Category Archives: Steph

Animals, Jesse, Music, Sarah Toot, Steph, Street Photography, Travel

Random New York City Images

March 23, 2011 Christopher D. Bennett 1 Comment

Even though I only recently started the tradition of posting movie reviews on Wednesdays, I’m already walking away from that tradition. I want to keep this website about photography as much as possible, so I’m going to start posting my movie reviews on my collective blog:

Robot Monster Bros.

If you were to follow that link, you would not find any movie reviews. You will find an explanation of why I do my movie reviews the way I do. You will also find a posting the 10 Things I Learned in NYC. In the near future, I should have a review of Cedar Rapids up.

Wednesdays now will be more of a random photography day. This way I get more photography on the photography website and more writing on the writing website.

Here are some random pictures from my trip to New York City:

The Carnegie Deli, our first stop after the hotel.

The Melo – That is what I am talking about!

Maybe the best cheesecake of my life.

Central Park

Central Park Horse

Manhattan Skyline from Central Park

Broadway

David Letterman does not amuse me, but this was still kind of cool.

“Don’t want to be an American Idiot. Don’t want a nation under the new media. And can you hear the sound of hysteria? The subliminal mind (fudge) America….”

Want to know what 72 dollars worth of alcohol looks like in NYC? Sarah and Tim are showing it off.

Steph and I after American Idiot

Jesse and I after American Idiot

Amy’s Bread’s Red Velvet Cake. Tim said this would be the best red velvet cake of my life. Shhh…. My Mom’s is better!

Sarah and I outside of Amy’s Bread

More random New York City images will be coming your way next Wednesday and don’t forget to check out the other website for my list of 10 things I learned in NYC.

Anders, Bill, Formal Portrait, History, Jay, Jesse, Steph, Willy

The Archives: Edition Five

February 22, 2011 Christopher D. Bennett

These pictures are from backup/Old My Pictures/Beaver Massacre

I’ve try to come up with a good reason for why these pictures exist, but I can’t really defend them.

I will just try to explain what the general idea was supposed to be. These were supposed to be “Production Stills” for a movie that didn’t exist, The Beaver Machete Massacre.

Why?

I don’t know. I think Beaver looks like the set of a horror movie and I owned a machete.

Here they are:

IMAGE LOST
I believe Jay was the first person to fall under my blade. Sometimes when two great artists get together a creative synergy occurs and amazing things are done. Sometimes they do garbage like this…

IMAGE LOST
Bill was next and by this time my maniacal hillbilly character had bought a new plaid shirt. I think it was quilted so he wouldn’t get cold during the long winter nights in the woods.

IMAGE LOST
By the time Willy had come around, I had lost the machete. But I had found an axe. Locally there was a clothing sale at Big Bear and the maniacal hillbilly had picked up yet another quilted flannel shirt.

IMAGE LOST
We drove all the way out to Ledges, we might as well take more than one shot.

IMAGE LOST
Poor Steph. Why did she ever agree to such a thing.

IMAGE LOST
Jesse was next. I think this was done on his lunch break. Apparently I had found a hammer by this point.

IMAGE LOST
I think we found that bottle littered on the ground at Wakefield Woods.

IMAGE LOST
Jesse used to have a similar look on his face when he saw that he was going to have to defend me on the basketball court.

IMAGE LOST
I’m pretty sure that Jay took these cinematic shots.

IMAGE LOST
Jesse must have really been into this little project.

IMAGE LOST
I must have found the machete again. The look on Andy’s face almost makes this old project worthwhile.

IMAGE LOST
Take that Old Navy!

Next week’s folder is backup/Old My Pictures/County Fair 2004

Anders, Animals, Bill, Faust, History, Jay, Jesse, Movies, Steph

The Archives: Edition Three

February 8, 2011 Christopher D. Bennett

These pictures are from: backup/Old My Pictures/ Animals

In retrospect, I don’t know why I named this folder Animals. There aren’t that many animal pictures in it. I guess I must have considered it witty at the time.

IMAGE LOST
Kalona

For my 30th Birthday Party, I talked Andy and Jesse into dressing up like Sandmen from Logan’s Run and posing for pictures all over the awe-inspiring beauty of the Iowa State University campus. Jay was the photographer. I really need to watch Logan’s Run again sometime.

IMAGE LOST
The notorious Black Angel in Iowa City.

