Category Archives: Micky

Andy, Carla, Elizabeth, Kio, Micky, Photoshop, Ruins, Shannon, Tamara, WPC - Submissions

WPC – WEEK 302 – COMMUNICATION

June 28, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett

The theme of COMMUNICATION did not communicate to a tremendous amount of people. That is fine. Maybe this week’s theme will be more popular.

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

Andy Sharp (This was actually Andy’s submission for WHITE that I missed, but it also works here.)

Shannon Bardole-Foley

Kio Dettman

Tamara Peterson

Kio Dettman

Christopher D. Bennett

Carla Stensland

Micky Augustin

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

ADVENTURE

ADVENTURE! What a great theme for Year 8 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE.

But what is an ADVENTURE image? An ADVENTURE image is simply any image that was taken while on an ADVENTURE or preparing for an ADVENTURE or going on an ADVENTURE. The theme reveal picture could qualify for all 3. The twist to this picture is that YOU have to figure out what you consider to be an ADVENTURE.

DON’T FORGET THAT INDEPENDENCE DAY IS SUNDAY, THEREFORE MANY PEOPLE HAVE MONDAY AS A VACATION. BUT PHOTOGRAPHY 139 DOES NOT TAKE HOLIDAYS. PLAN YOUR SUBMISSION ACCORDINGLY!!

Also, meditate on this quote before thinking about your ADVENTURE photo:

As soon as I saw you, I knew an adventure was about to happen.
-Winnie the Pooh

RULES

The picture has to be taken between 12:01 PM today and 11 AM next Monday. This isn’t a curate your photos project. This is a get your butt off the couch (unless you are taking your picture from the couch) and take pictures challenge.

You can send your images to either bennett@photography139.com OR you may text them to my Pixel 5.

That is all I got, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will all be sharing our idea of ADVENTURE in this place that is just a record of my ADVENTURE(s) next Monday.

Angie, Carla, Cathie, Elizabeth, Flowers, Kim, Kio, Micky, Shannon, Still Life, Vest, WPC - Submissions

WPC – WEEK 301 – WHITE

June 21, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett

It appears that WHITE was not a super popular theme.

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

Shannon Bardole-Foley

Christopher D. Bennett

Micky Augustin

Angie DeWaard

Kim Barker

Angie DeWaard

Kio Dettman

Cathie Raley

Elizabeth Nordeen

Carla Stensland

Mike Vest

COMMUNICATION

COMMUNICATION! What a great theme for Year 8 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!

But what is a COMMUNICATION image? It is simply any picture that shows a type of COMMUNICATION or people COMMUNICATIONing or things that are used for COMMUNICATION. For example, in the theme reveal there are several things being COMMUNICATIONed. The business is a carwash. The phone number to reach the proprietor is 515-890-1900. Somebody fears the commercialization of Christmas. They also must like fish. Signs are a great form of COMMUNICATION, as just an example.

Think on these lyrics by Led Zeppelin while you are thinking about subjects for your COMMUNICATION image:

Hey, girl, stop what you’re doin’
Hey, girl, you’ll drive me to ruin
I don’t know what it is I like about you, but I like it a lot
Won’t you let me hold you, now, let me feel your lovin’ touch

Communication breakdown, it’s always the same
Havin’ a nervous breakdown, a-drive me insane

Meditate on these words any you will no doubt, create a phenomenal COMMUNICATION image.

RULES

You can send your images to either bennett@photography139.com OR you may text them to my Pixel 5.

That is all I got, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will all be sharing our idea of COMMUNICATION in this place that is just another form of COMMUNICATION next Monday.

Angie, Carla, Cathie, Elizabeth, Joe Duff, Kio, Micky, Sara, Shannon, Tamara, WPC - Submissions

WPC – WEEK 300 – RED

June 14, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett

The theme of RED did fire the passions of a few people as there were a healthy amount of submissions for RED this week.

