Category Archives: Pufferbilly Days

Andy, Contests, Dawn, Jesse, Jonah Kahler, Kelly, Monica, Pufferbilly Days, Saydie

Behind the Scenes of Art in the Park

October 1, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

This is the last post on the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest. Going to share pictures from Art in the Park. So before I get into it, I need to thank everybody that helped with the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest setup.

Jesse Howard – For picking up all the photos from the downtown retailers on Saturday Night and transporting them out to McHose Park for Art in the Park and helping setup there.
Monica Jennings – For putting together the displays at both the downtown retailers and for Art in the Park.
Kelly Howard – For loaning us Salon 908 as a base of operations while setting up displays at the downtown businesses.
Saydie Howard – For helping carry a display to the Boone Theater.
Andy Sharp – For helping setup the display at Art in the Park.
Logan Kahler – For helping man the display at Art in the Park and helping to tear it down.
Dawn Krause – For helping tear down the display at Art in the Park.
Kevin Krause- For helping tear down the display at Art in the Park.
Jeremy Blankman – For loaning us the truck to protect, transport, and store the photo displays between Saturday and Sunday.

And to the downtown vendors that hosted images:

Ema’s Elegance
Boone Theater
Melissa Bell Photography
Salon 908
Paradox
Infamous Tattoo
Houndstooth Habadashery

This year, the photo display was under the awning of the Shelter House and that made a night and day difference from last year’s tent debacle.

Here are a few pictures from the day:

Here is the part where I give a bunch of stats that only me and Joe Duff find interesting. I took over the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest in 2021. Here is a year by year entry totals:

2021 – 23
2022 – 60
2023 – 121
2024 – 162

Last year there were 74 ADULT entries. This year there were 94.
Last year there were 13 TEEN entries. This year there were 38.
Last year there were 34 YOUTH entries. This year there were 30.

This was the distribution of entries by Photo Class:

ADULT ANIMALS: 15
ADULT BLACK & WHITE: 8
ADULT PEOPLE: 18
ADULT PLACES: 30
ADULT PLANTS: 12
ADULT TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES: 11
TEEN ANIMALS: 4
TEEN BLACK & WHITE: 4
TEEN PEOPLE: 3
TEEN PLACES: 12
TEEN PLANTS: 8
TEEN TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES: 7
YOUTH ANIMALS: 7
YOUTH BLACK & WHITE: 3
YOUTH PEOPLE: 3
YOUTH PLACES: 5
YOUTH PLANTS: 8
YOUTH TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES: 4

One of the best things about this years contests that ever photo class in every age division had enough entries to give out at least a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Place ribbon.

This year there were 36 total participants.

21 Adults
8 Teens
7 Youth

I’m kind of energized for next year’s photo contest now. I have ideas for improving the displays for next year, which I will need help and volunteers to get done. But most of that is just improving the current boards. Double siding them. Painting them. Such things.

Might need to add some more volunteers for next year. Try to spread some of the responsibilities around. But we’ll cross that bridge another day.

Andy, Angie, Boone FUMC, Carla, Contests, Dawn, Monica, Nathanial, Pufferbilly Days, Teresa

Behind the Scenes of Judgement Night

September 28, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

I didn’t take a ton of behind the scenes pictures of the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest. Not as much as I’m used to taking. But I took a few.

Here are a few of them from the judging night.

I have to be thankful to the judges:

Melissa Bell
Nathanial Brown
Angie DeWaard

And very thankful for the people assisted with administrative functions:

Teresa Kahler
Andy Sharp
Carla Stensland

And thankful for Monica for providing the meal.

There were 162 entries this year. Judging lasted almost 5 hours. If I’m being honest, the night of the judging is by far my favorite night of the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest. I love the first time I get to see the pictures. And there is definitely a sense of relief when we tear down at Art in the Park and we’re done for the year, but judging night is my favorite. Just hanging out with other photographers and talking photography.

