Category Archives: Becky

WPC – WEEK 271 – NIGHT

Over the weekend I finalized the list for the next 52 themes. I will release the new list sometime in early December with a small explanation of how I arrived at the new list. Thanks again to Andy for being the only person to suggest theme ideas. A few of them were incorporated into the new set of themes. Until that day, continue to enjoy the Hall of Fame Theme List.

This was a theme I was worried about breaking the double digit streak, but I had double digit submissions before I even woke up on Monday morning! 60 straight weeks!! WooHoo!

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


WEEK 271 - NIGHT - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp

WEEK 271 - NIGHT - ELIZABETH NORDEEN
Elizabeth Nordeen

WEEK 271 - NIGHT - ELIZABETH NORDEEN
Elizabeth Nordeen

WEEK 271 - NIGHT - MICKY AUGUSTIN
Micky Augustin

WEEK 271 - NIGHT - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman

WEEK 271 - NIGHT - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman

WEEK 271 - NIGHT - SHANNON BARDOLE-FOLEY
Shannon Bardole-Foley

WEEK 271 - NIGHT - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman

WEEK 271 - NIGHT - TAMARA PETERSON
Tamara Peterson

WEEK 271 - NIGHT - JOE DUFF
Joe Duff

WEEK 271 - NIGHT - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett

WEEK 271 - NIGHT - BECKY PARMELEE
Becky Parmelee

WEEK 271 - NIGHT - CATHIE RALEY
Cathie Raley

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 272 - RUINS
RUINS

RUINS! What a great theme! But what is a RUINS picture? A RUINS picture is simply a picture of something that is falling apart. Something that has been abandoned. Something that has seen better days.

Here is a look back at all the times in the past RUINS has been a WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE theme:

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 30 – RUINS

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 103 – RUINS

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 121 – RUINS

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 177 – RUINS

WPC – WEEK 211 – RUINS

I look forward to seeing your new 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 ruined Monday!

WPC – WEEK 263 – STILL LIFE

We did it fam! 52 straight weeks of double digit submissions! I can hardly believe it. That means it shouldn’t be an issue to continue to get great participation rates as we slowly move into the colder and colder temperatures in the coming months. Don’t forget to get your flu shot!

Also, remember that next Monday marks the beginning of early voting in Iowa. Also known as in-person absentee voting.

Absentee Voting in Person
You may cast an absentee ballot in person at your county auditor’s office before any election.

You must vote your absentee ballot at the auditor’s office. You cannot take the ballot home with you.

For voters who need assistance in marking their ballots, an accessible ballot marking device is available at the county auditor’s office.

For primary and general elections, absentee ballots will be available no earlier than 29 days at the county auditors’ offices. For all other elections, ballots will be available as soon as they are ready, but not sooner than 29 days before an election.

In-person absentee voting is not available on election day at the auditor’s office unless the polls open at noon. If the polls open at noon, you may cast an absentee ballot at the county auditor’s office from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. on election day.

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


WEEK 263 - STILL LIFE - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman

WEEK 263 - STILL LIFE - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman

WEEK 263 - STILL LIFE - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman

WEEK 263 - STILL LIFE - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman

WEEK 263 - STILL LIFE - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp

WEEK 263 - STILL LIFE - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp

WEEK 263 - STILL LIFE - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker

WEEK 263 - STILL LIFE - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland

WEEK 263 - STILL LIFE - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland

WEEK 263 - STILL LIFE - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman

WEEK 263 - STILL LIFE - TAMARA PETERSON
Tamara Peterson

WEEK 263 - STILL LIFE - BECKY PARMELEE
Becky Parmelee

WEEK 263 - STILL LIFE - BECKY PARMELEE
Becky Parmelee

WEEK 263 - STILL LIFE - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETTT
Christopher D. Bennett

WEEK 263 - STILL LIFE - SHANNON BARDOLE-FOLEY
Shannon Bardole-Foley

WEEK 263 - STILL LIFE - MICKY AUGUSTIN
Micky Augustin

WEEK 263 - STILL LIFE - CATHIE RALEY
Cathie Raley

WEEK 263 - STILL LIFE - LOGAN KAHLER
Logan Kahler

WEEK 263 - STILL LIFE - LOGAN KAHLER
Logan Kahler

WEEK 263 - STILL LIFE - JOE DUFF
Joe Duff

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 264 - SIGNS
SIGNS

SIGNS! What a great theme! No wonder is in THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE HALL OF FAME! But what is a SIGNS photo? Any image where a SIGN(S) is an important compositional element of the image. Remember there are more than one kind of SIGN(S). In the theme reveal image, there is the street sign that indicates a “T” intersection. But the dark clouds are also a sign of a coming storm. Tamara’s submission this week is an example of a SIGNS image.

