Category Archives: Shawn Karber

A Photo Journal – Henry Carroll – Page 90

A couple weekends back up I went to Minnesota to check out the Final Four festivities and check-in with a few people I hadn’t seen for a long time.

On Sunday morning I hit a donut shop with Becca and Shawn. Then I went to Minnehaha Falls to kill sometime before meeting Sarah, Shawn, and Addie at Revival. I figured that this trip was a great time to knock out Page 90 of THE PHOTO JOURNAL PROJECT. Even though it was absolutely just pouring down.

I made the walk to from the parking lot to Minnehaha Falls, protecting the camera as best as I could. I took a few pictures and then it really started pouring down. By the time I got to the car every inch of me was completely soaked.

I was so soaked that even after a 30 minute or so wait at Revival and about an hour eating and talking, my shirt only had a few dry spots on it.

Here is the picture that will be physically adhered to Page 90 of the physical PHOTO JOURNAL:


Photo Journal - Page 90
Page 90 – Create ambiguity with a blend of artificial and natural light

Pretty much every camera (even your cell phone) has white balance. This is where you set the kind of light that is dominant in your scene. It is set on Auto White Balance so that you don’t have to think about it. This is the type of thing that in the olden days you had to do with film. Film was balanced for different kinds of light. Pretty much all consumer film was balanced for daylight. Which is why when you took pictures inside, there was often a strange color cast to it.

The same thing happens when you take your color balance off of auto and set it for a type of light that isn’t in your picture. For example, in the picture of Minnehaha Falls, I set the white balance to tungsten. Since the lighting of this picture could be best described as shady, it the camera cast a blue hue on the image, thinking it was seeing tungsten light. Different kinds of lights have different color temperatures. You can make surreal images by setting your white balance against type.

One of the advantages of shooting in RAW is that you can change the white balance to whatever you want it to be. So I changed half the white balance from the image above to shady, so you can see what the image would have conventionally looked like:


Photo Journal - Page 90

Admittedly, I did play up the blue cast of the images a bit in post.

Here are a few other images I took at Minnehaha Falls:


Photo Journal - Page 90

Photo Journal - Page 90

Photo Journal - Page 90

Photo Journal - Page 90

Photo Journal - Page 90

I’m still on goal to knock out one page of the PHOTO JOURNAL PROJECT a week. This week I’m looking at knocking out one of these pages:

Page 97 – Photograph a human as though it were an animal.
Page 84 – Photograph a lie.
Page 43 – Take a picture that only works in Black & White.
Page 37 – Use aperture to capture melancholy

You could be featured in just such a picture.

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Reminder that the theme for this week’s WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE is RELIGION:


WEEK 188 - RELIGION
RELIGION

A RELIGION picture is any picture that involves the practice of a RELIGION. From a picture of a religious building, to a religious symbol, to a religious book, to a religious service.

Happy photo harvesting!

Houston (Vidor) Mission Trip – Day 2

This is my telling of my experience on the Boone First United Methodist Church Youth Group’s Mission Trip to Houston (Vidor). There were 18 people on the mission trip and all of them experienced the mission trip in a completely different way than I did.

Therefore, you should pull your tired bones out of bed on Sunday, July 8 and drag yourself to the basement of the Boone First United Methodist Church (703 Arden Street) between worship services (approximately 10 AM) and listen to the other 17 people give their testimony about the mission trip. I’ll probably run my yap as well. There will also be a video. Also, there will be refreshments.

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I woke up on the cold hard floor of the Methodist church in Saginaw. I got dressed and prepared myself mentally for the day.

Here are some pictures from the day:


Houston Mission Trip - 2018
Based on the amount of stores that cater to both, Texans LOVE donuts and pornography. I imagine some probably do both at the same time. I’m not here to judge.

Houston Mission Trip - 2018
Statue in the church’s beautiful courtyard.

Houston Mission Trip - 2018
Fountain in the same beautiful courtyard.

