Category Archives: Andy

WPC – WEEK 246 – FRIENDS

You are probably wondering why this post didn’t come out at 12:01 PM, on the nose. The reason is simple, my website broke overnight. It didn’t exactly break, but it stopped being able to produce new information.

The Photography 139 is build on love, passion, photography, God, and support for all oppressed classes. But it is also built on a MySQL database. Problem is that the data structure for the MySQL database is allegedly limited to 100 MB. However, the Photography 139 database hit 150 MB last night. Apparently I got away with an extra 50 MB of data before I got shut down.

That meant, I had to export the data from the existing database. Create a new database. Import the data into the new database. Then point the website to the new database. All of that might have been pretty simple, except for the import the data part was a disaster. It was tons and tons of reading help forums, trying to find the answer. You picked a fine time to leave me Webmaster Vest!

However, I survived the process and the website seems to be fully functional again. I guess we’ll find out in the next day or so.

And that, is that!

+++++++

This week just barely made it to double digit submissions. Barely. 35 straight weeks and a sigh. I’m sad that so few of you have FRIENDS. I would offer my friendship services, but you know global pandemic that is being horribly mismanaged and the fact that I am the True Lone Wolf.

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


WEEK 246 - FRIENDS - SHANNON BARDOLE-FOLEY
Shannon Bardole-Foley

WEEK 246 - FRIENDS - TAMARA PETERSON
Tamara Peterson

WEEK 246 - FRIENDS - ANGIE DEWAARD
Angie DeWaard

WEEK 246 - FRIENDS - ANGIE DEWAARD
Angie DeWaard

WEEK 246 - FRIENDS - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp

WEEK 246 - FRIENDS - BECKY PARMELEE
Becky Parmelee

WEEK 246 - FRIENDS - BECKY PARMELEE
Becky Parmelee

WEEK 246 - FRIENDS - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett

WEEK 246 - FRIENDS - ELIZABETH NORDEEN
Elizabeth Nordeen

WEEK 246 - FRIENDS - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland

WEEK 246 - FRIENDS - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland

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 247 - SIGNS
SIGNS

SIGNS! What a great theme! An easy theme! While very few of us have friends, everybody has access to SIGNS! A SIGNS photo is simply a photo of a SIGN(S). Any kind of SIGNS.

I look forward to seeing your interpretations!

+++++++

HOUSEKEEPING


A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 RULES DIVISION

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.

Your submission needs to be emailed to bennett@photography139.com by 11 AM on the Monday of the challenge due date.

OR

I now allow people to text me their submissions. In the past, I had made exceptions for a couple people that aren’t real computer savvy, even though it was an inconvenience for me and required at least 3 extra steps for me. I am now lifting that embargo because I have a streamline way of uploading photos. I’m not giving out my phone number, but if you have it, you can text me.

It should be pointed out that this blog auto-publishes at 12:01 on Mondays. So it wouldn’t hurt to get your picture in earlier.

That is it, them’s the rules.


A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION DIVISION

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

+++++++

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 friendly Monday!

#63

I only have one image to share today. It might not seem like much of an image at first glance. It is just a wet gazania. But this is a focus stacked image. It took 63 pictures just to combine all of them into this one image.


Gazania - Focus Stacked

I repeat, it isn’t that I took 63 images and this is the one I like the best, I took 63 images and combined them into one image.

I’m sure I’ll be doing more focus stacking in the future. The photo rail makes it way easier to focus stack. In addition to making it way easier to do super macro.

Now I have yet to do a super-macro photo stacked image, but that is coming. Very soon.

+++++++

Thought I would reveal the latest collection of images that have been added to the CANVAS WALL PROJECT.


Canvas No. 61
12X16

Canvas No. 62
12X16

Canvas No. 63
12X16

Canvas No. 64
12X16

Canvas No. 65
12X16

Canvas No. 66
12X16

Canvas No. 67
12X8

Canvas No. 68
12X8

Canvas No. 69
12X8

Canvas No. 70
12X8

Canvas No. 71
12X8

Canvas No. 72
8X10

There is one more order of canvases that are their way to my front stoop. Once those are up, the CANVAS WALL PROJECT will be finished!

