Category Archives: Family

Minnehahaed Out?

March 24, 2016 Christopher D. Bennett

I believe I only have one more Minnehaha Falls picture to share after this, so for those of you that hate Minnesota. Or waterfalls. Or life. You will only have to endure one more.

Which is good, because we are coming up on flower season. I can think of at least one person that is excited about that!

I’m adding something new to the Particulars list. Photo assistant. Sometimes, that just means the person that went with me. Or that just was my company on the ride over. Or that they held the camera once. Or maybe they actually did something. Who knows? I’ll let you unravel the mystery.

PARTICULARS

CAMERA: SONY SLT-A65V
ISO: 100
FOCAL LENGTH: 18mm
APERTURE: f/22
EXPOSURE: 8 seconds
DATE: 02/26/2016 – 17:52
LATITUDE: 4.91550°
LONGITUDE: -93.21014°
ASSISTANT: Bethany Yoon

Bethany, Black & White, Dae Hee, Road Trip

Words of Widsom, Lloyd My Man

March 18, 2016 Christopher D. Bennett 4 Comments

When I stay with Bethany and Dae Hee, the guest bedroom is across from this crazy long and crazy thin hallway. It is something out of a nightmare. A took a quick snap of it last time I was up there. Well, last time I was at there place.

They are moving from this place at some point in the near future, so I might not ever get to photography it again. Sadness ensues.

PARTICULARS

CAMERA: SONY SLT-A65V
ISO: 1600
FOCAL LENGTH: UNRECORDED
APERTURE: UNRECORDED
EXPSOURE: 1/60
DATE: 02/28/2016 – 08:37
NO GPS DATA RECORDED

Black & White, Carla, Ruins

The Bravest Act

March 17, 2016 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

As many of you may know, the historic Wagon Wheel Bridge recently collapsed after being damaged by ice dams.

Carla and I went out there to take a looksie. Here is one of the photos from that trip:

Some of you may be wondering why I’m not wishing you guys a Happy St. Patrick’s Day.

Listen, I’m for just about any holiday. Even one that is designed to mock the Irish for having the genetic predisposition for alcoholism. Mock away, I say.

But today, the Iowa State Cyclones battle the Gaels of Iona in the NCAA tournament.

I wish for nothing but sadness for anything that is remotely Gaelic.

I will mock (celebrate) the Irish tomorrow. By eating a Reuben. Which was invented by a Lithuanian in Nebraska, but is somehow now considered Irish food. Whatever.

GO CYCLONES!!!

No particulars today. I’m lazy.

Basketball, Derrick, Lowell, Mark, Sara, Tim, Willy

ROUNDBALL ORACLES – YEAR 12

March 16, 2016 Christopher D. Bennett

Once again, the Madness is upon us. It is time to put your basketball knowledge to the test and try to take your place upon the list of immortals.

If you are interested in joining this year’s pool. Contact me via email at bennett@photography139.com.

Once again this year, there is no fee.

The champion will win The Roundball Oracles Trophy.

The last place adult (that gave full effort) will receive the Sara Lockner Good Effort Trophy.

League rules, how to get in, past champs below.

Rules

First Round: The weight for each correct pick is 1. The seed of the winning team is added to the correct pick total.
Second Round: The weight for each correct pick is 2. The seed of the winning team is added to the correct pick total.
Sweet 16: The weight for each correct pick is 4. The seed of the winning team is added to the correct pick total.
Elite : The weight for each correct pick is 8. The seed of the winning team is added to the correct pick total.
Final Four: The weight for each correct pick is 16. There is no bonus applied.
Championship: The weight for each correct pick is 32. There is no bonus applied.

Tiebreaker: The total score of the Championship game. Constitution:

Past Roundball Oracle Champions:

2015 – Derek Dohrman
2014 – Brandon Kahler
2013 – William McAlpine
2012 – Lowell Davis
2011 – Carrie Baier
2010 – Mark Wolfram
2009 – Mark Wolfram
2008 – Mark Wolfram
2007 – Tim Peterson
2006 – William McAlpine
2005 – William McAlpine

Past Sara Lockner Good Effort Recipients:

2015 – Derrick Gorshe
2014 – Sara Lockner

Bethany, Nature, Road Trip

Corporate Handouts and Building Bombs

March 16, 2016 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

Here is a picture of the mist from Minnehaha Falls from my trip there with Bethany. Or more precisely it is a picture of Minnehaha Falls where its mist has covered my camera.

You may be getting an idea of how incredibly slick and dangerous this little photo excursion ended it being.

PARTICULARS

CAMERA: SONY SLT-A65V
ISO: 100
FOCAL LENGTH: UNRECORDED
APERTURE: UNRECORDED
DATE: 02-26-2016 18:19
NO GPS DATA

Angie, Animals, Carla, Dustin, Kim, Michelle, Naima, Pastor Sarah, Shannon, Teresa, WPC - Submissions

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 26 – PET

March 14, 2016 Christopher D. Bennett 4 Comments

Quick post today:

Lots of submissions for PET! Here they are:

CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT

ANGIE DEWAARD

CARLA STENSLAND

DUSTIN JACKSON 1

DUSTIN JACKSON 2

DUSTIN JACKSON 3

KIM BARKER 1

KIM BARKER 2

SARAH KARBER

TERESA KAHLER

SHANNON BARDOLE

MICHELLE HAUPT

Great submissions! Keep the momentum rolling with this week’s theme:

TREE!

Should be an easy one! Everybody has access to a tree or even trees!

No HOUSEKEEPING this week.