I like to tell people that I don’t judge the photos. My job is to judge the judges. And I’m always fascinated with the pictures they pick as the winners and what pictures I think they are missing out on. This is why I sometimes play with the idea of giving out The Chairman’s Award. An award for the picture I think the judges missed out on. But that would mean I would have to do some judging, which I don’t want to do. Yet I do. But I don’t. It probably won’t happen.

We grew by 41 entries this year. I don’t think we will grow by another 40 entries next year. But I hope we do. And if we do I think I will need to make some adjustments to the way we do the judging. I have some ideas on how to increase the efficiency, while giving the judges the time to give each photo the proper amount of time they deserve. I’ll keep tossing these ideas around in my head. Then I will toss them at the heads of other people.

I didn’t really make many changes to the photo contest this year. About the only thing I changed was adding “Honorable Mentions” to the mix. That was definitely a great idea, and maybe one year too late. I’ll definitely bring that back. But I might change how the Overall and the Best in Show prizes are awarded.

Still one more post about the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest still to come!

Angie, Contests, Dawn, Logan, Monica, Nathanial, Pufferbilly Days

2024 Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest

September 25, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

Time to look at the results of the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest!

But wait, not yet. First let’s look at the wonderful judges I had for this year’s Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest:

Monica made the judge spreads.

Now you know the judges… now you can look at what they judged to be the best of the 162 entries!

BEST IN SHOW – Aces High – Jon Wilson

PEOPLE’S CHOICE – Bridge from Ages Past – Mary Long

1ST OVERALL YOUTH – Afternoon Stroll – Ella Van Cannon

2ND OVERALL YOUTH – Ema Rose – Hazel Davis

3RD OVERALL YOUTH – Beautiful Shinedown – Brantlee Staebler

1ST PLANTS YOUTH – Beautiful Shinedown – Brantlee Staebler

2ND PLANTS YOUTH – Sunflower Joyful Engagement – Ella Van Cannon

3RD PLANTS YOUTH – Star Light – Trevor Upah

HONORABLE MENTION PLANTS YOUTH – Nature’s Finest Branch – Ella Van Cannon

1ST PLACES YOUTH – Just in Time for Sunset – Emarose Davis

2ND PLACES YOUTH – Ledges – Emarose Davis

3RD PLACES YOUTH – The Might Mountains – Trevor Upah

HONORABLE MENTION YOUTH – Rock Climber – Trevor Upah

1ST TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES YOUTH – American Car Show – Emarose Davis

2ND TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES YOUTH – Les’s Auto – Brantlee Staebler

3RD TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES YOUTH – Plane in the Air – Emarose Davis

HONORABLE MENTION TRAIN, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES YOUTH – Union Pacific – Stanley Upah