Click on the links below, to see the 7 times in the past where SIGNS has been a theme:

RWPE #12 – SIGNS

RWPE Y2 #46 – SIGNS

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE WEEK 2 – SIGNS

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 55 – SIGNS

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 135 – SIGNS

WPC – WEEK 200 – SIGNS

WPC – WEEK 247 – SIGNS

I look forward to seeing your new 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 signaled Monday!

WPC – WEEK 262 – WATER

Can you believe it? 51 straight weeks of double digit submission! 1 week short of a full year of double digit submissions! WooHoo!

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


WEEK 261 - WATER - ELIZABETH NORDEEN
ELIZABETH NORDEEN

WEEK 261 - WATER - ANDY SHARP
ANDY SHARP

WEEK 261 - WATER - CARLA STENSLAND
CARLA STENSLAND

WEEK 261 - WATER - CARLA STENSLAND
CARLA STENSLAND

WEEK 261 - WATER - MICKY AUGUSTIN
MICKY AUGUSTIN

WEEK 261 - WATER - TAMARA PETERSON
TAMARA PETERSON


CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT


BECKY PARMELEE

WEEK 261 - WATER - BECKY PARMELEE
BECKY PARMELEE

WEEK 261 - WATER - BECKY PARMELEE
BECKY PARMELEE

WEEK 261 - WATER - CARLA STENSLAND
CARLA STENSLAND

WEEK 261 - WATER - KIO DETTMAN
KIO DETTMAN

WEEK 262 - WATER - KIM BARKER
KIM BARKER

WEEK 262 - WATER - CATHIE RALEY
CATHIE RALEY

WEEK 262 - WATER - CATHIE RALEY
CATHIE RALEY

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 263 - STILL LIFE
STILL LIFE

STILL LIFE! What a great theme! But what is a STILL LIFE photo? A STILL LIFE photo is any image of an inanimate object. Usually one that you have posed, but not necessarily. From this week, Elizabeth, Kio’s, and Kim’s photos are excellent examples of STILL LIFE.

Here is a look back at the 7 previous times STILL LIFE was a WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE theme:

RWPE #25 – STILL LIFE

RWPE Y2 #10 – STILL LIFE

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 12 – STILL LIFE

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 61 – STILL LIFE

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 127 – STILL LIFE

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 184 – STILL LIFE

WPC – WEEK 214 – STILL LIFE

A look forward to your new 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 still Monday!

WPC – WEEK 261 – MACRO

Woohoo!! 50 straight weeks of double digit submissions! Starting off the Hall of Fame segment of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE in style!

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


WEEK 261 - MACRO - CATHIE RALEY
Cathie Raley

WEEK 261 - MACRO - CATHIE RALEY
Cathie Raley

WEEK 261 - MACRO - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland

WEEK 261 - MACRO - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland

WEEK 261 - MACRO - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman

WEEK 261 - MACRO - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett

WEEK 261 - MACRO - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman

WEEK 261 - MACRO - TAMARA PETERSON
Tamara Peterson

WEEK 261 - MACRO - TAMARA PETERSON
Tamara Peterson

WEEK 261 - MACRO - BECKY PARMELEE
Becky Parmelee

WEEK 261 - MACRO - MONICA HENNING
Monica Henning

WEEK 261 - MACRO - MONICA HENNING
Monica Henning

WEEK 261 - MACRO - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker

WEEK 261 - MACRO - SHANNON BARDOLE-FOLEY
Shannon Bardole-Foley

WEEK 261 - MACRO - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler

WEEK 261 - MACRO - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler

WEEK 261 - MACRO - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler

WEEK 261 - MACRO - LOGAN KAHLER
Logan Kahler

WEEK 262 - MACRO - MIKE VEST
Mike Vest

WEEK 261 - MACRO - ELIZABETH NORDEEN
Elizabeth Nordeen

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:



WATER

WATER! What a great theme! But what is a WATER image? It is any image where WATER plays a major compositional element in the photo.

