Category Archives: Bill

Angie, Art, Bill, Black & White, Michelle, Pastor Sarah, Shannon, Teresa, Vest, WPC - Submissions

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 65 – FAMILY

December 12, 2016 Christopher D. Bennett

This day up and kicked me in the face, but no excuses. No more waiting. Here are the pictures for FAMILY for THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE:

Michelle Haupt

Mike Vest

Christopher D. Bennett

Angie DeWaard

Sarah Karber

Bill Wentworth

Teresa Kahler 1

Teresa Kahler 2

Teresa Kahler 3

Teresa Kahler 4

Teresa Kahler 5

Shannon Bardole

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:

MACRO!

I don’t want to get into a long thing about MACRO. There is a technical definition, but for our purposes, a close up of something or somebody will count as Macro.

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 close Monday.

Angie, Bill, Cathie, Dawn, Night, Shannon, Steph, Vest, WPC - Submissions

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 62 – NIGHT

November 21, 2016 Christopher D. Bennett

Participation rates may have dipped again slightly. The cool night air maybe zapping some motivation. Possibly. It even happened to me a bit this week. I was going to take my photo Saturday night and then fell asleep. Then I was going to do it Sunday night, fell asleep on my couch again. So I had to use a picture from Monday night.

I can sit here and talk all tommyrot about my own struggles, but you just want to see the submissions! Here they are:

Dawn Krause 1

Dawn Krause 2

Bill Wentworth

Angie DeWaard

Kim Barker

Mike Vest

Shannon Bardole

Stephanie Kim

Christopher D. Bennett

Cathie Raley

LOVE!

LOVE! That is an easy and painful enough concept! Everybody loves something. So there are a couple of ways at looking at this theme. You can get out there and photograph something you love. Or you could get out there and show somebody or something expressing love. Or you can get out there and photograph something that symbolizes love. I know we live in a hateful society in the middle of hateful world. But in this world full of hate, there is still love. So get out there and capture it.

After all, it is Thanksgiving this week. If you don’t see something or somebody you love or expressing love on that day… you’re doing life wrong. Better check the instruction manual again.

I’m looking at you people who have said they will participate some day, but haven’t.

HOUSEKEEPING

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 RULES DIVISION

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 lovable Monday.

Alisa, Angie, Art, Bill, Kim, Steph, Still Life, Vest, WPC - Submissions

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 61 – STILL LIFE

November 14, 2016 Christopher D. Bennett 1 Comment

There weren’t a whole lot of takers for STILL LIFE. Must have been a depression of some kind out there.

But you don’t want to listen to me talk all tommyrot about participation rates, you want to see the submissions. Here they are:

Kim Barker

Bill Wentworth

Angie DeWaard

Stephanie Kim

Cathie Raley 1

Cathie Raley 2

Christopher D. Bennett

Mike Vest

NIGHT!

NIGHT is a pretty self-explanatory theme. A NIGHT picture is any picture taken at night. Yes, I’d encourage you to get outside and take a picture with a long exposure or lit by the super full moon that will be out tonight. However, any picture taken at night or suggesting the night will do!

HOUSEKEEPING

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 RULES DIVISION

That is it, them’s the rules.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION DIVISION

Great news! Alisa Baker is the latest person to show taste, class, and sophistication by signing up for a Photogrpahy 139 email subscription. Alisa is one of my favoritest people in the world. She was formerly the Youth Pastor at my church until she left us for a similar full-time position in some river town in THAT part of the state. Which reminds me that I need to go visit her soon since she still owes me dinner and I think you all know how I feel about free food. In addition to serving God as a “profession”, Alisa also is known to spend her free time serving God while doing mission work in Haiti. Alisa also introduced me to one of my current favorite musicians Lecrae. Go check out “Church Clothes” or “Take Me As I Am” or “Gangland” or “Nuthin'”. I’ll wait…… Alisa’s cat also has its own Twitter account. No. Naima isn’t getting her own Twitter account. Instagram account? Maybe. Twitter account… no. So if you see Alisa out walking the mean streets of River City feel free to give her a knowing glance and to teach her the Super-Secret Photography 139 handshake.

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 dark Monday.

