Category Archives: Sabas

Alexis, Andy, Angie, Bill, Brandon, Carla, Cathie, Dawn, Elizabeth, Jen, Jesse, Joe Duff, Kim, Kio, Linda, Logan, Micky, Mindi, Monica, Nathanial, Sabas, Sarah Toot, Shannon, Sheri, Suzie, Tamara, Teresa, WPC - Submissions

WPC – WEEK 407 – RETAIL

July 3, 2023 Christopher D. Bennett

RETAIL! We are all addicted to the consumerism that will surely destroy our planet, well maybe not destroy it but make in uninhabitable for humans. Except for minimalists like myself. But did RETAIL inspire many people’s artistic ambitions? Did many people submit today despite being sorta in the middle of a holiday weekend? You will have to keep scrolling to find out.

As of 12:01 PM on Monday, June 26, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks (ignore the numbers in parentheses):

1-Scott Degeneffe – 1 week
2-Amy Peterson – 1 week
3-Sheri Fakhouri – 2 weeks
4-Mary Green – 2 weeks (3)
5-Becky Parmelee – 2 weeks
6-Johnathan Stensland – 2 weeks
7-Monica Jennings – 3 weeks (2)
8-Logan Kahler – 3 weeks (2)
9-Nathanial Brown – 4 weeks (2)
10-Jesse Howard – 4 weeks (2)
11-Sara Lockner – 6 weeks
12-Willy McAlpine – 5 weeks
13-Tamara Peterson – 7 weeks
14-Mike Vest – 9 weeks
15-Alexis Baugher – 12 weeks (2)
16-Mindi Terrell – 19 weeks (3)
17-Brandon Kahler – 44 weeks
18-Linda Bennett – 48 weeks (2)
19-Sarah Toot – 49 weeks (2)
20-Angie DeWaard – 53 weeks
21-Dawn Krause – 57 weeks (2)
22-Kim Barker – 63 weeks
23-Joe Duff – 64 weeks (2)
24-Teresa Kahler – 75 weeks (2)
25-Carla Stensland – 75 weeks (3)
26-Micky Augustin – 77 weeks
27-Andy Sharp – 78 weeks (3)
28-Bill Wentworth – 79 weeks
29-Cathie Morton – 83 weeks
30-Elizabeth Nordeen – 84 weeks
31-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 86 weeks
32-Kio Dettman – 88 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:

Suzie Brannen (Iowa) – 1 week

Suzie Brannen (Iowa)

Jen Ensley-Gorshe (Buc-cee’s – Crossville, Tennessee) – 1 week

Sabas Hernandez (Ankeny, Iowa) – 1 week

Sheri Fakhouri (Ankeny, Iowa) – 3 weeks

Sheri Fakhouri (Ankeny, Iowa)

Becky Parmelee (Bella Vista, Arkansas) – 3 weeks

Monica Jennings (Iowa) – 4 weeks

Logan Kahler (Sterling, Colorado) – 4 weeks

Nathanial Brown (Burghoff Restaurant – Chicago, Illinois) – 5 weeks

Nathanial Brown (E. Monroe & S State St – Chicago, Illinois)

Nathanial Brown (Waterworks Park – Des Moines, Iowa)

Jesse Howard (Boone, Iowa) – 5 weeks

Jesse Howard (Iowa)

Tamara Peterson (Iowa) – 8 weeks

Alexis Baugher (Mason City, Iowa) – 13 weeks

Alexis Baugher (Mason City, Iowa)

Mindi Terrell (Iowa) – 20 weeks

Mindi Terrell (Iowa)

Brandon Kahler (Mall of America – Bloomington, Minnesota) – 45 weeks

Linda Bennett (Kansas) – 49 weeks

Linda Bennett (Kansas)

Sarah Toot (The Peach Music Festival – Montage Mountain – Scranton, Pennsylvania) – 50 weeks

Sarah Toot (The Peach Music Festival – Montage Mountain – Scranton, Pennsylvania)

Angie DeWaard (Menard’s – Ames, Iowa) – 54 weeks

Dawn Krause (Walcott, Iowa) – 58 weeks

Dawn Krause (Walcott, Iowa)

Kim Barker (Ames, Iowa) – 64 weeks

Joe Duff (Buc-cee’s – League City, Texas) – 65 weeks

Teresa Kahler (Herman Park – Boone, Iowa) – 76 weeks

Teresa Kahler (Iowa)

Carla Stensland (Loess Hills – Western Iowa) – 76 weeks

Micky Augustin (Wall Drug Store – Wall, South Dakota) – 78 weeks

Andy Sharp (Iowa) – 79 weeks

Andy Sharp (Iowa)

Bill Wentworth (Nebraska) – 80 weeks

Cathie Morton (Norwalk, Iowa) – 84 weeks

Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa) – 85 weeks

Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa)

Shannon Bardole-Foley (Honey Hollow – Rural Warren County) – 87 weeks

Kio Dettman (Iowa) – 89 weeks

Kio Dettman (Iowa)

Christopher D. Bennett (Unity Foods – Minneapolis, Minnesota) – 511 weeks

29 participants! That is a pretty great week! Unfortunately it is the first time in several weeks that we fell below 30 participants, but these things happen.

There were submissions from all over the place this week. Including, thanks to Jen, the first ever submission from Tennessee! WooHoo!

There were submissions this week taken in the following places:

+ Arkansas
+ Colorado
+ Illinois
+ Iowa
+ Kansas
+ Minnesota
+ Nebraska
+ Pennsylvania
+ South Dakota
+ Tennessee
+ Texas

Here is the current calendar year list for states:

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

30 states and 1 district! That is pretty impressive! Over 60% of the way there!

The Outside of the United States map is currently:

+ British Virgin Islands
+ Mexico (General)
+ Isla Mujeres, Mexico
+ Riviera Maya, Mexico
+ Nassau Bahamas
+ Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

An astute observer with a crazy good memory might have noticed that Brandon’s streak is still intact. Despite my making a big deal last week about it being shattered. Turned out he did have a submission that he sent well within time, but his email server jacked it up.

Micky joined the Year and a Half Club! WooHoo!

But it wasn’t all good news. There was a veritable bloodbath of streaks snapped. Scott and Amy could build on their submission last week. Mary and Johnathan’s streaks ended at 2. Willy’s streak is over at 5. Sara’s streak is over at 6. And worst of all, Vest’s streak is over at 9.

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:

TIME

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

But what is a TIME photo? In theory, the idea of this theme is to convey TIME in on of two ways. First, you can freeze a moment in TIME by using a fast shutter speed. I would say a shutter speed that is faster than 1/1000th of a second. OR you can make time more fluid by using a slow shutter speed. I would say a shutter speed slower than 1/30th of a second.

Now I realize that most people use a cell phone camera so they don’t have the power to adjust shutter speeds in a meaningful way. You will have to find a creative way to figure out a way to take a TIME picture. Possibly just taking a picture of a clock like the theme reveal image. Or taking a picture of a distinctive TIME of day. You’ll figure out.

While considering possible subjects for your TIME submission, meditate on the following quote:

The two most power warriors are patience and time.
-Leo Tolstoy

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 TIME in this place that hopefully has passed all of its test thus far next Monday.

Alexis, Andy, Angie, Becky, Bill, Brandon, Carla, Cathie, Dawn, Elainie, Elizabeth, Flowers, Jesse, Joe Duff, Johnathan, Kim, Kio, Lensbaby, Linda, Logan, Mary, Micky, Mindi, Monica, Nathanial, Pufferbilly Days, Sabas, Sara, Sarah Toot, Shannon, Sheri, Suzie, Tamara, Teresa, Vest, Willy, WPC - Submissions

WPC – WEEK 405 – FLOWER

June 19, 2023 Christopher D. Bennett 6 Comments

Here is another reminder that we are a little more than a month away from the deadline for the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest. Flyers should start showing up around town this week. I hope at least a few of you enter. Or you get your kids to enter or your grandkids to enter. You don’t have be from Boone or Boone County to enter. You merely have to enjoy photography. Monica made a wonderful flyer this year:

Thanks Monica!

She had a lot of fun with this year’s Pufferbilly Days theme, which is the ’90s. I’ll probably need more volunteers than normal this year, so if that is something that might interest you. Let me know. Many hands make light work. And there might be a meal or two in it for you.

+++++++

NOTE: ALMOST EVERYBODY HAD THEIR SUBMISSIONS IN THIS WEEK BY SUNDAY NIGHT. WHILE THAT ISN’T THE DEADLINE, I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE IT. MAKES MY JOB MUCH EASIER! THANKS!

FLOWER! What a great theme! A person would have to have no joy in their heart to not find joy in a beautiful FLOWER. In fact, I’ve even heard some suggest that next year all 52 weeks should be flower themes. One week ROSE. The next week DAISY. The next week SUNFLOWER. I mean that is just crazy talk though. So crazy it just might work. But was this year’s lone FLOWER theme enough to make a bunch of people crazy enough to submit? You’ll have to keep scrolling to find out.