1ST PEOPLE YOUTH – Emarose – Hazel Davis

2ND PEOPLE YOUTH – Joyful Little Bro – Ella Van Cannon

3RD PEOPLE YOUTH – Family Reunion – Brantlee Staebler

1ST ANIMALS YOUTH – In the Eyes of a Cat – Emarose Davis

2ND ANIMALS YOUTH – Raven (Kitten) – Chase Casey

3RD ANIMALS YOUTH – Goat – Hazel Davis

1ST BLACK & WHITE YOUTH – Afternoon Stroll – Ella Van Cannon

2ND BLACK & WHITE YOUTH – Black and White Resort – Brantlee Staebler

3RD BLACK & WHITE YOUTH – Timber – Ella Van Cannon

1ST OVERALL TEEN – Alp Grum – Annabelle Wen

2ND OVERALL TEEN – Lost in Time – Annabelle Wen

3RD OVERALL TEEN – The Look of Love – Annabelle Wen

1ST PLANTS TEEN – Last One Standing – Kayelee Burns

2ND PLANTS TEEN – Bird Cage and Plant – Kylin Casey

3RD PLANTS TEEN – Summer Haze – Kayelee Burns

1ST PLACES TEEN – Alp Grum – Annabelle Wen

2ND PLACES TEEN – The Badlands – Tommy Williams

3RD PLACES TEEN – Golden Waters – Jorja Daigh

HONORABLE MENTION PLACES TEEN – Stain Glass View – Jorja Daigh

HONORABLE MENTION PLACES TEEN – Duomo Plaza of Florence – Annabelle Wen

1ST PEOPLE TEEN – The Look of Love – Jorja Daigh

2ND PEOPLE TEEN – Love on the Horizon – Jorja Daigh

3RD PEOPLE TEEN – Woman of the Flowers – Noah Davis

1ST TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES TEEN – Blue Beauty – Jacob Sturtz

2ND TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES TEEN- Kate Shelley Bridge with Reflection – Tommy Williams

3RD TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES TEEN – Off Brand Thomas the Train – Jorja Daigh

HONORABLE MENTION TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES TEEN – Up, Up and Away – Daphne Harris

1ST ANIMALS TEEN – Daphne (goat) – Rylin Casey

2ND ANIMALS TEEN – Angel (cow) – Rylin Casey

3RD ANIMALS TEEN – Sound of Silence – Jacob Sturtz

HONORABLE MENTION ANIMALS TEEN – Purrito Cat – Daphne Harris

1ST BLACK & WHITE TEEN – Lost in Time – Annabelle Wen

2ND BLACK & WHITE TEEN – Post and Barbed Wire – Tommy Williams

3RD BLACK & WHITE TEEN – Corn Leaves – Tommy Williams

1ST OVERALL ADULT – Aces High – Jon Wilson

2ND OVERALL ADULT – RRRRelaxing – Jon Wilson

3RD OVERALL ADULT – Unparalleled Harvest – Logan Kahler

1ST PLANTS ADULT – Wilting and Wet – Bea Upah

2ND PLANTS ADULT – The Beetles at Sunflower Stadium – Allison Kayser

3RD PLANTS ADULT – Oak Leaf – Jason Mastbergen

HONORABLE MENTION ADULT PLANTS – Diamond of the Season – Megan Sandegren

HONORABLE MENTION ADULT PLANTS – Coneflower – Vicky Felice

HONORABLE MENTION ADULT PLANTS – Church Ladies – Vicky Van Dyke

1ST PLACES ADULT – The Trestle – Elaine Pearson

2ND PLACES ADULT – Long Way from Home – Bea Upah

3RD PLACES ADULT – Anniversary in Venice – Dawn Krause

HONORABLE MENTION PLACES ADULT – That Glorious Morning on Fiesta Island – Jianhua Yang

HONORABLE MENTION PLACES ADULT – State Fair Night Riders – Vicky Van Dyke

HONORABLE MENTION PLACES ADULT – On Golden Pond – Mary Long

HONORABLE MENTION PLACES ADULT – Vienna in the Rain – Heather Davis

HONORABLE MENTION PLACES ADULT – Trickling Stream in the Alps – Jianhua Yang

1ST TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES ADULT – Unparalleled Harvest – Logan Kahler

2ND TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES ADULT – Big Boy Coming to Town – John Roberts

3RD TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES ADULT – For My Great, Great Grandfather – Janae Erickson

HONORABLE MENTION TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES ADULT – John Deere Green – Megan Sandegren

HONORABLE MENTIION TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES ADULT – The Spirit of Boone – Elaine Pearson

HONORABLE MENTION TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES ADULT – Bridge to Hogwarts – Mike Carroll