At that time, I’ll publish a picture of it.

WPC – WEEK 245 – SELF-PORTRAIT

I need to start by wishing everybody a happy Memorial Day!


Happy Memorial Day - 2020

Today is a unique Memorial Day, as we honor both our military personnel that have died in military service and the over 100,000 Americans that have died during the coronavirus pandemic. Hopefully, we will be in a better place in the world next year.

+++++++

Woooo! 34 straight weeks of double digit submissions. I got a lot of feedback from people saying that a SELF-PORTRAIT wasn’t easy for them like it is for me. They aren’t a combination of a young Brad Pitt and a middle-aged Robert Redford. While, I understand that my good looks can be intimidating, it is the fact that I am interesting looking that makes me so dang photogenic, not the fact that I’m so ruggedly handsome.

One person went so far as to send me the excuse that they can’t do a self-portrait, because they only do portraits with somebody holding their neck back. Ridiculous!

That being said, enough people showed the testicular fortitude to get on the other side of the camera for us to eek out double digits again!

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


WEEK 245 - SELF-PORTRAIT - MONICA HENNING
Monica Henning

WEEK 245 - SELF-PORTRAIT - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker

WEEK 245 - SELF-PORTRAIT - DAWN KRAUSE
Dawn Krause

WEEK 245 - SELF-PORTRAIT - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp

WEEK 245 - SELF-PORTRAIT - ANGIE DEWAARD
Angie DeWaard

WEEK 245 - SELF-PORTRAIT - JEN ENSLEY-GORSHE
Jen Ensley-Gorshe

WEEK 245 - SELF-PORTRAIT - MICKY AUGUSTIN
Micky Augustin

WEEK 245 - SELF-PORTRAIT - JEN ENSLEY-GORSHE
Jen Ensley-Gorshe

WEEK 245 - SELF-PORTRAIT - JESSE HOWARD
Jesse Howard

WEEK 245 - SELF-PORTRAIT - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland

WEEK 245 - SELF-PORTRAIT - CATHIE RALEY
Cathie Raley

WEEK 245 - SELF-PORTRAIT - SHANNON BARDOLE-FOLEY
Shannon Bardole-Foley

WEEK 245 - SELF-PORTRAIT - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett

WEEK 245 - SELF-PORTRAIT - LOGAN KAHLER
Logan Kahler

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 246 - FRIENDS
FRIENDS

FRIENDS! What a great theme! I mean for most of you. Seeing how I have been scientifically documented to be the one True Lone Wolf, the man that is an island, this will be a difficult theme for me. I might have to play creepy photographer and find a couple of FRIENDS hanging out and clandestinely take their picture.

For the rest of you, this should be fairly simple. Grab a picture of a couple of your FRIENDS physically distancing, while remaining social.

I look forward to seeing your interpretations!

+++++++

HOUSEKEEPING


A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 RULES DIVISION

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.

Your submission needs to be emailed to bennett@photography139.com by 11 AM on the Monday of the challenge due date.

OR

I now allow people to text me their submissions. In the past, I had made exceptions for a couple people that aren’t real computer savvy, even though it was an inconvenience for me and required at least 3 extra steps for me. I am now lifting that embargo because I have a streamline way of uploading photos. I’m not giving out my phone number, but if you have it, you can text me.

It should be pointed out that this blog auto-publishes at 12:01 on Mondays. So it wouldn’t hurt to get your picture in earlier.

That is it, them’s the rules.


A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION DIVISION

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

+++++++

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 friendly Monday!

An Artist’s Notebook Post #3751

We have hit another milestone in the history of “An Artist’s Notebook”. Post #3751. I would normally make these statistical look back at the past type posts on even numbers, but I felt you guys were probably chomping at the bit to see the entries for RULE OF THIRDS.

This blog/online journal burst onto the world on August 9, 2006. Nearly 14 years later, it is somehow still around. That is success of some kind. At least it is perseverance.