Here is a look back at the previous 7 times that WATER was a theme:

RWPE #9 – WET

RWPE Y2 #50 – WET

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 8 – WATER

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 94 – WATER

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 117 – WATER

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 185 – WATER

WPC – WEEK 235 – WATER

I look forward to seeing the new 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 wet Monday!

WPC – WEEK 260 – SKY

We did it! 49 straight weeks of double digit submissions! This week, I did have to pull over next to Ulysses S. Grant’s house and rattle a few cages, but we did make it to double digit submissions!

This is a wrap on the 7th year of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE. There were 857 submissions for this set of 52 themes. If you want a walk down memory lane, click on the link below:

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – YEAR 7

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


WEEK 260 - SKY - ELIZABETH NORDEEN
Elizabeth Nordeen

WEEK 260 - SKY - LOGAN KAHLER
Logan Kahler

WEEK 260 - SKY - LOGAN KAHLER
Logan Kahler

WEEK 260 - SKY - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp

WEEK 260 - SKY - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp

WEEK 260 - SKY - MICKY AUGUSTIN
Micky Augustin

WEEK 260 - SKY - DAWN KRAUSE
Dawn Krause

WEEK 260 - SKY - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker

WEEK 260 - SKY - CATHIE RALEY
Cathie Raley

WEEK 260 - SKY - JODIE CUE
Jodie Cue

WEEK 260 - SKY - JESSE HOWARD
Jesse Howard

WEEK 260 - SKY - SHANNON BARDOLE-FOLEY
Shannon Bardole-Foley

WEEK 260 - SKY - BECKY PARMELEE
Becky Parmelee

WEEK 260 - SKY - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler

WEEK 260 - SKY - 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 261 - MACRO
Macro

MACRO! What a great theme! But what is a MACRO photo? It is basically a close-up photo of something.

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 close Monday!

WEEK 261 THEME REVEAL – MACRO

First of all, happy Labor Day. I hope you spend sometime to day thinking about how much better your life is because of organized labor movements. For example, you like weekends? Thank you unions! You like fair wages and relative income equality? Well, this has begun slipping away, but thank you unions for these things almost existing at one time. You like not having to send your 6 year old to work in the coal mine? Thank you unions! You like having widespread employer-based health coverage? Well actually, it is an extremely stupid idea to tie people’s health coverage to their job, but it is a vast improvement from before when next to nobody had health insurance. Thank you unions! Finally, do you like the Family and Medical Leave Act? This law requires employers to provide up to 12 weeks of job-protected unpaid leave annually to care for a newborn, newly adopted child, seriously ill family member or for your own illness. Thank you unions!

++++++

If my vacation is going as planned, I’m somewhere on a road or in a park in eastern Iowa right now. Therefore, I will publish this week’s submissions later tonight or early tomorrow morning. Sometime after I get back to the Photography 139 worldwide headquarters.

However, just because I’m out gallivanting around, doesn’t mean you can’t start on this week’s theme. It is:


WEEK 261 - MACRO
MACRO

MACRO! Wait, didn’t we just do MACRO 3 weeks ago? In fact we did. Last week’s theme SKY represented the end of Year 7 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE. With the end, I’ve decided I want to line up the beginning of Year 7 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE with the beginning of the calendar year. The problem, it is 17 weeks until 2021. I know, that seems like forever and a day. But the real question was, what to do in the 17 week interim? Give you guys a 17 week break. Nah fam. I’m gong to have 17 weeks of Hall of Fame of themes.

What does that mean?

Well, I went through the list of every theme we’ve had over the 7 years of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE. I compiled a list of the themes that we have used the most and created a list of 17 themes that have been used the most. Actually, the list ended up being 22 themes, and then 4 had to sadly be eliminated. I mean, they were sent to the farm to live with grandpa.

5 themes have been used in every set of 52 THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE themes:

1. SELF-PORTRAIT
2. SIGNS
3. MACRO
4. STILL LIFE
5. WATER

2 themes have been used in 6 out of 7 sets.

6. BLACK & WHITE
7. ANIMAL

15 themes have been used in 5 out of 7 sets.