IMAGE LOST
Bill took this picture of Faust at our wedding.

IMAGE LOST
Tulum

IMAGE LOST
Kalona, in front of the now defunct Kalona Cupboard.

IMAGE LOST
The poster for Steph’s Senior Recital.

IMAGE LOST
Brandon as Henrik Ibsen.

IMAGE LOST
Lost Lake.

Next week’s look at the archives will be: backup/Old My Pictures/Backgrounds

Still another week before I have to come up with a good excuse for the Beaver Machete Massacre Project.

Alexis, Blogging, Brandon, Calendar, Carla, Elainie, History, Jason, Johnathan, Logan, Mom, Steph, Teresa, Willy

The Archives: Edition Two

February 1, 2011 Christopher D. Bennett

These pictures are from: backup/Old My Pictures/2005 Calendar

I’m pretty sure these are the files from the 2nd year of the calendar, although it is possible that it was the 3rd or 1st year of the calendar. My records on such things are spotty at best.

In the early days of the calendar I made “individualized” calendars, but I only made 3 calendars back then, so it was somewhat easy to do. That is why there are more than 12 images in this folder.

These pictures would have been taken in 2004.

Until “Outburst of the Soul” this was the most popular picture I ever made. To this date, I believe it is the only picture I’ve ever taken that inspired a musical composition.

This is the first digital picture I ever took.

This picture was taken in Tulum near Cozumel. It was also fairly popular in its day.

This picture was taken between Upper Cullen Lake and Middle Cullen Lake in Minnesota.

This was the 1st (kind of feels like the last) picture I had accepted to the Iowa State Fair Photography Salon. Apparently I’ve regressed as a photographer since this photo, the peak of my photography “career”.

I once had this terrible idea called the Beaver Machete Project. I’ll probably have to explain this later, but I’m going to buy myself a week or so to think of a good excuse for why I thought this was a good idea.

Next week’s look at the archives will be: backup/Old My Pictures/Animals

A cursory glance of this folder reveals very few pictures of animals.

Small bookkeeping note, with this Journal Entry, Teresa becomes the 6th Person to be featured, mentioned, or alluded to in 100 entries. I’m sure she’ll put that on her resume.

Becky, Carla, Dawn, Jesse, Julie, Music, Steph, Vest, Willy, WPC - Submissions

RWPE #11 – Motion

March 22, 2010 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

This week we have a first time contributor in my sister Carla. She did break the one and only rule of RWPE (the picture has to be taken the week of the project) but I’ll let it slide since it was her birthday last week.

This week’s submissions:

Michael Vest

IMAGE LOST
Carla Stensland

IMAGE LOST
Dawn Krause

IMAGE LOST
Becky Perkovich

IMAGE LOST
Julie Johnson (In Flight)

Christopher D. Bennett

Although as a general rule I don’t like to comment on my RWPE, I will point out this time that this picture is completely motivated by the fact that Stephanie Kasper would be abnormally freaked out by it.

Julie has started a blog and I wanted to include a link to her blog so you can enjoy much more of her photography, writing and just general Julieness. For those of you that are like me and can’t get enough Julie Johnson (despite being treated for the medical condition) click on the link below:

The Joy is in the Journey

Dawn’s Weekly Poem

Motion

The tenderness you want to convey
Revealed itself in your words today
It beckons me to come out to play
But lingers for you to lead the way

Why don’t you put your plan in motion
And show me your secure devotion
Seduce my mind with romantic notion
Your signal is that magic potion

The theme for this week is:

SIGNS

Hopefully we continue to get lots of contributors. This is a fairly accessible subject, but of course there is no reason to be literal. There are all sorts of different kinds of signs in the world. Maybe the CEO of the William McAlpine Excuse Factory will even grace us with a contribution.

For those who had the same idea that I had, I looked it up. Tesla isn’t touring right now. Darn the luck. I guess I’ll have to look for another subject that will be “blocking out the scenery, breaking my mind. Do this, don’t do that, can’t you read the sign.”

Steph, Work

Burden

June 24, 2008 Christopher D. Bennett

Sometimes I forget that I cut an impressive figure. Sometimes I forget that when you are 6’3 inches tall and are rippling with muscles, attitude and intensity to spare you can unintentionally strike fear in to the hearts of others.

