Category Archives: Taylan

Now I Don’t Want Your Sympathy

We’ve come to the end of the black & white week. Time to share the black & white pictures I took last Sunday. Some of these pictures are from wandering around my yard. Some are from the Howard Family Photo Shoot. Some are from the Octagon Art Festival.

This might be the biggest collection yet, so we might as well get to it:


Now I don't want your sympathy

Now I don't want your sympathy

Now I don't want your sympathy

Now I don't want your sympathy

Now I don't want your sympathy

Now I Don't Want Your Sympathy

Now I Don't Want Your Sympathy

Last Penny - 2023

Last Penny - 2023

Soul Expansion - 2023

Now I Don't Want Your Sympathy

Now I Don't Want Your Sympathy

Now I Don't Want Your Sympathy

Now I Don't Want Your Sympathy

Now I Don't Want Your Sympathy

Howards - 2023

Howards - 2023

Howards - 2023

Howards - 2023

Howards - 2023

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Howards - 2023

Howards - 2023

Howards - 2023

Now I Don't Want Your Sympathy

Now I Don't Want Your Sympathy

Now I Don't Want Your Sympathy

Now I Don't Want Your Sympathy

Now I Don't Want Your Sympathy

Now I Don't Want Your Sympathy

Now I Don't Want Your Sympathy

Now I Don't Want Your Sympathy

Now I Don't Want Your Sympathy

Now I Don't Want Your Sympathy

Now I Don't Want Your Sympathy

Now I Don't Want Your Sympathy

Now I Don't Want Your Sympathy

Now I Don't Want Your Sympathy

Now I Don't Want Your Sympathy

Now I Don't Want Your Sympathy

Now I Don't Want Your Sympathy

Now I Don't Want Your Sympathy

Now I Don't Want Your Sympathy

Now I Don't Want Your Sympathy

Now I Don't Want Your Sympathy

Now I Don't Want Your Sympathy

Now I Don't Want Your Sympathy

Now I Don't Want Your Sympathy

Now I Don't Want Your Sympathy

Now I Don't Want Your Sympathy

Now I Don't Want Your Sympathy

Now I Don't Want Your Sympathy

Now I Don't Want Your Sympathy

Now I Don't Want Your Sympathy

Now I Don't Want Your Sympathy

Now I Don't Want Your Sympathy

Now I Don't Want Your Sympathy

Now I Don't Want Your Sympathy

If you are wondering about the Howard family photos, I kept a separate camera set to black & white to snap a few photos here and there. The photo shoot was not in black & white. Except for the clothes they are wearing.

If you are wondering how many black & white photos I took last week to get one submission for THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE… the answer is…

872

Although to be transparent, somewhere on Tuesday I knew the basic setup of the picture I was going to use for my submission. So you could say I took that image and then over 800 safeties.

Black & White Week has concluded. But remember.

There was nothing wrong with this website. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. I am controlling transmission. If I wish to make it louder, I will bring up the volume. If I wish to make it softer, I will tune it to a whisper. I will control the horizontal. I will control the vertical. I can roll the image, make it flutter. I can change the focus to a soft blur, or sharpen it to crystal clarity. For this last week, you sat quietly and I controlled all that you saw and heard. There is nothing wrong with this website. You participated in a great adventure. You experienced the awe and mystery which reaches from the inner mind to… Black & White Week.

I now return control of this website (not really) to you, until next year, when the Control Voice will take you to Black & White Week!

The 2022 Howards – Vol. 2

Time for another Formal Portrait Sunday. Last Sunday I accidentally refers to this collection as the 2023 Howards. My proofreader, that only proofreads after I publish alerted me to this right away. Obviously, I do not have access to a time machine. These pictures are from 2022. Sorry to those of you that hoped to borrow my time machine. When I have one, you will not know it though. Sorry about that too.

Here is a second collection of pictures from the 2022 Howard Family Photo Shoot:


Howards - 2022

Howards - 2022

Howards - 2022

Howards - 2022

Howards - 2022

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Howards - 2022

Next Formal Portrait will also feature more pictures of the Howards.

The 2022 Howards – Vol. 1

So here we are. Another Formal Portrait Sunday. I think I’ve finally figured out how I want to handle these in the future. I think I will still space them out, but not over so many posts. 2 to 3 posts per formal portrait sitting should be more than enough.

Here is the first volume of pictures from the Howards 2023 Photo Shoot:


Howards - 2022

Howards - 2022

Howards - 2022

Howards - 2022

Howards - 2022

Howards - 2022

Howards - 2022

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Howards - 2022

Howards - 2022

Howards - 2022

Howards - 2022

Howards - 2022

There will be more of the Howards next Sunday!

The Howards – Volume 6

It is another Formal Portrait Sunday. This will be the 6th and final collection of images from the Howards 2021 Family Photo Shoot. In fact this is the final collection of Formal Portrait images from 2021. Might be the final collection of images I share from 2021. There are a few miscellaneous pictures from 2021 out there, but I’m not sure I will share those. It might be a game time decision in the next couple of weeks.