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

Micky Augustin

Carla Stensland

Christopher D. Bennett

Tamara Peterson

Joe Duff

Kio Dettman

Shannon Bardole-Foley

Kim Barker

Cathie Raley

Angie DeWaard

Elizabeth Nordeen

Sara Lockner

WHITE

WHITE! What a great theme for Year 8 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!

But what is a WHITE image? A WHITE image is simply and image where the color WHITE plays an import part of the composition of the image.

Think about the following quote when you think about composing your image:

Working in white makes people look into it. White is ethereal. There’s a purity to it, it makes things look elevated in a way. There’s a whole palette of white…
-Johnatan Milne

Meditate on these words and I have no doubt you will create a magnificent WHITE image.

RULES

You can send your images to either bennett@photography139.com OR you may text them to my Pixel 5.

That is all I got, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will all be sharing our idea of WHITE in this place that contains much WHITE next Monday.

Carla, Cathie, Elizabeth, Joe Duff, Kim, Kio, Linda, Michelle, Micky, Shannon, Tamara, WPC - Submissions

WPC – WEEK 299 – WORDS

June 7, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett

Despite last Monday being a holiday and a shorter week for some people, there were still a fair amount of submissions for WORDS.

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

Kim Barker

Linda Bennett

Tamara Peterson

Shannon Bardole-Foley

Carla Stensland

Joe Duff

Christopher D. Bennett

Micky Augustin

Elizabeth Nordeen

Kio Dettman

Michelle Haupt

Cathie Raley

Elizabeth Nordeen

RED

RED! What a great theme for Year 8 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!

But what is a RED image? A RED image is simply any image where the color RED plays an important part of the composition of the image. For example, the main subject of the picture is RED.

Meditate on these words as you consider your RED image:

Red is the ultimate cure for sadness.
-Bill Blass
If you consider those words, you will no doubt create a fascinating RED image.

RULES

You can send your images to either bennett@photography139.com OR you may text them to my Pixel 5.

That is all I got, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will all be sharing our idea of RED in this place that contains much RED next Monday.

Animals, Art, Becca, Black & White, Boone County Fair, Christianity, Contests, Dawn, Derrick, Flowers, Formal Portrait, Jen, Jesse, Jill, Laura, Logan, Michelle, Micky, Monica, Nature, Night, Photoshop, Pufferbilly Days, Russell, Scottie D., Shannon, Shorty, State Fair, Still Life, Willy

My (Sad) Photo Contest History – 2

June 3, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett 4 Comments

When we left off, I had just won 1st Place in Black and White and 3rd Place in Color at the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest, but had been completely rejected by the Iowa State Fair for the 4th year in a row.

Whatever I was selling, the judges were not buying. I was despondent, but not discouraged because I knew I had entered some great photos, but they were not what the judges were looking for that year.

2011 comes around. I decided to retire from the Boone County Fair Photo Contest and to start a new way of picking pictures for the Pufferbilly Days. I also had what was probably the peak of my photo contest career at the Iowa State Fair. I got all 4 pictures exhibited. This is extremely hard to do. Thousands of people enter the contest every year. Only 5 of us got all 4 pictures exhibited. You can do the math. It is a big deal.

These are the pictures that were exhibited:

2011 Iowa State Fair Photography Salon - I Recommend Pleasant

2nd Place Class 25

Honorable Mention Class 13

For the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest it was the second year of letting other people select my entrants. Dawn, Derrick, Jen, Scott, Russell, and Rebecca chose my entries. Dawn’s choice got 2nd Place in Black and White:

2011 Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest - Radiant Beams

2nd Place – Black and White

I was pretty excited for 2012. I thought I had cracked the Iowa State Fair Photography Salon Code, but there is no code. Some years the judge like you. Some years they don’t. In 2012, they like one of my pictures:

2012 Iowa State Fair Photography Salon - Truth Perception

That year, I decided to retire from the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest.

Then shortly after that, I decided to retire from Photo Contests altogether.