1ST PEOPLE ADULT – Look Mom – Jon Wilson

2ND PEOPLE ADULT – Happy Go Penny – Janae Erickson

3RD PEOPLE ADULT – Peace in the Shadow – Janae Erickson

HONORABLE MENTION PEOPLE ADULT – The Line of Fire – Logan Kahler

HONORABLE MENTION PEOPLE ADULT – Joy of Music – John Roberts

HONORABLE MENTION PEOPLE ADULT – Patiently Waiting – Megan Sandegren

HONORABLE MENTION PEOPLE ADULT – Rain 10-Cubs 0

1ST ANIMALS ADULT – RRRRelaxing – Jon Wilson

2ND ANIMALS ADULT – Happy Go Penny – Janae Erickson

3RD ANIMALS ADULT – Rock Band – Allison Kayser

HONORABLE MENTION ANIMALS ADULT – Don’t Mind Me Mom – Bea Upah

HONORABLE MENTION ANIMALS ADULT – Swan ISU – John Roberts

HONORABLE MENTION ANIMALS ADULT – Deer Album Cover – Janae Erickson

1ST BLACK & WHITE ADULT – Aces High – Jon Wilson

2ND BLACK & WHITE ADULT – Profile of a President – Bea Upah

3RD BLACK & WHITE ADULT – Beat by the Heat – Logan Kahler

HONORABLE MENTION BLACK & WHITE ADULT – Five Hours Old – Janae Erickson

HONORABLE MENTION BLACK & WHITE ADULT – Pointe Saint Angelo

HONORABLE MENION BLACK & WHITE ADULT – Doors – Heather Davis

If you want to see all the entries, check out the 2024 Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest Book that Monica put together:

PRINTABLE PUFFERBILLY DAYS PHOTO CONTEST BOOK
EASY READ PUFFERBILLY DAYS PHOTO CONTEST BOOK

I’ll go more into detail about the photo contest at a later date. But it was definitely a success!

Adam, Andy, Angie, Bill, Brandon, Candid Portrait, Carla, Cathie, Contests, Dawn, Deanna, Elizabeth, Jesse, Joe Duff, Jonah Kahler, Kim, Kio, Linda, Logan, Lowell, Michelle, Micky, Mindi, Monica, Nathanial, Pufferbilly Days, Sabas, Sara, Sarah Toot, Scottie D., Shannon, Sheri, Still Life, Tamara, Teresa, Vest, Willy, WPC - Submissions

WPC – WEEK 471 – PARK

September 23, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

PARK! What a great theme! But did enough people get in gear to make it a popular theme? You will have to keep scrolling to find out.

As of 12:01 PM on Monday, September 16, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks (ignore everything in parentheses):

1-Sabas Hernandez – 1 week (IA, OH)
2-Alexis Stensland – 1 week (IA)
*3-Mary Green – 2 weeks (MI, IA, IN, IL, PR)
*4-Deb Powers – 3 weeks (MT, IA)
5-Jesse Howard – 4 weeks (IA, MO, NE, FL, ABW, CUW, MN)
6-Suzie Brannen – 4 weeks (IA, MD)
7-Monica Jennings – 6 weeks (IA)
8-Sara Lockner – 7 weeks (IA, BHS, MN)
9-Willy McAlpine – 10 weeks (IA)
10-Deanna McClain – 14 weeks (IA, MN)
11-Mike Vest – 17 weeks (IA, MO, OK, AR, KS)
12-Adam Gordon – 27 weeks (IA, MS, MO, KS, MI, CAN)
13-Lowell Davis – 37 weeks (IA, MO)
14-Michelle Haupt – 37 weeks (IA, MO, KS, LA, MI)
*15-Brandon Kahler – 38 weeks (IA, MN)
16-Scott Degeneffe – 56 weeks (IA, FL, UT, CO, KY, IN, IL, MN, WI)
*17-Sheri Fakhouri – 66 weeks (IA, NE)
18-Logan Kahler – 67 weeks (IA, MN, MO)
19-Nathanial Brown – 68 weeks (IA, SD, GA, TN, IRL, UK, FL, IL, KS, NE, MN)
20-Tamara Peterson – 79 weeks (IA, MN)
*21-Mindi Terrell – 83 weeks (IA)
22-Linda Bennett – 112 weeks (KS, IA, MI)
23-Sarah Toot – 113 weeks (PA, NY, VT, NV, NJ, NC)
24-Angie DeWaard – 117 weeks (IA, IL, SCT, ENG)
25-Dawn Krause – 121 weeks (IA, IL)
26-Kim Barker – 127 weeks (IA, CO, LA)
27-Joe Duff – 128 weeks (TX, NY)
28-Teresa Kahler – 139 weeks (IA, NE)
*29-Carla Stensland – 1389 weeks (IA, MO, SD, WY, CO)
30-Micky Augustin – 141 weeks (IA, IL, FL, AK)
31-Andy Sharp – 142 weeks (IA, NE, AR, MS, MO, TN, LA, IL, MN, WI)
32-Bill Wentworth – 143 weeks (NE, MO, FL)
33-Cathie Morton – 146 weeks (IA, FL, BHS, MO, LA)
34-Elizabeth Nordeen – 148 weeks (IA, OH)
*35-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 150 weeks (IA, CA, NV, AR, MO)
36-Kio Dettman – 152 weeks (IA)