Becky, Bill, Carla, Cathie, Dawn, Kim, Micky, Nature, Teresa, Vest, WPC - Submissions

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 60 – LANDSCAPE

November 7, 2016 Christopher D. Bennett 1 Comment

Some of the stalwarts didn’t make it for LANDSCAPE. That’s okay. When one person falls, another person can pick up the torch and carry on.

But you don’t want to listen to me talk all tommyrot about torches. You want to see the submissions for LANDSCAPE:

Bill Wentworth

Cathie Raley 1

Cathie Raley 2

Cathie Raley 3

Cathie Raley 4

Micky Augustin

Mike Vest

Kim Barker

Teresa Kahler 1

Teresa Kahler 2

Teresa Kahler 3

Teresa Kahler 4

Dawn Krause 1

Dawn Krause 2

Dawn Krause 3

Becky Perkovich

Carla Stensland 1

Carla Stensland 2

Carla Stensland 3

.
Christopher D. Bennett

A healthy and diverse collection of submissions!

STILL LIFE!

Yes! STILL LIFE! He heard a cry across the landscape. But what is STILL LIFE? Try this definition for size!

Still life photography is a genre of photography used for the depiction of inanimate subject matter, typically a small group of objects. It is the application of photography to the still life artistic style. An example is food photography.

So find a group of inanimate objects. Group them together. Take their photo. Bam! STILL LIFE!

As always… feel free to interpret the theme however you see fit.

HOUSEKEEPING

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 RULES DIVISION

That is it, them’s the rules.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION DIVISION

Great news! Dan Pottratz is the latest person to show taste, class, AND sophistication by signing up for a Photography 139 email subscription. Dan is also a Toreador (Class of ’93 WOOT! WOOT!) and a huge Cyclone fan. That is all you need to know… to know that Dan is good people. If you see him out and about and walking the mean streets, feel free to give him a knowing glance and show him the Super-Secret Photogrpahy 139 Handshake.

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 inanimate Monday.

Angie, Bill, Cathie, Dawn, Jeff Kewer, Kim, Politics, Scottie D., Steph, Still Life, Vest, WPC - Submissions

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 58 – POP ART

October 24, 2016 Christopher D. Bennett

I wasn’t sure how POP ART would go over as a WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE theme as it is a little bit harder to wrap one’s mind around than the typical theme. However, there was still good participation. I love it!

Although I good stand here and talk all tommyrot about participation, you just want to see the submissions. Here they are:

Bill Wentworth

Christopher D. Bennett

Jeff Kewer

Stephanie Kim

Kim Baldus

Angie DeWaard 1

Angie DeWaard 2

Mike Vest

Cathie Raley 1

Cathie Raley 2

Cathie Raley 3

Cathie Raley 4

Dawn Krause

Carla Stensland

ROAD TRIP!

We did this theme not that long ago, so it should be fairly fresh in the old memory banks. A picture of anything that might be a part of a road trip. My personal favorite road trip pictures are the super kitschy ones where your posse takes their picture in front of some landmark. That’s just what I enjoy. It isn’t like the photography I enjoy had me recently compared to a serial killer or something… By people who I’m sure are experts in the field… But I digress. All sorts of things would qualify. Pictures of an open road. Pictures of a car. Of a map. Of some place you went on a road trip. A ROAD TRIP could be solo. It could be with 5 friends. It could be a trip across the country. It could be a trip to the store. You’ll figure it out. BUT I WILL REMIND ME YOU OF RULE #1! Just because you took a great ROAD TRIP last weekend… doesn’t help you at all this week.

As always, feel free to define the theme how you see fit.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 RULES DIVISION

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.

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 open roadsy Monday

Angie, Bill, Carla, Dawn, Jodie, Kim, Michelle, Shannon, Steph, Teresa

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 57 – HANDMADE

October 17, 2016 Christopher D. Bennett 1 Comment

I’m running behind, so I’ll keep this brief. Another solid week of submissions for this week’s theme – HANDMADE:

Angie DeWaard

Bill Wentworth

Jodie Bennett 1

Jodie Bennett 2

Michelle Haupt

Christopher D. Bennett

Teresa Kahler

Kim Barker 1

Kim Barker 2

Shannon Bardole

Carla Stensland

Dawn Krause

Stephanie Kim

POP ART!

POP ART might be a little hard to explain. But it isn’t a difficult concept. Here is a Google definition:

art based on modern popular culture and the mass media, especially as a critical or ironic comment on traditional fine art values.