As you know, I like meaningless statistics. That is what these posts are usually about. That and to take stock as to how I’m doing with my original mission to:

#1. Write in it.
#2. To be truthful as possible towards my true thoughts and feelings.
#3. Produce something that makes me worthy of having a pretentious sounding journal title like: “An Artist’s Notebook”.

I’m going to say that I continue to manage all 3. You probably wouldn’t know if I was being honest with you on my thoughts and feelings anyways. You’ll just have to take my work for it.

The last time we looked at these stats in Post #3500 on October 4, 2019 these were the 10 most popular categories on “An Artist’s Notebook”:

10. Photography – 311 Posts
9. Teresa – 312 Posts
8. Carla – 314 Posts
7. Shannon -351 Posts
6. Black & White – 390 Posts
5. Weekly Photo Challenge – 394 Posts
4. Jesse – 404 Posts
3. Animals – 477 Posts
2. Portrait – 516 Posts
1. Flowers – 537 Posts

Here are the current “standings”:

MOST POPULAR CATEGORIES

10. Mom – 332 Posts
9. Teresa – 338 Posts
8. WPC – Submissions – 342 Posts
7. Carla – 354 Posts
6. Shannon – 384 Posts
5. Jesse – 455 Posts
4. Portrait – 491 Posts
3. Animals – 554 Posts
2. Black & White – 568 Posts
1. Flowers – 594 Posts

Back in October, these were the 10 Most Popular Not People Categories:

10. Art – 243 Posts
9. Nature – 260 Posts
8. Personal Photo Project – 261 Posts
7. Road Trip – 288 Posts
6. Photography – 311 Posts
5. Black & White – 390 Posts
4. Weekly Photo Challenge – 390 Posts
3. Animals – 477 Posts
2. Portrait – 516 Posts
1. Flowers – 537 Posts

Here are the current “standings”:

MOST POPULAR NOT PEOPLE CATEGORIES

10. Naima – 263 Posts
9. Photoshop – 285 Posts
8. Art – 287 Posts
7. Nature – 303 Posts
6. Road Trip – 308 Posts
5. WPC – Submissions – 342 Posts
4. Portrait – 491 Posts
3. Animals – 559 Posts
2. Black & White – 568 Posts
1. Flowers – 594 Posts

I anticipate by the time we get to post 4,000 Black & White will surpass Flowers. Especially considering I’m giving some consideration into breaking Flowers down by flower type. All that would be one beast of a job.

Back in October, these were the 10 Most Tagged Humans:

10. Jen – 222 Posts
9. Vest – 234 Posts
8. Willy – 238 Posts
7. Derrick – 267 Posts
6. Jay – 294 Posts
5. Mom – 300 Posts
4. Teresa – 312 Posts
3. Carla – 314 Posts
2. Shannon – 351 Posts
1. Jesse – 403 Posts

These are the current standings:

10 MOST TAGGED HUMANS:

10. Jen – 243 Posts
9. Vest – 247 Posts
8. Willy – 258 Posts
7. Derrick – 284 Posts
6. Jay – 312 Posts
5. Mom – 332 Posts
4. Teresa – 338 Posts
3. Carla – 353 Posts
2. Shannon – 384 Posts
1. Jesse – 455 Posts

It is strange that the Top 10 Humans is almost identical. Except Carla has passed Teresa.

You may be wondering, what does it take to improve my Photography 139 Score? How do I get on the big board by the time Post 3750 comes around next August-ish?

1. Submit pictures for the WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE.
2. Assist or pose for photo projects.
3. Be related to me.

If you are wondering who is just outside of the top ten? The 3 people just outside of the Top Ten are Kim, Sara, and Logan.

But what are the most popular pictures and galleries of this website?

Currently, there 74,942 files in the Photography 139 Gallery. That takes up 450.88 GB of storage space on the SmugMug servers.