But in 2017, the itch came back. I decided to put on a Washington Wizards Jersey and come out of retirement. Hard. I decided to enter all 3 contests again. I got all Blue Ribbons at the Boone County Fair:

I got one picture selected for display at the Iowa State Fair:

2017 Iowa State Fair Photography Salon - Little Apple

I had the following people select my entries for the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest: Jim Robbins (yeah that is a long story), Micky, Michelle, Amber, Laura, and Dawn. However, none of the pictures earned a ribbon.

In 2018, my Boone County Fair entries were determined by popular vote:

Red

Purple

Blue

I had two pictures selected for display at the Iowa State Fair:

2018 Iowa State Fair Photography Salon - Peep

My Pufferbilly Days entries were also selected by popular vote that year:

2018 Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest - INRI

1st Place Photoshop

1st Place Photojournalism

3rd Place Hidden Treasures of Boone County

2019 would also be a successful year. I moved to having individuals select my Boone County Fair entrants. Shannon, Michelle, and Logan selected my entries.

Purple

Blue

Red

Blue

Purple

I had one picture selected for exhibition at the Iowa State Fair and it earned a ribbon:

2019 Iowa State Fair Photography Salon Entry - Green Little Vaulter

Honorable Mention Class 18

My Pufferbilly Day entries were once again selected by popular vote:

2019 Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest - Hocks

1st Place Nature

1st Place Photoshop

In 2020 the pandemic hit and all photo contests were cancelled. Which was sad and I think it was avoidable because in a digital age, I think they could have found a way. For example the Iowa State Fair still held its Fine Arts competition.

Which brings us to 2021. I’m currently working on my next embarrassing failure at the Iowa State Fair Photography Salon. However, I am not going to enter the Boone County Fair this year. There is a reason for this decision. A very good reason. However, I’m not going to share the reason until it becomes official or it falls through. Things seem to fall through quite often these days. No decision has been made on Pufferbilly Days yet, but Pufferbilly Days has been moved to early August this year. I’m not crazy about the decision, but I’ll give it a chance.

If you want to peruse all 153 Photo Contest entrants in this long weird journey, click on the link below:

Photo Contests

You can see them all from the out of focus to the award winners. The good, the bad, and the moldy jam equivalent.

Carla, Drone, Elizabeth, Kio, Micky, Shannon, Tamara, WPC - Submissions

WPC – WEEK 298 – UP IN THE AIR

May 31, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett

Despite the busy holiday weekend, a handful of stalwart photographers managed to submit an image for UP IN THE AIR.

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

Elizabeth Nordeen

Micky Augustin

Kio Dettman

Shannon Bardole-Foley

Tamara Peterson

Carla Stensland

Christopher D. Bennett

WORDS

WORDS! Another great theme for Year 8 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!

But what is a WORDS image? I know many of you didn’t come here fore reading! Top to bottom, left to right… a group of words together is called a sentence. Take Tylenol for any headaches… Midol for any cramps.

But one of the greatest comedies of all-time aside, WORDS are merely collections of letters. You can find WORDS all over the place. Books. Signs. Advertising. Newspapers. Magazines. All over the place. You are literally (used correctly) looking at WORDS right now!

You could think on these WORDS from HAMLET as you consider the composition of you image:

POLONIOUS: What do you read, my lord?
HAMLET: Words, words, words.
POLONIOUS: What is the matter, my lord?
HAMLET: Between who?
POLONIOUS: I mean, the matter that you read, my lord.
HAMLET: Slanders, sir. For the satirical rogue says here that old men have gray beards, that their faces are wrinkled, their eyes purging thick amber and plum-tree gum, and that they have a plentiful lack of wit, together with most weak hams—all which, sir, though I most powerfully and potently believe, yet I hold it not honesty to have it thus set down; for yourself, sir, should be old as I am, if like a crab you could go backward.
POLONIOUS: Though this be madness, yet there is method in it.

