Category Archives: Friends

Art, Becky, Bill, Dawn, Micky, Shannon, Suzie, WPC - Submissions

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 70 – ART

January 16, 2017 Christopher D. Bennett

A slight post holiday uptick this week. Rumor has it next week we will get the New York Voice back in the fold. Woot! Woot! As the kids say.

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

Bill Wentworth

Becky Perkovich

Dawn Krause 1

Dawn Krause 2

Kim Barker 1

Kim Barker 2

Shannon Bardole

Suzie Brannen

Michael Augustin

Christopher D. Bennett

I believe this to be the first ever submission by Suzie. I’m hoping this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

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:

HAPPY!

I’m going to hope that you don’t need a definition of HAPPY. But in case you do, this photo should be either of somebody or something that is HAPPY or of something that makes you HAPPY. But as always, feel free to interpret the theme in any way you see fit.

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 happy Monday.

Alexis, Alisa, Derrick, Elainie, Ernie, Mom, Nader, Self-Portrait, Self-Portrait Project, Teresa

Selfie Project of 2017

January 10, 2017 Christopher D. Bennett 7 Comments

So I tried and failed at a Selfie Project in 2016. I’m trying again in 2017. Last year I took the pictures with Blue Boy. Who you may remember is my Canon point & shoot.

This year I’m going to take the pictures with the front facing camera on my Google Pixel. I feel this will enhance the chance of this project working because I always have my phone on my person. That way I don’t have to constantly remember another camera. Therefore I’m taking these pictures with the worst camera I own. Unless you count my pinhole camera and if you were thinking, “Yeah, but what about your pinhole camera?” I say to you, “I’m impressed that you remember that I own a pinhole camera! Well done!”

That being said, the Google Pixel camera is easily the best phone camera I’ve ever owned. Partially because it is made my Sony (shout out to Sony!) and partially because of a myriad of features that are included with the camera. I will one day soon publish a review of the camera, and you’ll know what I mean.

Another thing I should point out is that the rear facing camera on a phone is always way better than the front facing camera. But I’m using the front facing camera for ease of use. Even though it tops out about 4 megapixels. But I don’t have time to teach you about the megapixel lie. That is a subject for another time.

And this time, is the time to share the first ten pictures from the Selfie Project (circa 2017):

Day 0

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

Day 8

Day 9

Part of the purpose of this project is to document my magnificent beard growth. I recently joined the Dollar Beard Club, like beard connoisseur Andrew Bardole. I’ve been enjoying their wonderful beard shampoo, beard oil, and beard cream. It makes me smell like a lumberjack that just got out of a hot spring bath in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. So… pretty amazing.

Although I’ll probably check in on this project from time to time on the blog known as An Artist’s Notebook (that is this blog silly), I don’t know that it will be a regular occurrence. However, these photos will be published on Instagram on the daily. Not only can you check out the progress of the scruff, you can check out Selfie Project Superfan Elizabeth’s daily critique of my smile. So everybody wins!

If you’ve forgotten, my Instagram handle is @christopherdbennett

Be warned, if you hang with me now and again, you might get thrown into the Selfie Project Mix. I’m hoping to even get my picture taken with noted Selfie queens like Alisa and Alexis and Elainie. Fingers crossed and you’ve been warned!

Bill, Cathie, Kim, Naima, Shannon, WPC - Submissions

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 69 – MIRROR

January 9, 2017 Christopher D. Bennett

MIRROR. Not an easy theme. But a few hearty souls got out there and took some photos. This week’s theme is quite a bit easier. Hopefully we’ll have a big wave of submissions.

But you don’t want to hear me talk all tommyrot about participation rates. You want to see the submissions. Here are the submissions for MIRROR:

Kim Barker

Bill Wentworth

Shannon Bardole

Christopher D. Bennett

Cathie Raley 1

Cathie Raley 2

ART!

Whoa! Is that a picture of Christopher D. Bennett’s controversial “Blue Steel”? Yes it is! The classics never die. Which raises the question? What is art? It is kind of like how Supreme Court justice Potter Stewart described pornography: “I know it when I see it.” So look around your house or your community for ART. Go to a museum. A sculpture garden. A concert. A church. ART. You’ll know it 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

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 arty Monday.

Flowers, Jay, Nature, Road Trip, Ruins, Shannon, Travel

06-23-07 (Post Production)

January 7, 2017 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

The substructure of folder 06-23-07 is a little weird. I don’t remember what I was trying to do. But here are pictures from some of the subfolders:

Not sure what is in next week’s folder. But I’ll figure it out.

Baier, Bill, Jesse, Jorge, Michelle, Nader, Naima, Self-Portrait Project

The Failed Selfie Project of 2016

January 3, 2017 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

Back at the beginning of 2016, I had this dream of taking a selfie every day to document that growth of one awesome beard. Well. I made it a few days into April.

As I’m going to rekindle this project for 2017, thought I’d look back at my favorite photos from that failed project.

Hopefully I can make it later than April in 2017 before I shave the beard. But I am at the mercy of whether or not I have a birthday party in 2017 and what I do for the invitation. I guess it is a waiting game.

Angie, Black & White, Jeff Kewer, Kim, Micky, Self-Portrait, WPC - Submissions

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 68 – SELF-PORTRAIT

January 2, 2017 Christopher D. Bennett

Well. We made it through the holidays and still had some participation. WooHoo!

But you don’t want to listen to me talk all tommyrot about participation rates. You want to see the submissions for SELF-PORTRAIT. Here they be:

Angie DeWaard

Jeff Kewer

Micky Augustin

Kim Barker

Christopher D. Bennett

MIRROR!