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

1-Elainie Hernandez – 1 week
2-Sabas Hernandez – 1 week
3-Monica Jennings – 1 week (3)
4-Logan Kahler – 1 week
5-Suzie Brannen – 2 weeks (3)
6-Nathanial Brown – 2 weeks
7-Jesse Howard – 2 weeks
8-Willy McAlpine – 3 weeks
9-Sara Lockner – 4 weeks (2)
10-Tamara Peterson – 5 weeks
11-Mike Vest – 7 weeks
12-Alexis Baugher – 10 week (2)
13-Mindi Terrell – 17 weeks (3)
14-Brandon Kahler – 42 weeks
15-Linda Bennett – 46 weeks (2)
16-Sarah Toot – 47 weeks (2)
17-Angie DeWaard – 51 weeks
18-Dawn Krause – 55 weeks (2)
19-Kim Barker – 61 weeks
20-Joe Duff – 62 weeks (2)
21-Teresa Kahler – 73 weeks (3)
22-Carla Stensland – 73 weeks (3)
23-Micky Augustin – 75 weeks
24-Andy Sharp – 76 weeks
25-Bill Wentworth – 77 weeks
26-Cathie Morton – 81 weeks (2)
27-Elizabeth Nordeen – 82 weeks (2)
28-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 84 weeks
29-Kio Dettman – 86 weeks

Entering today, this is the map of states where people have submitted pictures from:

Map made at visitedplaces.com

Only 1 new state added since last time I shared the map.

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:

Willy McAlpine (30 Miles East of Ashland, Montana) – 1 week

Kim Barker (New Orleans, Louisiana) – 62 weeks

Kim Barker (New Orleans, Louisiana)

Sabas Hernandez (Ankeny, Iowa) – 2 weeks

Andy Sharp (Boone, Iowa) – 77 weeks

Sheri Fakhouri (Boone, Iowa) – 1 week

Sheri Fakhouri (Boone, Iowa)

Suzie Brannen (Iowa) – 3 weeks

Suzie Brannen (Iowa)

Micky Augustin (Rural Story County, Iowa) – 76 weeks

Johnathan Stensland (Iowa) – 1 week

Carla Stensland (Ogden, Iowa) – 74 weeks

Carla Stensland (Ogden, Iowa)

Kio Dettman (Iowa) – 87 weeks

Kio Dettman (Iowa)

Linda Bennett (Kansas) – 47 weeks

Linda Bennett (Kansas)

Logan Kahler (Iowa) – 2 weeks

Logan Kahler (Iowa)

Shannon Bardole-Foley (Rural Warren County, Iowa) – 85 weeks

Tamara Peterson (Iowa) – 6 weeks

Alexis Baugher (Boone, Iowa) – 11 weeks

Alexis Baugher (Rural Boone County, Iowa)

Angie DeWaard (Ames, Iowa) – 52 weeks

Bill Wentworth (Omaha, Nebraska) – 78 weeks

Nader Parsaei (State Center, Iowa) – 1 week

Nathanial Brown (Mexico) – 3 weeks

Nathanial Brown (Mexico)

Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa) – 83 weeks

Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa)

Christopher D. Bennett (Boone, Iowa)

Mindi Terrell (Iowa) – 18 weeks

Mindi Terrell (Iowa)

Mary Green (Iowa) – 1 week

Mary Green (Iowa)

Porter Degeneffe (Rural Boone County, Iowa) – 1 week

Teresa Kahler (Boone, Iowa) – 74 weeks

Teresa Kahler (Boone, Iowa)

Dawn Krause (South Dakota) – 56 weeks

Dawn Krause (South Dakota)

Elainie Hernandez (Ankeny, Iowa) – 2 weeks

Elainie Hernandez (Ankeny, Iowa)

Sara Lockner (Johnston, Iowa) – 5 weeks

Joe Duff (Texas) – 63 weeks

Sarah Toot (Pennsylvania) – 48 weeks

Monica Jennings (Iowa) – 2 weeks

Brandon Kahler (Ames, Iowa) – 43 weeks

Jesse Howard (Boone, Iowa) – 3 weeks

Cathie Morton (Norwalk, Iowa) – 82 weeks

Becky Parmelee (Bella Vista, Arkansas) – 1 week

Mike Vest (Noel, Missouri) – 8 weeks

36 participants this week! This is a new record for participation! Making FLOWER the most popular theme in the storied history of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE. Maybe the idea of 52 themes of FLOWER isn’t crazy after all. Marigolds one week. Pansies the next. Oooh… a week of begonias would be lovely!

36 participants breaks the previous record of 34 held by HAPPY that was set just 4 weeks ago.

36 participants is so many that it is more lines than I have in my Ledger book where I record such things for posterity. Have a look:

I’m not sure how I will record this week, but it is a great problem to have!

Also, if we continue on this trajectory (5 straight weeks of 30+ participants) I might be lowering the cap for submissions from 3 to 2. Just fair warning. Like I say in the FAQ, it isn’t about harshing anybody’s creativity buzz, but about managing workload. Hopefully, we get there!

Thanks to Willy attending a Tuesday Wedding in Montana (all weddings should be on Tuesday or Thursdays) and Kim’s work trip to Louisiana, we added two more states to the THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE SUBMISSION MAP!

There were submissions this week taken in the following places:

+ Arkansas
+ Iowa
+ Kansas
+ Louisiana
+ Nebraska
+ Mexico
+ Missouri
+ Montana
+ Pennsylvania
+ South Dakota
+ Texas

Here is the current calendar year list for states:

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

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

You might be wondering what states are currently missing. I got you:

+ Alabama
+ Alaska
+ Connecticut
+ Delaware
+ Hawaii
+ Idaho
+ Indiana
+ Kentucky
+ Maryland
+ Massachusetts
+ Mississippi
+ New Hampshire
+ New Mexico
+ North Carolina
+ Rhode Island
+ South Carolina
+ Tennessee
+ Vermont
+ Virginia
+ West Virginia

The Outside of the United States map is currently (I could put more info for Mexico, but nobody told me where they went in Mexico):

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

I travelled about 15 steps from front door to take my submission I continue not to contribute to expanding the map.

The big accomplishment this week was Angie reaching the 52 Week Club! That is a fully year of submitting without missing a week. A big time accomplishment! WooHoo!

Bill also joined the Year and a Half Club. He isn’t the first person to join the club, but he is the first person that I have noted to have made the club. Cathie made it 4 weeks ago. Elizabeth made it 5 weeks ago. Shannon 7 weeks ago. Kio 12 weeks ago. Monster achievements for all of them!

Another sweet deal was that there wasn’t a single streak snapped this week.

‘SCAPE

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

But what is a ‘SCAPE picture? The “‘” in the theme name allows you to substitute in a few words. Your submission could be a LANDSCAPE or a WATERSCAPE or a CITYSCAPE.

Well for one thing, it is a great theme for me to remind you that you can include the town your picture was taken in or the county and I will include that with your submission.

Did you know that the first photograph ever taken was of a landscape?

“View from the Window at Le Gras” was captured by Nicéphore Niépce, in 1827. It features a very abstract view from Niépce’s window.

It would be another 12 years before somebody would think to take a “photograph” of a stupid human. I assume the 2nd picture ever taken was of a dog.

With this theme, you are literally touching the absolute deepest root of photography. Wow! That is powerful to think about. But maybe you are still confused about what LANDSCAPE photography is. Here is a definition from the Wiki:

Landscape photography commonly involves daylight photography of natural features of land, sky and waters, at a distance—though some landscapes may involve subjects in a scenic setting nearby, even close-up, and sometimes at night.

Photography of artificial scenery, such as farm fields, orchards, gardens and architecture, may be considered “landscape” photography as well. Even the presence of man-made structures (buildings, roads and bridges, etc.) or art (such as sculpture) may be considered “landscape” if presented in artistic settings or appearing (or photographed) in artistic style.

Further, landscape photography is typically of relatively stationary subjects—arguably a form of “still life.” This tends to simplify the task, as opposed to photography of kinetic or live subjects. However, landscape photography often overlaps the activity of wildlife photography and the two terms are used somewhat interchangeably; both wildlife and landscapes may be elements of the same picture or body of work.

While thinking about a possible subject for your ‘SCAPE theme, meditate on the following quote:

This is the gift of the landscape photograph, that the heart finds a place to stand.
-Emmet Gowin (American Photographer)

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 ‘SCAPE in this place that hopefully has a least put a little dent in the landscape of photography next Monday.

Alexis, Andy, Angie, Becky, Bill, Brandon, Carla, Cathie, Contests, Dawn, Elizabeth, Flowers, Jesse, Joe Duff, Kim, Kio, Linda, Logan, Mary, Micky, Mindi, Monica, Nader, Naima, Nathanial, Pufferbilly Days, Sabas, Sara, Sarah Toot, Scottie D., Self-Portrait, Shannon, Steph, Suzie, Tamara, Teresa, Vest, WPC - Submissions

WPC – WEEK 401 – HAPPY

May 22, 2023 Christopher D. Bennett

I mailed out a postcard to the entrants of last years Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest last week. I hear they still haven’t arrived in people’s mailboxes. Thought I would share the postcard here, since many of you entered last year or have kids or grandkids that entered. Or hopefully many of you are thinking of entering this year for the first time. Monica designed the postcard. Have a look:

There are 6 Photo Classes this year:
+ Animals
+ Black & White
+ People
+ Places
+ Plants
+ Trains, Planes, & Automobiles

There are 3 Age Divisions:
+ Youth (7-12)
+ Teen (13-17)
+ Adult (18+)

Hopefully many of you enter again and many more of you are inspired to enter this year. Or inspired to have your kids or grandkids enter.