Houston Mission Trip - 2018
Their women’s group made us a delicious breakfast.

Houston Mission Trip - 2018
A staple of every Methodist diet, egg casserole!

Houston Mission Trip - 2018
The lady who made us the breakfast did taunt us with a description of dish she described as “too much”: Breakfast Lasagna. Sign me up lady!

Houston Mission Trip - 2018
Myrtle.

Houston Mission Trip - 2018
Donovan discussing the courtyard.

Houston Mission Trip - 2018
Jaxon still thinks it is a thrill to pump gas. I’m not afraid to exploit his youthful enthusiasm.

Houston Mission Trip - 2018
Gas station breakfast food. Hard pass.

Houston Mission Trip - 2018
The church televises their worship services into their fellowship area. We get it, you’re good with technology.

Houston Mission Trip - 2018
Congregating to worship an awesome God!

Houston Mission Trip - 2018
We went to their acoustic service. It was great music lead by a great musician!

Houston Mission Trip - 2018
They sit in the front row at our church too…

Houston Mission Trip - 2018
The lady in the middle was a Pastor at the church. The one on the right was a member of the congregation that recently became a Pastor and was getting assigned to her first church. She gave the sermon. I loved this worship service. There were two things of note that happened. 1 funny and 1 tragic. The funny thins was that they discussed a couple in the church that had gotten married the previous day in “Detroit or Chicago. Some Yankee town.” The tragic thing was a member of their congregation was killed in a car accident on the previous day. He left behind a wife and 2 small children. Happy Father’s Day.

Houston Mission Trip - 2018
Maci taking Communion

Houston Mission Trip - 2018
Kolbe taking Communion

Houston Mission Trip - 2018
Mackenzie taking Communion

Houston Mission Trip - 2018
Summer taking Communion

Houston Mission Trip - 2018
Jentry taking Communion

Something else unique about this church was they did the light a candle thing in the corner. This is something I’ve always affiliated with Catholics because I’ve only ever seen it in Catholic churches. Really, mostly in movies. I lit 2 candles.
Shortly after the worship service, we hit the road for Vidor. Another 7 hours or so in the van coming up!


Houston Mission Trip - 2018
We stopped in a town where a buffet was recommended to us by one of the Saginaw Methodists, but it required a 30 minute wait, so instead we went across the street to a string of fast food restaurants: Jack in a Box, McDonald’s, Dairy Queen, Subway, and Texas Burger. I recall an unsavory taco experience at a Kansas City Jack in the Box on another mission trip with Shawn Karber. So Jack in the Box was a hard pass for me.

Houston Mission Trip - 2018
I went to Texas Burger because I might never get a chance in my life to try Nolan Ryan’s Texas Beef Steak Fingers.

Houston Mission Trip - 2018
They taste kind of you how you imagine.

Houston Mission Trip - 2018
The next stop was Buc-ee’s in Madisonville, I’ve always been a big fan of Buc-ee’s. At least since Carla, Mom, Alexis, and I stopped at one on our way to see Elainie graduate in San Antonio.

Houston Mission Trip - 2018
If you’ve never been to a Buc-ee’s, it is the single greatest gas station chain in the world. It is the exact opposite of that Road Ranger in Illinois.

Houston Mission Trip - 2018
I wanted to buy a Buc-ee’s hat to make it my official Mission Trip Hat, but none of them were my flavor.

Houston Mission Trip - 2018
The last 2-3 hours we drove through some major rain. But when we got to Vidor: BASKETBALL!

Houston Mission Trip - 2018
On Sunday night we worshiped and we prepared for the next 4 days of hard work.

Houston Mission Trip - 2018
Worship!

After the worship service I found out I was part of The Cowboys. At YouthWorks they split you up into several teams. You work with that team the rest of the week on chores and at your work sites.

