Category Archives: Life

State Fair Flower

September 7, 2016 Christopher D. Bennett

Another flower from the Iowa State Fair Discovery Garden. This time from my trip with the old Campus crew.

After taking this picture, I sat down at a picnic table with Steph and Kellie eating some kind of fried potato concoction, when a lady from New Jersey sat down with us.

She started out friendly enough. She told us about her daughter who lived with her. How they were trying to make it to all 48 states by the end of the year. But then the signs of being from New Jersey started to come out.

First, innocently enough. She started telling us about how she used to be a ballerina, but some choreographer from ballet studio x was ruining that ballet because his choreographry was so terrible.

Then she moved on to telling us about how some county fair in New Jersey was better than the Iowa State Fair.

Then she started talking about how New York has the best pizza in the world.

Let’s stop there, because let’s be honest, New York Style pizza is the worst style of pizza in the world. There is a reason it is a buck a slice. That floppy mess is best used to feed rats on the subway.

PARTICULARS

CAMERA: SONY SLT-A65V
ISO: 100
FOCAL LENGTH: 60mm
APERTURE: f/6.3
EXPOSURE: 1/320
DATE: 08-20-2016 – 15:54
LATITUDE: 41.59489°
LONGITUDE: -93.55144°
PHOTO ASSISTANT: Steph
PHOTO EDITING SOUNDTRACK: “Money” by Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings

Bill, Dawn, Formal Portrait, Jodie, Kim, Michelle, Road Trip, Shannon, Willy, WPC - Submissions

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 51 – ROAD TRIP

September 5, 2016 Christopher D. Bennett

Happy Labor Day!

Not so many submissions this week, but that was to be expected. Let’s get to it!

Here are the submissions for ROAD TRIP:

Bill Wentworth

Dawn Krause 1

Dawn Krause 2

Dawn Krause 3

Christopher D. Bennett

Jodie Bennett 1

Jodie Bennett 2

Angie DeWaard

Shannon Bardole

Kim Barker 1

Kim Barker 2

I have to confess that my photo took more effort than normal, mostly because I can’t find a piece that would’ve made this picture quite a bit easier. But it worked out, at least I feel.

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:

WILD CARD!

So what is WILD CARD? Anything! Literally anything you want! A picture of your neighbor mowing his lawn without his shirt on. That counts! A picture of your favorite flower. That counts! A picture of your least favorite child. That counts! A picture of what you’re eating for supper on Thursday night. That counts! Take a picture of anything you want!

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 WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE DIVISION

After small amounts of consideration and consulting with a few people here and there, here is the list of themes for the next 52 weeks. Presented in no particular order:

1. ORANGE
2. YELLOW
3. PURPLE
4. PORTRAIT
5. FACELESS PORTRAIT
6. SELF-PORTAIT
7. SAD
8. HAPPY
9. ANGRY
10. LOW PERSPECTIVE
11. HIGH PERSPECTIVE
12. OLD
13. CHILDREN
14. NIGHT
15. SIGNS
16. WATER
17. RELIGION
18. STILL LIFE
19. BLACK & WHITE
20. MUSIC
21. ABSTRACT
22. ANIMAL
23. WEATHER
24. TREE
25. SILHOUETTE
26. RUINS
27. RURAL
28. SKY
29. TOWN
30. TRANSPORTATION
31. SMOKE
32. FLOWER
33. MACRO
34. ART
35. ROAD TRIP
36. MIRROR
37. GLITTERY
38. GOVERNMENT
39. HANDMADE
40. THE STREETS
41. HOT
42. COLD
43. HUMANIZE
44. TIME
45. AMERICANA
46. LOVE
47. HATE
48. POP ART
49. NATURE
50. LANDSCAPE
51. BODY PART
52. FAMILY

I swapped out more than half the themes from last year. I combined a few and I split up a few. I reworded a few. Some are riffs on previous themes. Some are completely new. Should be a fun year!

