Category Archives: Angie

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 131 – JOY

As I was getting out the hammer to prepare to put the last couple of nails into the WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE coffin, there has been a resurgence of submissions this week, for JOY. I’ll just point out that there are several dog submissions for JOY and zero cat submissions for JOY. I’m not saying that cats suck, but you know, cats suck.

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


WEEK 131 - JOY - CATHIE RALEY
Cathie Raley

WEEK 131 - JOY - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker

WEEK 131 - JOY - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett

WEEK 131 - JOY - SARA LOCKNER
Sara Lockner

WEEK 131 - JOY - MICHELLE HAUPT
Michelle Haupt

WEEK 131 - JOY - ANGIE DEWAARD
Angie DeWaard

WEEK 131 - JOY - TAMARA PETERSON
Tamara Peterson

WEEK 131 - JOY - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp

WEEK 131 - JOY - BECKY PARMELEE
Becky Parmelee

WEEK 131 - JOY - 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 132 - AGRICULTURE
AGRICULTURE

AGRICULTURE! What a great theme! But what does it mean.

Well totalitarian agriculture is what keeps you showing up for work every day, even though your job seems to be slowly killing your soul, one TPS report at a time. You see a long, long, long time ago, the 1% figured out that if they locked up all of the food, they could control the rest of the population by throwing them scraps…

Oh… sorry wrong blog…

Here is a fair to excellent description of AGRICULTURE:

the science or practice of farming, including cultivation of the soil for the growing of crops and the rearing of animals to provide food, wool, and other products.

I know this will be an easy theme for somebody like me that is practically self-sustaining with the wide array of fruits and vegetables and whatever rhubarb is considered that I grow, but I know not everybody has my neon green thumb. But think about it. Almost everything you eat is a result of AGRICULTURE.Except tofu. I think tofu comes from Hades. Everything you wear. AGRICULTURE.

I will add that there is only one correct color for tractors and its hexadecimal number is #387B2B. It can be accented nicely with #FBE017.

As always, I look forward to seeing your interpretations!

HOUSEKEEPING

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 RULES DIVISION

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

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

That is it, them’s the rules.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION DIVISION

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

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

Roundball Oracles – Year 14

It is once again time for the Roundball Oracles NCAA Tournament Pool.

I want to start by saying that Paul and Shannon, your trophies for last years accomplishment and “accomplishment” are on order. They will be in your possession by the end of next week.

Here is the proof that I ordered the trophies:




The pool is your pretty standard pool. Pick the games. Pick the final score of the championship game. Win a trophy. This year, I’ll deliver on the trophy much earlier.

The pool doesn’t cost anything, but pride, but the winner gets a trophy and the last place adult (that tried) gets The Sara Trophy.

Here is a list of past champions.

The List of Immortals:

2017 – Paul Golden
2016 – Michelle Haupt
2015 – Derek Dohrman
2014 – Brandon Kahler
2013 – William McAlpine
2012 – Lowell Davis
2011 – Carrie Baier
2010 – Mark Wolfram
2009 – Mark Wolfram
2008 – Mark Wolfram
2007 – Tim Peterson
2006 – William McAlpine
2005 – William McAlpine

Last year 38 people took their shot at mortality. Paul Golden came home the winner. Shannon Bardole came home with The Sara.

Last Year’s Standings:

RANK TEAM NAME SCORE
1 Paul Golden 260
2 Frank Meiners 252
3 Angie DeWaard 247
4 Michelle Haupt 242
5 shawn lockner 238
6 Jen Ensley-Gorshe 231
7 Jorge Rios 231
8 Andree Jauhari 226
9 tim peterson 226
10 Jordan Toot 225
11 Carrie Baier 225
12 Toby Sebring 224
13 Lowell Davis 222
14 JJ Baier 221
15 Logan Kahler 220
16 Jason Baier 218
17 Dae Hee Yoon 213
18 Jackson Faust 211
19 Dawn Krause 209
20 Jon DeWaard 208
21 Nader Parsaei 204
22 Derek Dohrman 203
23 William Baier 202
24 Robert Henning 194
25 Christopher Bennett
26 Bill Wentworth 193
27 Rachel Johnson 192 36
28 Russell Kennerly 190
29 Nate Miller 189
30 Michael Augustin
31 Derrick Gorshe 181
32 Elizabeth Nordeen 164
33 Laura Priest 162
34 Corey Faust 160
35 Jill Gorshe 152
36 Shannon Bardole 149
37 Olivia Baier 143
38 Benjamin Baier 121

If you are interested in participating this year, drop me an email and I’ll get you hooked up.