+++++++

REMINDER THAT NEXT MONDAY IS MEMORIAL DAY. WHILE YOUR BANK AND THE GOVERNMENT AND A BUNCH OF OTHER BUSINESSES TAKE THE DAY OFF, THERE IS NO REST FOR PHOTOGRAPHY 139. RISE AND GRIND EVERY SINGLE DAY. I DON’T KNOW WHAT MY PLANS ARE FOR MEMORIAL DAY (OTHER THAN MAYBE SLEEPING LATE AFTER WHAT I HOPE IS AN EPIC MOVIE NIGHT ON SUNDAY) BUT IT MIGHT INCLUDE A ROAD TRIP OR A BARBECUE OR A FEW OTHER OPTIONS THAT MIGHT KEEP ME BUSY. LIKEWISE YOU MIGHT BE ENGAGED IN A SIMILAR ACTIVITY ON MONDAY MORNING. YOU MIGHT NOT GET A REMINDER AND YOU MIGHT NOT BE IN A POSITION TO SUBMIT. PLAN ACCORDINGLY.

HAPPY! Many people claim to like to be HAPPY, but did many people actually get a picture of somebody that is HAPPY or of something that makes them HAPPY? You’ll have to keep scrolling to find out!

As of 12:01 PM on Monday, May 15, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks (ignore the numbers in parentheses):

1-Nathanial Brown – 1 week
2-Tamara Peterson – 1 week
3-Sabas Hernandez – 3 weeks
4-Mike Vest – 3 weeks
5-Alexis Baugher – 6 weeks (3)
6-Jesse Howard – 6 weeks
7-Mindi Terrell – 13 weeks (2)
8-Monica Jennings – 18 weeks (2)
9-Brandon Kahler – 38 weeks (2)
10-Linda Bennett – 42 weeks
11-Sarah Toot – 43 weeks
12-Angie DeWaard – 47 weeks
13-Dawn Krause – 51 weeks (2)
14-Kim Barker – 57 weeks
15-Joe Duff – 58 weeks
16-Logan Kahler – 60 weeks
17-Teresa Kahler – 69 weeks (2)
18-Carla Stensland – 69 weeks (2)
19-Micky Augustin – 71 weeks
20-Andy Sharp – 72 weeks (3)
21-Bill Wentworth – 73 weeks
22-Cathie Morton – 77 weeks
23-Elizabeth Nordeen – 78 weeks
24-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 80 weeks
25-Kio Dettman – 82 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:

Kim Barker (Iowa) – 58 weeks

Nader Parasei (Orange City, Iowa) – 1 week

Micky Augustin (Iowa) – 72 weeks

Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa) – 79 weeks

Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa)

Scott Degeneffe (Rural Boone County, Iowa) – 1 week

Melissa Degeneffe (Ankeny, Iowa) – 1 week

Melissa Degeneffe (Erb Pond – Boone County, Iowa)

Alexis Baugher (Iowa) – 7 weeks

Alexis Baugher (Iowa)

Bill Wentworth (Nebraska) – 74 weeks

Carla Stensland (Iowa) – 70 weeks

Kio Dettman (Iowa) – 83 weeks

Kio Dettman (Iowa)

Linda Bennett (Kansas) – 43 weeks

Mary Green (Iowa) – 1 week

Mary Green (Iowa)

Sarah Toot (Pennsylvania) – 44 weeks

Sarah Toot (Pennsylvania)

Tamara Peterson (Iowa) – 2 weeks

Angie DeWaard (Living History Farms – Urbandale, Iowa) – 48 weeks

Christopher D. Bennett (Orange City, Iowa)

Joe Duff (Texas) – 59 weeks

Joe Duff (Texas)

Andy Sharp (Iowa) – 73 weeks

Teresa Kahler (Iowa) – 70 weeks

Teresa Kahler (Iowa)

Shannon Bardole-Foley (Iowa) – 81 weeks

Sabas Hernandez (Iowa) – 4 weeks

Nathanial Brown (Iowa) – 2 weeks

Nathanial Brown (Iowa)

Sara Lockner (Iowa) – 1 week

Sara Lockner (Iowa)

Suzie Brannen (Ottumwa, Iowa) – 1 week

Suzie Brannen (Ottumwa, Iowa)

Mindi Terrell (Iowa) – 14 weeks

Mindi Terrell (Iowa)

Logan Kahler (Iowa) – 61 weeks

Jesse Howard (West Bend, Iowa) – 7 weeks

Jesse Howard (Iowa)

Dawn Krause (Iowa) – 52 weeks

Dawn Krause (Iowa)

Brandon Kahler (Iowa) – 39 weeks

Cathie Morton (Norwalk, Iowa) – 78 weeks

Becky Parmelee (Arkansas) – 1 week

Monica Jennings (Roland, Iowa) – 19 weeks

Stephanie Kim (Brooklyn, New York) – 1 week

Mike Vest (Iowa) – 4 weeks

34 participants! That is an amazing week! I know for sure it is the high for this calendar year and it might be the highest of all-time. I’ll have to check my records and get back to you.

Particularly exciting was first ever submissions from Nader and Melissa. I don’t expect Nader to be a regular contributor, but you never know. But with Melissa, there is some hope!

Also, Stephanie had her first submission this year. I don’t know if this will lead to regular or even irregular submissions or not. We will just wait and see.

There were no new states added to the map this week and at this point, I’m betting new states added will be an increasingly rare thing. Time will tell.

There were submissions this week taken in the following places:

+ Iowa
+ Kansas
+ Nebraska
+ New York
+ Pennsylvania
+ 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
+ Pennsylvania
+ South Dakota
+ Texas
+ Utah
+ Washington D.C.
+ Wisconsin
+ Wyoming

25 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 175 miles from my front door, so I continue to not contribute.

There was one major milestone this week! Dawn joined the 52 Week Club! One straight year of weekly submissions. Congratulations Dawn!

There were no streaks snapped!

PARK

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

But what in the John Culbertson is a PARK image? Simply put, it is a picture taken in a PARK. And there are all sorts of PARKs. There are city, state, national, baseball, softball, playgrounds, nature preserves, urban, pocket, sculpture gardens, cultural… just to name a few. Of course, there is more than one definition of PARK.

While considering a possible subject for your PARK submission, meditate on the following quote and I have no doubt you will come up with an inspiring image.

The fundamental idea behind the parks is native. It is, in brief, that the country belongs to the people, that it is in process of making for the enrichment of the lives of all of us. The parks stand as the outward symbol of the great human principle.
Franklin D. Roosevelt

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 PARK in this place that I believe brings a bit of respite for some next Monday.

Alexis, Andy, Angie, Bill, Black & White, Brandon, Carla, Cathie, Dawn, Elizabeth, Jesse, Joe Duff, Kim, Kio, Linda, Logan, Micky, Mindi, Monica, Nathanial, Ruins, Sabas, Sarah Toot, Shannon, Still Life, Tamara, Teresa, Vest, WPC - Submissions

WPC – WEEK 400 – RUINS

May 15, 2023 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

RUINS! One of my favorite themes and one of my favorite things to photograph. But was it a popular theme or did it leave many streaks in RUINS? This is the 400th THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE post since rebooting THE RANDOM WEEKLY PHOTO EXPERIMENT. (504th all-time) I hope it was popular. But you will have to keep scrolling to find out.

As of 12:01 PM on Monday, May 8, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks (ignore the numbers in parentheses):
1-Suzie Brannen – 1 week
2-Becky Parmelee – 1 week
3-Jen Ensley-Gorshe – 2 weeks
4-Sabas Hernandez – 2 weeks
5-Sara Lockner – 2 weeks
6-Mike Vest – 2 weeks
7-Alexis Baugher – 5 weeks (2)
8-Jesse Howard – 5 weeks
9-Mindi Terrell – 12 weeks (3)
10-Monica Jennings – 17 weeks
11-Brandon Kahler – 37 weeks
12-Linda Bennett – 41 weeks
13-Sarah Toot – 42 weeks
14-Angie DeWaard – 46 weeks
15-Dawn Krause – 50 weeks
16-Kim Barker – 56 weeks
17-Joe Duff – 57 weeks
18-Logan Kahler – 59 weeks (2)
19-Teresa Kahler – 68 weeks (2)
20-Carla Stensland – 68 weeks (2)
21-Micky Augustin – 70 weeks
22-Andy Sharp – 71 weeks
23-Bill Wentworth – 72 weeks
24-Cathie Morton – 76 weeks
25-Elizabeth Nordeen – 77 weeks (2)
26-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 79 weeks
27-Kio Dettman – 81 weeks (2)

Heading into today, this is what the Submission Map looks like:

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:

Teresa Kahler (Iowa) – 69 weeks

Teresa Kahler (Iowa)

Andy Sharp (Iowa) – 72 weeks

Andy Sharp (Iowa)

Alexis Baugher (Nevada,Iowa) – 6 weeks

Alexis Baugher (Nevada, Iowa)

Alexis Baugher (Swaledale, Iowa)

Bill Wentworth (Nebraska) – 73 weeks

Angie DeWaard (Iowa) – 47 weeks

Carla Stensland (Iowa) – 69 weeks

Carla Stensland (Iowa)

Tamara Peterson (Iowa) – 1 week

Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa) – 78 weeks

Christopher D. Bennett (Ames, Iowa)

Nathanial Brown (Bagley, Iowa) – 1 week

Micky Augustin (Iowa_ – 71 weeks

Sarah Toot (Las Vegas, Nevada) – 43 weeks

Kio Dettman (Iowa) – 82 weeks

Kio Dettman (Iowa)

Linda Bennett (Kansas) – 42 weeks

Dawn Krause (Iowa) – 52 weeks

Dawn Krause (Iowa)

Kim Barker (Iowa) – 57 weeks

Logan Kahler (Iowa) – 60 weeks

Shannon Bardole-Foley (Iowa) – 80 weeks

Joe Duff (Texas) – 58 weeks

Mindi Terrell (Iowa) – 13 weeks

Mindi Terrell (Iowa)

Sabas Hernandez (Cleveland, Ohio) – 3 weeks

Cathie Morton (Norwalk, Iowa) – 77 weeks

Brandon Kahler (Iowa) – 38 weeks

Brandon Kahler (Iowa)

Monica Jennings (Iowa) – 18 weeks

Monica Jennings (Iowa)

Mike Vest (Iowa) – 3 weeks

Jesse Howard (Iowa) – 6 weeks

26 participants. Not a very popular theme. But not bad either. Hopefully one of the upcoming things gets the creative juices flowing for more people.