Over time, it is historically difficult to determine what is the most popular photos and galleries. I can only track statistics for the last 365 days. But for the last 365 days, these are the most popular albums:

TOP 10 PHOTOGRAPHY 139 ALBUMS (POPULARITY BY VIEWS)


Baby Tri-Force 1st Birthday Party

#10 Miller Triplet 1st Birthday Party – 13751 Views

Miller-Peterson Christmas - 2019

#9 Family Happenings – 14222 Views

Iowa State vs. Iowa

#8 Iowa State Cyclones Football – 2019 – 15711 Views

#7Naima– 16108 Views

Taylan Howard

#6 Taylan Howard -2020– 21320 Views

Autumn Sharp

#5 Autumn Sharp – 2020– 21852 Views

WEEK 158 - BOREDOM - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT

#4 Weekly Photo Challenge – Year 6– 29218 Views

July 14, 2019

#3 Selfie Project – 2019 – 40726 Views

9 Emotions - Bill

#2 9 Emotions Project – 43867 Views

WEEK 222 - SPORTS/GAMES - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT

#1 Weekly Photo Challenge – Year 7 – 48433 Views

These are the 10 Most Popular Images (by Views):

10. 973 Views

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

9. 1056 Views

Minnesota State Fair - 2019

8. 1063 Views

Rapid City Mission Trip - 2019

7.1082 Views

Thanksgiving - 2019

6. 1116 Views

Howards - 2019

5. 1141 Views

Autumn Sharp

4. 1635 Views

Garrett Larson

3. 1261 Views

Stenslands- 2019

1283 Views

July 15, 2017

1. 2283 Views

January 14, 2019

I’m surprised that THE 9 EMOTIONS PROJECT is still so popular, since I haven’t touched it in over a year. But I do hope to get back to it. In fact, I have purchased a few things to make it possible to get back to THE 9 EMOTIONS PROJECT while safely physically distancing. So if you are interesting in being a victim… err… a subject. You know where to find me.

WPC – WEEK 244 – RULE OF THIRDS

33 straight weeks of double digit submissions! There won’t be an easier theme than RULE OF THIRDS, so I’m not surprised!

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


WEEK 244 - RULE OF THIRDS - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp

WEEK 244 - RULE OF THIRDS - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler

WEEK 244 - RULE OF THIRDS - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker

WEEK 244 - RULE OF THIRDS - ELIZABETH NORDEEN
Elizabeth Nordeen

WEEK 244 - RULE OF THIRDS - ELIZABETH NORDEEN
Elizabeth Nordeen

WEEK 244 - RULE OF THIRDS - TAMARA PETERSON
Tamara Peterson

WEEK 244 - RULE OF THIRDS - BECKY PARMELEE
Becky Parmelee

WEEK 244 - RULE OF THIRDS - MICKY AUGUSTIN
Micky Augustin

WEEK 244 - RULE OF THIRDS - MONICA HENNING
Monica Henning

WEEK 244 - RULE OF THIRDS - JEN ENSLEY-GORSHE
Jen Ensley-Gorshe

WEEK 244 - RULE OF THIRDS - JEN ENSLEY-GORSHE
Jen Ensley-Gorshe

WEEK 244 - RULE OF THIRDS - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland

WEEK 244 - RULE OF THIRDS - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland

WEEK 244 - RULE OF THIRDS - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland

WEEK 244 - RULE OF THIRDS - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland

WEEK 244 - RULE OF THIRDS - MICHELLE HAUPT
Michelle Haupt

WEEK 244 - RULE OF THIRDS - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett

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 245 - SELF-PORTRAIT
SELF-PORTRAIT

SELF-PORTRAIT! What a great theme! A SELF-PORTRAIT is simply when the photographer is taking a picture of themselves!

I can’t wait to see your interpretations!

+++++++

HOUSEKEEPING


A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 RULES DIVISION

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.

Your submission needs to be emailed to bennett@photography139.com by 11 AM on the Monday of the challenge due date.

OR

I now allow people to text me their submissions. In the past, I had made exceptions for a couple people that aren’t real computer savvy, even though it was an inconvenience for me and required at least 3 extra steps for me. I am now lifting that embargo because I have a streamline way of uploading photos. I’m not giving out my phone number, but if you have it, you can text me.

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

Elainie Hernandez is the latest person to show taste, class, and sophistication by signing for a Photography 139 email subscription. She has extended the geographic reach of the Photography 139 empire all the way to San Diego! I was hoping to visit her and Sabas this summer, but I guess we’ll have to wait to see how this pandemic plays out. I’m guessing it just won’t happen. But welcome aboard Elainie!