The Cowboys consisted of:

Humble Narrator
Tiffany
Kari – from Missouri, but really Madrid, but really Boone (who turned out to be my cousin)
Anna
Jordan
Kolbe
Maci
Mackenzie
Megan
Ellie from Missouri
Jake from Missouri

In the next 4 days, the pictures will concentrate heavily on those people because these are the people I spent the majority of my day.

The Cowboys had breakfast prep on Monday, so I had to make an attempt to get to bed early, to rise early. Even though trying to sleep the first two nights of a mission trip is a fool’s folly.

Not pictured:

Kolbe really, really likeS the song CARAVAN.

Here’s Scotland. Here’s Ireland. There’s the Bloody Sea!

A few weeks back I spent the weekend up in Minnesota. I went with Bethany, Dae Hee, Nora, Sara Karber, and Shawn Karber to The Irish Fair. Here are a few pictures from the event:


Saint Paul - Irish Fair

Saint Paul - Irish Fair

Saint Paul - Irish Fair

Saint Paul - Irish Fair

Saint Paul - Irish Fair

Saint Paul - Irish Fair

Saint Paul - Irish Fair

Saint Paul - Irish Fair

Saint Paul - Irish Fair

Saint Paul - Irish Fair

Saint Paul - Irish Fair

Saint Paul - Irish Fair

Saint Paul - Irish Fair

Saint Paul - Irish Fair

Saint Paul - Irish Fair

Saint Paul - Irish Fair

Saint Paul - Irish Fair

Saint Paul - Irish Fair

Saint Paul - Irish Fair

Saint Paul - Irish Fair

Saint Paul - Irish Fair

You must be wondering, do you recommend The Irish Fair?

The answer is no. Just like everything else Irish, it just isn’t as good as Scottish. I found out that there is a Scottish Fair in the Twin Cities as well, but I had already missed at the time these pictures were taken. I will be going to the Scottish Fair next year! This… I… DO… SWEAR on the grave of Connor MacLeod!!!!

Selfie Project – August

One of the benefits of THE SELFIE PROJECT is that I can look back at a month and feel less worthless. Hey, I actually did go out and do stuff and see people in month X. I’m a winner!

Speaking of winners, these are the photos I consider winners from the month of August:


August 2, 2017
August 2, 2017

August 5, 2017
August 5, 2017

August 6, 2017
August 6, 2017

August 7, 2017
August 7, 2017

August 10, 2017
August 10, 2017

August 11, 2017
August 11, 2017

August 12, 2017
August 12, 2017

August 13, 2017
August 13, 2017

August 15, 2017
August 15, 2017

August 16, 2017
August 16, 2017

August 19, 2017
August 19, 2017

August 20, 2017
August 20, 2017

August 21, 2017
August 21, 2017

August 22, 2017
August 22, 2017

August 23, 2017
August 24, 2017

August 26, 2017
August 26, 2017

August 27, 2017
August 27, 2017

August 29, 2017
August 29, 2017

August 30, 2017
August 30, 2017

August 31, 2017
August 31, 2017

Remember that THE SELFIE PROJECT photos are posted on Instagram on the daily. If you don’t know, Instagram is that little sliver of social media that doesn’t suck… much. There are a few lazy slackjaws out there that post memes, but other than that, it is just pictures. Any way you can follow me at the account below:

@christopherdbennett

Now I need to make sure that my September is almost as great as my August!

Selfie Project – June

Here we are in August and I haven’t checked back into THE SELFIE PROJECT for the month of June. Here are some of favorites from June:


June 2, 2017
June 2

June 5, 2017
June 5

June 8, 2017
June 8

June 9, 2017
June 9

June 10, 2017
June 10

June 11, 2017
June 11

June 13, 2017
June 13

June 15, 2017
June 15

June 16, 2017
June 16

June 17, 2017
June 17

June 18, 2017
June 18

June 20, 2017
June 20

June 23, 2017
June 23

June 24, 2017
June 24

June 25, 2017
June 25

June 26, 2017
June 26

June 27, 2017
June 27

June 28, 2017
June 28

June 29, 2017
June 29

June 30, 2017
June 30

One side effect of THE SELFIE PROJECT I wasn’t expecting is that there are times when I think that might life is boring and I don’t do all that much. Then I look back at these pictures and I can see that I DO get out of the office or off the couch every now and again.