Back when I was running Campus it was not uncommon for me to cause an employee to burst into tears with just one glare. I was giving the nickname “The Intimidator” by some of my employees.

Stephanie made buttons for most of the employees at Campus. My button said “The Intimidator” and had a picture of a ferocious bear on it. I don’t know the current location of that button, but I tell this story to setup the following.

My final birthday present recently wound up in my mailbox. Stephanie got me a subscription to American Photo. An awesome present, but I worry that she bought me this present because she still fears me a bit. Even if she recently described me as “Former Supervisor, Friend, Mentor” on a recent application. I wonder because of the mailing label on the magazine.

At least the mailman will know not to mess with me.

Art, Flowers, Steph

Des Moines Art

May 24, 2008 Christopher D. Bennett

I went down to the Des Moines Art Center for the first time since maybe the 6th grade on Saturday.

I met Stephanie and her friend Katie down there. I was impressed with the collection that Des Moines has and was doubly impressed that it was free. We had about 2 hours to spend in the museum and I don’t think that it was enough time. I think I’ll have to go back there again in the future so I can spend more time with certain pieces.

I found plenty of pieces that I loved and plenty of pieces that I hated, so by my definition it was a successful trip.

Like most art museums, they don’t let cameras inside, but below are a few pictures from outside the museum.

Looking at the pictures I took I’m reminded of the old quote:

“Art is man’s nature. Nature is God’s art.”

I did find a very cool non-art thing at the Art Center, but it seems that most people with whom I share this find, in turn have a reaction that ranges between revulsion and apathy. I’ll keep that find quiet for now.

Andree, Baier, Jason, Jay, Russell, Steph

Celebration Nonterminus

May 22, 2008 Christopher D. Bennett

It has been an interesting week thus far.

I thought that yesterday I was going to take a major step forward towards fixing my car situation. Jason and I had scoped out a 2004 Buick LeSabre on Car Trader. It was right within my desired price range and only had 33,000 miles on it.

I called down to the dealership in Perry to make sure the car was still there and then I left work early and we headed down. Basically as we pulled onto the lot, the car we came to look at drove off the lot with its new owner.

The car had sat on the lot since September without being sold. In the two hours between when we called down to see if it was still on the lot and showed up on the lot it had been sold.

I’m not much of a fate guy, but I guess it just wasn’t meant to be. The car search continues.

Birthday Gatherings

I have not celebrated my birthday much recently. However, this year it seems to be over celebrated. I had a barbecue with the family on Sunday. Jay took me to West Side Deli for lunch on Monday. I had lunch with Stephanie at Dublin Bay on Tuesday.

Check out the sweet hunk of bread she brought me from Pittsburgh:

From the Allegro Bakery in Pittsburgh, PA.

On Tuesday night Baier, Russell and Andree took me out to King Buffet. I’ve gotten a few phone messages from people wanting to give me “late cakes” or go see Indiana Jones next week. So the Sunday gathering might be a small group, but perhaps it will be just the right number of people.

Alexis, Animals, Art, Carla, History, Mom, Steph, Teresa

Mt. St. Helens Anniversary

May 18, 2008 Christopher D. Bennett

On May 18, 1980 three things happened.

1. Mt. St. Helens erupted.
2. Stephanie Kasper was born.
3. I turned 5.

5 years earlier I was born.

A cousin of mine once gave my two sisters and I the very backhanded compliment that we turned out pretty well considering the white trash from which we came.

I don’t want to dwell on that story and its obvious hypocrisies. I use it to illustrate a point. If I ever become a person worth remembering historians will note that on the date of my birth my parents were at The Hillbilly Auction.

Now I wasn’t born at The Hillbilly Auction. Although that would have made a great story. It will be noted by some future scholar that even “Greatness” can come from such humble roots. “Christopher D. Bennett’s mom went into labor while she was manning the antique booth at The Hillbilly Auction” the future narrator of a documentary will intone while on the screen will flicker an actress playing my mom in 1970s garb sitting in front of a camper with a bunch of antiques sitting on a table in front of her clutching her stomach. An actor portraying my dad will come out of the camper and rush to her side.

I don’t know if there will be actresses portraying my sisters. I don’t know if they were there. I should look into that. I want them in the documentary even if they weren’t there. A pig tailed red headed little kid to portray Teresa. A dark skinned black haired actress to portray Carla. It seems like I’m missing a perfectly good opportunity to post pictures of them from their childhood. I’ll have to look into that too.