Here is the list of rules for Year 11 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE:

1. The picture must be taken between 12:01 PM today and 11 AM next Monday. This isn’t a curate your photos project. This is a get your butt off the couch and take pictures challenge!
2. There is a limit of 2 submissions per person per theme. If you send me more than 2, I will use the first 2 that you submit.
3. Deadline to submit your submission is 11 AM next Monday.
4. To be considered the photographer of an image, you have to be the one that clicks the shutter. If you hand your camera over to somebody else to take a picture of you, you are NOT the photographer of that image.
5. No screen captures. This is a photography challenge. Not a “look at what I found on the internet” challenge.

There are still 2 ways to submit:
1. Email your submission to bennett@photography139.com.
2. Text your submission to my Google Pixel 8 Pro.

But you didn’t come here to listen to me talk all tommyrot about participation rates or streaks or the rules of the challenge or how to submit. You came to see the submissions and what streaks continued and what streaks flamed out:

Lowell Davis (Iowa) – 38 weeks

Nathanial Brown (Iowa) – 68 weeks

Angie DeWaard (Iowa) – 118 weeks

Sabas Hernandez (Iowa) – 2 weeks

“Bunny” (Jester Park – Iowa) – 1 week

Sara Lockner (Jester Park – Iowa) – 8 weeks

Scott Degeneffe (Iowa) – 57 weeks

Cathie Morton (Altoona, Iowa) – 147 weeks

Adam Gordon (Ames, Iowa) – 28 weeks

Adam Gordon (Ames, Iowa)

Elizabeth Nordeen (Ames, Iowa) – 149 weeks

Jesse Howard (Hunziker Park – Ames, Iowa) – 5 weeks

Micky Augustin (Ames, Iowa) – 142 weeks

Michelle Haupt (Ankeny, Iowa) – 38 weeks

Sheri Fakhouri (Ankeny, Iowa) – 67 weeks

Andy Sharp (Bayliss Park – Council Bluffs, Iowa)

Deanna McClain (Eagle Point Park – Dubuque, Iowa) – 15 weeks

Tamara Peterson (Interurban Park – Camp Dodge – Johnston, Iowa) – 80 weeks

Tamara Peterson (Interurban Park – Camp Dodge – Johnston, Iowa)

Teresa Kahler (Boone, Iowa) – 140 weeks

Willy McAlpine (Linwood Cemetery – Boone, Iowa) – 11 weeks

Carla Stensland (Pufferbilly Days Parade – Boone, Iowa) – 140 weeks

Dawn Krause (Art in the Park – McHose Park – Boone, Iowa) – 122 weeks

Kio Dettman (McHose Park – Boone, Iowa) – 153 weeks

Kio Dettman (Opal Dubois Anderson Park)

Logan Kahler (McHose Park) – 68 weeks

Monica Jennings (Art in the Park – McHose Park – Boone, Iowa) – 7 weeks

Christopher D. Bennett (Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest – McHose Park – Boone, Iowa)

