Category Archives: Shannon

Animals, Blogging, Derrick, History, Jay, Jesse, Shannon, Teresa

Post No. 2500

March 2, 2017 Christopher D. Bennett 3 Comments

This blog has hit a milestone. This is the 2500th post since I started “An Artist’s Notebook” on August 9, 2006. A lot of different things have went through these pages over the last 10+ years, but I hope I’ve stayed true to the original vision I laid down in that very first post:

So here is the first journal entry. I felt like having as pretentious sounding name as possible for my journal. I have a few goals about this journal. My main goal is just to actually write in it. My second goal is to be as truthful as possible towards my true thoughts and feelings. I have another journal on another website, but it is really just a collection of sarcastic statements and cheap jabs at open faced sandwiches. This journal is meant to be about what my achievements and failures are in the world of art. What projects I am working on and what I have accomplished and what I have failed to accomplish. What I am photographing and what I am thinking about entering in photo contests. What I am thinking about. It might not always make sense. It might just be things I need to write down because they strike me as poignant or inspirational. This is in a small way an online “idea box”.

I do also have a goal of producing something that makes me worthy of having a pretentious sounding journal title like: “An Artist’s Notebook”.

It is strange to think that one of the things that I was originally committed to was the TRUTH. For many years the “motto” of this blog was “Art is a lie that reveals the truth.” Now we live in a post-truth society. Truth has had a hard time. If Justin Timberlake can bring sexy back. I can bring truth back.

I hope in these last 10+ years I’ve stayed pretentious enough for the title “An Artist’s Notebook”. I’m sure some of you will argue that I have. Those of you that like to push the “elitist” lie.

The first JOURNAL ENTRY would go on to tell a story about Photo Contests:

So last night, I attended the Iowa State Fair Photography Salon Reception with Sara. I figured that the two pictures that I had accepted for display would be a picture of Jay entitled “Portrait of a Self Portrait” and a picture of a bullfrog entitled “Kentucky Appetizer”. I didn’t have any real strong images to enter into the contest this year, but I felt that I had some that were good enough to display, but probably not good enough for ribbons. I was correct. Those were the two pictures selected for display. They did not receive ribbons.

So now I turn my attention to the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest. I wasn’t going to enter this contest because I have been frustrated in the past by the way it is ran. The pictures are never displayed on the day that they are supposed to be displayed. Instead, they might be displayed as late as 48 hours. The second thing about this contest that sticks in my craw is that they don’t put the names of the photographers or of the image up anywhere. Basically, there are a bunch of pictures up and who knows who took them.

I don’t complain because I seek the fame and fortune that comes with having your picture displayed at the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest. I complain because I would like to know who took some of the other pictures. Sadly, 1 town west the now defunct Ogden Fun Days Photo Contest was ran a million times better.

Jay talked me into entering this year’s contest. I told him that I didn’t like having to put any emotional investment into this contest, when it was so poorly ran.

He said it wouldn’t require any emotional investment. I could just put the pictures I made for the Ogden Fun Days Contest into the Pufferbilly Contest and whatever happens happened.

For better or worse, I’m just not wired in such a manner. There are very few things in my life I can just say “what happens, happens.” Photography certainly isn’t one of them.

He did convince me it was a waste not to enter one of the few contests around here just because it was so poorly ran. So, I am entering. I need to come up with 6 entries by August 31. That is the limit and I do not want to do anything less than the limit. I don’t want to mail it in.

So I started a sentence with the word “so”. How very lazy of me. Hopefully I’ve improved in that vein over the years.

It is interesting that I’ve now semi-retired from Photo Contests. I haven’t entered the Pufferbilly Days Contest in years because it is so terribly, dreadfully run. Last year I didn’t enter the Iowa State Fair Photography Salon for the first time in probably 15 years. I just didn’t have the fire in my belly for it. The Ogden Fun Days Photo Contest folded after 1 year.

I may come out of retirement this year. Even though the Pufferbilly Days Contest, is so terribly, dreadfully, awfully run.

Maybe you are wondering what KENTUCKY APPETIZER looked like. Something like this:

Kentucky Appetizer

That picture of Jay? Use your imagination.

In 2500 posts, this blog has went through 3 different platforms. There have been 2,166 comments left. That makes me kind of sad. But I’m sure I’ve received some feedback via email. I’m hoping.

The most popular post category is:

Flowers – 362 Posts

The people to be referenced in posts the most often:

1. Jesse – 283 Posts
2. Teresa – 244 Posts
3. Shannon – 231 Posts
3. Jay – 231 Posts
5. Derrick – 220 Posts

Thanks to everybody that has given this blog a modicum of success through 2500 posts. Here is to the next 2500!

Bill, Dawn, Kim, Naima, Shannon, Steph, WPC - Submissions

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 76 – GOVERNMENT

February 27, 2017 Christopher D. Bennett 14 Comments

GOVERNMENT didn’t really ring a lot of people’s bells, which means it will definitely be back on the menu for the next set of themes. Why? I’m not a quitter. However, we are nearing the halfway point of the second set of themes since we rebooted the RANDOM WEEKLY PHOTO EXPERIMENT and rebranded it the THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE. Therefore, over the next few weeks, in the COMMENTS section of this here blog, leave your ideas for themes for the next 52 weeks.