+++++++

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 self involved Monday!

WPC – WEEK 243 – EMOTIONS

32 straight weeks of double digit submissions! The fourth straight week that I didn’t send any reminder text messages this morning and still made double digit submissions, easy.

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


WEEK 243 - EMOTIONS - JODIE CUE
Jodie Cue

WEEK 243 - EMOTIONS - JODIE CUE
Jodie Cue

WEEK 243 - EMOTIONS - JODIE CUE
Jodie Cue

WEEK 243 - EMOTIONS - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker

WEEK 243 - EMOTIONS - TAMARA PETERSON
Tamara Peterson

WEEK 243 - EMOTIONS - SHANNON BARDOLE-FOLEY
Shannon Bardole-Foley

WEEK 243 - EMOTIONS - BECKY PARMELEE
Becky Parmelee

WEEK 243 - EMOTIONS - AARON BARNETT
Aaron Barnett

WEEK 243 - EMOTIONS - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett

WEEK 243 - EMOTIONS - MONICA HENNING
Monica Henning

WEEK 243 - EMOTIONS - MONICA HENNING
Monica Henning

WEEK 243 - EMOTIONS - ELIZABETH NORDEEN
Elizabeth Nordeen

WEEK 243 - EMOTIONS - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp

WEEK 243 - EMOTIONS - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp

WEEK 243 - EMOTIONS - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp

WEEK 243 - EMOTIONS - MICHELLE HAUPT
Michelle Haupt

WEEK 243 - EMOTIONS - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland

WEEK 243 - EMOTIONS - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland

WEEK 243 - EMOTIONS - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland

WEEK 243 - EMOTIONS - CARLA STENSLAND
Elainie Stensland

WEEK 243 - EMOTIONS - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland

WEEK 243 - EMOTIONS - CATHIE RALEY
Cathie Raley

WEEK 243 - EMOTIONS - MICKY AUGUSTIN
Micky Augustin

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 244 - RULE OF THIRDS
RULE OF THIRDS

RULE OF THIRDS! What a great theme! But what is a RULE OF THIRDS picture. First you need to understand the RULE OF THIRDS:

“The guideline proposes that an image should be imagined as divided into nine equal parts by two equally spaced horizontal lines and two equally spaced vertical lines, and that important compositional elements should be placed along these lines or their intersections.[2] Proponents of the technique claim that aligning a subject with these points creates more tension, energy and interest in the composition than simply centering the subject.”

Most cameras by default have a default grid of the RULE OF THIRDS on the viewfinder. So RULE OF THIRDS should be one of the easiest themes yet!

If you are still struggling with the concept, look at the theme reveal picture. The goal here is to get the subject out of the center of the frame.

I look forward to seeing your interpretations!

+++++++

HOUSEKEEPING


A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 RULES DIVISION

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.

Your submission needs to be emailed to bennett@photography139.com by 11 AM on the Monday of the challenge due date.

OR

I now allow people to text me their submissions. In the past, I had made exceptions for a couple people that aren’t real computer savvy, even though it was an inconvenience for me and required at least 3 extra steps for me. I am now lifting that embargo because I have a streamline way of uploading photos. I’m not giving out my phone number, but if you have it, you can text me.

It should be pointed out that this blog auto-publishes at 12:01 on Mondays. So it wouldn’t hurt to get your picture in earlier.

That is it, them’s the rules.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION DIVISION

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

+++++++

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 off-center Monday!

You Know, I Hurt Myself As Well

35 days working from home in the book. I did discover a new positive about working from home this week. I had to go into the physical computer mine twice this week because Apple products suck. They really do. I have nothing positive to say about them.

But that isn’t the positive. The positive I figured out two positives for working from home on my trip to the mine.

One, I can control the lights in my office. I usually just daylight that streams in from my south facing office windows is enough. But on cloudy days I will sometimes run a lamp. If I need more light for some reason I can turn on the overhead lamp.