8. FRAMED
9. REFLECTION
10. SHADOW
11. NIGHT
12. TREE
13. FOOD
14. FLOWER
15. ART
16. ROAD TRIP
17. RELIGION
18. MUSIC
19. COLORFUL
20. FACELESS PORTRAIT
21. RUINS
22. TRANSPORTATION

I randomly eliminated 5 themes from the third set to get to my Hall of Fame list of 17:

1. MACRO
2. WATER
3. STILL LIFE
4. SIGNS
5. SELF-PORTRAIT
6. BLACK AND WHITE
7. ANIMAL
8. FRAMED
9. TREE
10. ART
11. NIGHT
12. RUINS
13. FOOD
14. FACELESS PORTRAIT
15. COLORFUL
16. ROAD TRIP
17. TRANSPORTATION

Now you know the list and order for all the themes for the rest of 2020.

If you want to take a look back at the ghosts of MACRO past, here are the links to the 7 previous times that MACRO was the theme for THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE:

RWPE #13 MACRO

RWPE Y2 #5 MACRO

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 50- MACRO

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 66 – MACRO

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 109 – MACRO

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 175 – MACRO

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 257 – MACRO

THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE was originally called THE RANDOM WEEKLY PHOTO EXPERIMENT. It was first published on January 14, 2010. While I am not its guardian, it was originally more of an idea by Vest. Originally the submissions were published on both of our websites. Well, his submission and my submission were published on both websites. Then whomever else we got to submit were published on their respective websites.

On Monday mornings, a new theme was spit out by a random generator program that Vest wrote. The very first theme was USE OF SPACE. Now I write up the entire list of 52 themes and put it into a list generator website. Whatever it spits back out is the order of the themes.

THE RANDOM WEEKLY PHOTO EXPERIMENT was for a from a success. I was lucky to get 3 to 4 submissions on a good week. I cancelled THE RANDOM WEEKLY PHOTO EXPERIMENT after two years. The final theme was SELF-PORTRAIT. It was published on January 2, 2012. There were only two submissions. My submission and Vest’s submission. In fact, you had to go all the way back to November 21, 2011 to find a submission from somebody besides me or Vest. There was one submission by Jesse for the theme SIGNS.

I pulled the plug, and thought is was a fun attempt at getting participation for the website. However it failed miserably. However, every once in awhile, people would tell me that they missed it and wished I would bring it back. I mostly ignored these people, because if they enjoyed it so much, I’m pretty sure that they would have submitted. Finally after about the fifth different person pushed for its return, I reluctantly brought it back. This time, under the new name, THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE.

On September 21, 2015 THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE burst from its tomb like Lazarus. Resurrected by a groundswell of support. The theme for the first week was NIGHT. There were submissions from Angie, Becky, Micky, Michelle, Dawn, and Vest. It was good start, but I expected it to peter out quickly. Here we are, 5 years later. To my amazement, the strongest this weird little experiment that Vest and I started in 2010 is somehow the strongest it has ever been.

I thank everybody that participates. Either every once in a while or every week. It really is one of my favorite parts of running this website. To everybody that thinks about participating, but just hasn’t pulled the plug. Remember, it doesn’t have to be a masterpiece. The idea of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE isn’t to create a masterpiece. The point is to create!

WPC – WEEK 257 – MACRO

I need to start today by wishing my eldest sister Teresa a happy birthday. Happy birthday Teresa!


Kentucky Vacation - 2008

Bennett Family Photo Shoot - 2017

PORTRAIT - ALTERNATE

Teresa and Ernie

Teresa Birthday - 2008

I hope your birthday is as amazing as you want it to be!

+++++++

Can you believe it? 46 straight weeks of double digit submissions! I thought for sure the derecho would maybe put a hitch in THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE’S giddy up this week. But it was barely even a bump in the road for most of you. The rest of you, I’m going to assume you still don’t have power and your roof is lying in your neighbor’s field.

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


WEEK 257 - MACRO - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp

WEEK 257 - MACRO - BECK PARMELEE
Becky Parmelee

WEEK 257 - MACRO - ANGIE DEWAARD
Angie DeWaard

WEEK 257 - MACRO - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland

WEEK 257 - MACRO - JODIE CUE
Jodie Cue

WEEK 257 - MACRO - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett

WEEK 257 - MACRO - JODIE CUE
Jodie Cue

WEEK 257 - MACRO - JODIE CUE
Jodie Cue

WEEK 257 - MACRO - JODIE CUE
Jodie Cue

WEEK 257 - MACRO - JODIE CUE
Jodie Cue

WEEK 257 - MACRO - JODIE CUE
Jodie Cue

WEEK 257 - MACRO - SHANNON BARDOLE-FOLEY
Shannon Bardole-Foley

WEEK 257 - MACRO - TAMARA PETERSON
Tamara Peterson

WEEK 257 - MACRO - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker

WEEK 257 - MACRO - ELIZABETH NORDEEN
Elizabeth Nordeen

WEEK 257 - MACRO - ELIZABETH NORDEEN
Elizabeth Nordeen

WEEK 257 - MACRO - LOGAN KAHLER
Logan Kahler

WEEK 257 - MACRO - 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 258 - RELIGION
RELIGION