You should be looking at logos, magazines, newspapers, comic books, advertising, and labels. Just as a beginning. Andy Warhol (another overrated baby boomer icon) made lots of money by exploiting weak people… I mean by making art out of Campbell’s soup cans and paintings of Marylin Monroe.

A way to look at POP ART it is art that you see every day, but maybe never thought about as art. But a graphic designer did have to come up with the design on that label on the bottle of Pepsi that you are drinking. Put a frame around it and put hang it on a wall. That is all the Pop Artist is trying to say.

I’ll throw in one wrinkle to consider. POP ART is also a style of painting. If you have access to any kind of painting filter, you could consider using it.

HOUSEKEEPING

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 RULES DIVISION

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.

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 popular Monday!

Angie, Becky, Bill, Cathie, Dawn, Kim, Michelle, Micky, Pastor Sarah, Running, Shannon, Willy, WPC - Submissions

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 56 – CHILDREN

October 10, 2016 Christopher D. Bennett

Maybe there was a slight dip this week, but that was to be expected, since CHILDREN are so very, very creepy. I mean, we’ve all seen the groundbreaking documentary CHILDREN OF THE CORN. We know what they’re capable of doing. Don’t get me started on the companion documentary VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED!

But I could stand here and talk all tommyrot about CHILDREN. You just want to see the images:

Angie DeWaard 1

Angie DeWaard 2

Bill Wentworth

Dawn Krause 1

Dawn Krause 2

Kim Barker

Michelle Haupt

Sarah Karber

Stephanie Kim

Cathie Raley 1

Cathie Raley 2

Shannon Bardole

Becky Perkovich

Robyn Augustin

Christopher D. Bennett

Still a very healthy number of submissions though! Including a submission for first time from Robyn Augustin! Hopefully we can carry this momentum into the cold months. That is when participation really starts to take a hit. Prepare yourself, winter is coming.

HANDMADE!

I’m not sure HANDMADE needs much explanation. It was something that was made by hands. So if a robot made it, it is out. Unless that robot has hands. Then it is in! Things that might qualify would be paintings, things that are cooked, things that are knitted, things that are crocheted, things that are crafted… I mean the list is almost limitless.

HOUSEKEEPING

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 RULES DIVISION

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.

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 handy Monday!

Angie, Becky, Bill, Cathie, Dawn, Evie, Kim, Michelle, Shannon, Steph, Teresa, Vest, WPC - Submissions

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 55 – SIGNS

October 3, 2016 Christopher D. Bennett 1 Comment

SIGNS is actually one of my favorite themes for THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE. I am pleased to see that it lit the creative fires of several other people as well.

But you don’t want to listen to me talk all tommyrot about SIGNS. You want to see the submissions. Here they are:

Bill Wentworth

Dawn Krause

Angie DeWaard

Kim Barker 1

Kim Barker 2

Cathie Raley

Teresa Kahler 1

Teresa Kahler 2

Teresa Kahler 3

Teresa Kahler 4

Corinna Keen

Stephanie Kim

Becky Perkovich

Michelle Haupt

Shannon Bardole

Christopher D. Bennett

Mike Vest

I should add that I’m 99% sure that this was the first submission from Corinna! I’m expecting big, big things from her in the future!

CHILDREN!

I don’t know that I need to get into a fancy definition of CHILDREN. You know one when you see them. They are little humans. They are here to replace us. Many of you have one or two or more. Nearly everybody has access to a child or two or more. However, don’t feel constrained to hold yourself to think of this as having to take a picture of CHILDREN. There are a million things that show the existence of CHILDREN in our world. From playgrounds to toys to car seats to schools. There are also CHILDREN of all ages. So be creative with the theme and as always, feel free to define it how you see fit.

HOUSEKEEPING

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 RULES DIVISION

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.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 GALLERY DIVISION

If you want to see all the WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE images for the new cycle, they are located in a new gallery. View them by clicking on the link below:

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE YEAR 4

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 childish Monday!

Angie, Becky, Bill, Carla, Cathie, Dawn, Kim, Mom, Shannon, Steph, Vest, WPC - Submissions

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 53 – BODY PART

September 19, 2016 Christopher D. Bennett

A new year. Well, a new 52 weeks. I’m excited for what this new year will bring. But you don’t want to listen to me talk all tommyrot about my aspirations for the next 52 weeks. You just want to see the submissions.