There were no new states added this week, but if you noticed, if you let me know where your picture was taken I will add that to your submission. The town. I’ll add the town. Not, “my Aunt Hildea’s place”. But I will add the town of Aunt Hildeas’s place exists in. I think that makes it a little more interesting. Than 20 submissions from Iowa. I will NOT assume towns though, like I assume states. I mean I’m pretty sure I know where most of these pictures were taken, but I won’t assume Kio’s pictures were taken in Boone.

Also, if you aren’t in a town, a county would do. For example, I assume Shannon’s picture is taken in rural Warren County. But she also might argue it is taken in Summerset, Iowa. Though.

There were submissions this week taken in the following places:

+ Iowa
+ Kansas
+ Nebraska
+ Nevada
+ Ohio
+ Texas

Here is the current calendar year list for states:

25 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 15 miles from my front door, so I continue to not contribute.

There were no major milestones reached this week, but many streaks lie in ruins now. Suzie and Becky couldn’t build on their submissions last week. Jen and Sara’s streaks ended at 2.

HAPPY

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

But what in the Dave Rauker is a HAPPY photo? Simply put, it is a picture of somebody that is HAPPY or a picture of something that makes you HAPPY. HAPPY is, well it is a feeling for pleasure or contentment. In case you aren’t sure you know what it means to be HAPPY.

While considering possible subjects for your HAPPY image, mediated on the following quote and I have no doubt you will create a fascinating image:

Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go.
-Oscar Wilde

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 HAPPY in this place that I hope spreads a bit of happiness in this world next Monday.

Alexis, Andy, Angie, Becky, Bill, Brandon, Carla, Cathie, Dawn, Elizabeth, Iowa State, Jen, Jesse, Joe Duff, Kim, Kio, Linda, Logan, Micky, Mindi, Monica, Night, Ruins, Sabas, Sara, Sarah Toot, Shannon, Suzie, Teresa, Vest, WPC - Submissions

WPC – WEEK 399 – SCHOOL

May 8, 2023 Christopher D. Bennett

SCHOOL! It isn’t much fun, but it is the best shot at social mobility, so it has to exist. But did SCHOOL get people excited enough to take a picture and submit it? You’ll have to keep scrolling to find out!

As of 12:01 PM on Monday, May 1, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks (ignore the numbers in parentheses):

1-Nathanial Brown – 1 week
2-Jen Ensley-Gorshe – 1 week
3-Sabas Hernandez – 1 week
4-Sara Lockner – 1 week
5-Willy McAlpine – 1 week
6-Mike Parmelee – 1 week
7-Mike Vest – 1 week
8-Alexis Baugher – 4 weeks (3)
9-Scott Degeneffe – 4 weeks (2)
10-Jesse Howard – 4 weeks (2)
11-Mindi Terrell – 10 weeks (3)
12-Monica Jennings – 16 weeks (2)
13-Tamara Peterson – 26 weeks
14-Brandon Kahler – 35 weeks (3)
15-Linda Bennett – 40 weeks (2)
16-Sarah Toot – 41 weeks (2)
17-Angie DeWaard – 44 weeks (2)
18-Dawn Krause – 49 weeks (2)
19-Kim Barker – 55 weeks
20-Joe Duff – 56 weeks
21-Logan Kahler – 58 weeks
22-Teresa Kahler – 67 weeks (2)
23-Carla Stensland – 67 weeks (3)
24-Micky Augustin – 69 weeks
25-Andy Sharp – 70 weeks
26-Bill Wentworth – 71 weeks
27-Cathie Morton – 75 weeks
28-Elizabeth Nordeen – 76 weeks
29-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 78 weeks
30-Kio Dettman – 80 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:

Angie DeWaard (Iowa) – 45 weeks

Kim Barker (Iowa) – 56 weeks

Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa) – 77 weeks

Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa)

Micky Augustin (Iowa) – 70 weeks

Carla Stensland (Iowa) – 68 weeks

Carla Stensland (Iowa)

Kio Dettman (Iowa) – 81 weeks

Kio Dettman (Iowa)

Linda Bennett (Kansas) – 41 weeks

Alexis Baugher (Iowa) – 5 weeks

Alexis Baugher (Iowa)

Sarah Toot (Nevada) – 42 weeks

Bill Wentworth (Nebraska) – 72 weeks

Christopher D. Bennett (Iowa)

Mindi Terrell (Iowa) – 11 weeks

Mindi Terrell (Iowa)

Logan Kahler (Iowa) – 59 weeks

Logan Kahler (Iowa)

Teresa Kahler (Iowa) 68 weeks

Teresa Kahler (Iowa)

Becky Parmelee (Arkansas) – 1 week

Sara Lockner (Iowa) – 2 weeks

Sabas Hernandez (Ohio) – 2 weeks

Jen Ensley-Gorshe (New York) – 2 weeks

Joe Duff (Texas) – 57 weeks

Suzie Brannen (Iowa) – 1 week

Jesse Howard (Iowa) – 5 weeks

Brandon Kahler (Iowa) – 36 weeks

Cathie Morton (Iowa) – 76 weeks

Monica Jennings (Iowa) – 17 weeks

Andy Sharp (Iowa) – 71 weeks

Shannon Bardole-Foley (Iowa) – 79 weeks

Dawn Krause (Iowa) – 50 weeks

Mike Vest (Iowa) – 2 weeks

28 participants! That is a pretty good week! A slight dip from last week, but still definitely a good week!
There were submissions this week taken in the following places:

+ Arkansas
+ Iowa
+ Kansas
+ Nebraska
+ Nevada
+ New York
+ Ohio
+ Texas

Thanks to Sabas’ work trip to Ohio, we were able to add a new state to the map! We actually now have more than half the states and districts. 26 out of 51! I have no belief that that I will get submissions from all 50 states, but I’m curious to see how close we get.

Here is the current calendar year list for states:

25 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 15 miles from my front door, so I continue to not contribute.

There were no major milestones this week, but there was a veritable bloodbath of streaks. Nathanial, Willy, and Mike couldn’t build on their contribution last week. Scott’s streak is over at 4. Most tragically, Tamara’s 26 week streak is over.

RUINS

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

But what in the Ron Harris is a RUINS image? Simply put, it is a picture of something that is in the state of physical destruction or disintegration. Something that is in bad shape.

While considering possible subjects for your RUINS image, mediated on the following quote and I have no doubt you will create a fascinating image:

We moralize among ruins.
-Benjamin Disreali

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 RUINS in this place that will one day lay in digital destruction next Monday.

Alexis, Andy, Angie, Bill, Brandon, Carla, Cathie, Dawn, Elizabeth, Flowers, Jen, Jesse, Joe Duff, Kim, Kio, Lensbaby, Linda, Logan, Macro, Micky, Monica, Nathanial, Road Trip, Sabas, Sara, Sarah Toot, Scottie D., Shannon, Tamara, Teresa, Vest, Willy, WPC - Submissions

WPC – WEEK 398 – ROAD TRIP

May 1, 2023 Christopher D. Bennett

ROAD TRIP! What a great theme and an even better way to spend a day or two. Nothing calls to me like the open road.
But did it call to many other people? Or did people stay firmly entrenched on their couches? You will have to keep scrolling to find out!