RELIGION! What a great theme! But what is a RELIGION photo? A RELIGION photo is a photo of anything that deals with the practice of a RELIGION. From a picture of a holy book or a place of worship or a worship service or a symbol of RELIGION.

I look forward to 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 religious Monday!

WPC – WEEK 252 – FACELESS PORTRAIT

41 straight weeks of double digit submissions! WooHoo! Once again, I didn’t even have to send out reminder message this morning!

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


WEEK 252 - FACELESS PORTRAIT - MICKY AUGUSTIN
Micky Augustin

WEEK 252 - FACELESS PORTRAIT - MICHELLE HAUPT
Michelle Haupt

WEEK 252 - FACELESS PORTRAIT - TAMARA PETERSON
Tamara Peterson

WEEK 252 - FACELESS PORTRAIT - BECKY PARMELEE
Becky Parmelee

WEEK 252 - FACELESS PORTRAIT - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland

WEEK 252 - FACELESS PORTRAIT - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett

WEEK 252 - FACELESS PORTRAIT - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp

WEEK 252 - FACELESS PORTRAIT - ELIZABETH NORDEEN
Elizabeth Nordeen

WEEK 252 - FACELESS PORTRAIT - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker

WEEK 252 - FACELESS PORTRAIT - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker

WEEK 252 - FACELESS PORTRAIT - JASON FOLEY
Jason Foley

WEEK 252 - FACELESS PORTRAIT - CATHIE RALEY
Cathie Raley

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 253 - NIGHT
NIGHT

NIGHT! What a great theme! But what is a NIGHT photo? It is literally any photo taken at NIGHT. I know this one might be challenging for some people, but it doesn’t have to be taken outside. Doesn’t have to be a picture of a NIGHT sky. It just has to be taken at NIGHT. Easy!

Although, I do have to confess that this is one of the themes that I worry will snap the double digit streak. I hope you guys blow my doubts out of the water.

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 dark Monday!

WPC – WEEK 250 – ABSTRACT

The Boone Chamber announced on Friday that they are cancelling Pufferbilly Days. I think it is the only responsible thing that they can do. I was worried that they would hold it, after the Boone County Fair decided to go on. Pufferbilly Days worried more than the Boone County Fair because way more people come to Pufferbilly Days and from way more places. Put in conjunction with IMCA Super Nationals, it was not going to be a good situation for the Coronavirus in Boone.

Here is the press release:

After much consideration, deliberation, research and countless hours of working to find solutions that would provide a safe and fun environment for patrons that would attend the Pufferbilly Days™ festival, the Boone County Chamber of Commerce has decided to cancel the celebration for 2020. A number of factors played a part in arriving at this decision:

• Guidance from the Boone County Board of Health:

– Despite earlier projections in April and May of a lessening of COVID-19 cases to a level of nearly eliminating positive test outcomes by September, current case numbers have not declined to the levels previously expected and new projections show the potential for a reoccurrence by that time this year.

– With the Farm Progress Show and the IMCA Supernationals, two major events typically attended by visitors from outside Boone County and the state, and that immediately precede Pufferbilly Days™, the potential for a surge or hotspot of cases greatly increases and could substantially tax local healthcare resources beyond capacity.

• Currently two of Pufferbilly Days™ key festival buildings are in use by Boone County Public Health, providing drive-up COVID-19 testing, and we are committed to their continued use in this manner.

• Early indications show that it will be difficult to find enough volunteers to staff key locations for each of the planned Pufferbilly Days™ activities and across the festival grounds, making it difficult to operate events.

• Key event registrations are far behind normal numbers for this time of the year signaling the likelihood of considerable funding shortfalls and putting future festivals at risk.