The mine has the soul crushing fluorescent lighting that is always on. I miss many things about the mine, but the lighting isn’t one of them.

The other positive, my own toilet paper. Seems like a minor thing, but the toilet paper at the mine leaves a lot to be desired. A lot!

My home listening habits were the same. Life 107.1 from 7-9. Then The Master Playlist until 2 PM roughly. This week I made it all the way to track number 1456, “Don’t Speak” by No Doubt.

A decent pandemic song:

“You and me, we used to be together
Every day together, always
I really feel that I’m losin’ my best friend
I can’t believe this could be the end”

I did delete a couple songs from the Master Playlist for sound quality reasons:

#1337 – “You” by Candlebox
#1299 – “Slow Ride” by Foghat

Pretty sure I will finish off the Master Playlist next week. At that time, it will be time, to start adding to it. That should be fun!

+++++++

Here is a reminder that the Sharp family is collecting empty laundry detergent jugs to fill with homemade laundry detergent to donate to local pantries. They have setup a collection can at the end of their driveway for you to leave your empty jugs.

They live at the very end of Division Street. Keep going south on Division until you can’t go any farther. It is easy and contact free. I dropped off a couple of jugs last night:


Sharp Family Laundry Detergent Company

Sharp Family Laundry Detergent Company

If you can’t find it, drop your jugs off to me and I’ll get them there.

Here are a few pictures of their soap operation that Andy has sent me:


Sharp Family Laundry Detergent Company

Sharp Family Laundry Detergent Company

Sharp Family Laundry Detergent Company

Sharp Family Laundry Detergent Company

Sharp Family Laundry Detergent Company

It is a great ministry and I hope some of you can help them out!

+++++++

Last Saturday I went over to Iowa State to walk the campus with Teresa. While I was there I took a few TREE pictures that didn’t quite make the cut for THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE on Monday. Here are a few of them:


You Know, I Hurt Myself As Well

You Know, I Hurt Myself As Well

You Know, I Hurt Myself As Well

You Know, I Hurt Myself As Well

You Know, I Hurt Myself As Well

You Know, I Hurt Myself As Well

You Know, I Hurt Myself As Well

You Know, I Hurt Myself As Well

You Know, I Hurt Myself As Well

You Know, I Hurt Myself As Well

You Know, I Hurt Myself As Well

You Know, I Hurt Myself As Well

You Know, I Hurt Myself As Well

You Know, I Hurt Myself As Well

You Know, I Hurt Myself As Well

You Know, I Hurt Myself As Well

You Know, I Hurt Myself As Well

You Know, I Hurt Myself As Well

You Know, I Hurt Myself As Well

You Know, I Hurt Myself As Well

You Know, I Hurt Myself As Well

You Know, I Hurt Myself As Well

You Know, I Hurt Myself As Well

You Know, I Hurt Myself As Well

You Know, I Hurt Myself As Well

You Know, I Hurt Myself As Well

You Know, I Hurt Myself As Well

You Know, I Hurt Myself As Well

You Know, I Hurt Myself As Well

You Know, I Hurt Myself As Well

You Know, I Hurt Myself As Well

Iowa State University, still world’s reigning champ for most beautiful campus!

The cherry blossom pictures are from my backyard though.

Elainie Homecoming Ch. 2

I need to start this post by announcing that the Sharp family is making laundry detergent like crazy and donating it to area food banks like IMPACT and the Toreador Pantry.

However, they need more laundry detergent jugs, so they have set up a garbage can at the end of their driveway where people can donate jugs for them to fill. No jug is too small or too big.

You can find the donation dropoff spot at the end of their driveway.

The live at 1005 South Division Street in Boone. Basically keep going south on Division Street until you can’t go any farther. There will be some photos of their work shared at a later point.

Thanks to anybody that donates!

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Happy birthday to Kelly! She doesn’t subscribe to this blog, so she will never see this, but happy birthday anyways:


Howard Family Photo Shoot - 2017

Howards - 2019


I hope it is a great birthday!