Mike Vest (Edgewood Park – Madrid, Iowa) – 18 weeks

Kim Barker (Nevada, Iowa) – 128 weeks

Deb Powers (Saylorville Lake – Iowa)

Mindi Terrell (Saylorville Lake – Iowa) – 84 weeks

Mindi Terrell (Saylorville Lake – Iowa)

Brandon Kahler (South Park – Story City, Iowa) – 39 weeks

Shannon Bardole-Foley (Colby Park – Windsor Heights, Iowa) – 151 weeks

Linda Bennett (Kansas)

Bill Wentworth (Omaha, Nebraska) – 144 weeks

Sarah Toot (Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey) – 114 weeks

Sarah Toot (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania)

Joe Duff (Texas) – 129 weeks

Joe Duff (Texas)

35 participants this week. Not a great week. But not bad. Not a lot of people like nature all that much.

There were submissions this week taken in the following places:

+ Iowa (35)
+ Kansas (2)
+ Nebraska (1)
+ New Jersey (1)
+ Pennsylvania (1)
+ Texas (2)

Here is the Year 11 list of places where submissions have been taken (submissions taken in each places):

+ Arkansas (20.5)
+ Alaska (1)
+ California (3)
+ Colorado (10)
+ Florida (11)
+ Georgia (1)
+ Hawaii (2)
+ Illinois (15)
+ Indiana (6)
+ Iowa (1377)
+ Kansas (54)
+ Kentucky (1)
+ Louisiana (8)
+ Maryland (1)
+ Michigan (11)
+ Minnesota (13)
+ Mississippi (2.5)
+ Missouri (17.5)
+ Montana (4)
+ Nebraska (46)
+ Nevada (4)
+ New Jersey (2)
+ New York (17)
+ North Carolina (2)
+ Ohio (5)
+ Oklahoma (2)
+ Pennsylvania (30)
+ Puerto Rico (4)
+ South Dakota (4)
+ Tennessee (2.5)
+ Texas (56)
+ Utah (1)
+ Vermont (1)
+ Virginia (1)
+ West Virginia (1)
+ Wisconsin (4)
+ Wyoming (1)
+ Aruba (1)
+ Bahamas (2)
+ Canada (2)
+ Curacao (1)
+ Ireland (3)
+ England (2)
+ North Ireland (1)
+ Scotland (1)

36 states so far! 1 U.S. Territory! 6 foreign countries! Not bad! So far, the following people have submitted from multiple places:

+ Nathanial Brown (IA, SD, TN, GA, IRL, NIR, FL, IL, KS, NE, MN) – 11
+ Jen Ensley-Gorshe (IA, CO, MO, TX, TN, VA, IL, FL, IN, WV, PA) – 11
+ Andy Sharp (IA, NE, MO, AR, TN, MS, LA, IL, MN, WI) – 10
+ Scott Degeneffe (IA, FL, UT, CO, IN, KY, IL, MN, WI) – 9
+ Jesse Howard (IA, MO, NE, FL, ABW, CUW, MN) – 7
+ Christopher D. Bennett (IA, MO, NE, IL, IN, LA) – 6
+ Sarah Toot (PA, NY, VT, NV, NJ, NC) – 6
+ Adam Gordon (IA, MS, MO, KS, MI, CAN) – 6
+ Shannon Bardole-Foley (IA, CA, NV, AR, MO) – 5
+ Cathie Morton (IA, FL, BHS, MO, LA) – 5
+ Carla Stensland (IA, MO, SD, WY, CO) -5
+ Mary Green (MI, IA, IN, IL, RP) – 5
+ Michelle Haupt (IA, MO, KS, LA, MI) – 5
+ Mike Vest (IA, MO, AR, OK, KS) – 5
+ Angie DeWaard (IA, IL, SCT, ENG) – 4
+ Micky Augustin (IA, IL, FL, AK) – 4
+ Logan Kahler (IA, MN, MO) – 3
+ Bill Wentworth (NE, MO, FL) – 3
+ Linda Bennett (KS, IA, MI) – 3
+ Kim Barker (IA, CO, LA) – 3
+ Becky Parmelee (AR, IA, OK) – 3
+ Sara Lockner (IA, BHS, MN) – 3
+ Susanna Funk (IA, CO) – 2
+ Brandon Kahler (IA, MN) – 2
+ Tamara Peterson (IA, MN) – 2
+ Teresa Kahler (IA, NE) – 2
+ Sheri Fakhouri (IA, NE) – 2
+ Sabas Hernandez (IA, OH) – 2
+ Suzie Brannen (IA, MD) – 2
+ Elizabeth Nordeen (IA, OH) – 2
+ Deanna McClain (IA, MN) – 2
+ Dawn Krause – (IA, IL) – 2
+ Joe Duff (TX, NY) – 2
+ Lowell Davis (IA, MO) – 2
+ Evie Gorshe (IA, IN) – 2
+ Layla Gorshe (IA, OH) -2
+ Deb Powers (MT, IA) – 2