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION DIVISION

I am pleased to announce that Brooke Milligan is the latest person to show her taste, class, and sophistication by signing up for a Photography 139 email subscription. Brooke shares an office with longtime Photography 139 supporter and friend of the blog Michelle Haupt, but we won’t hold that against her. So if you see Brooke out and about walking the mean streets, feel free to give her a knowing glance and if you have the time, show 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 wild Monday.

Art, Basketball, Black & White, Iowa State, Jeff Daniel, Photoshop, State Fair, Steph, Still Life, Street Photography, Yin

It’s Dollars to Doughnuts!

August 31, 2016 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

Here are some general pictures from my recent trips to the Iowa State Fair with Baby Got Rack, Stephanie, Kelly, Yin, Jeff, and the Beavers!

I was going to tell this story about the New Jersey woman I met that was just the worst. Like all people from New Jersey. But at this time I think it is just enough to point out that people from New Jersey are the worst.

If I get motivated, I might leave the story in the COMMENTS section of this here post later.

So without further adieu…

It was a successful Iowa State Fair. Next year, I might unretire and enter the Photo Contest again. Of course, I said that about Pufferbilly Days as well and decided that it just wasn’t for me this year.

Baby Got Rack, Contests, Scottie D., State Fair

State Champs!

August 24, 2016 Christopher D. Bennett 8 Comments

As some may have heard from various social media outlets or via press release, Baby Got Rack competed at the Iowa State Fair barbecue contest in the Combination category last Tuesday and brought home the championship.

Word on the street is that we were very close to winning the Grand Championship, but fell just short because we didn’t have our own barbecue sauce. An oversight that has been remedied. 4X over.

Here are a few photos from the day.

We were set up and ready to rock by 5 AM.

This corn dog stand can take a long walk off a short pier.

Marcus holding down the smoker.

Chicken and pork loin on!

IPTV setup a timelapse camera in our booth, but didn’t use the footage in their show.

Meat check.

Meat resting.

This guy’s shirt. Came to the right place.

60 total barbecue combatants.

Never hurts to work the Staties.

Getting the pizza ready.

The Marriage Saver

Scott and the judges.

Cynthia Fodor spent quite a bit of time hanging around our booth.

Media Obligations

More Media Obligations

Even More Media Obligations. This interview was on IPTV.

The Grand Champion Judges

Scott receiving his award. If we would’ve won Grand Champion, he would’ve gotten that crown.

I also took some pictures of the preparations, but we don’t want any of the trade secrets going public.

If you’re sad you missed Baby Got Rack’s most recent competition, we will be competing again during the Pufferbilly Days barbecue contest. We will be looking to defend our People’s Choice Award. We have a few tricks up our sleeve for this one. An ace in the hole from a marketing standpoint. Almost as good as our trademark fedoras.

Some come up and try our free samples on Sunday, September 11. Downtown Boone. Follow the smell of smoky and goodness. Vote for Baby Got Rack! The one vote you can cast this fall that you won’t regret later.

Automobiles, Black & White, Self-Portrait, State Fair, Steph, Street Photography, WPC - Alternate

I’m a Loser Baby

August 23, 2016 Christopher D. Bennett

A small collection of loser for this week’s theme.

Scottie D.’s reflection, I believe. Well. I’m in there too.

I hope you can see the reflection…

Photo assist from Stephanie Kim.

Thanks for helping me to take the time to mock these pathetic losers.

Baby Got Rack, Boone County Fair, Scottie D.

Baby Got Prelim

August 18, 2016 Christopher D. Bennett

I should probably get around to posting more images from Baby Got Rack’s dominance of the Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest.

Pictures from the Iowa State Fair Barbecue Contest will be coming in the near future, I’m sure.

Animals, Birthdays, Flowers, Macro, Scottie D., State Fair, Teresa

Discoverbee

August 17, 2016 Christopher D. Bennett 5 Comments

Yesterday, Baby Got Rack competed at the State Fair barbecue contest. After we got the pork and the chicken on the smoker, we had a couple of hours to kill. We smoke the chicken and pork for close to two hours and then we allow the meat to rest another hour.