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Time for another collection of Stensland pictures I took when Elainie came home last fall:


Stenslands- 2019

Stenslands- 2019

Stenslands- 2019

Stenslands- 2019

Stenslands- 2019

Stenslands- 2019

Stenslands- 2019

Stenslands- 2019

Stenslands- 2019

Stenslands- 2019

Stenslands- 2019

Stenslands- 2019

Stenslands- 2019

Stenslands- 2019

Stenslands- 2019

Stenslands- 2019

Stenslands- 2019

Stenslands- 2019

Stenslands- 2019

Stenslands- 2019

Stenslands- 2019

Stenslands- 2019

Stenslands- 2019

Stenslands- 2019

A reminder that I love the candid pictures that I take between the posed pictures so much more than I do the posed pictures. But that is maybe just me.

So much more coming from Elainie’s homecoming.

WPC – WEEK 242 – TREE

31 straight weeks of double digit submissions!! The third straight week that I didn’t send any reminder text messages this morning and still made double digits like it ain’t no thing, but a chicken wing on a string.

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


WEEK 242 - TREE - MONICA HENNING
Monica Henning

WEEK 242 - TREE - MONICA HENNING
Monica Henning

WEEK 242 - TREE - MONICA HENNING
Monica Henning

WEEK 242 - TREE - MONICA HENNING
Monica Henning

WEEK 242 - TREE - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler

WEEK 242 - TREE - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler

WEEK 242 - TREE - ELIZABETH NORDEEN
Elizabeth Nordeen

WEEK 242 - TREE - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp

WEEK 242 - TREE - ELIZABETH NORDEEN
Elizabeth Nordeen

WEEK 242 - TREE - ELIZABETH NORDEEN
Elizabeth Nordeen

WEEK 242 - TREE - BECKY PARMELEE
Becky Parmelee

WEEK 242 - TREE - AARON BARNETT
Aaron Barnett

WEEK 242 - TREE - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland

WEEK 242 - TREE - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland

WEEK 242 - TREE - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett

WEEK 242 - TREE - MICHELLE HAUPT
Michelle Haupt

WEEK 242 - TREE - TAMARA PETERSON
Tamara Peterson

WEEK 242 - TREE - AARON BARNETT
Aaron Barnett

WEEK 242 - TREE - SHANNON BARDOLE-FOLEY
Shannon Bardole-Foley

WEEK 242 - TREE - LAYLA GORSHE
Layla Gorshe

WEEK 242 - TREE - JEN ENSLEY-GORSHE
Jen Ensley-Gorshe

WEEK 242 - TREE - EVIE GORSHE
Evie Gorshe

WEEK 242 - TREE - CATHIE RALEY
Cathie Raley

WEEK 242 - TREE - LINDA BENNETT
Linda Bennett

WEEK 242 - TREE - MICKY AUGUSTIN
Micky Augustin

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:



EMOTIONS

EMOTIONS! What a great theme! But what is an EMOTIONS photo? An EMOTIONS photo is any photo that shows somebody or something expressing an EMOTION(S). Or it could even be anything that triggers an EMOTION(S) in you. I only know of 9 emotions, and they are as follows:

1. Joy
2. Sadness
3. Anger
4. Amusement
5. Fear
6. Jealousy
7. Surprise
8. Sympathy
9. Boredom

But, I’m sure you can make up some other imaginary EMOTIONS if you want.

As always, I look forward to seeing your interpretations!

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HOUSEKEEPING


A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 RULES DIVISION

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.

Your submission needs to be emailed to bennett@photography139.com by 11 AM on the Monday of the challenge due date.

OR

I now allow people to text me their submissions. In the past, I had made exceptions for a couple people that aren’t real computer savvy, even though it was an inconvenience for me and required at least 3 extra steps for me. I am now lifting that embargo because I have a streamline way of uploading photos. I’m not giving out my phone number, but if you have it, you can text me.

It should be pointed out that this blog auto-publishes at 12:01 on Mondays. So it wouldn’t hurt to get your picture in earlier.

That is it, them’s the rules.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION DIVISION

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

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

ADM vs. Boone

30 days working from home in the book. Although for the first time, I had to go into the mine to do something that couldn’t be done from home. I can’t put into words how much I hate Apple products. The fire of a thousands suns. That is the heat of my hatred for Apple products.

