38
10. 1241

On the Instagram, these were my 9 Most Popular Photos based on Likes:


My theme for my 2018 Instagram posts was Black & White. My theme for 2019 will be HDR Toning. Also, I will be bringing back THE SELFIE PROJECT to Instagram in 2019.

You can follow me on Instagram here:

@christopherdbennett

I entered 3 photo contests with the following results:


Boone County Fair - 2018
Red Ribbon – Boone County Fair

Boone County Fair - 2018
Purple Ribbon – Boone County Fair

Boone County Fair - 2018
Blue Ribbon – Boone County Fair

Boone County Fair - 2018
Blue Ribbon – Boone County Fair

Boone County Fair - 2018
Blue Ribbon – Boone County Fair

Iowa State Fair Entry - 2018
Selected for Display – Iowa State Fair

Iowa State Fair Entry - 2018
Not Selected for Display – Iowa State Fair

Iowa State Fair Entry - 2018
Selected for Display – Iowa State Fair

Iowa State Fair Entry - 2018
Not Selected for Display – Iowa State Fair

Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest - 2018
1st Place Photoshop – Pufferbilly Days

Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest - 2018
1st Place Photojournalism – Pufferbilly Days

Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest - 2018
Pufferbilly Days

Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest - 2018
3rd Place Hidden Treasures of Boone County – Pufferbilly Days

Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest - 2018
Pufferbilly Days

Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest - 2018
Pufferbilly Days

Last note:

My goal for 2019 is the same as it was in 2018:

I’m gonna step my game up and get what is coming to me.

Good luck in 2019 everybody!

Franconia: Part III

Today I bring you the final collection of images from my trip to the Franconia Sculpture Garden with Bethany, Dae Hee, and Nora.

Don’t be sad. I’m sure I will return there again in the future. I’ve even been in contact with Bethany about it already.

I also think that I will plan on visiting the Minnesota State Fair next year as well.

Here is the balance of the Franconia images:


Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

I didn’t get many pictures of the sculptures at the end of our tour because I planned poorly and ran out of battery power. My bad for underestimating the sheer awesomeness of Franconia!

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 155 – CANDID PORTRAIT

Participation for CANDID PORTRAIT took the usual holiday drop off, but there were still a few people loyal enough to the cause that made it worth the effort.

But you didn’t come here to listen to me talk all tommyrot about participation rates. You came to see the submissions:


WEEK 155 - CANDID PORTRAIT - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland

WEEK 155 - CANDID PORTRAIT - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland

WEEK 155 - CANDID PORTRAIT - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland

WEEK 155 - CANDID PORTRAIT - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker

WEEK 155 - CANDID PORTRAIT - TAMARA PETERSON
Tamara Peterson

WEEK 155 - CANDID PORTRAIT - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett

WEEK 155 - CANDID PORTRAIT - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp

Not a bad week of submissions, considering the holiday!

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:



HOBBIES (SUGGESTED BY DAE HEE YOON)

HOBBIES! What a great theme! But what is a HOBBIES photo?

A HOBBIES photo is any photo that involves somebody engaging in their HOBBIES. The results of their HOBBIES. Or tools used in their HOBBIES. There are all sorts of HOBBIES! From collecting things to making things to doing things. HOBBIES are things you do because it is a passion (the thing you are willing to suffer for) and not because somebody is paying you to do it. For examples one of my many HOBBIES is berating the open-faced sandwich. They know why.

This is the final theme for this set of 52 themes. Next Monday I will reveal the first theme is the next set of 52. I was going to reveal what all 52 themes are so you could day dream about them while you are at your occupations, but instead I’ll just let them come out as they come out. So you can think about them feverishly at your occupations.

I look forward to seeing your interpretations.

HOUSEKEEPING

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 RULES DIVISION

1. The picture has to be taken the week of the theme. This isn’t a curate your pictures challenge. This is a get your butt off the couch (my personal experience) and put your camera in your hands challenge. Don’t send me a picture of you next to the Eiffel Tower, when I know you were in Iowa all week. I will point out that I have let that slide some in the past. I will not in the future. Since it is literally about the only rule.

2. Your submission needs to be emailed to bennett@photography139.com by 11 AM on the Monday of the challenge due date. It should be pointed out that this blog auto-publishes at 12:01 on Mondays. So it wouldn’t hurt to get your picture in earlier.

That is it, them’s the rules.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION DIVISION

Nobody showed class, taste, and sophistication this week by signing up for a Photography 139 email subscription. I’ll try and do better next week.

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That’s all I got for today, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will commune right here again next Monday. Hopefully it will be a very hobbied Monday.

Franconia: Part II

One photo from last week’s WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE came in late, but I thought I would share it anyways.

The picture below was submitted by Logan. It was taken at Vinton’s fireworks competition.


WEEK 154 - COMPETITION - LOGAN KAHLER

I didn’t know such a thing existed, but it does. I might have to check it out next year.

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Time to answer the question I left you with in last Tuesday’s blog.

Going back to my trip to the Franconia Sculpture Garden with Bethany, Dae Hee, and Nora from back in August of 2017:


Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

Franconia

I only have 3 car payments left. While it isn’t a ton of money that I will be not have to lay out every month, I have spent it over and over and over in my head. One of those things i think about buying is a piece of art for the yard. I think that lizard would like great in my yard.

There is one more collection of photos from Franconia next Tuesday.