Howards - 2021

Howards - 2021

Howards - 2021

Howards - 2021

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Howards - 2021

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Howards - 2021

Howards - 2021

Howards - 2021

Howards - 2021

Howards - 2021

Howards - 2021

Next Formal Portrait Sunday we will check in with Jayton’s Senior Picture Photo Shoot one last time. Probably.

The Howards – Volume 5

It is time for another Formal Portrait Sunday. Checking in again with the Howard Family Photo Shoot from back in 2021 again. Getting actually kind of near the end of all the formal portraits I have taken. We might be switching Sundays to something else in the future. Or I might end up taking more formal portraits. I guess will find out what the future holds in the future.


Howards - 2021

Howards - 2021

Howards - 2021

Howards - 2021

Howards - 2021

Howards - 2021

Howards - 2021

Howards - 2021

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Howards - 2021

Howards - 2021

Howards - 2021

Howards - 2021

Howards - 2021

Howards - 2021

Howards - 2021

Howards - 2021

There is one more collection of Howard pictures left to share.

Next Formal Portrait Sunday, we will check back in with Jayton’s Second Senior Picture Photo Shoot.

The Howards Volume – 4

It is time once again for another Formal Portrait Sunday. This time, we are checking back in with the Howard Family Portrait Shoot that was in some park in Cedar Falls.

Here are some more pictures from the day:


Howards - 2021

Howards - 2021

Howards - 2021

Howards - 2021

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Howards - 2021

Howards - 2021

Howards - 2021

Howards - 2021

Howards - 2021

There is still more to come from the 2021 Howard Family Photo Shoot. Next Formal Portrait Sunday, we will check-in on Kyle’s Fall Senior Picture Photo Shoot one more time.

Four Thousand Five Hundred

It has been 5,795 days since August 9, 2006. 5,795 days since I first took keyboard in hand and started the blog portion of the Photography 139 website. The portion I pompously named “An Artist’s Notebook”. The part I started with the words:

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”.

Over the years this website has transitioned less from an “idea box” and more into a “show and tell”. I keep my idea box more private these days. I didn’t even publish a picture on “An Artist’s Notebook” for months.

In fact, it wouldn’t be until October 20, 2006 that a blog post included an image. This image to be exact:


Groundhog Steve

It is a picture of “Steve” the Groundhog that lived behind the Computer Mine for years.

While the format and what has posted on An Artist’s Notebook has changed several times over the years, its main goals of “actually writing in it”, “being truthful as possible”, and of course the goal of having produced something worthy as being as “pretentious sounding as An Artist’s Notebook” have remained intact.

On these periodic check-ins I like to overwhelm those that stick around this long with a ton of meaningless statistics. Today’s post should be no different. Every post in “An Artist’s Notebook” is tagged with at least one Category. It is one of the easiest ways to navigate around the website. They are listed at the top of each post. Here are some statistics about Categories:

The Top 10 (Most Used) Categories (Rank in Post #4250 & Increase since then):
9. WPC-Submissions – 455 (#9 – +38)
9. Teresa – 455 (NR)
8. Carla – 476 (#7 – +41)
7. Road Trip – 477 (NR)
6. Shannon – 500 (#5 – +42)
5. Art – 506 (#10 – +92)
4. Jesse – 579 (#4 – +50)
3. Animals – 698 (#3 – +33)
2. Flowers – 819 (#2 – +65)
1. Black and White – 918 (#1 – +99)

Top 10 Non Human Categories:
10. Formal Portrait – 381 (NR)
9. Nature – 396 (#9 – +17)
8. Portrait – 435 (#4 – -15)
7. Macro – 441 (#8 – +51)
6. WPC – Submissions – 455 (#5 – +38)
5. Road Trip – 477 (#7 – +83)
4. Art – 506 (#6 – +92)
3. Animals – 698 (#3 – +33)
2. Flowers – 819 (#2 – +65)
1. Black and White – 918 (#1 – +99)

Top 10 Human Categories:
10. Jen – 286 (#9 – +9)
9. Vest – 294 (#10 – +20
8. Kim – 297 (NR)
7. Derrick – 320 (#7 – +9)
6. Jay – 337 (#6 – +8)
5. Mom – 453 (#4 – +31)
4. Teresa – 455 (#5 – +50)
3. Carla – 476 (#3 – +41)
2. Shannon – 500 (#2 – +42)
1. Jesse – 579 (#1 – +50)

If you have spent any time on the Photography 139 website, you know that on the left sidebar, the “Top 100 Categories” are listed. I thought I would give a little bit of coverage to the Bottom 10 of the Top 100. There are currently 194 categories used on the website. I could cover the Bottom 10, but they are mostly people that either very recently came into my life by birth (Dahlia, Anela) or another way. Or people that I thought would be a bigger part of my life and then weren’t. No need to cover those people. The Category that is #194 probably needs to be purged.