There were only 5 people working in the physical mine when I went there. So I actually got to physically see Kim for the first time since March. I also got to physically see Vest because… let me reiterate how much I hate Apple products.

If you are running a business, buy an adult computer.

I’m not sure if I garnered any more positives from working from home this week. But good things did happen. Baier dropped off an order of 60 chicken wings from Buffalo Wild Wings. Took me some time to get through all of those, but I’m not even mad about it. Although it did set back the timeline for a project I’ve been working on, but that is okay. The fishies of the sea are thankful.

I still haven’t started on the basement. For those asking. Instead, I’ve done a bit of yardwork. Maybe I’ll start on the basement this weekend.

I’ve reached track # 1210 “Freak on a Leash” by Korn. Korn is a band I don’t listen to much any more. Not really at all. Was never a big Korn fan, but they were a part of my listening milieu at one point of my life.

“Freak on a Leash” probably isn’t the best song to ingest during physical distancing. Better than drinking bleach or injecting Lysol, but a sample of the lyrics:

“Sometimes I cannot take this place
Sometimes it’s my life I can’t taste
Sometimes I cannot feel my face
You’ll never see me fall from grace”

I did eliminate several songs from the Master Playlist this week though. All of them because the sound quality on them were really low:

#800 “Ironic” by James Corden and Alanis Morissette
#1052 “Tennessee” by Arrested Development
#1053 “Intergalactic” by Beastie Boys
#1054 “So What’Cha Want” by Beastie Boys
#1055 “Sabotage” by Beastie Boys
#1062 “Mama Said Knock You Out” by LL Cool J
#1101 “If I Were A Boy” by BC Jean

Hope to get to the end of the Master Playlist soon so I can start adding music to it.

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As I have been a cleaning fool, I’ve looked for more and more ways to get Naima’s fur under control. Not the fur on her body, but the fur she leaves everywhere. I have purchased 2 air purifiers. I’m thinking of breaking down and buying a full-sized vacuum cleaner. I haven’t yet, but one thing I did recently breakdown and purchase is the Furzapper.

Furzapper is a product that you throw in your washer and dryer and it zaps the fur on your clothing. It was relatively cheap, so I pulled the trigger and thought I would give it a try.


Furzapper

Furzapper

Wow! Looks great! But do they work? Boy do they!

I started with some gym pants that are by far in the worst shape.


Furzapper

I followed the directions:


Furzapper

In fact, I washed and dried the pants twice. Once alone, and this was the result:


Furzapper

Does that look worse? Cause it look worse to me. So I figured that maybe there were some missing instructions. So here is the complete list of “secret instruction” I discovered.

Step #1: Wash and dry alone.
Step #2: Wash and dry with other clothes.
Step #3: Drive real fast and hold them out the window.


Furzapper

Step #4: Pick off the really big pieces of fur.
Step #5: Run a lint roller over it for 15 minutes.
Step #6: Hang outside on a windy day.
Step #7: Run a lint roller over it again.
Step #8: Drive real fast and hold them out the car window.
Step #9: Wash and dry alone.

After those 9 easy steps, this is the result:


Furzapper

Not perfect, but I can wear them again. In fact, probably wearing them as you read these word!

So if anybody tells you that Furzapper is the worst 15 bucks they ever spent, just tell them about the secret directions that I have uncovered. That is all it takes to make Furzapper appear to work like a champ!

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Last fall Andy requested that I come to photograph Kyle playing in a Boone High football game. It was the first time I have attended a Boone High Football game since Brandon graduated.

Boone has a super young team and I don’t remember the score, but their opponent, ADM dominated the entire game. I think Boone was lucky to get off the field because I think something like 8 Boone players left the game with injuries. Including a kid that had to be taken off the field in an ambulance in the last minutes of the game.

Here are some picture from the night. Kyle is #30. You will also recognize some photos of Autumn and Taylan:


Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

It was quite the experience, but a tough environment to photograph. At least from the stands. It was so packed in there, could barely move in any direction.

I’m sure, if there is high school football this year, I’ll be at a game again this year.