Category Archives: Michelle

Andy, Carla, Dawn, Elizabeth, Jesse, Kim, Michelle, Micky, Shannon, Tamara, WPC - Submissions

WPC – WEEK 247 – SIGNS

June 8, 2020 Christopher D. Bennett

No problems breaking double digits this week. 36 straight weeks! I didn’t even have to send out reminder text messages this morning. People were all over SIGNS.

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

Elizabeth Nordeen

Andy Sharp

Jesse Howard

Robyn Augustin

Micky Augustin

Shannon Bardole-Foley

Michelle Haupt

Carla Stensland

Christopher D. Bennett

Dawn Krause

Andy Sharp

Kim Barker

Tamara Peterson

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:

YELLOW

YELLOW! What a great theme! But what is a YELLOW picture? A YELLOW picture is simply a picture where the subject is YELLOW or YELLOW is a major compositional element of the image.

I look forward to seeing your submissions!

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HOUSEKEEPING

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 RULES DIVISION

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

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

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

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

That is it, them’s the rules.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION DIVISION

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

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

Art, Black & White, Candid Portrait, Derrick, Evie, Formal Portrait, Jay, Jen, Jonah, Jorge, Layla, Michelle, Movies, Naima, Nature, Photoshop, Railroad, State Fair, WPC - Reminder

Suds, Dickcissel, and Lensbaby Redux

June 5, 2020 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

Hey, I screwed up the schedule of posts and 2 posts accidentally posted at the same time yesterday. This one, that I took back down and re-posted and another one with daffodils. It is possible that you didn’t get the post about the daffodils yesterday. If that is the case, click on the link below:

My soul and pocketbook are glad to announce that I have finished THE CANVAS WALL PROJECT. 5 new canvases arrived on Monday and I was able to get them up that night. Here are the 5 final canvases:

Before the Swallow Dares – 2020

There is also an update on Naima and birthday wishes for Jorge in there.

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My soul and pocketbook are glad to announce that I have finished THE CANVAS WALL PROJECT. 5 new canvases arrived on Monday and I was able to get them up that night. Here are the 5 final canvases:

This is what the wall looks like:

Now, I realize that when there is furniture in place, not every picture is visible. That isn’t the important part. The important part is that they are there at all.

On to the next decorating project. Whatever that may be!
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I don’t consider pictures that were taken in the same calendar year in which we currently exist to be a backlog. However, if I did, this collection of images would be somewhat of a backlog. This clears out all images from January and February that had yet to be edited or curated.

Pictures from a trip to Dickcissel with Naima, some Lensbaby tests, and a picture of the Root Beer Symposium we had during movie night back in January.

We haven’t had Movie Night at The Union Street theater since February, so we haven’t been able to crown a root beer champion, but those pictures might give you the slightest indication of how messy my basement is right now. Although I would estimate that the big parts of the basement cleanup are about 30% done.

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

SIGNS

A SIGNS picture is just that, a picture of a SIGN or multiple SIGNS. Remember, there are more than one kind of SIGN(S).

Happy photo harvesting!

Andy, Becky, Carla, Elainie, Elizabeth, Flowers, Jen, Kim, Macro, Michelle, Micky, Monica, Tamara, Teresa, WPC - Submissions

WPC – WEEK 244 – RULE OF THIRDS

May 19, 2020 Christopher D. Bennett

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

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

Andy Sharp

Teresa Kahler

Kim Barker

Elizabeth Nordeen

Tamara Peterson

Becky Parmelee

Micky Augustin

Monica Henning

Jen Ensley-Gorshe

Carla Stensland

Michelle Haupt

Christopher D. Bennett

SELF-PORTRAIT

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

I can’t wait to see your interpretations!

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HOUSEKEEPING

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 RULES DIVISION

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

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

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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 self involved Monday!

9 Emotions Project, Aaron, Andy, Becky, Black & White, Carla, Cathie, Elainie, Elizabeth, Jodie Cue, Kim, Michelle, Micky, Monica, Naima, Shannon, Still Life, Tamara, WPC - Submissions

WPC – WEEK 243 – EMOTIONS

May 11, 2020 Christopher D. Bennett

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

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

Jodie Cue

Kim Barker

Tamara Peterson

Shannon Bardole-Foley

Becky Parmelee

Aaron Barnett

Christopher D. Bennett

Monica Henning

Elizabeth Nordeen

Andy Sharp

Michelle Haupt

Carla Stensland

Elainie Stensland

Carla Stensland

Cathie Raley

Micky Augustin

RULE OF THIRDS

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

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

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

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

I look forward to seeing your interpretations!