During this time, we mostly conversate, dance, and wait anxiously for root beer stands to open. While Scottie D. and Marcus held down the fedora fort, I used a small amount of this time to pay my respects to the spot on the fairgrounds that used to hold Jennie’s Grinders. Then I went to visit probably my favorite part of the fairgrounds, Discovery Gardens.

While I was there, I took this picture:

As always, when I take a bee picture. I ask you all to take a moment to remember the horrible bee attack that decimated Houston in the 1970s. Never forget!

PARTICULARS

CAMERA: SONY SLT-A65V
ISO:640
FOCAL LENGTH: 60mm
APERTURE: f/4
EXPOSURE:1/160
DATE: 08-16-2016
LATITUDE: 41.59489°
LONGITUDE: -93.55139°
PHOTO ASSISTANT: Team Baby Got Rack
EDITING SOUNDTRACK: “Retreat” by Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings

Also, I’d be a failure if I didn’t recognize the anniversary of the birth of long time Photography 139 supporter and long time sister Teresa Kahler!

Happy Birthday Teresa!

Art, Photoshop, Railroad, Road Trip

High Winds

August 11, 2016 Christopher D. Bennett 7 Comments

When I woke up and drove to work this morning, the winds and the sky were amazing. I had to stop the car and take a picture.

Unfortunately, because the earliness of the morning and the darkness of the clouds and not having the right equipment, I instead cracked out my easel and painted the scene before hopping back in my car and finishing my daily commute.

I figured I better get this scene recorded, in case nature came back and finished off what it left of Jordan.

PARTICULARS

CAMERA: SONY SLT-A65V
ISO: 1600
FOCAL LENGTH: 35mm
APERTURE: f/5.6
EXPOSURE: 1/30
DATE: 08/11/2016 – 06:46
LATITUDE: 42.05237°
LONGITUDE: -93.81548°
PHOTO ASSISTANT: Time
PHOTO EDITING SOUNDTRACK: American Dominance

Also, I might have touched this in Photoshop a little bit.

Baby Got Rack, Boone County Fair, Melissa, Scottie D.

Baby Got Boone County Fair

July 27, 2016 Christopher D. Bennett

This isn’t exactly new news, because it has been leaked to the social media realm, but here it is:

Team Baby Got Rack cleaned up at the Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest. Baby Got Rack won all the categories except for two. Claiming the title for Turkey, Beef, Combination, and Overall.

This victory has secured Baby Got Rack a berth at the Iowa State Fair’s Barbecue Contest. We will be loading up Scott’s truck and heading down to do battle with the Cyclone State’s best barbecue teams on August 16th. It is a Tuesday, but if you are at the Fair, I invite you to come look us up.

After we were given our victor’s crown, we put our fedoras back on and posed for a picture.

Photo Credit: Mel D.

There will be a plethora of pictures from the competition published at some point. That point is when I get a chance to edit them. A smart person would be able to figure out how to look at the unedited pictures through this blog… but I digress.

One other thing. Let me put a bug in your ear. Baby Got Rack will be defending our People’s Choice Award at the Pufferbilly Days Barbecue Contest in about 6 weeks. I invite you to come down for that and help us defend our title against 23 other barbecue teams. More information on that as it becomes available.

Automobiles, Black & White, Photoshop, Road Trip, Travel

Silver Efex Pro 2 Volume 1

July 22, 2016 Christopher D. Bennett

I thought now would be a good time to take another look at a filter from the Nik Plugin Collection. This time, we will look at the default filters in the Silver Efex Pro 2 collection. There are 38 of them, so I’ll split this into 2 posts.

The Silver Efex Pro 2 filter is a quick, easy, and powerful way to convert any image into black & white with a myriad of options.

Here is the first batch.