Here are the submissions for BODY PART:

Bill Wentworth 1

Bill Wentworth 2

Bill Wentworth 3

Shannon Bardole

Angie DeWaard

Dawn Krause 1

Dawn Krause 2

Dawn Krause 3

Christopher D. Bennett

Mike Vest 1

Mike Vest 2

Becky Perkovich

Stephanie Kim

Kim Baldus 1

Kim Baldus 2

Carla Stensland 1

Carla Stensland 2

Cathie Raley 1

Cathie Raley 2

Cathie Raley 3

A good, healthy week of submissions!

OLD!

I’m running behind, so I don’t have a tremendous amount of time to be witty about OLD. You know OLD when you see it.

HOUSEKEEPING

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 RULES DIVISION

That is it, them’s the rules.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION DIVISION

We are pleased to announce Paul Golden is the latest person to display taste, class, and sophistication by signing up for a Photography 139 email subscription. Paul plays a mean baritone and sings with one as well. By virtue of being in Connecticut, he is the farthest east of any Photography 139 email subscriber. The empire has grown! So if you see Paul out walking the mean streets of Connecticut, feel free to give him a knowing glance and if you have the inclination, show him the Super Secret Photography 139 Handshake.

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 olden times Monday!

Bill, Dawn, Formal Portrait, Jodie, Kim, Michelle, Road Trip, Shannon, Willy, WPC - Submissions

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 51 – ROAD TRIP

September 5, 2016 Christopher D. Bennett

Happy Labor Day!

Not so many submissions this week, but that was to be expected. Let’s get to it!

Here are the submissions for ROAD TRIP:

Bill Wentworth

Dawn Krause 1

Dawn Krause 2

Dawn Krause 3

Christopher D. Bennett

Jodie Bennett 1

Jodie Bennett 2

Angie DeWaard

Shannon Bardole

Kim Barker 1

Kim Barker 2

I have to confess that my photo took more effort than normal, mostly because I can’t find a piece that would’ve made this picture quite a bit easier. But it worked out, at least I feel.

WILD CARD!

So what is WILD CARD? Anything! Literally anything you want! A picture of your neighbor mowing his lawn without his shirt on. That counts! A picture of your favorite flower. That counts! A picture of your least favorite child. That counts! A picture of what you’re eating for supper on Thursday night. That counts! Take a picture of anything you want!

HOUSEKEEPING

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 RULES DIVISION

That is it, them’s the rules.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE DIVISION

After small amounts of consideration and consulting with a few people here and there, here is the list of themes for the next 52 weeks. Presented in no particular order:

1. ORANGE
2. YELLOW
3. PURPLE
4. PORTRAIT
5. FACELESS PORTRAIT
6. SELF-PORTAIT
7. SAD
8. HAPPY
9. ANGRY
10. LOW PERSPECTIVE
11. HIGH PERSPECTIVE
12. OLD
13. CHILDREN
14. NIGHT
15. SIGNS
16. WATER
17. RELIGION
18. STILL LIFE
19. BLACK & WHITE
20. MUSIC
21. ABSTRACT
22. ANIMAL
23. WEATHER
24. TREE
25. SILHOUETTE
26. RUINS
27. RURAL
28. SKY
29. TOWN
30. TRANSPORTATION
31. SMOKE
32. FLOWER
33. MACRO
34. ART
35. ROAD TRIP
36. MIRROR
37. GLITTERY
38. GOVERNMENT
39. HANDMADE
40. THE STREETS
41. HOT
42. COLD
43. HUMANIZE
44. TIME
45. AMERICANA
46. LOVE
47. HATE
48. POP ART
49. NATURE
50. LANDSCAPE
51. BODY PART
52. FAMILY

I swapped out more than half the themes from last year. I combined a few and I split up a few. I reworded a few. Some are riffs on previous themes. Some are completely new. Should be a fun year!

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION DIVISION

I am pleased to announce that Brooke Milligan is the latest person to show her taste, class, and sophistication by signing up for a Photography 139 email subscription. Brooke shares an office with longtime Photography 139 supporter and friend of the blog Michelle Haupt, but we won’t hold that against her. So if you see Brooke out and about walking the mean streets, feel free to give her a knowing glance and if you have the time, show her the Super Secret Photography 139 Handshake.

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 wild Monday.