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HOUSEKEEPING

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 RULES DIVISION

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 off-center Monday!

Becca, Bethany, Billy, Black & White, Cathie, Colleen, Dory, Flat Earth Joe, Flowers, Formal Portrait, Holidays, J.T., Jonah, Macro, Michelle, Micky, Nate, Nora, Taylan

Senior Sunday – Taylan – Volume 4

May 10, 2020 Christopher D. Bennett

I need to start this post buy wishing all mothers out there a very happy Mother’s Day. Take this picture of a Mother’s Day Peony as my way of saying thanks for all that you mothers do!

My Mom’s Mother Day wasn’t typical. Teresa bought some Pizza Ranch chicken and we hung out and watched Netflix. She went out to Carla’s for a short grill-out in the evening. But I’m sure she still considered a successful Mother’s Day.

Hope all you mothers had a successful Mother’s Day too!

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Today is Becca’s birthday. Happy birthday Becca!

I hope it was a truly magical birthday!

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Also, happy birthday to Michelle!

I hope your birthday was as amazing as you wanted it to be!

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Finally, it is yet another Senior Sunday and it is once again Taylan’s turn in the rotation. Here are more pictures of Taylan:

Still a ton more Taylan photos still to come!

Aaron, Andy, Becky, Carla, Cathie, Elizabeth, Evie, Iowa State, Jen, Layla, Linda, Michelle, Micky, Monica, Nature, Shannon, Tamara, Teresa, WPC - Submissions

WPC – WEEK 242 – TREE

May 4, 2020 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

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

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

Monica Henning

Teresa Kahler

Elizabeth Nordeen

Andy Sharp

Elizabeth Nordeen

Becky Parmelee

Aaron Barnett

Carla Stensland

Christopher D. Bennett

Michelle Haupt

Tamara Peterson

Aaron Barnett

Shannon Bardole-Foley

Layla Gorshe

Jen Ensley-Gorshe

Evie Gorshe

Cathie Raley

Linda Bennett

Micky Augustin

EMOTIONS

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

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

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

As always, I look forward to seeing your interpretations!

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HOUSEKEEPING

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 RULES DIVISION

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 emotional Monday!

Aaron, Andy, Cathie, Elizabeth, Kim, Michelle, Micky, Mom, Nature, Shannon, Tamara, Teresa, WPC - Submissions

WPC – WEEK 241 – NOSE

April 27, 2020 Christopher D. Bennett

30 straight weeks with double digits!! The second straight week that I didn’t send any reminder text messages this morning and still made double digits easy. You dig?

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

Elizabeth Nordeen

Teresa Kahler

Andy Sharp

Shannon Bardole-Foley

Michelle Haupt

Tamara Peterson

Aaron Barnett

Kim Barker

Andy Sharp

Kim Barker

Christopher D. Bennett

Cathie Raley

Micky Augustin

TREE

TREE! What a great theme! But what is a TREE image? It is any image that involves a TREE or a TREE byproduct. You know. Like wood. Or paper.

I look forward to seeing your interpretations!

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HOUSEKEEPING

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 RULES DIVISION

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 woody Monday!

Andy, Angie, Becky, Cathie, Elizabeth, Kim, Michelle, Micky, Monica, Naima, Shannon, Tamara, WPC - Submissions

WPC – WEEK 240 – EARS

April 20, 2020 Christopher D. Bennett

Going to start today with a quote. Those of you who get it, will get it. Those of you that don’t, ask somebody:

“I think we should legalize marijuana in this country. Just so potheads have nothing to talk about ever again.”
-Daniel Tosh

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WooHoo!! 29 straight weeks of double digit submissions!! I didn’t even send out any text message reminders this morning. Maybe it is the better weather. Maybe it is the quarantine. Maybe it is the fact that almost everybody has access to ears. But I had received double digit submissions by 7 AM this morning.

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

Angie DeWaard

Michelle Haupt

Tamara Peterson

Shannon Bardole-Foley

Becky Parmelee

Christopher D. Bennett

Kim Barker

Micky Augustin

Elizabeth Nordeen

Andy Sharp

Kim Barker

Elizabeth Nordeen

Cathie Raley

Monica Henning

NOSE

NOSE! What a great theme! What is a NOSE picture? A picture of a NOSE. That is really it. Almost everybody has one and everybody has access to a NOSE.

I look forward to seeing your interpretations!

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HOUSEKEEPING

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 RULES DIVISION

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 nosy Monday!