Nathanial has tied Jen for the top spot to be crowned “The Most Travelled THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE Photographer!” However Andy and Scott are in striking distance.

There were no major milestones reached this week. But a few streaks went kaput. Alexis couldn’t build on her submission from last week. Her streak is over before it began. Mary’s streak is gone after 2 weeks. Suzie’s streak is gone after 4!

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:

OUT-OF-DATE (Suggested by Angie DeWaard)

OUT-OF-DATE! What a great theme for Year 11 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!

What is an OUT-OF-DATE picture? A picture of something that is no longer necessary in these times.

I look forward to your interpretation.

That is all I got, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will see your idea of OUT-OF-DATE in this place that that is timeless next Monday.

Art, Contests, Monica, Pufferbilly Days

Brookside Graffiti

September 21, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

A reminder that this weekend is Pufferbilly Days and with that comes the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest. Here is a map of where to find all the entries:

Here is the flyer on how to vote for the People’s Choice Award:

Or you can click on this link:

People’s Choice Award Voting

To see all the submissions, click on this link:

Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest Entries

Big thanks to Monica for designing the flyers!

There were 162 entries this year! And this contest couldn’t have happened without so many wonder volunteers, but I’ll get into all that stuff in a future post.

+++++++

As you know, I am a big fan of graffiti. And back in April I went under a bridge in Brookside Park in Ames and photographed some of the graffiti there. Here it is:

I believe this to be a Chinese website that sells fish. Maybe.

Art, Black & White, Contests, Formal Portrait, History, Jesse, Monica, Music, Pufferbilly Days, Still Life, Street Photography, Travel

Home of the Blues – Day 2 – Sun Records II

September 20, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

A reminder that this weekend is Pufferbilly Days and with that comes the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest. Here is a map of where to find all the entries:

Here is the flyer on how to vote for the People’s Choice Award:

Or you can click on this link:

People’s Choice Award Voting

To see all the submissions, click on this link:

Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest Entries

Big thanks to Monica for designing the flyers!

There were 162 entries this year! And this contest couldn’t have happened without so many wonder volunteers, but I’ll get into all that stuff in a future post.

+++++++

Now I proudly present the rest of the pictures from Jesse and I’s trip to Sun Records:

Liberty Bowl Road Trip - Day 2 - Sun Records

Still one more collection of images from Day 2 of the Memphis Trip left to share!

Adam, Alexis, Amy, Andy, Angie, Bill, Brandon, Carla, Cathie, Contests, Dawn, Deanna, Elizabeth, Evie, Jen, Jesse, Joe Duff, Kim, Kio, Linda, Logan, Lowell, Mary, Michelle, Micky, Mindi, Monica, Nathanial, Pufferbilly Days, Sabas, Sara, Sarah Toot, Scottie D., Shannon, Sheri, State Fair, Still Life, Suzie, Tamara, Teresa, Vest, Willy, WPC - Submissions

WPC – WEEK 465 – PURPLE

August 12, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

Just a reminder, the we are now one month and one day from the deadline to enter your pictures for the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest.