The Bottom 10 of the Top 100:

#100. Jaycees – 65
#99. Vacation – 67
#98. Mark – 69
#97. Commercial – 72
#95. Pastor Sarah – 74
#95. Life – 74
#94. Andree – 75
#93. Lowell – 77
#92. Photo Journal – 79
#91. Birthdays – 80

Some of these are bound to slip out of the Top 100. For example, there will never be another Jaycees post. Ever. I also apparently don’t take many vacations. Mark, not really part of my life any more. Life, is a broad category that I’ve tried to eliminate over the years. Photo Journal, a project I have completed, so there will never be another post on that. Birthdays, I currently don’t wish people “happy birthday”, but maybe I will again someday.

So what has a shot at cracking the Top 100? These are the 5 that are the closest.

+ Self-Portrait Project
+ Dae Hee
+ Kelly
+ Layla
+ FNSC

So, you might be wondering, how do you improve your Photography 139 score?

The easiest way is simple. Participate in THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE. You don’t even have to be around me and most people will tell you that being around me isn’t all that great. I mean look at Shannon. She is still #2 on the Big Board and I haven’t seen her in person since October 22, 2021. It can be done!

Other ways to increase your score:
+ Act as a Photo Assistant
+ Show up in THE SELFIE PROJECT
+ Go on TOWN SIGN PROJECT road trips with me… that one to Scott County is going to be epic!
+ An underated way is to assist with the FatMumSlim Photo a Day Project.
+ Doesn’t hurt to be related to me, but most of those slots are taken.
+ Doesn’t hurt to work with me, go to the same church as me, or otherwise engage me socially.

That is probably enough Category nonsense. I bet at least Joe is still here with me though.

“An Artist’s Notebook” is part of Photography 139. The 139 comes from Psalm 139:1-12. The Photography part comes from this website is supposed to be filled with photography. So, what are the most popular photo galleries on the Photography 139 website? Glad you asked:

TOP 10 PHOTOGRAPHY 139 PHOTOGRAPHY GALLERIES (LAST 365 DAYS)

To View the Gallery, Click on its Representative Image
Loess Hills Road Trip
10. Iowa – 35,595 Views

9 Emotions Project - Nader Parsaei
9. 9 Emotions Project – 69,259 Views

WEEK 311 - PEOPLE - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
8. WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – YEAR 8 – 74,730 Views

WEEK 343 - GRATITUDE - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
7. WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – YEAR 9 – 77,929 Views

Day 134 - May 14, 2022
6. SELFIE PROJECT – 2022 – 84,763 Views

Alexis Pregnant with Anela
5. Alexis Pregnancy Photo Shoot – 2020 – 95,358 Views

Abandoned Photomosaic
4. Christopher D. Bennett – 104,433 Views

Shelby County - Elk Horn
3. Town Sign Project – Auxiliary Images – 108,873 Views

Day 282 - October 9, 2021
2. Selfie Project – 2021 – 120,185 Views

Bradgate, Iowa
1. Town Sign Project – 176,664 Views

At post 4,250 these were the 5 most popular galleries:
5. Gorshe Family
4. Town Sign Project
3. Weekly Photo Challenge – Year 8
2. Selfie Project – 2021
1. Alexis Pregnancy Photo Shoot – 2020

But what are the most popular single images of the last 365 days? Don’t worry, I’m gonna feed you baby birds.

Top 10 Photography 139 Images

Coon Rapids, Iowa
10. Coon Rapids, Iowa – 2,319 Views

Pufferbilly Days
9. Carla and Teresa – 2,379 Views

Dexter, Iowa
8. Dexter, Iowa – 2,426 Views

Scranton, Iowa
7. Scranton, Iowa – 2,484 Views

Moingona, Iowa
6. Moingona, Iowa – 2,770 Views

Howards - 2021
5. The Howards – 2,842 Views

Miami Beach Work Trip - May 2022
4. Miami – 2,920 Views

Alexis Pregnant with Anela
3. Alexis Pregnant – 3,458 Views

Day 73 - March 13, 2021
2. Me and Mom – 4,134 Views

Day 30 - January 30, 2022
1. Bellevue – 14,629 Views

The final statistic I want to share with everybody before riding off into the sunset and not boring you with these statistics for another 250 posts is the 5 people with the highest Photography Subscriber Loyalty Scores.

Top 5 Photography 139 Loyalty Scores
5. Frank Meiners – 97.0%
4. Michelle Haupt – 98.6%
3. Angie DeWaard – 99.5%
2. Joe Duff – 99.7%
1. Mary Green – 100.0%

People right outside the Top 5:
+ Linda Bennett
+ Tamara Peterson
+ Jeannette Duff

To be honest, I don’t know how this number is figured. I believe it is the percentage of emails from the subscriber list that you open within the first 24 hours of getting an email from me, but but I really don’t know if we are being honest. But thanks for doing what it is you are doing!

I think that is enough. Here is to the next 4,500 posts!