As of 12:01 PM on Monday, April 24, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks (ignore the numbers in parentheses):

1-Heather Courtney – 1 week
2-Scott Degeneffe – 3 weeks
3-Jesse Howard – 3 weeks
4-Alexis Baugher – 3 weeks
5-Mindi Terrell – 9 weeks (3)
6-Suzie Brannen – 14 weeks
7-Monica Jennings – 14 weeks
8-Tamara Peterson – 25 weeks (2)
9-Brandon Kahler – 35 weeks
10-Linda Bennett – 39 weeks (2)
11-Sarah Toot – 40 weeks (2)
12-Angie DeWaard – 44 weeks
13-Dawn Krause – 48 weeks
14-Kim Barker – 53 weeks (2)
15-Joe Duff – 55 weeks (2)
16-Logan Kahler – 56 weeks (2)
17-Teresa Kahler – 66 weeks (2)
18-Carla Stensland – 66 weeks
19-Micky Augustin – 67 weeks
20-Andy Sharp – 69 weeks
21-Bill Wentworth – 70 weeks
22-Cathie Morton – 74 weeks
23-Elizabeth Nordeen – 75 weeks
24-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 76 weeks (2)
25-Kio Dettman – 79 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:

Nathanial Brown (Iowa) – 1 week

Jen Ensley-Gorshe (Iowa) – 1 week

Sabas Hernandez (Iowa) – 1 week

Sara Lockner (Iowa) – 1 week

Willy McAlpine (Iowa) – 1 week

Mike Parmelee (Arkansas) – 1 week

Mike Vest (Iowa) – 1 week

Alexis Baugher (Iowa) – 4 weeks

Alexis Baugher (Iowa)

Scott Degeneffe (Iowa) – 4 weeks

Scott Degeneffe (Iowa)

Jesse Howard (Iowa) – 4 weeks

Jesse Howard (Iowa)

Mindi Terrell (Iowa) – 10 weeks

Mindi Terrell (Iowa)

Monica Jennings (Iowa) – 15 weeks

Monica Jennings (Iowa)

Tamara Peterson (Iowa) – 26 weeks

Brandon Kahler (Iowa) – 36 weeks

Brandon Kahler (Iowa)

Linda Bennett (Kansas) – 40 weeks

Linda Bennett (Kansas)

Sarah Toot (New Jersey) – 41 weeks

Sarah Toot (New Jersey)

Angie DeWaard (Mexico) – 45 weeks

Angie DeWaard (Mexico)

Dawn Krause (Iowa) – 49 weeks

Dawn Krause (Iowa)

Kim Barker (Iowa) – 54 weeks

Joe Duff (Texas) – 56 weeks

Logan Kahler (Iowa) – 57 weeks

Teresa Kahler (Iowa) – 67 weeks

Teresa Kahler (Iowa)

Carla Stensland (Iowa) – 67 weeks

Carla Stensland (Iowa)

Carla Stensland

Micky Augustin (Iowa) – 68 weeks

Andy Sharp (Iowa) – 70 weeks

Bill Wentworth (Nebraska) – 71 weeks

Cathie Morton (Illinois) – 75 weeks

Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa) – 76 weeks

Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa)

Shannon Bardole-Foley (Iowa) – 77 weeks

Kio Dettman (Iowa) – 80 weeks

Kio Dettman (Iowa)

Christopher D. Bennett (Iowa) – 502 weeks

31 participants! That is a great week! I believe it ties the high for this calendar year. Strange that more people love the open road than love their friends, but maybe it isn’t so strange.

There were submissions this week taken in the following places:

+ Arkansas
+ Illinois
+ Iowa
+ Kansas
+ Mexico
+ Nebraska
+ New Jersey
+ 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
+ Oklahoma
+ Pennsylvania
+ South Dakota
+ Texas
+ Utah
+ Washington D.C.
+ Wisconsin
+ Wyoming

24 states and 1 district! That is pretty impressive!

The Outside of the United States map is currently:

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

Thanks to Angie’s vacation, Mexico has been added to the list of international places!

I took my picture 87 miles from my front door. So Angie isn’t the only world traveler.

The big accomplishments this week… Mindi joined the Double Digits Club! WooHoo! Tamara joined the Half Year Club! WooHoo! Mike Parmelee had his first submission of the year! WooHoo! I finally got Alexis’ last name right! WooHoo !

But it wasn’t all unicorns and double rainbows. Heather wasn’t able to build her submission from last week into a streak. And most tragically, Suzie’s 14 week streak is a goner. ROAD TRIPs are her Waterloo.

SCHOOL

IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY! What a great theme for Year 10 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE.

Let me tell you about IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY!

Iowa State University (ISU) is a public land-grant and space-grant research university located in Ames, Iowa, United States. It was founded in 1858 as Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, and it became the first land-grant institution in the United States in 1862, thanks to the Morrill Act.

Today, ISU is a comprehensive university with more than 35,000 students and offers over 100 undergraduate majors, 112 master’s degree programs, and 83 doctoral degree programs. The university is organized into eight colleges: Agriculture and Life Sciences, Business, Design, Engineering, Human Sciences, Liberal Arts and Sciences, Veterinary Medicine, and Graduate.

ISU is known for its strong programs in agriculture, engineering, and science, and it has a reputation for being one of the top public universities in the United States. The university is home to several research centers and institutes, including the Bioeconomy Institute, the Ames Laboratory, and the National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center for Biorenewable Chemicals (CBiRC).

The university’s mascot is Cy the Cardinal, and the school colors are cardinal and gold. The Cyclones, ISU’s athletic teams, compete in the Big 12 Conference and they completely dominated the Cy-Hawk Series with Iowa Hawkeyes this year.

Overall, Iowa State University is a well-respected and prestigious institution of higher education, offering a wide range of programs and opportunities for students to excel both academically and professionally.

Wait. Wait. Sorry. I’ve just been told that there are more SCHOOL(s) in the world than just Iowa State. I’m not entirely sure why. But I guess you can take a picture of some other stupid school nobody cares about.

SCHOOL! So what in the Terrence Allen is a SCHOOL picture? Simply put it is any image that involves SCHOOL. From a building to a playground to schoolbooks (before they all get banned) to report cards to teachers to really anything related to a SCHOOL. There are all types of different SCHOOL(s). Pre, secondary, high, middle, junior, dance, Sunday, vocational, technical, and even sometimes I take people to SCHOOL on the basketball court. It does NOT have to be Iowa State, but I mean, why would you take a picture of some lesser school? But you do you bro.

While considering how you are going to incorporate Iowa State into your SCHOOL picture, mediate on the following quote and I have no doubt you will come up with a great picture:

Let us remember: One book, one pen, one child, and one teacher can change the world.
– Malala Yousafzai

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 SCHOOL in this place that I like to think has a bit of educational value next Monday.

Alexis, Andy, Angie, Bill, Brandon, Carla, Cathie, Dawn, Derrick, Elizabeth, Jen, Jesse, Joe Duff, Kim, Kio, Linda, Logan, Mary, Micky, Mindi, Monica, Naima, Sabas, Sara, Sarah Toot, Scottie D., Self-Portrait, Shannon, Suzie, Tamara, Teresa, Vest, WPC - Submissions

WPC – WEEK 396 – SCENES FROM YOUR COUCH

April 17, 2023 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

SCENES FROM YOUR COUCH. Possibly the easiest theme ever. But did it get the creative juices flowing for many people? You will have to keep scrolling too find out!

As of 12:01 PM on Monday, April 10, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks (ignore the numbers in parentheses):

1-Scott Degeneffe – 1 week
2-Susanna Funk – 1 week
3-Mary Green – 1 week
4-Jesse Howard – 1 week
5-Alexis Stensland – 1 week
6-Sabas Hernandez – 3 weeks
7-Willy McAlpine – 3 weeks
8-Mindi Terrell – 7 weeks (2)
9-Suzie Brannen – 12 weeks (3)
10-Monica Jennings – 12 weeks (3)
11-Nathanial Brown – 13 weeks (3)
12-Mike Vest – 13 weeks
13-Tamara Peterson – 23 weeks
14-Brandon Kahler – 33 weeks
15-Linda Bennett – 37 weeks (2)
16-Sarah Toot – 38 weeks (2)
17-Angie DeWaard – 42 weeks
18-Dawn Krause – 46 weeks (2)
19-Kim Barker – 51 weeks
20-Joe Duff – 53 weeks
21-Logan Kahler – 53 weeks
22-Teresa Kahler – 64 weeks
23-Carla Stensland – 64 weeks
24-Micky Augustin – 65 weeks (2)
25-Andy Sharp – 67 week
26-Bill Wentworth – 68 weeks
27-Cathie Morton – 72 weeks
28-Elizabeth Nordeen – 73 weeks
29-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 74 weeks
30-Kio Dettman – 77 weeks (2)

I finally broke down and made a map of states where people have submitted pictures from:

You might notice that Michigan is filled in, even though as of last week we had no submissions from Michigan. That isn’t actually the case. After last Monday’s post published, Mary contacted me and let me know that her pictures were taken in Michigan! WooHoo! Another state. So don’t forget to let me know if you took your picture in a different state than the one you live in. Or if you want, you can always let me know where you took your picture at.

