Category Archives: Family

Post No. 2500

This blog has hit a milestone. This is the 2500th post since I started “An Artist’s Notebook” on August 9, 2006. A lot of different things have went through these pages over the last 10+ years, but I hope I’ve stayed true to the original vision I laid down in that very first post:

So here is the first journal entry. I felt like having as pretentious sounding name as possible for my journal. I have a few goals about this journal. My main goal is just to actually write in it. My second goal is to be as truthful as possible towards my true thoughts and feelings. I have another journal on another website, but it is really just a collection of sarcastic statements and cheap jabs at open faced sandwiches. This journal is meant to be about what my achievements and failures are in the world of art. What projects I am working on and what I have accomplished and what I have failed to accomplish. What I am photographing and what I am thinking about entering in photo contests. What I am thinking about. It might not always make sense. It might just be things I need to write down because they strike me as poignant or inspirational. This is in a small way an online “idea box”.

I do also have a goal of producing something that makes me worthy of having a pretentious sounding journal title like: “An Artist’s Notebook”.

It is strange to think that one of the things that I was originally committed to was the TRUTH. For many years the “motto” of this blog was “Art is a lie that reveals the truth.” Now we live in a post-truth society. Truth has had a hard time. If Justin Timberlake can bring sexy back. I can bring truth back.

I hope in these last 10+ years I’ve stayed pretentious enough for the title “An Artist’s Notebook”. I’m sure some of you will argue that I have. Those of you that like to push the “elitist” lie.

The first JOURNAL ENTRY would go on to tell a story about Photo Contests:

So last night, I attended the Iowa State Fair Photography Salon Reception with Sara. I figured that the two pictures that I had accepted for display would be a picture of Jay entitled “Portrait of a Self Portrait” and a picture of a bullfrog entitled “Kentucky Appetizer”. I didn’t have any real strong images to enter into the contest this year, but I felt that I had some that were good enough to display, but probably not good enough for ribbons. I was correct. Those were the two pictures selected for display. They did not receive ribbons.

So now I turn my attention to the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest. I wasn’t going to enter this contest because I have been frustrated in the past by the way it is ran. The pictures are never displayed on the day that they are supposed to be displayed. Instead, they might be displayed as late as 48 hours. The second thing about this contest that sticks in my craw is that they don’t put the names of the photographers or of the image up anywhere. Basically, there are a bunch of pictures up and who knows who took them.

I don’t complain because I seek the fame and fortune that comes with having your picture displayed at the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest. I complain because I would like to know who took some of the other pictures. Sadly, 1 town west the now defunct Ogden Fun Days Photo Contest was ran a million times better.

Jay talked me into entering this year’s contest. I told him that I didn’t like having to put any emotional investment into this contest, when it was so poorly ran.

He said it wouldn’t require any emotional investment. I could just put the pictures I made for the Ogden Fun Days Contest into the Pufferbilly Contest and whatever happens happened.

For better or worse, I’m just not wired in such a manner. There are very few things in my life I can just say “what happens, happens.” Photography certainly isn’t one of them.

He did convince me it was a waste not to enter one of the few contests around here just because it was so poorly ran. So, I am entering. I need to come up with 6 entries by August 31. That is the limit and I do not want to do anything less than the limit. I don’t want to mail it in.

So I started a sentence with the word “so”. How very lazy of me. Hopefully I’ve improved in that vein over the years.

It is interesting that I’ve now semi-retired from Photo Contests. I haven’t entered the Pufferbilly Days Contest in years because it is so terribly, dreadfully run. Last year I didn’t enter the Iowa State Fair Photography Salon for the first time in probably 15 years. I just didn’t have the fire in my belly for it. The Ogden Fun Days Photo Contest folded after 1 year.

I may come out of retirement this year. Even though the Pufferbilly Days Contest, is so terribly, dreadfully, awfully run.

Maybe you are wondering what KENTUCKY APPETIZER looked like. Something like this:



Kentucky Appetizer

That picture of Jay? Use your imagination.

In 2500 posts, this blog has went through 3 different platforms. There have been 2,166 comments left. That makes me kind of sad. But I’m sure I’ve received some feedback via email. I’m hoping.

The most popular post category is:

Flowers – 362 Posts

The people to be referenced in posts the most often:

1. Jesse – 283 Posts
2. Teresa – 244 Posts
3. Shannon – 231 Posts
3. Jay – 231 Posts
5. Derrick – 220 Posts

Thanks to everybody that has given this blog a modicum of success through 2500 posts. Here is to the next 2500!