Meditate on these words and I have no doubt you will make a most powerful WORDS image.

RULES

You can send your images to either bennett@photography139.com OR you may text them to my Pixel 5.

That is all I got, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will all be sharing our idea of WORDS in this place that consists mostly of WORDS next Monday.

Andy, Becky, Bill, Kim, Kio, Micky, Tamara, WPC - Submissions

WPC – WEEK 297 – GOVERNMENT

May 24, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

Once again, there was a healthy amount of submissions for GOVERNMENT. Apparently many of you decided that GOVERNMENT wasn’t all that bad. Or at least better than anarchy.

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

Andy Sharp

Becky Parmelee

Bill Wentworth

Kio Dettman

Tamara Peterson

Christopher D. Bennett

Kim Barker

Micky Augustin

UP IN THE AIR

First thing to note is that next Monday is Memorial Day. While the GOVERNMENT, banks, and possibly your job takes the day off, there are no holidays on the Photography 139 Calendar (not literally). If you are going to be going to the cemetery or to a service or camping or grilling out, plan when you submit accordingly.

UP IN THE AIR! Another great theme for Year 8 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE.

But what is a UP IN THE AIR photo? It is simply a photo of something that is UP IN THE AIR. A bird. A plane. Superman? Well, if Superman isn’t standing on the ground. A good idea is to just throw something into the air and photograph it. Or a good candid portrait is to throw something in the air and have them try to catch it. This is a great candid portrait technique.

But whatever you do, do not think about this quote from the movie UP IN THE AIR while composing your image:

How much does your life weigh? Imagine for a second that you’re carrying a backpack. I want you to feel the straps on your shoulders. Feel ’em? Now I want you to pack it with all the stuff that you have in your life. You start with the little things. The things on shelves and in drawers, the knick-knacks, the collectibles. Feel the weight as that adds up. Then you start adding larger stuff, clothes, table-top appliances, lamps, linens, your TV. The backpack should be getting pretty heavy now. And you go bigger. Your couch, bed, your kitchen table. Stuff it all in there. Your car, get it in there. Your home, whether it’s a studio apartment or a two bedroom house. I want you to stuff it all into that backpack. Now try to walk. It’s kind of hard, isn’t it? This is what we do to ourselves on a daily basis. We weigh ourselves down until we can’t even move. And make no mistake, moving is living. Now, I’m gonna set that backpack on fire. What do you want to take out of it? What do you want to take out of it? Photos? Photos are for people who can’t remember. Drink some ginkgo and let the photos burn. In fact, let everything burn and imagine waking up tomorrow with nothing. It’s kind of exhilarating, isn’t it? Now, this is gonna be a little difficult, so stay with me. You have a new backpack. Only this time, I want you to fill it with people. Start with casual acquaintances, friends of friends, folks around the office, and then you move into the people that you trust with your most intimate secrets. Your cousins, your aunts, your uncles, your brothers, your sisters, your parents and finally your husband, your wife, your boyfriend or your girlfriend. You get them into that backpack. And don’t worry. I’m not gonna ask you to light it on fire. Feel the weight of that bag. Make no mistake – your relationships are the heaviest components in your life. Do you feel the straps cutting into your shoulders? All those negotiations and arguments, and secrets and compromises. You don’t need to carry all that weight. Why don’t you set that bag down? Some animals were meant to carry each other, to live symbiotically for a lifetime – star crossed lovers, monogamous swans. We are not those animals. The slower we move, the faster we die. We are not swans. We’re sharks.

RULES

You can send your images to either bennett@photography139.com OR you may text them to my Pixel 5.

That is all I got, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will all be sharing our idea of UP IN THE AIR in this place that travels from my server to your computational device through the air next Monday.

Black & White, Cathie, Christianity, Elizabeth, Joe Duff, Kio, Micky, Shannon, Tamara, WPC - Submissions

WPC – WEEK 296 – LIGHT

May 17, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett

Once again, there was a healthy amount of submissions for LIGHT. Apparently many of you did see the LIGHT.