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:

WEEK 396 - SCENE FROM YOUR COUCH - KIO DETTMAN

Kio Dettman (Iowa) – 78 weeks

Kio Dettman (Iowa)

Joe Duff (Texas) – 54 weeks

Mary Green (Iowa) – 2 weeks

Mary Green (Iowa)

Tamara Peterson (Iowa) – 24 weeks

Tamara Peterson (Iowa)

Carla Stensland (Iowa) – 65 weeks

Alexis Stensland (Iowa) – 2 weeks

Alexis Stensland (Iowa)

Micky Augustin (Iowa) – 66 weeks

Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa) – 74 weeks

Teresa Kahler (Iowa) – 65 weeks

Teresa Kahler (Iowa)

Andy Sharp (Iowa) – 68 weeks

Kim Barker (Iowa) – 52 weeks

Angie DeWaard (Iowa) – 43 weeks

Sarah Toot (Pennsylvania) – 39 weeks

Shannon Bardole-Foley (Wyoming) – 75 weeks

Shannon Bardole-Foley (Nevada)

Bill Wentworth (Nebraska) – 69 weeks

Linda Bennett (Kansas) – 38 weeks

Linda Bennett (Kansas)

Christopher D. Bennett (Iowa)

Scott Degeneffe (Iowa) – 2 weeks

Scott Degeneffe (Iowa)

Porter Degeneffe (Iowa)

Dawn Krause (Iowa) – 47 weeks

Brandon Kahler (Iowa) – 34 weeks

Mindi Terrell (Iowa) – 8 weeks

Mindi Terrell (Iowa)

Logan Kahler (Iowa) – 54 weeks

Sabas Hernandez (Iowa) – 3 weeks

Jesse Howard (Iowa) – 2 weeks

Jesse Howard (Iowa)

Monica Jennings (Iowa) – 13 weeks

Cathie Morton (Iowa) – 73 weeks

Suzie Brannen (Iowa) – 13 weeks

Suzie Brannen (Iowa)

Mike Vest (Iowa) – 13 weeks

29 participants! That is a pretty great week!

There were submissions this week taken in the following states:

+ Iowa
+ Kansas
+ Nebraska
+ Nevada
+ Pennsylvania
+ Texas
+ Wyoming

Thanks to Shannon’s annual bee road trip, Wyoming has been added to the map!

Here is the current calendar year list for states:

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

22 states and 1 district! That is pretty impressive!

The Outside of the United States map is currently:

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

I took my picture about 3 miles from my house. I continue not to contribute.

Speaking of people who do contribute in a big way. Congratulations to Kim! She joins the super exclusive 1 Year Club! WooHoo!

But it wasn’t all good news. Funk couldn’t build on her submission last week. Willy’s 3 week streak is history. Most tragically, Nathanial’s 13 week streak is just a distant memory. Very sad!

FRIENDS

NOTE: I WILL BE IN CHICAGO NEXT MONDAY FOR WORK. WHILE I MIGHT BE SURROUNDED BY COMPUTERS THAT DAY, I WILL NOT BE IN ANY KIND OF POSITION TO POST THE ENTRIES FOR FRIENDS UNTIL I RETURN. THAT WILL EITHER BE LATE TUESDAY NIGHT OR AT SOME POINT ON WEDNESDAY. ALSO, DON’T COUNT ON GETTING ANY REMINDERS. IT MIGHT HAPPEN, BUT I DOUBT IT. PLAN ACCORDINGLY.

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

But what exactly is a FRIENDS image? Simply put it is an image that captures a FRIENDS(hip). That can be through a picture of FRIENDS or a picture of an item that represents a FRIENDS(hip).

But what is are FRIENDS? ChatGPT defines FRIENDS like his:

“Friends are individuals who share a mutual bond of trust, affection, and support with each other. They are people with whom we have a close and positive relationship, and with whom we share common interests, values, and experiences. Friends can provide emotional support, companionship, and a sense of belonging. They can also offer advice, feedback, and constructive criticism, and can help us grow and develop as individuals. Friendship is an important aspect of human social interaction, and having strong friendships can have a positive impact on our physical and mental well-being.”

In case you didn’t know what FRIENDS are.

Now a reminder, I’m leaving for Chicago in a couple of days, so if you were hoping to include me in your FRIENDS picture, you either need to act quickly OR come to Illinois.

But if you can’t use me while considering possible subjects for your FRIENDS image, meditate on the following quote and I have no doubt you will make a great submission:

“A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.”
— Walter Winchell

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 FRIENDS in this place that was designed for friendship next Monday.

Alexis, Andy, Angie, Bill, Brandon, Carla, Cathie, Contests, Dawn, Drone, Elizabeth, Funk, Jesse, Joe Duff, Kim, Kio, Linda, Mary, Micky, Mindi, Monica, Naima, Nathanial, Sabas, Sarah Toot, Scottie D., Shannon, Suzie, Tamara, Vest, Willy, WPC - Submissions

WPC – WEEK 395 – ODD CAMERA ANGLE

April 10, 2023 Christopher D. Bennett 5 Comments

Before we get into the submissions for this week’s THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE I want to say that I’m starting to work on the 2023 Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest. There are a couple of changes from last year in the photo classes. I split NATURE into ANIMALS and PLANTS. The majority of images submitted last year were for the NATURE class. This way these are split into two categories. I also eliminated the class HIDDEN TREASURES OF BOONE COUNTY and replaced it with PLACES. The amount of classes went up from 5 to 6.

There are still 3 Age Divisions. Youth (7-12), Teen(13-17), and Adult (18+).

Another change is that the photos are not going to be displayed at KWBG this year. The Pufferbilly Days Committee is pushing to have all the activities centered around Story Street on Friday and Saturday. Details are still be worked out, but the current plan is to display the photo amongst various downtown retailers and then Sunday at Art in the Park at McHose Park.

Here is a look at this year’s entry form:

More information will be released as it becomes available. This is just the beginning of the journey. Also thanks to Michelle for updating the entry form!

+++++++

ODD CAMERA ANGLE! A great theme! But were there a ton of oddballs out there to give this theme a spin? You will have to keep scrolling to find out!

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

1-Porter Degeneffe – 1 week
2-Becky Parmelee – 1 week
3-Jen Ensley-Gorshe – 2 weeks
4-Sabas Hernandez – 2 weeks
5-Willy McAlpine – 2 weeks
6-Mindi Terrell – 7 weeks (3)
7-Suzie Brannen – 11 weeks
8-Monica Jennings – 11 weeks
9-Nathanial Brown – 12 weeks
10-Mike Vest – 12 weeks
11-Tamara Peterson – 22 weeks
12-Brandon Kahler – 32 weeks
13-Linda Bennett – 36 weeks
14-Sarah Toot – 37 weeks (3)
15-Angie DeWaard – 41 weeks
16-Dawn Krause – 45 weeks (2)
17-Kim Barker – 50 weeks
18-Joe Duff – 52 weeks
19-Logan Kahler – 53 weeks
20-Teresa Kahler – 63 weeks (3)
21-Carla Stensland – 63 weeks
22-Micky Augustin – 64 weeks (2)
23-Andy Sharp – 66 weeks
24-Bill Wentworth – 67 weeks
25-Cathie Morton – 71 weeks
26-Elizabeth Nordeen – 72 weeks (2)
27-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 73 weeks
28-Kio Dettman – 76 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:

WEEK 395 - ODD CAMERA ANGLE - SUZIE BRANNEN

Suzie Brannen (Iowa) – 12 weeks

Suzie Brannen (Iowa)

Mindi Terrell (Iowa) – 8 weeks

Mindi Terrell (Iowa)

Kim Barker (Iowa) – 51 weeks

Angie DeWaard (Iowa) – 42 weeks

Susanna Funk (Colorado) – 1 week

Cathie Morton (Missouri) – 72 weeks

Linda Bennett (Kansas) – 37 weeks

Linda Bennett (Kansas)

Mary Green (Michigan) – 1 week

Mary Green (Michigan)

Shannon Bardole-Foley (Iowa) – 74 weeks

Tamara Peterson (Iowa) – 23 weeks

Carla Stensland (Iowa) – 64 weeks

Brandon Kahler (Iowa) – 33 weeks

Brandon Kahler (Iowa)

Bill Wentworth (Nebraska) – 68 weeks

Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa) – 73 weeks

Christopher D. Bennett (Iowa)

Monica Jennings (Iowa) – 12 weeks

Monica Jennings (Iowa)

Joe Duff (Texas) – 53 weeks

Dawn Krause (Iowa) – 46 weeks

Dawn Krause (Iowa)

Andy Sharp (Iowa) – 67 weeks

Kio Dettman (Iowa) – 77 weeks

Kio Dettman (Iowa)

Sarah Toot (Pennsylvania) – 38 weeks

Micky Augustin (Iowa) – 65 weeks

Micky Augustin (Iowa)

Teresa Kahler (Iowa) – 64 weeks

Nathanial Brown (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada) – 13 weeks

Nathanial Brown (North Dakota)

Nathanial Brown (South Dakota)

Logan Kahler (Iowa) – 54 weeks

Willy McAlpine (Iowa) – 3 weeks

Sabas Hernandez (Iowa) – 3 weeks

Alexis Stensland (Iowa) – 1 week

Mike Vest (Iowa) – 13 weeks

Jesse Howard (Iowa) – 1 week

Scott Degeneffe (Iowa) – 1 week

Scott Degeneffe (Iowa)

31 participants! That is the most this year for sure and possibly the most ever. Maybe tied for the most ever. I would have to check the books and I don’t have last year’s Ledger in front of me right now. We will just go with tied for most ever participants for now.

First ever submissions from Funk and Alexis. I don’t expect Funk to keep contributing, but I knew she was in Colorado doing her mountain climbing thing again, so I hit her up for a submission. But maybe she will find it addictive. One never knows about such things. I do expect big things from Alexis though. She has that good Bennett photography blood flowing through those veins. After all, there are consistently 7 regular participants with that good Bennett photography blood flowing through their veins. Your humble narrator, Linda Bennett, Teresa Kahler, Carla Stensland, Sarah Toot, Brandon Kahler and Logan Kahler. Alexis would be the 8th.