In attempting to stay on course for the 2020 Pufferbilly Days™ festival it was our hope and intention to provide a “light at the end of the tunnel”, a degree of normalcy, and an opportunity for the citizens of Boone County to finally get out and enjoy what makes our area special. In arriving at this difficult decision today we believe that the challenge to provide a safe and fun environment is unattainable, financially unfeasible, and would leave our loyal festival-goers too vulnerable to the transmission of the coronavirus.

The Pufferbilly Days™ Steering Committee sincerely appreciates the many hours and dedication from it’s event chairs and other volunteers in preparing for the 2020 celebration and plans to be back strong in 2021

This means all 3 of the photo contests I enter every year have been cancelled. Oh well.

+++++++

I thought this would be the theme that killed the double digit streak, but by the skin of our teeth, we made it to 39 straight weeks of double digit submissions!

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


WEEK 250 - ABSTRACT  - MONICA HENNING
Monica Henning

WEEK 250 - ABSTRACT  - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp

WEEK 250 - ABSTRACT  - ELIZABETH NORDEEN
Elizabeth Nordeen

WEEK 250 - ABSTRACT  - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland

WEEK 250 - ABSTRACT  - TAMARA PETERSON
Tamara Peterson

WEEK 250 - ABSTRACT  - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett

WEEK 250 - ABSTRACT  - SHANNON BARDOLE-FOLEY
Shannon Bardole-Foley

WEEK 250 - ABSTRACT  - MICHELLE HAUPT
Michelle Haupt

WEEK 250 - ABSTRACT  - MIKE VEST
Mike Vest

WEEK 250 - ABSTRACT  - BECKY PARMELEE
Becky Parmelee

WEEK 250 - ABSTRACT - JEN ENSLEY-GORSHE
Jen Ensley-Gorshe

WEEK 250 - ABSTRACT - CATHIE RALEY
Cathie Raley

WEEK 250 - ABSTRACT - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland

WEEK 250 - ABSTRACT - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland

WEEK 250 - ABSTRACT - JESSE HOWARD
Jesse Howard

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 251 - BLACK AND WHITE
BLACK AND WHITE

BLACK AND WHITE!!! I think you know that this is by far my favorite theme! It is simple. Just take a BLACK AND WHITE image and submit it. Boom! End of story!

I look forward to seeing your submissions!

+++++++

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 monochrome Monday!

2009-12-05

I need to start with wishing a big happy birthday to Shannon! She has been a big part of this here online journal over the years. It is for that reason it was actually hard to pick just 5 pictures to celebrate her birth with, but I did it.


2007 - Living History Farms

Kountertop at Ames on the Half Shell

The Great Wager

Photo Journal - Page 60

Happy birthday Shannon!! I hope it was a great one!

+++++++

The pictures in the folder 2009-12-05 are from a trip I took to Ledges with the Baiers to take some family photos of them. Mostly candids, but a few attempts at posed.

Here are a few pictures from the day:


Baier Family Photo Shoot - 2009

Baier Family Photo Shoot - 2009

Baier Family Photo Shoot - 2009

Baier Family Photo Shoot - 2009

Baier Family Photo Shoot - 2009

Baier Family Photo Shoot - 2009

Baier Family Photo Shoot - 2009

Baier Family Photo Shoot - 2009

Baier Family Photo Shoot - 2009

Baier Family Photo Shoot - 2009

Baier Family Photo Shoot - 2009

Baier Family Photo Shoot - 2009

Baier Family Photo Shoot - 2009

Baier Family Photo Shoot - 2009

Baier Family Photo Shoot - 2009

Baier Family Photo Shoot - 2009

Baier Family Photo Shoot - 2009

Baier Family Photo Shoot - 2009

Baier Family Photo Shoot - 2009

Baier Family Photo Shoot - 2009

Baier Family Photo Shoot - 2009

Baier Family Photo Shoot - 2009

Baier Family Photo Shoot - 2009

Baier Family Photo Shoot - 2009

Baier Family Photo Shoot - 2009

Baier Family Photo Shoot - 2009

Baier Family Photo Shoot - 2009

Baier Family Photo Shoot - 2009

Baier Family Photo Shoot - 2009

Baier Family Photo Shoot - 2009

Baier Family Photo Shoot - 2009

Baier Family Photo Shoot - 2009

Baier Family Photo Shoot - 2009

By adding these pictures to the Photography 139 Gallery, I was able to restore the following historic “An Artist’s Notebook” entries to their original glory:

The Baiers

Next Saturday’s walk down memory lane will involve a fish.