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 76 – GOVERNMENT

GOVERNMENT didn’t really ring a lot of people’s bells, which means it will definitely be back on the menu for the next set of themes. Why? I’m not a quitter. However, we are nearing the halfway point of the second set of themes since we rebooted the RANDOM WEEKLY PHOTO EXPERIMENT and rebranded it the THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE. Therefore, over the next few weeks, in the COMMENTS section of this here blog, leave your ideas for themes for the next 52 weeks.

But you didn’t come here to talk all tommyrot about theme selections. You came here to see the submissions…


WEEK 76 - GOVERNMENT - STEPHANIE KIM
Stehanie Kim

WEEK 76 - GOVERNMENT - SHANNON BARDOLE
Shannon Bardole

WEEK 76 - GOVERNMENT - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker

WEEK 76 - GOVERNMENT - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett

WEEK 76 - GOVERNMENT - BILL WENTWORTH
Bill Wentworth

WEEK 76 - GOVERNMENT - DAWN KRAUSE
Dawn Krause

What there lacks for quantity, it makes up for in quality! A solid week of submissions!

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:


WEEK 77 - ANIMAL
ANIMAL!

I don’t think I need to define ANIMAL. Many of you have one of two or ten or fifty living with you. Many of you are raising a few. Some of you go out on Friday nights with one. Everybody knows where a park is or even has access to a window. Should be a good easy week, filled with submissions.

For those of you that wish to book Naima for you photo, her sitting fee is $150/hr.

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. 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

Nothing new to report. I’ll try to do better next week.

Want your own Photography 139 email subscription? Call, email, or text me and I’ll get you the hook up.

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 animalistic Monday!

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 74 – BLACK & WHITE

A great week of participation, which has me all amped up, since BLACK & WHITE is my favorite theme.

But you don’t want to listen to me talk all tommyrot about participation rates. You want to see the submissions. Here they be:


WEEK 74 - BLACK & WHITE - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker

WEEK 74 - BLACK & WHITE - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett

WEEK 74 - BLACK & WHITE - SHANNON BARDOLE
Shannon Bardole

WEEK 74 - BLACK & WHITE - STEPHANIE KIM
Stephanie Kim

WEEK 74 - BLACK & WHITE - ANGIE DEWAARD
Angie DeWaard

WEEK 74 - BLACK & WHITE - BILL WENTWORTH
Bill Wentworth

WEEK 74 - BLACK & WHITE - CATHIE RALEY 1
Cathie Raley 1

WEEK 74 - BLACK & WHITE - CATHIE RALEY 2
Cathie Raley 2

WEEK 74 - BLACK & WHITE - CATHIE RALEY 3
Cathie Raley 3

WEEK 74 - BLACK & WHITE - LOGAN KAHLER
Logan Kahler

WEEK 74 - BLACK & WHITE - MICHAEL AUGUSTIN
Michael Augustin

WEEK 74 - BLACK & WHITE - SUZIE BRANNEN
Suzie Brannen

WEEK 74 - BLACK & WHITE - MIKE VEST
Mike Vest

WEEK 74 - BLACK & WHITE - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland

One of the best weeks of submissions to date!

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:


WEEK 75 - MUSIC
MUSIC!

I don’t feel like I need to define MUSIC. If you don’t have any MUSIC in your life, I feel bad for you. Really, really, really, really bad for you. You should get out there and get some music in you. Whether it is seeing a local band at a local dive, visiting a local music store, cracking out your old instrument from your high school days, cracking out your old vinyls, screen capturing a playlist on your phone, photographing that musician friend, or even just cracking out some sheet music. The possibilities are endless!

As always, feel liberated to define the theme as you see fit!

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. 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

Nothing new to report. I’ll try to do better next week.

Want your own Photography 139 email subscription? Call, email, or text me and I’ll get you the hook up.

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 verymusical Monday!

The Dome

Last Sunday Mom, Teresa, Vi, and I loaded up into the car and traveled to the great north to visit Andrea, Josh, Wesley, and Grace. It was a great time, but perhaps the highlight was going up into Andrea’s church’s dome with Josh.

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the trip:


The Fort Dodge First United Methodist Church

The Fort Dodge First United Methodist Church

The Fort Dodge First United Methodist Church

The Fort Dodge First United Methodist Church

The Fort Dodge First United Methodist Church

The Fort Dodge First United Methodist Church

The Fort Dodge First United Methodist Church

The Fort Dodge First United Methodist Church

The Fort Dodge First United Methodist Church

The Fort Dodge First United Methodist Church

The Fort Dodge First United Methodist Church

The Fort Dodge First United Methodist Church

The Fort Dodge First United Methodist Church

The Fort Dodge First United Methodist Church

The Fort Dodge First United Methodist Church

The Fort Dodge First United Methodist Church

The Fort Dodge First United Methodist Church

The Fort Dodge First United Methodist Church

The Fort Dodge First United Methodist Church

You can see the rest of the images by clicking on the link below:

FORT DODGE FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH


I can’t wait to go back! Grace and I have big plans for hitting up Old Boston’s!