There were submissions this week taken in the following states:

+ Colorado
+ Iowa
+ Kansas
+ Nebraska
+ Michigan
+ Missouri
+ North Dakota
+ Pennsylvania
+ South Dakota
+ Texas

Four more states have been filled in on the map this week, thanks to Nathanial’s long road trip we get to fill in North Dakota and South Dakota. Thanks to Funk’s mountain climbing exploits, we also get to fill in Colorado. Also, Mary took her submissions in Michigan. WooHoo!
Here is the current calendar year list for states:

21 states and 1 district! That is pretty impressive!

Thanks to Nathanial’s super long road trip, we also got another submission from outside of the United States. Canada is on the big board now!

The Outside of the United States map is currently:

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

I took my picture about 3 miles from my front door. So I continue to contribute nothing. There were no major milestones this week. But Kim is closing in on joining the 1 Year Club.

While there was, maybe, record participation this week, it wasn’t all great news. Porter and Becky couldn’t extend last week’s submissions into a 2 week streak. Maybe the pressure of being the youngest contributor this year got to him. Maybe when school’s out, I’ll start hitting up Evie and Layla for submissions. They need to start getting their entries for the Story County Fair (I honestly don’t know if they still do 4-H) and the Pufferbilly Photo Contest taken sometime soon. Jen’s 2 week streak is also history. She ghosted me after I sent her a picture of a matchstick sculpture of the set of BACK TO THE FUTURE. I might have accidentally blown her mind.

SCENES FROM YOUR COUCH

SCENES FROM YOUR COUCH?!? That seems like an odd theme for Year 10 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!

This theme was suggested by Angie. It was meant to be subversive. If you have read the rules for (and there aren’t many rules, but they do grow a little by little) THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE, you may remember the this line:

“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.”

Here is your chance to not get your butt off the couch. You can literally sit on your couch. Take a picture of whatever you see from your couch and submit it to me. Now, you don’t have to take the picture from your couch. You can pile a bunch of your favorite people on your couch and take a picture of them. You can take your picture from behind the couch. It actually doesn’t even have to be your couch. You can find somebody else’s couch you like better and take your picture from there. It could be a couch in a store or a hotel or a bar. Doesn’t matter. It just has to be a SCENE FROM A COUCH.

There are two things I love about this theme. First, it means that there is somebody that actually reads the rules. Second, this picture can be the easiest one you take for this year’s THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE or you really take your creative juices for a walk to figure out how make this picture, let us say different. To really stretch the boundaries of the theme.

All sorts of stuff happens on a couch. I can’t wait to see what happens on some of yours.

While considering possible subjects for your SCENES FROM YOUR COUCH submission, meditate on the following quote and I have no doubt you will come up with a fascinating submission:

I stick to simple themes. Love. Hate. No nuances, I stay away from psychoanalyst’s couch scenes. Couches are good for one thing.
-John Wayne

John Wayne might have been a racist, draft dodging prick*, but the guy knew couches.

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 SCENES FROM YOUR COUCH in this place that was probably dreamed up on a couch next Monday.

* I still love quite a few John Wayne movies. I can separate art from artist. Also I don’t blame him for draft-dodging. I blame him for acting like he didn’t hide behind his marriage to dodge the draft in WWII so he could cheat on his wife with Marlene Dietrich, probably on a couch.

Andy, Angie, Becky, Bill, Brandon, Carla, Cathie, Dawn, Elizabeth, Formal Portrait, Fran, Jen, Joe Duff, Kim, Kio, Linda, Logan, Micky, Mindi, Monica, Nathanial, Sabas, Sarah Toot, Shannon, Still Life, Suzie, Tamara, Teresa, Vest, Willy, WPC - Submissions

WPC – WEEK 394 – BLUE

April 3, 2023 Christopher D. Bennett

BLUE! A great theme! Everybody loves the color BLUE. But did a bunch of people love it enough to submit a photo? You will have to keep scrolling to find out.

As of 12:01 PM on Monday, March 27, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks (ignore the numbers in parentheses):

1-Jen Ensley-Gorshe – 1 week
2-Sabas Hernandez – 1 week
3-Willy McAlpine – 1 week
4-Mary Green – 2 weeks
5-Mindi Terrell – 6 weeks (3)
6-Suzie Brannen – 10 weeks
7-Jesse Howard – 10 weeks
8-Monica Jennings – 10 weeks
9-Nathanial Brown – 11 weeks (3)
10-Mike Vest – 11 weeks
11-Tamara Peterson – 21 weeks
12-Brandon Kahler – 31 weeks
13-Linda Bennett – 35 weeks
14-Sarah Toot – 36 weeks (3)
15-Angie DeWaard – 40 weeks
16-Dawn Krause – 44 weeks (2)
17-Kim Barker – 49 weeks
18-Joe Duff – 51 weeks
19-Logan Kahler – 52 weeks
20-Teresa Kahler – 62 weeks (2)
21-Carla Stensland – 62 weeks (2)
22-Micky Augustin – 64 weeks (2)
23-Andy Sharp – 65 weeks (3)
24-Bill Wentworth – 66 weeks
25-Cathie Morton – 70 weeks
26-Elizabeth Nordeen – 71 weeks
27-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 72 weeks
28-Kio Dettman – 75 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:

Porter Degeneffe (Iowa) – 1 week

Becky Parmelee (Arkansas) – 1 week

Becky Parmelee (Arkansas)

Jen Ensley-Gorshe (Iowa) – 2 weeks

Sabas Hernandez (Iowa) – 2 weeks

Willy McAlpine (Iowa) – 2 weeks

Mindi Terrell (Iowa) – 7 weeks

Mindi Terrell (Iowa)

Suzie Brannen (Iowa) – 11 weeks

Monica Jennings (Iowa) – 11 weeks

Monica Jennings (Iowa)

Nathanial Brown (Iowa) – 12 weeks

Mike Vest (Iowa) – 12 weeks

Tamara Peterson (Iowa) – 22 weeks

Brandon Kahler (Iowa) – 32 weeks

Linda Bennett (Kansas) – 36 weeks

Linda Bennett (Kansas)

Sarah Toot (Washington D.C.) – 36 weeks

Sarah Toot (New York)

Sarah Toot (New Jersey)

Angie DeWaard (Iowa) – 41 weeks

Dawn Krause (Iowa) – 45 weeks

Dawn Krause (Iowa)

Kim Barker (Iowa) – 50 weeks

Joe Duff (Texas) – 52 weeks

Logan Kahler (Iowa) – 53 weeks

Teresa Kahler (Iowa) – 63 weeks

Teresa Kahler (Iowa)

Carla Stensland (Iowa) – 63 weeks

Micky Augustin (Iowa) – 64 weeks

Andy Sharp (Iowa) – 66 weeks

Andy Sharp (Iowa)

Bill Wentworth (Nebraska) – 67 weeks

Cathie Morton (Missouri) – 71 weeks

Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa) – 72 weeks

Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa)

Shannon Bardole-Foley (Iowa) – 73 weeks

Kio Dettman (Iowa) – 76 weeks

Kio Dettman (Iowa)

Christopher D. Bennett (Iowa) – 498 weeks

First, I have to say I find it interesting that Kio took a picture of grape juice for PURPLE and also one for BLUE. Makes me wonder what… what color does Kio think grape juice is?? Or maybe Kio is color blind. Or slightly color blind. I know a few people who are color blind in the blue range. But on the same side, I’ve never understood how you make red wine out of purple grapes. It is a mystery.

For example, yesterday Fran sent me a chat with a picture of a drink with the question, orange or yellow. It so happened that I was having a little post-church and pre-theater lunch with my sisters and so I showed them the picture. We all came back that the liquid in the glass was clearly yellow.

I sent that message back to Fran and she let me know that she thought it was orange.

Maybe I don’t sit and thing about color that much, but Monica sent me a message a couple weeks back about how she is “fascinated by how people interpret color… is it pink or is it purple!?!”. I hope Monica gets just as a big of a kick at seeing the interpretations of BLUE.

All this to say that if I use grape juice in my picture this week, it is because imitation is the highest form of flattery.

29 participants! Another great week!

There were submissions this week taken in the following states:

+ Arkansas
+ Iowa
+ Kansas
+ Nebraska
+ Missouri
+ New Jersey
+ New York
+ Texas
+ Washington D.C.

Technically, Washington D.C. isn’t a state, but let’s face it, it should be. Sarah’s picture crosses off another place on the map. I need to make that map someday. Today isn’t that day though.

Here is the current calendar year list for states:

+ Arizona
+ Arkansas
+ Florida
+ Georgia
+ Illinois
+ Iowa
+ Kansas
+ Minnesota
+ Nebraska
+ New Jersey
+ New York
+ Nevada
+ Missouri
+ Oklahoma
+ Pennsylvania
+ Texas
+ Washington D.C.
+ Wisconsin

17 states and 1 district! That is pretty impressive!

The Outside of the United States map is currently:

+ British Virgin Islands
+ Nassau Bahamas

I took my picture about a mile from my front door.

Porter had his first ever submission. I’m pretty pumped for that. He is the youngest to submit this year and I hope that he continues to submit in the future. Welcome aboard Porter!

The big accomplishment this week was Joe Duff joining the 1 Year Club. WooHoo! Congrats to Joe! Who isn’t too big time to work the night shift. Take notes Suzie.

But unfortunately it was not all good news. Mary’s 2 week streak bit the dust. Jesse’s 10 week streak is only a distant memory now.