Angie, Animals, Bill, Kim, Michelle, Naima, Self-Portrait, WPC - Submissions

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 25 – SELF-PORTRAIT

March 7, 2016 Christopher D. Bennett

I think there were a healthy amount of SELF-PORTRAIT submissions this week. I know that submitting a selfie isn’t for everybody, it takes a certain amount of courage or arrogance. Whatever. Not judging.

Here are this week’s submissions for SELF-PORTRAIT:

Kim Barker

Michelle Haupt

Angie DeWaard

Christopher D. Bennett

Bill Wentworth

Some great submissions… obviously.

But why dwell on the past… Let’s look to the future or more specifically… let’s look to this week’s theme:

PET!

Almost everybody has a pet. Yes there are a few out there that don’t have pets. Living lives of quiet desperation. Usually in Ankeny. However, even these people have access to the pets of other people. So I’m expecting big numbers next week.

As always, I can’t wait to see the submissions.

Also, remember. Your submission has to be taken the week of the theme AND has to be emailed to me at bennett@photography139.com by noon on Monday.

HOUSEKEEPING

PHOTOGRAPHY 139 SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION DIVISION

I am pleased to announce that the latest person to show off their keen intellect and sophisticated taste by becoming an email subscriber to Photography 139 is noted Iowa State journalist Logan Kahler. What do you need to know about Logan? He is related to me… by blood… so you can imagine how badass he is. I expect that he will become a fairly regular contributor to the WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE at some point in the near future. He is a student at Iowa State University. A university I believe is the highest ranked college in this country when graded on academics, aesthetics, athletics, and how much its president looks like a James Bond villain. Logan enjoys spicy food and has knocked the spicy wings challenge at B-Dubs, but as a poor college student, he was disappointed to find out that didn’t mean his meal was free. If you see Logan walking the mean streets of Ames, give him a knowing glance and feel free to show him the Photography 139 Super-Secret Handshake.

Want to become an email subscriber and join this elite group of highly intelligent people, but don’t know how. Email me for details.

Bethany, Nature, Road Trip

Slip. Slide.

March 4, 2016 Christopher D. Bennett

I’ve written in the past about the treachery of the footing on my recent trip to Minnehaha Falls with Bethany.

This is the picture I took after I biffed it. Hard.

I’m sorry this is late… but you know… life.

PARTICULARS

CAMERA: SONY SLT-A65V
ISO: 100
FOCAL LENGTH: UNRECORDED
APERTURE: UNRECORDED
EXPOSURE: 30 seconds
DATE: 02/26/2016 – 18:03
LATITUDE: 44.91503°
LONGITUDE: -93.20979°

Bethany, Black & White, Nature, Road Trip

Mini + 2(Ha)

March 2, 2016 Christopher D. Bennett 5 Comments

On my recent trip to Minneapolis I efforted to photograph Minnehaha Falls.

Below is a picture from those efforts. (Waterfall not included)

Bethany and Tempe accompanied me on this trip. It was then that she revealed to me that her favorite way to break the law iS to illegally park. My favorite way to break the law is to trespass to take photographs. Although what really constitutes trespassing, really?

The trail to get down to THE falls was chained off, but since the area was already lousy with people, I pressed on. As soon as I got to the bottom of the stairs it became incredibly evident why this trail was closed down. The trail was a victim of the perfect storm of slippery. Packed snow, that had melted and then froze over. Then to add another layer of slick, the mist from the waterfall was falling onto the trail and freezing.

I managed to only bite it hard one time. Not on this picture though.

Don’t worry Bethany and Tempe stayed safe up top.

PARTICULARS

CAMERA: SONY SLT-A65V
ISO: 100
FOCAL LENGTH: 26mm
APERTURE: f/25
EXPOSURE: 5 seconds
DATE: 03/26/2016 – 15:50
LATITUDE: 44.91524°
LONGITUDE: -93.21016°

Angie, Bethany, Bill, Dae Hee, Dustin, Jill, Kim, Vest, WPC - Submissions

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 24 – ABSTRACT

February 29, 2016 Christopher D. Bennett

Even though this week’s theme was a bit obtuse, there were a healthy amount of submissions for ABSTRACT.

Let’s get to them!

ANGIE DEWAARD

BILL WENTWORTH

CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT

DUSTIN JACKSON 1

DUSTIN JACKSON 2

DUSTIN JACKSON 3

KIM BARKER

MIKE VEST

DUSTIN JACKSON 4

ALL great photos with what I assume great photo assistants! Especially the ones having eye problems.

But enough about the past…

How about this week’s theme:

SELF-PORTRAIT!

Self-Portrait! Or as Russell calls them “selfies”. This is an easy theme. After all, almost everybody I know owns a camera. And almost everybody I know owns a self. My inbox should be jam packed with submissions this week. I can’t wait!

HOUSEKEEPING

PHOTOGRAPHY 139 SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION DIVISION

I’m pleased to announce that Bethany Yoon has become the latest person to show her keen intellect and sophisticated tastes by becoming a Photography 139 email subscriber. I wish I had more time to write about Bethany’s many winning attributes, but time is a fickle taskmaster. I have the time to say that she is married to long-time Photography 139 supporter and elementary school punching bag DaeHee Yoon. She lives in the Minneapolis area growing the Photography 139 Minnesota Footprint to 4 Subscribers! I think it is sufficient to say that she is one of my most favoritest people in the world. Even if she doesn’t enjoy good “Racks” style humor. DaeHee knows what I’m talking about. #TeamKnockers So if you see her out and about walking the mean streets of Minneapolis or Burnsville with her selfless canine Tempe or a stroller (soon), feel free to give her a knowing glance and teach her the super-secret Photography 139 handshake.