Well 33 years later, I can’t return to The Hillbilly Auction. Instead, I witnessed the evidence that my niece Alexis is a hooligan.

Just look at this vandalism!

Although I do approve of her use of colors, but the message is so cliche. I will expect better from her in her future acts of vandalism.

I also took a ride down to Jester Park in the Howardmobile. My car decided to no longer have brake lights. I’m going to need to do something about that in the near future. Any way, check out some pictures.

It was a perfectly adequate birthday. I also got this sweet birthday card from Teresa. I need to scan that and post that at some point in the future.

Blogging, Derrick, Faust, FNSC, Football, Frank, Jay, Music, Schmidt, Steph

A Very Non Exciting Announcement

October 12, 2007 Christopher D. Bennett

I was counting up the ways that a person could make contact with me and I decided that I needed one more way. So I actually took the time and energy and told the guy that hosts my website (Frank) to give me an address at my own domain. So now if you want yet another e-mail address to write to me at:

bennett@photography139.com

There might* be a prize for the first person that e-mails me at my new address.

I am excited that this weekend will be the peak of fall colors this year in Central Iowa. I hope you are able to spend some time outside this weekend to enjoy the beauty of nature. I think I might just celebrate by taking a train ride.

The Fausts are going to be joining FNSC this evening. They have been given the rare privilege of picking the location for FNSC. This is a very rare honor only given to the most highly regarded. They did not make a mistake with their choice. They have chosen the West Street Deli, which is home to the world’s best club sandwich. I’m not joking about it. If you haven’t had the club at The West Street Deli you are missing out.

Tomorrow is an exciting day as well. The Iowa State Cyclones will attempt to BBQ the Texas Longhorns. I have little doubt that the Cyclones will leave Jack Trice Stadium victors, but that isn’t why tomorrow is so exciting. Tomorrow is exciting because Jay and Derrick are attending their first Faust tailgate. They will get to witness first hand Faust doing his Johnny Cash impersonation (it involves standing on the cooler) and after the game, they might get to see him bust out the Humpty Dance. Although the real highlight of any Faust tailgate is watching him yell at Bret over the music selections. Nothing is better than Faust getting mad when Bret won’t play “Not as Good as I Once Was”. He points at his damaged foot and screams, “That’s my song. I’m not as good as I once was”. Priceless merrymaking.

I should make a confession. Almost a month ago, Stephanie gave me the Sufjan Stevens album Illinoise. She was really interested in me giving her feedback on my thoughts about the album. I think she was hoping for me to just agree with her that it is one of the greatest albums of all time. The problem is that she also gave me a copy of the Eric Lindell album Change in the Weather. I just can’t bring myself to listen to the Sufjan Stevens album because I LOVE the Eric Lindell album so much. In fact, I’ve taken to surrounding myself with a constant flow of music from the following albums: Echoes, Silence, Patience, and Grace** by the Foo Fighters, Change in the Weather by Eric Lindell, Once the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, and Every Second Counts by Plain White T’s. I hope to add Shannon Curfman’s album Fast Lane Addiction to the mix, but I have to find some place that is selling it first. Stupid Best Buy. Stupid Target. I’ll get to Sufjan, I swear it. Just not on anything important.

I received some exciting news this week. I’m not ready to share that information yet, but if you want a sneak peek, you can head over to the FUMC in Boone on Wednesday night at 7 pm. You will want to go to the parlor. There are a couple of strings attached. You have to be a woman, lady, female, or girl and you have to be interested in knitting, crocheting, quilting or something of that ilk. I’ll just leave this tease stand for now. Hopefully I will have a picture next to make you understand why I’m excited. Well I can’t make you understand anything. It will be an illustration of my excitement though.

I got another new toy for the “rig”*** a couple of weeks ago. I’m hoping to go out tonight and get some use out of it. If everything works out there might be some interesting night pictures in our future. Makes you wonder what toy would help with night photography, doesn’t it!

*By “might”, I mean there isn’t a prize.

** Even though Schmidt from work disagrees with my assessment, I think this album is pushing “The Colour and The Shape” for the title of the best Foo Fighters album.
*** Terminology used by the dude who annoyed me a couple of weeks ago.