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

Micky Augustin

Elizabeth Nordeen

Kio Dettman

Joe Duff

Kio Dettman

Tamara Peterson

Shannon Bardole-Foley

Joe Duff

Christopher D. Bennett

Cathie Raley

GOVERNMENT

GOVERNMENT! Another great theme for Year 8 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE.

But what is a GOVERNMENT photo? A GOVERNMENT photo is any photo that involves something that involves the GOVERNMENT. Went to a public park? That is GOVERNMENT. Driving on a road? That is GOVERNMENT. Of course there are GOVERNMENT buildings like courthouse, police departments, fire departments, post offices… Everything military related is GOVERNMENT. Everything dealing with public schools is GOVERNMENT.

Think about the following quote when you are contemplating your GOVERNMENT image:

The worst thing in this world, next to anarchy, is government.
-Henry Ward Beecher

RULES

You can send your images to either bennett@photography139.com OR you may text them to my Pixel 5.

That is all I got, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will all be sharing our idea of GOVERNMENT in this place that is governed my conscience. next Monday.

Art, Becky, Joe Duff, Kim, Kio, Linda, Micky, Shannon, Tamara, WPC - Submissions

WPC – WEEK 295 – FACE

May 10, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett

There was a decent amount of submissions for FACE this week. Apparently lots of you know a FACE or two that you like.

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

Kim Barker

Kio Dettman

Linda Bennett

Tamara Peterson

Micky Augustin

Tamara Peterson

Becky Parmelee

Joe Duff

Christopher D. Bennett

Kio Dettman

Micky Augustin

Cathie Raley

Submitted by Andy Sharp by Caree Severson

Shannon Bardole-Foley

LIGHT

LIGHT! Another great theme for Year 8 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE.

A LIGHT image is pretty simple. It is merely a picture where LIGHT plays a major compositional element. A wise person might argue that any picture they take is a LIGHT picture because all photography really is, is the capturing of LIGHT. But warning, when you take a picture of LIGHT, don’t face your camera straight towards a bright LIGHT.. You will surely damage it. The camera. The LIGHT will be just fine.

Think about the following song lyric when you are contemplating your LIGHT image:

I saw the light, I saw the light
No more darkness, no more night
Now I’m so happy no sorrow in sight
Praise the Lord, I saw the light
-Hank Williams

RULES

You can send your images to either bennett@photography139.com OR you may text them to my Pixel 5.

That is all I got, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will all be sharing our idea of LIGHT in this place that is a little bit more than scraps of LIGHT next Monday.

Art, Carla, Elizabeth, Jodie Cue, Kim, Kio, Micky, Road Trip, Shannon, Still Life, Travel, Vest, WPC - Submissions

WPC – WEEK 294 – TRAVEL

May 3, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett

There was a decent amount of submissions for TRAVEL. It looks like several people left their house this weekend and had TRAVEL adventures.

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

Micky Augustin

Elizabeth Nordeen

Jodie Cue

Christopher D. Bennett

Jodie Cue

Kim Barker

Shannon Bardole-Foley

Kio Dettman

Mike Vest

Carla Stensland

FACE

FACE! Another great theme for Year 8 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE.

A FACE image is pretty simple. It is merely a picture where a FACE is a major compositional element. Everybody has access to a FACE. Almost everybody either has a FACE or knows somebody that has a FACE. But not just humans have a FACE. Animals have a FACE. Clocks have a FACE. Even cliffs have a FACE.

Think about the following quote when you are contemplating your FACE image:

Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face.
-Victor Hugo

Meditate on this quote and I have no doubt your submission will be one that is ready to FACE the world.

RULES

You can send your images to either bennett@photography139.com OR you may text them to my Pixel 5.

That is all I got, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will all be sharing our idea of FACE in this place that sometimes doesn’t know which way to FACE next Monday.