If this post seems kind of low energy, don’t worry, Iowa State and my passion for the tournament will be back again next year!

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 129 – SHADOW

The weather is getting better. Participation rates took the slightest uptick. Maybe next week it will take a big uptick??

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


WEEK 129 - SHADOW - ANGIE DEWAARD
Angie DeWaard

WEEK 129 - SHADOW - ANGIE DEWAARD
Angie DeWaard

WEEK 129 - SHADOW - MICKY AUGUSTIN
Micky Augustin

WEEK 129 - SHADOW - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett

WEEK 129 - SHADOW - TAMARA PETERSON
Tamara Peterson

WEEK 129 - SHADOW - STEPHANIE KIM
Stephanie Kim
This doesn’t look like much but it’s a room at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West home in Scottsdale, Arizona. There are lights in the floor and from above but he created this lighting effect to mimic the mountains in the area!

WEEK 129 - SHADOW - SARA LOCKNER
Sara Lockner

A solid week of submissions!

But enough dwelling on the past. Time to look to the future. We are all interested in the future, for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives. And remember my friend, future events such as these will affect you in the future! This week’s theme:


WEEK 130 - ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT! What a great theme! But what is an ABSRACT photograph? Well here is a decent definition courtesy of the Googles:

art that does not attempt to represent external reality, but seeks to achieve its effect using shapes, forms, colors, and textures.

Okay, great. Sounds like a picture that you messed up and now you’re calling it ABSTRACT. Take it easy there. Yes, sometimes you can screw up a picture so bad that it turns out abstract. Just a swirl of colors and shapes. But that can be beautiful as well.

However, here are a couple of suggestions for purposefully creating an abstract image.

1. Take a long exposure (in the dark) of lights. Hand hold the camera or move the camera around. Or move the lights around. (For example, the picture in the ABSTRACT reveal was taken with a 5 second exposure while I handheld my camera and drove by that semi rollover out on Ericson Corner last night on my way back from Buffalo Wild Wings following by rec leagues team banquet last night.
2. Another way to do an abstract image is to pick something fairly colorful and take a picture of it completely out of focus. You will have a lot more control of your final image this way. I don’t know if it is as much fun though.
3. You could also find an abstract piece of art and photograph it. The Computer Mine is lousy with abstract art, for example.

As always, I look forward to seeing your interpretations.

HOUSEKEEPING

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 RULES DIVISION

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

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

That is it, them’s the rules.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION DIVISION

On Friday night I went to The Open Flame in horrible Gilbert, Iowa for Andy’s birthday party extravaganza. While there, Andy convinced Jaxon Schoff to become the latest person to show class, taste, and sophistication by signing up for a Photography 139 email subscription. Jaxon might be the youngest subscriber currently. He is in the 8th Grade. But to think, if he is showing this much taste, class, and sophistication now… well he has av very bright future. America has a very bright future. If you see him out walking the mean county roads of rural Boone County feel free to give him a knowing glance and show him the super secret Photography 139 Handshake.

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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 abstract Monday!

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 124 – COLORFUL

A pretty decent amount of people had their creative bell rung by COLORFUL. At least that is what I will tell myself to get to sleep tonight.