MIRROR! I’m pumped up for this theme. Mostly because I have lots of mirrors. Now I can get off my tookus and do something with them! So this theme should incorporate a mirror or mirrors into the photo. But feel free to use reflective objects that might not be the Merriam-Webster definition of a mirror. Like a calm mill pond. Define 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

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 mirrored Monday.

Alisa, Anders, Angie, Baier, Becky, Bethany, Bill, Blogging, Brooke, Carla, Cathie, Cousin Amy, Dae Hee, Dawn, Derrick, Dustin, Eric, Faust, Flat Earth Joe, Funk, Geri, Holidays, Houlihan, Jay, Jeff Daniel, Jen, Jesse, Jill, Jodie, Joe Duff, Jorge, Kim, Laura, Logan, Michelle, Micky, Monica, Nader, Pastor Sarah, Russell, Sara, Scottie D., Shannon, Shawn Lockner, Steph, Suzie, Teresa, Vest, Willy

To a Great 2017!

January 1, 2017 Christopher D. Bennett

Pretend like I published this on January 1, just like I meant to do.

It is that day at Photography 139 Headquarters where we take down our old Photography 139 Calendar and put it in the trunk with many of the other remnants of our past.

We like to think that 2016 was a successful year for Photography 139 and I’d like to thank everybody that was responsible for making it appear so.

So to my list of email blog subscribers…

Jay Janson
Jason Baier
Shannon Bardole
Scott Degeneffe
Corey Faust
Susanna Funk
Jill Gorshe
Jesse Howard
Sara Lockner
Teresa Kahler
Nader Parsaei
Becky Perkovich
Bernice Verhoorn
Suzie Brannen
Eric Hiatt
Kim Barker
Cousin Amy
Russell Kennerly
Tim Tuck
Tim Tucker’s Lady Friend
Michelle Haupt
Geri Derner
Micky Augustin
Angie DeWaard
Mike Vest
DaeHee Yoon
Monica Henning
Sarah Karber
Carla Stensland
Laura Miller
Joseph Lynch
Jorge Rios
Anders Runestad
Laura Miller
Michael Houlihan
Dawn Krause
Joe Duff
Derrick Gorshe
Dustin Jackson
Bethany Miller
Logan Kahler
Elizabeth Nordeen
Nicole Nickens
Corinna
Jeff Daniel
Stephanie Kim
Bob Person
Melissa Degeneffe
Willy MacAlpine
Janice Peterson
Jessica Potts
Steve Junck
Shawn Lockner
Brooke Milligan
Cathie Raley
Paul Golden
Linda Toot
Jodie Bennett
Dan Pottratz
Alisa Baker
Cassandra Chadwick

Thanks for a great 2016! Of course, I’ll try to do better in 2017. Hopefully our little family will continue to grow in the new year!

Animals, Flowers, Jesse, Politics, Steph, Yin

06-19-07

December 31, 2016 Christopher D. Bennett

The folder called 06-19-07 includes folders of killdeer that I photographed with Steph and Yin and that time Jesse and I met the man that will probably be recorded by history as the best president of my lifetime.

I’m not sure where next Saturday’s walk down memory lane will go. Next week’s folder has lots of subfolders, so there is no telling where we’ll go.

Angie, Bill, Black & White, Kim, Shannon, WPC - Submissions

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 67 – TRANSPORTATION

December 26, 2016 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

Sorry this is late. I’ve been working on a new commercial photography account that I will discuss in the near future. Don’t worry, this week’s theme is extremely easy. The 2 hours you lost won’t cost you. I guarantee it!

But you don’t want to listen to me talk all tommyrot about why this is late. You want to see the submissions for TRANSPORTATION:

Kim Barker 1

Kim Barker 2

Shannon Bardole

Angie DeWaard 1

Angie DeWaard 2

Bill Wentworth

Christopher D. Bennett

SELF-PORTRAIT!

It is the teenage girl of photo themes! I can’t wait to see all the duckfaces that land in my inbox! I assume the holidays will cause the participation rates to dip again next week, but come on… this is a really easy theme. All you need is a self and a camera. Look at your phone. It has a camera on it. This week’s theme should be done and done!

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

The Photography 139 Shameless Self-Promotion Division is pleased to announce that Cassandra Chadwick is the latest person to show taste, class, and sophistication by signing up for a Photography 139 Email Subscription. Cassie I believe, represents the farthest west stretch of the Photography 139 Empire. She lays her head down at night in Colorado. Besting the current (I think) westest person, Laura Miller of Manhattan, Kansas. I’ll have to check the Photography 139 Heat Map to confirm that at some point. I met Cassie during the one year I spent at the Duff post of the Evil Clown Empire. I worked there for a full year and I can say literally (this is not an exaggeration for effect) she is 1 of only 4 people that worked there that I liked. Incidentally, she is the 3rd of the 4 to sign up for an email subscription. Seriously. That building was filled with awful people. Think of the worst people you remember from high school. Put them on steroids. Those were the people that worked there. I don’t know if I make friends easily, but in 1 year on that job, I only made 1 close friend. That number seems pretty low to me. But enough griping about that dark, dark year. The important thing to know is that Cassie was a shining light in a pit of darkness. After she cut herself free, she moved out west where she became a noted radio personality. The fame was too much for her, so she retired into a quieter career. Probably banking. So if you see Cassie out walking the mean streets of Colorado, be sure to give her a knowing glance and feel free to teach 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 very selfie-ish Monday.