If you want to see all THE SELFIE PROJECT images, you can go here:

SELFIE PROJECT – 2017

And of course, you can stay current on THE SELFIE PROJECT by following me on the Instagram:

@christopherdbennett

I hope my July ended up being as good/great as my June!

The Twins vs. The Indigenous Persons of Cleveland

Last weekend I took a trip up to Minnesota with Jesse and Nader to visit Bethany, Dae Hee, Nora, Sarah, and Shawn.

Most of the pictures are on my phone, which I won’t publish, but they are on Instagram if you are interested. I did take a few pictures at the Twins game with my point & shoot.

Here are a few of them:


























Before the game, we ate chicken at Revival. Big recommend! Then we had ice cream at Milkjam Creamery. Big recommend!

Maybe next year, but sometime soon, Jesse and I are going to take 2 weeks and drive from New York City to San Francisco. I don’t know many people that could survive going on Jesse and I’s adventures, for that long. This trip was Nader’s audition. He will be getting the results in the mail sometime soon.

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 17 – TEXTURE

Considering that this week’s theme was the most accessible, I feel like the amount of submissions isn’t too shabby.

Let’s have a look at the submissions for TEXTURE:


WEEK 17 - TEXTURE - ANGIE DEWAARD 1
Angie DeWaard 1

WEEK 17 - TEXTURE - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker

WEEK 17 - TEXTURE - MICHELLE HAUPT
Michelle Haupt

WEEK 17 - TEXTURE - ANGIE DEWAARD 2
Angie DeWaard 2

WEEK 17 - TEXTURE - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett

But what is this week’s theme? Scroll down:


WEEK 18 - STORE
STORE!

There are multiple definitions of STORE. When this theme was written, Humble Narrator was thinking about a place you go and buy things, but you can define the word in any way that speaks to you.

Since we are several weeks in, we should have a rules refresher.

RULES

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.
2. Your submission needs to be emailed to bennett@photography139.com by noon 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.

HOUSEKEEPING

PHOTOGRAPHY 139 SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION DIVISION

There is a new email subscriber to celebrate this week. Sarah Karber has shown her keen intellect and sophisticated tastes by becoming a Photography 139 email subscriber. Sarah once worked for the Smithsonian and she got her Divinity degree from Vanderbilt. In short, she is one of the most fascinating people I know. So if you see her out and about walking the mean streets of Boone, feel free to give her the knowing glance and show her the super-secret Photography 139 handshake.

PHOTOGRAPHY 139 SUPER-SECRET HANDSHAKE DIVISION

I haven’t heard any reports from this division for quite some time. I think they’ve given up.

BLOGGING NEWS

A reminder that while I’m not posting these in AN ARTIST’S NOTEBOOK AKA The Journal AKA this here blog, the 2016 SELF-PORTRAIT PROJECT (or as Russell calls it THE SELFIE PROJECT) is ongoing and you can check in on it over yonder:

2016 SELF-PORTRAIT PROJECT

On Saturdays, I’m going to start publishing lists. This won’t be shared on any social media. It will be kind of a perk for being an email subscriber. Well, maybe a perk. Maybe a torment. I don’t really have real strong plans for it, but I’m sure you’ll be able to look forward to my opinions on things I know about (the best tenderloin spots in Iowa) and things I don’t really know about (I’m not really sure what qualifies here) to things I don’t really care about, but other people do (ranking the best STAR WARS movie to the worst).

Well, stop reading this and get out and take a STORE picture!