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


WEEK 124 - COLORFUL - ANDY SHARP
ANDY SHARP

WEEK 124 - COLORFUL - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT

WEEK 124 - COLORFUL - CARLA STENSLAND
CARLA STENSLAND

WEEK 124 - COLORFUL - STEPHANIE KIM
STEPHANIE KIM

WEEK 124 - COLORFUL - STEPHANIE KIM
STEPHANIE KIM

WEEK 124 - COLORFUL - ANGIE DEWAARD
ANGIE DEWAARD

WEEK 124 - COLORFUL - TAMARA PETERSON
TAMARA PETERSON

WEEK 124 - COLORFUL - CATHIE RALEY
CATHIE RALEY

WEEK 124 - COLORFUL - LINDA BENNETT
LINDA BENNETT

WEEK 124 - COLORFUL - KIM BARKER
KIM BARKER

WEEK 124 - COLORFUL - KIM BARKER
KIM BARKER

What a great week of submissions!

But enough dwelling on the past. Time to look to the future. We are all interested in the future, for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives. And remember my friend, future events such as these will affect you in the future! This week’s theme:


WEEK 125 - JEALOUSY
JEALOUSY!

JEALOUSY! What a great theme! What a tough theme! I consider this to be maybe the toughest theme is this set of 52 themes. What is a JEALOUSY picture? A JEALOUSY picture would be of somebody being JEALOUS(Y) of somebody else. For example of an Iowa Hawkeye fan being JEALOUS(Y) of an Iowa State Cyclone fan for having a college education. Or another example would be showing something that makes you JEALOUS(Y). I don’t have a very good example for this, I experience JEALOUSY so rare.

As always, I look forward to your interpretations.

HOUSEKEEPING

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 RULES DIVISION

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

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

That is it, them’s the rules.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION DIVISION

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

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

**************************************

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

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 123 – FOOD

There was a healthy participation rate this week for FOOD, but I have to confess that I thought it would be even more popular. After all, every single person that is reading these words ate FOOD last week. Perhaps were still in the Seasonal Photography Depression Window. But thanks to everybody that submitted a photo. Participation looks good on you!

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


WEEK 123 - FOOD - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker

WEEK 123 - FOOD - TAMARA PETERSON
Tamara Peterson

WEEK 123 - FOOD - ANGIE DEWAARD
Angie Dewaard

WEEK 123 - FOOD - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett

WEEK 123 - FOOD - BECKY PARMELEE
Becky Parmelee

WEEK 123 - FOOD - MICKY AUGUSTIN
Micky Augustin

WEEK 123 - FOOD - SARA LOCKNER
Sara Lockner

Russell take notice. There are at least a few other people out there that like to take pictures of their food!

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 124 - COLORFUL
COLORFUL

COLORFUL! What a great theme! What does it mean? Think about something in your drab existence that lacks color. Like say you work in a cube farm. Endless dreary walls of gray. In that existence, something bright and saturated really stands out. Look for things that really stand out due to their near excess in color. Then photograph them.

As always, I look forward to your interpretations!

HOUSEKEEPING

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 RULES DIVISION

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

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

That is it, them’s the rules.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION DIVISION

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

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

**************************************

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

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 120 – LOW PERSPECTIVE

After last week’s disaster of participation, participation rates took a slight uptick. Even as temperatures in central Iowa dipped to below -10.

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


WEEK 120 - LOW PERSPECTIVE - CATHIE RALEY
CATHIE RALEY

WEEK 120 - LOW PERSPECTIVE - CARLA STENSLAND
CARLA STENSLAND

WEEK 120 - LOW PERSPECTIVE - KIM BARKER
KIM BARKER

WEEK 120 - LOW PERSPECTIVE - SHANNON BARDOLE-FOLEY
SHANNON BARDOLE-FOLEY

WEEK 120 - LOW PERSPECTIVE - ANGIE DEWAARD
ANGIE DEWAARD

WEEK 120 - LOW PERSPECTIVE - 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 121 - RUINS
RUINS!

RUINS! What a great theme! But what does it mean? Find something that is falling apart. Something that isn’t in the best shape. Something that is rusty. Something that’s best days are behind it. Photograph it.

As always, I look forward to seeing your interpretations!