But you didn’t come here to talk all tommyrot about theme selections. You came here to see the submissions…

Stehanie Kim

Shannon Bardole

Kim Barker

Christopher D. Bennett

Bill Wentworth

Dawn Krause

What there lacks for quantity, it makes up for in quality! A solid week of submissions!

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:

ANIMAL!

I don’t think I need to define ANIMAL. Many of you have one of two or ten or fifty living with you. Many of you are raising a few. Some of you go out on Friday nights with one. Everybody knows where a park is or even has access to a window. Should be a good easy week, filled with submissions.

For those of you that wish to book Naima for you photo, her sitting fee is $150/hr.

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 animalistic Monday!

Angie, Bill, Black & White, Cathie, Dawn, Kim, Micky, Music, Shannon, Vest, WPC - Submissions

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 75 – MUSIC

February 20, 2017 Christopher D. Bennett

Most people seem to have adjusted to the new way of things. As participation rates didn’t spike, but they also didn’t fall… too far.

But you didn’t come here to listen to me talk all tommyrot about participation rates. You came to see this week’s submissions. Here are the submissions for MUSIC:

Kim Barker 1

Kim Barker 2

Dawn Krause 1

Dawn Krause 2

Dawn Krause 3

Dawn Krause 4

Bill Wentworth

Shannon Bardole

Christopher D. Bennett

Cathie Raley 1

Cathie Raley 2

Mike Vest

Stephanie Kim

Angie DeWaard

Micky Augustin

A solid week of submissions! I’m glad so many people have MUSIC and a love of MUSIC in their lives! I weep openly for those of you that don’t.

GOVERNMENT!

“Oooh… GOVERNMENT. That sounds hard.” He heard a murmuring across the plains.

But it isn’t. Not at all. If you think about it, the GOVERNMENT is everywhere. I don’t mean that in a Big Brother-the NSA is wiretapping your phones and paying attention to whatever inane meme* you are posting on Facebook this week sort of a way. I mean that it is everywhere. That road you drove to work on today. That is the GOVERNMENT. That public park you went to this weekend. That is the GOVERNMENT. In the military? The United States military is the largest socialist organization in world. It is the GOVERNMENT. Police. GOVERNMENT. Firefighters. GOVERNMENT. Public schools. GOVERNMENT. Public universities. GOVERNMENT. Did you flush your toilet this morning? That stuff went into your city’s water treatment center. GOVERNMENT.

But GOVERNMENT doesn’t just mean your federal, state, county, or local government. That civic organization that you belong to. They have a GOVERNMENT. The youth sports organization altar that you sacrifice coin, happiness, and weekends upon. They have a GOVERNMENT. I’m even the President of a church organization. GOVERNMENT.

Of course, there are the obvious symbols of GOVERNMENT, like courthouses and capitol buildings. But as always, feel free to define the theme any way 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 governed Monday!

*All memes are inane.

Angie, Bill, Black & White, Carla, Cathie, Kim, Logan, Micky, Shannon, Steph, Suzie, Vest, WPC - Submissions

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 74 – BLACK & WHITE

February 13, 2017 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

A great week of participation, which has me all amped up, since BLACK & WHITE is my favorite theme.

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

Kim Barker

Christopher D. Bennett

Shannon Bardole

Stephanie Kim

Angie DeWaard

Bill Wentworth

Cathie Raley 1

Cathie Raley 2

Cathie Raley 3

Logan Kahler

Michael Augustin

Suzie Brannen

Mike Vest

Carla Stensland

One of the best weeks of submissions to date!

MUSIC!

I don’t feel like I need to define MUSIC. If you don’t have any MUSIC in your life, I feel bad for you. Really, really, really, really bad for you. You should get out there and get some music in you. Whether it is seeing a local band at a local dive, visiting a local music store, cracking out your old instrument from your high school days, cracking out your old vinyls, screen capturing a playlist on your phone, photographing that musician friend, or even just cracking out some sheet music. The possibilities are endless!

As always, feel liberated to define the theme as 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 verymusical Monday!

Angie, Art, Bill, Cathie, Kim, Logan, Pastor Sarah, Shannon, Steph, Suzie, Vest, WPC - Submissions

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 73 – ABSTRACT

February 6, 2017 Christopher D. Bennett 1 Comment

A decent rebound from last week as several people were able to get all ABSTRACT.

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 ABSTRACT:

Kim Barker

Logan Kahler

Stephanie Kim

Sarah Karber

Angie DeWaard

Suzie Brannen

Cathie Raley 1

Cathie Raley 2

Cathie Raley 3

Bill Wentworth

Mike Vest

Christopher D. Bennett

Shannon Bardole

A solid week of submissions!

BLACK & WHITE!

I can’t deny it. This is my favorite theme. My first passion has always been BLACK & WHITE Photography. People that don’t like BLACK & WHITE photography are bad people. Plus, this is such an easy theme. Go out and take a BLACK & WHITE photo of literally anything. I probably should give a dissertation on how textures and light can be emphasized in BLACK & WHITE, but I won’t. Just go out and take some BLACK & WHITE photos!

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 monochromatic Monday!

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.

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

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.

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.

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!

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.