On the last day of my vacation, I headed to Dolliver Memorial State Park. My mission was to complete Page 80 of THE PHOTO JOURNAL PROJECT. Good news is that it worked out!
I stopped and took this picture somewhere along P70.
The next time we delve into the THE PHOTO JOURNAL PROJECT will be about beautiful-ugly or ugly-beautiful.
These SAD pictures didn’t have what it takes for the SAD theme for the THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE:
If only these pictures believed in themselves. Who knows what they could accomplish!
I can officially announce now that I have unretired from “competing” in photography contests.
For the first time in a couple years I entered photos in the Iowa State Fair Photography Salon. I will have one photo displayed at the Iowa State Fair. Don’t ask me which one, because I don’t know and I’m not even sure I remember what I entered at this point. Seems like a long time ago.
However, I was inspired by Baby Got Rack competing in the barbecue contest at the Boone County Fair, I decided to enter some photos in the Open Class at that same fair. Here is what I entered:
Each image got a Blue Ribbon. It had been approximately 15 years since the last time I entered the Boone County Fair. Seemed like it was about time and I owe a debt of gratitude to Mike Vest for getting the pictures mounted so I had something to enter.
However, that isn’t all. Here is where it gets exciting! I’ve decided to keep all this participation momentum going and enter the Pufferbilly Days Contest for the first time in maybe at least 7 or 8 years.
I’m also going to bring back the way I used to pick my Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest Photos. That means I’m not going to pick at all. I’m going to let 6 lucky Photography 139 fans pick the images.
At some point later this week, I’m going to publish the following photo on Instagram:
When that photo gets posted, the first 6 people that leave a comment on that photo stating that they want to be a Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest Selector, will get there wish and be just that. They will have access to about 50 images and the picture they pick, I will enter.
If I can’t find 6 people that want to be selectors, well we will fall through that bridge when we get to it.
It is SAD. Participation rates took a bit of a dip with SAD. Maybe it is because it was 112 degrees in the shade in central Iowa last week. Maybe it was because people struggled to get in the mindset of SAD this week. Maybe people were just busy. I don’t know. But I do know one thing…
You didn’t come here to listen to me talk all tommyrot about participation rates. You came here to see the submissions for SAD:
Shannon Bardole
Kim Barker 1
Kim Barker 2
Christopher D. Bennett
Stephanie Kim 1
Stephanie Kim 2
Sara Lockner
Mike Vest
Michelle Haupt 1
Michelle Haupt 2
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:
THE STREETS! What a great theme! Some of you know about THE STREETS. People like me that grew up indigent know all about THE STREETS. Some of us even know the Rules of THE STREET(S). You open you mouth, you pay the price. But what does this theme mean? It is my call to you to attempt street photography. What is street photography, you may ask… which is good, because I have the answer:
Street photography is a type of photography that features subjects in candid situations within public places. Street photographs are mirror images of society, displaying “unmanipulated” scenes, with usually unaware subjects.”
Well that sounds simple enough. Get in touch with your inner voyeur and hit THE STREETS!
I have a feeling this is going to go well!
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.
A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 GALLERY DIVISION
Sometimes people send me descriptions of their photos. I’ve never done anything with that information in the past. However, if you send me a description in the future, I will add it to your image in the Weekly Photo Challenge Gallery that houses all the submissions.
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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 streeteque Monday!
Baby Got Rack opens their competitive barbecue season tomorrow at the Boone County Fair!
You should probably make it a point to be there in the ballpark of 4 PM when the judging begins. Last year we were next to the bunnies. I’d imagine that is where we’ll be again.
But let’s take a fond look back at Baby Got Rack last year:
We’ve been here for years…
We’re rocking our peers…
Puttin’ suckers in fear…
Makin’ the tears rain down like a monsoon…
Listen to the bass go boom…
Explosions, overpowerin’…
Over the competition we’re towerin’…
Wrecking shop when I write these lyrics…
That’ll make you call the cops…
Don’t you dare stare…
You better move…
Don’t ever compare…
Us to the rest..
That’ll all get sliced and diced…
Competition’s payin’ the price!
If you get there around 4 PM, you can get your picture taken with our currently unnamed bull mascot. Heck! You might even be able to give him a name!
This last collection of Saint Paul Mission Trip photo were taken by other people, but I’m not sure what day they were taken. Enjoy!
It truly was an incredible trip and transformative trip! If you ever have a chance to go, GO! You will not regret it. Not even when you can’t sleep, it is 2 in the morning, and you are sleeping on an air mattress on a concrete floor. I absolutely mean it!
Here are some photos from the day coming home from the Mission Trip:
And just like that, we were back in Iowa! The Cyclone State! A successful trip! Perhaps my favorite week of the year! One more set of pictures tomorrow and then you’ll have to track me down is you want to hear about the mission trip… or will you…
Pictures from the last working day of the Saint Paul Mission Trip:
Day 4 of the Mission Trip is always highly emotional. The large group worship service ends with a foot washing ceremony. Then church time is usually very emotional as people begin to realize that the lives that they’ve touched and who have touched their lives, they won’t be seeing those people tomorrow. It is just an incredibly peaceful and serene evening. One of my favorites from the mission trip.
Pictures from Day 3 of the Mission Trip!
It is not an unimportant fact the Boone First United Methodist Church went undefeated in dance battles on this day.
More from the Mission Trip. These are from Day 2:
More from this transformational experience on the morrow!