HOUSEKEEPING

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 RULES DIVISION

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

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

That is it, them’s the rules.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION DIVISION

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

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

**************************************

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

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE REMINDER – FLOWERS

ANNOUNCEMENT: I WILL BE A PALL BEARER AT A FUNERAL AT THE TIME THAT THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE PICTURES ARE NORMALLY PUBLISHED AND THE THEME FOR THE FOLLOWING WEEK IS REVEALED. DON’T PANIC ON MONDAY WHEN THE NEW THEME ISN’T REVEALED AT 12:01 PM. IT WILL BE REVEALED AT SOME POINT ON MONDAY. DON’T WORRY. I WILL FEED YOU BABY BIRDS!

A reminder that this week’s theme is FLOWERS:


WEEK 118 - FLOWERS
FLOWERS!

I could come up with some kind of fancy pants elitist definition for what would constitute a FLOWERS picture, but instead, I’ll just show you a few examples:


FLOWER - LOSER

WEEK 45 - FLOWER - CARLA STENSLAND 5
Carla Stensland

WEEK 45 - FLOWER - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker

WEEK 45 - FLOWER - STEPHANIE KIM
Stephanie Kim

WEEK 45 - FLOWER - MIKE VEST 1
Mike Vest

WEEK 45 - FLOWER - ANGIE DEWAARD
Angie DeWaard

That should get your photography blood pumping.

Happy photo harvesting!

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 116 – PORTRAIT

The theme PORTRAIT was the least popular theme for THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE in years. A bit surprising because usually I get quite a selection of pictures of children and grandchildren. A little disturbing to me that children have fallen so out of favor with this group of people. But I get it. Children. They are here to replace us. You have to watch them all the time!

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


WEEK 116 - PORTRAIT - ANGIE DEWAARD
Angie DeWaard

WEEK 116 - PORTRAIT - BECKY PARMELEE
Becky Parmelee

WEEK 116 - PORTRAIT - CATHIE RALEY
Cathie Raley

WEEK 116 - PORTRAIT - MICHELLE HAUPT
Michelle Haupt

WEEK 116 - PORTRAIT - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett

WEEK 116 - PORTRAIT - TAMARA PETERSON
Tamara Peterson

A solid week of submissions!

But enough dwelling on the past. Time to look to the future. We are all interested in the future, for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives. And remember my friend, future events such as these will affect you in the future! This week’s theme:


WEEK 117 - WATER
WATER!

WATER! What a great theme! I don’t think I need to define WATER for you. It is literally everywhere. Granted most of it is polluted because one of the ingredients in the recipe to make humans is something like 30% stupidity. Higher in certain parts of the South and Nebraska. However, it is still there. For now!

As always, I look forward to your interpretations.

HOUSEKEEPING

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 RULES DIVISION

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

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

That is it, them’s the rules.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION DIVISION

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

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

**************************************

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

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE REMINDER – PORTRAIT

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


WEEK 116 - PORTRAIT
PORTRAIT

Here is a good definition of PORTRAIT provide by the good folks at Wikipedia:

Portrait photography or portraiture in photography is a photograph of a person or group of people that captures the personality of the subject by using effective lighting, backdrops, and poses. A portrait picture might be artistic, or it might be clinical, as part of a medical study.

Seems simple enough! Here are a few examples:


LOSER - PORTRAIT

PORTRAIT - LOSER

Faceless Portrait Loser

WEEK 91 - PORTRAIT - MICKY AUGUSTIN 1
Micky Augustin

WEEK 34 - PORTRAIT - ANGIE DEWAARD 1
Angie DeWaard

WEEK 34 - PORTRAIT - CARLA STENSLAND 1
Carla Stensland

WEEK 91 - PORTRAIT - MIKE VEST 2
Mike Vest

WEEK 68 - SELF-PORTRAIT - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT

AMUSEMENT - DAE HEE YOON

WEEK 34 - PORTRAIT - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker

That collection ought to get your creative juices flowing!

Happy photo harvesting!