Brooke, Cathie, Elizabeth, Flat Earth Joe, Formal Portrait, Jorge, Lowell, Michelle, Micky, Vest, Work

The Mine: An American Workplace

April 17, 2020 Christopher D. Bennett 11 Comments

I recently had a sale in the Photography 139 Gallery. Thanks to Amy for purchasing 16 pictures from the gallery.

16 pictures! Suck on that Vincent van Gogh!

I don’t mention it very often, but almost every picture is for sale in the Photography 139 Gallery. Prices are only a hair above cost and you can buy things besides prints. You can buy key tags, cups. cards, coasters, ceramic tiles, ornaments, and whole bunch of other stuff.

If you are ever interested, you can check out the gallery here:

Photography 139 Gallery

Then click on “Buy Photos” that is above the picture on the right.

I’ not saying go buy some photos, but I don’t mention that it is something you can do very often.

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20 work from home days in the book. This week I found myself, not exactly fantasizing, but thinking about future vacations. I’m at a point where when we got the okay to go back to the office, I want to take the next 3 weeks off. I’m not sure they’d let me, but I’m ready. Ready for what, I have no clue.

My listening habits were the same this week. I’m up to Track #748 on the Master Playlist.

Track #748 is “You’re the Best Around” by Joe Esposito. Otherwise known as the montage song during the tournament scene of THE KARATE KID. A true banger if there ever was one.

I have eliminated a few songs from the Master Playlist. Either the recording quality wasn’t good enough, or it turns out, I don’t really like the song that much:

“Tell Me Lies” – Fleetwood Mac
“Hold On Loosely” – .38 Special
“Sister Christian” – Night Ranger
“Demons” – Imagine Dragons
“Roots” – Imagine Dragons
“And We Danced” – Macklemore

I don’t know that I’ve discovered any more positives with social distancing life, but I did discover that none of my smoke detectors work. Something I wouldn’t have discovered if I was working on so many cleaning projects. A new one arrived today and if I like it, I’ll buy a second one for the basement. Although I don’t know what the criteria would be for smoke detector that I don’t like would be.

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The show I have been binge watching while social distancing is THE OFFICE. I watched the show from its inception, but stopped during the writer’s strike and never got back to it.

I have officially completed all 9 seasons and somewhere during the middle of the 9th season it dawned on me, why deep inside I decided to start back up on this show. It isn’t because it is great, but it is great. I think I was drawn to it because… I’m starting to miss my co-workers.

I thought I would share a few images of my co-workers. Every year I am charged with taking the Computer Mine Holiday Card photos.

It secretly is one of my favorite secondary responsibilities I have. I even enjoy hearing the exact people give me the exact same complaint about “why can’t they just use last year’s photo”.

Here are some pictures from last year’s photo shoots of people that either subscribe to this here blog or appear in it somewhat frequently:

I’ll see you guys again. Sometime soon!

Andy, Art, Bill, Birthdays, Carla, Cathie, Dawn, Elizabeth, Faust, Jesse, Jodie Cue, Joe Duff, Kim, Michelle, Micky, Monica, Naima, Railroad, Shannon, Tamara, Teresa, Vest, Willy, WPC - Submissions

WPC – WEEK 239 – ART

April 13, 2020 Christopher D. Bennett

I need to start today by wishing the happiest of birthdays to Faust!

It has been a couple of years since I saw Faust in person. When this virus passes, he will be on the shortlist of people I need to go visit. And not just because he lives in close proximity to a sweet Godzilla statue.

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We did it again! 28 straight weeks of double digit submissions! Woohoo! Apparently a lot of you have ART in their lives. Which is why Obama once said, “The arts are what makes life worth living. You’ve got food, you’ve got shelter, yeah. But the things that make you laugh, make you cry, make you connect – make you love are communicated through the arts. They aren’t extras.”

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

Katelyn and Aubrey Augustin

Andy Sharp

Dawn Krause

Kim Barker

Shannon Bardole-Foley

Michelle Haupt

Tamara Peterson

Christopher D. Bennett

Carla Stensland

Teresa Kahler

Joe Duff

Bill Wentworth

Elizabeth Nordeen

Cathie Raley

Micky Augustin

Mike Vest

Jodie Cue

Monica Henning

EARS

EARS! What a great theme! But what is an EARS picture? An EARS picture is any picture of EARS or something that is affiliated with EARS. Like headphones or hearing aids. Remember, there is more than one kind of EARS and I’m not just talking about how frogs hear with their lungs.

I look forward to seeing your interpretations!

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HOUSEKEEPING

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 RULES DIVISION

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 eerie Monday!