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 73 – ABSTRACT

A decent rebound from last week as several people were able to get all ABSTRACT.

But you don’t want to listen to me talk all tommyrot about participation rates, you want to see the submissions. Here are the submissions for ABSTRACT:


WEEK 73 - ABSTRACT - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker

WEEK 73 - ABSTRACT - LOGAN KAHLER
Logan Kahler

WEEK 73 - ABSTRACT - STEPHANIE KIM
Stephanie Kim

WEEK 73 - ABSTRACT - SARAH KARBER
Sarah Karber

WEEK 73 - ABSTRACT - ANGIE DEWAARD
Angie DeWaard

WEEK 73 - ABSTRACT - SUZIE BRANNEN
Suzie Brannen

WEEK 73 - ABSTRACT - CATHIE RALEY 1
Cathie Raley 1

WEEK 73 - ABSTRACT - CATHIE RALEY 2
Cathie Raley 2

WEEK 73 - ABSTRACT - CATHIE RALEY 3
Cathie Raley 3

WEEK 73 - ABSTRACT - BILL WENTWORTH
Bill Wentworth

WEEK 73 - ABSTRACT - MIKE VEST
Mike Vest

WEEK 73 - ABSTRACT - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett

WEEK 73 - ABSTRACT - SHANNON BARDOLE
Shannon Bardole

A solid week of submissions!

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:


WEEK 74 - BLACK & WHITE
BLACK & WHITE!

I can’t deny it. This is my favorite theme. My first passion has always been BLACK & WHITE Photography. People that don’t like BLACK & WHITE photography are bad people. Plus, this is such an easy theme. Go out and take a BLACK & WHITE photo of literally anything. I probably should give a dissertation on how textures and light can be emphasized in BLACK & WHITE, but I won’t. Just go out and take some BLACK & WHITE photos!

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. 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

Nothing new to report. I’ll try to do better next week.

Want your own Photography 139 email subscription? Call, email, or text me and I’ll get you the hook up.

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 monochromatic Monday!

The Canvas Wall

The 9 Emotions Project Wall is no more. The 9 16×20 photos are gone. Technically they are stacked in the guest bedroom until I figure out what I’m going to do them.

I’ve replaced them with 9 16×20 canvases to diversify the pictures on my wall and I have this theory that they will be easier to dust. Or at least easier to put out the lie that I dust.

These are the 9 new photos you will see the next time you come visit the Photography 139 Studio:


Canvas No. 1

Canvas No. 2

Canvas No. 3

Canvas No. 4

Canvas No. 5

Canvas No. 6

Canvas No. 7

Canvas No. 8

Canvas No. 9

Right now the 20×30 9 Emotion picture is still up, but that is going to come down sometime soon. I just need to figure out if I’m going to use that space for a giant canvas, or if I’m going to break that spot up with a few more 16x20s. I guess we’ll see what the future holds.

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 71 – HAPPY

Not a ton of submissions for HAPPY this week. This makes me sad, how little happiness was out there this week.

But you don’t want to listen to me talk all tommyrot about happiness. You want to see the submissions for HAPPY!


WEEK 71 - HAPPY - SUZIE BRANNEN
Suzie Brannen

WEEK 71 - HAPPY - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker

WEEK 71 - HAPPY - STEPHANIE KIM
Stephanie Kim

WEEK 71 - HAPPY - ANGIE DEWAARD
Angie DeWaard

WEEK 71 - HAPPY - MIKE VEST 1
Mike Vest 1

WEEK 71 - HAPPY - MIKE VEST 2
Mike Vest 2

WEEK 71 - HAPPY - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett

Sorry it was late this week. This morning was like getting kicked in the face. Helped up. Then kicked in the balls. But I digress.

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:


WEEK 72 - RELIGION
RELIGION!

This should be an easy one. Everybody has one, whether they want to admit it or not. I know a guy who’s RELIGION is conspiracy theories. I know a guy who’s RELIGION is the Green Bay Packers. I think I know lots of people who worship at the idol of Facebook “Likes”. If you’re thinking of a more traditional RELIGION, there is one pastor that subscribes to this blog and another that is a youth pastor. Maybe you are going to Winter Jam on Friday. Maybe you live a few blocks from a church, synagogue, temple, or mosque. Get out there and have a religious experience of some kind.

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. 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

Nothing new to report. I’ll try to do better next week.

Want your own Photography 139 email subscription? Call, email, or text me and I’ll get you the hook up.

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 religious Monday!