Hopefully they get back on that horse again this week.

ODD CAMERA ANGLE

ODD CAMERA ANGLE! What a great theme for Year 10 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!

But what is an ODD CAMERA ANGLE photo? Simply put, it a picture taken from an angle that is different than normal. The grand majority of pictures are taken from the eye level of the photographer. This theme challenges you to look down at your subject. Or look up at your subject. Or look at it from an angle where something small looks big and something big looks small. Or try out a Dutch angle. Put yourself on the ground or in a hole or in the air. Just don’t take your picture eye level. That’s all we’re asking here. The world is your oyster. You just have to look at it askew.

While considering possible subject for your submission, meditate on the following quote and you will no doubt come up with a great image:

I always find beauty in things that are odd and imperfect – they are much more interesting.
-Marc Jacobs

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 ODD CAMERA ANGLE in this place that is more than a little different next Monday.

Andy, Angie, Baseball/Softball, Bill, Carla, Cathie, Dawn, Elizabeth, Iowa State, Jen, Jesse, Joe Duff, Kim, Kio, Logan, Mary, Micky, Mindi, Monica, Nathanial, Sabas, Sarah Toot, Shannon, Suzie, Tamara, Teresa, Vest, Willy, WPC - Submissions

WPC – WEEK 393 – COMPETITION

March 27, 2023 Christopher D. Bennett

EDITOR’S NOTE: MY WORK SCHEDULE HAS TEMPORARILY CHANGED DUE TO EXTREME SHORT STAFFING AT THE COMPUTER MINE. BECAUSE OF THIS, THE PUBLISHING OF THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE POST MIGHT GET MOVED BACK AT LEAST 30 MINUTES UNTIL THE STAFFING SHORTAGE HAS PASSED. WE WILL SEE WHAT HAPPENS.

It is the last Monday of the month, so it is a good time revisit the THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE FAQ:

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS – WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE

What skill level photographer can participate?

THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE is open to photographers of all skill levels. From award winning photographers to professionals to the highly ranked amateurs to those that are just beginning to those who don’t even know how to focus a camera. All skill levels are encouraged and welcome. You can’t be too bad and you can’t be too good! Everyone has room to learn and be challenged!

Award winning photographers? Really?

Yes. I can think of at least 5 photographers that participate regularly that have won a photography award of some kind.

Is this a competition?
No.

Is there a limit to the number of submissions I can have each week?

Yes. That limit is 3. If you send me more than 3, I will post the first 3 that you send. I’m not trying to harsh your photography buzz, but any more than that start to overwhelm the other submissions and it takes me about 5 minutes to take a picture from my inbox to code it on the website. So I have to manage my workload.

If participation rates climb, that limit of 3 is subject to lower.

Can I send you several pictures and have you pick the best one?

No! No! NO! If those words come out of your mouth or your keyboard, I consider that to be a non-submission.

Do you ever question whether somebody’s submission fits the theme?

Meh. Only if I think somebody is clearly confusing this week’s theme with last week or next week’s theme. Otherwise, if the submission makes sense in your head, that is good enough to me. However, I would urge you to not try to fit your favorite subject into the theme. This isn’t a challenge to share a picture every week of your kid or your business or your pet. It is a challenge to take pictures of different things every week. Which isn’t to say subjects can’t be repeated, but you shouldn’t become reliant on the same ones.

Why can’t I submit after 11 AM on Mondays if the post doesn’t publish until 12:01 PM?

I go to lunch at 11 AM. I leave my office. I’m not near a computer. At 11 AM I hit “Schedule” and then I go throw food down my throat. 167 hours is more than enough time to send a submission. Okay, 166 hours and 59 minutes. You got me.

Are there resolution requirements for submissions?

I won’t turn down submissions that are too small. I will probably ask you for a picture of greater resolution if it is really small. The typical 4 x 6 image posted to my website has a resolution of 1280 pixels x 853 pixels. While a 400 x 300 image might look okay on your phone, it looks like trash on a computer monitor. I prefer images that are at least 1000 pixels at their largest point, but don’t ban smaller pictures at this point.

What format should my submission be?

.JPG but .PNG also works.

If I write a description of my image will you include that in your post?

No. Photography is art that should stand on its own. Only exception is the SLICE OF LIFE theme.

When will you start accepting suggestions for next year’s THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE themes?

Suggestions are closed for next year’s list. It will be a minute before they open up for Year 11 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE.

+++++++

COMPETITION! A great theme! But did it fire up the competitive juices of a ton of people? You will have to keep scrolling to find out.

As of 12:01 PM on Monday, March 20, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks (ignore the numbers in parentheses):

1-Scott Degeneffe – 1 week
2-Mary Green – 1 week (3)
3-Sara Lockner – 1 week
4-Becky Parmelee – 1 week
5-Mindi Terrell – 5 weeks (2)
6-Suzie Brannen – 9 weeks
7-Jesse Howard – 9 weeks
8-Monica Jennings – 9 weeks
9-Nathanial Brown – 10 weeks (3)
10-Mike Vest – 10 weeks
11-Tamara Peterson – 20 weeks
12-Brandon Kahler – 30 weeks
13-Linda Bennett – 34 weeks (2)
14-Sarah Toot – 35 weeks (3)
15-Angie DeWaard – 39 weeks
16-Dawn Krause – 43 weeks (2)
17-Kim Barker – 48 weeks
18-Joe Duff – 50 weeks
19-Logan Kahler – 51 weeks
20-Teresa Kahler – 61 weeks (2)
21-Carla Stensland – 61 weeks (2)
22-Micky Augustin – 63 weeks (2)
23-Andy Sharp – 64 weeks (2)
24-Bill Wentworth – 65 weeks
25-Cathie Morton – 69 weeks
26-Elizabeth Nordeen – 70 weeks
27-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 71 weeks
28-Kio Dettman – 74 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:

Angie DeWaard (Iowa) – 40 weeks

Bill Wentworth (Nebraska) – 66 weeks

Carla Stensland (Iowa) – 62 weeks

Carla Stensland (Iowa)

Joe Duff (Texas) – 51 weeks

Kio Dettman (Iowa) – 75 weeks

Kio Dettman (Iowa)

Linda Bennett (Kansas) – 35 weeks

Linda Bennett (Kansas)

Shannon Bardole-Foley (Iowa) – 72 weeks

Tamara Peterson (Iowa) – 21 weeks

Andy Sharp (Iowa) – 65 weeks

Andy Sharp (Iowa)

Mindi Terrell (Iowa) – 6 weeks

Mindi Terrell (Iowa)

Willy McAlpine (Iowa) – 1 week

Micky Augustin (Iowa) – 64 weeks

Micky Augustin (Iowa)

Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa) – 71 weeks

Christopher D. Bennett (Iowa)

Mary Green (Iowa) – 2 weeks

Jen Ensley-Gorshe (Iowa) – 1 week

Dawn Krause (Iowa) – 44 weeks

Dawn Krause (Iowa)

Monica Jennings (Iowa) – 10 weeks

Suzie Brannen (Iowa) – 10 weeks

Sabas Hernandez (Iowa) – 1 week

Teresa Kahler (Iowa) – 62 weeks

Teresa Kahler (Iowa)

Kim Barker (Iowa) – 49 weeks

Nathanial Brown (Iowa) – 11 weeks

Nathanial Brown (Iowa)

Brandon Kahler (Iowa) – 31 weeks

Cathie Morton (Iowa) – 70 weeks

Sarah Toot (Pennsylvania) – 36 weeks

Sarah Toot (Pennsylvania)

Jesse Howard (Iowa) – 10 weeks

Mike Vest (Iowa) – 11 weeks

Logan Kahler (Iowa) – 52 weeks

29 participants! That is a great week.

There were submissions this week taken in the following states:

+ Iowa
+ Kansas
+ Nebraska
+ Pennsylvania
+ Texas

There were no new states added to the map.

Here is the current calendar year list for states:

+ Arizona
+ Arkansas
+ Florida
+ Georgia
+ Illinois
+ Iowa
+ Kansas
+ Minnesota
+ Nebraska
+ New Jersey
+ New York
+ Nevada
+ Missouri
+ Oklahoma
+ Pennsylvania
+ Texas
+ Wisconsin

17 states! That is pretty impressive!

The Outside of the United States map is currently:

+ British Virgin Islands
+ Nassau Bahamas

I took my picture about 15 miles from my front door. So I didn’t add to the map, yet again.

There were a couple of big milestones this week! Suzie, Monica, and Jesse both reached double digit streaks. Logan reached the One Year Club!

But it wasn’t all sunshine and happiness! Scott, Sara, and Becky couldn’t build on their submissions last week to get to two week streaks!

BLUE

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

But what is a BLUE image? It is simply an image where the subject or a major compositional element of the image is the color BLUE. That is it! Almost too simple!

While thinking about a possible subject for your submission, meditate on the following quite and I have no doubt that you will come up with a great image:

She had blue skin, And so did he. He kept it hid; And so did she. They searched for blue; Their whole life through, Then passed right by – And never knew.
–Shel Silverstein

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 BLUE in this place that hopefully never gives you the blues next Monday.

RULES

+++++++

RULES

+++++++

RULES

RULES

RULES

RULES

RULES

+++++++

RULES

RULES

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS – WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE

+++++++

RULES

Subscribe For Latest Updates