Here are the rules and entry form:

Click on the link below to download the entry form:

Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest Entry Form

I hope a few to many of you decide to enter.

+++++++

PURPLE! A great theme and the favorite color of some of the best people I’ve ever known. But did the theme draw enough favor to make it a popular theme? You’ll have to keep scrolling to find out!

As of 12:01 PM on Monday, August 5, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks (ignore everything in parentheses):

1-Sara Lockner – 1 week (IA, BHS, MN)
*2-Tim Panages – 1 week (IA)
3-Johnathan Stensland – 1 week (IA)
*4-Mary Green – 2 weeks (MI, IA, IN, IL, PR)
*5-Deb Powers – 2 weeks (MT)
*6-Jesse Howard – 3 weeks (IA, MO, NE, FL, ABW, CUW, MN)
*7-Willy McAlpine – 4 weeks (IA)
8-Elainie Hernandez – 5 weeks (IA)
9-Deanna McClain – 8 weeks (IA, MN)
*10-Suzie Brannen – 13 weeks (IA, MD)
11-Mike Vest – 12 weeks (IA, MO, OK, AR, KS)
*12-Alexis Stensland – 15 weeks (IA)
13-Sabas Hernandez – 17 weeks (IA, OH)
*14-Adam Gordon – 23 weeks (IA, MS, MO, KS)
*15-Lowell Davis – 31 weeks (IA, MO)
16-Michelle Haupt – 31 weeks (IA, MO, KS, LA, MI)
17-Brandon Kahler – 32 weeks (IA, MN)
18-Scott Degeneffe – 50 weeks (IA, FL, UT, CO, KY, IN, IL, MN, WI)
19-Sheri Fakhouri – 60 weeks (IA, NE)
20-Logan Kahler – 61 weeks (IA, MN)
21-Nathanial Brown – 62 weeks (IA, SD, GA, TN, IRL, UK, FL, IL, KS)
22-Tamara Peterson – 73 weeks (IA, MN)
*23-Mindi Terrell – 77 weeks (IA)
*24-Linda Bennett – 106 weeks (KS, IA)
25-Sarah Toot – 107 weeks (PA, NY, VT, NV, NJ, NC)
26-Angie DeWaard – 111 weeks (IA, IL)
27-Dawn Krause – 115 weeks (IA, IL)
*28-Kim Barker – 120 weeks (IA, CO, LA)
*29-Joe Duff – 122 weeks (TX, NY)
*30-Teresa Kahler – 133 weeks (IA, NE)
31-Carla Stensland – 133 weeks (IA, MO, SD, WY, CO)
32-Micky Augustin – 135 weeks (IA, IL, FL)
33-Andy Sharp – 136 weeks (IA, NE, AR, MS, MO, TN, LA, IL, MN, WI)
34-Bill Wentworth – 137 weeks (NE, MO)
35-Cathie Morton – 141 weeks (IA, FL, BHS, MO, LA)
*36-Elizabeth Nordeen – 142 weeks (IA, OH)
37-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 144 weeks (IA, CA, NV)
*38-Kio Dettman – 146 weeks (IA)

Here is the list of rules for Year 11 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE:

There are still 2 ways to submit:
1. Email your submission to bennett@photography139.com.
2. Text your submission to my Google Pixel 8 Pro.

Adam Gordon (Iowa) – 24 weeks

Adam Gordon (Iowa)

Alexis Stensland (Ogden, Iowa) – 16 weeks

Amy Peterson (Boone, Iowa) – 1 week

Andy Sharp (Ames, Iowa) – 137 weeks

Angie DeWaard (Iowa) – 112 weeks

Angie DeWaard (Arthur’s Seat – Cragmillar Castle – Edinburgh, Scotland)

Bill Wentworth (Destin, Florida) – 138 weeks

Carla Stensland (Ames, Iowa) – 134 weeks

Christopher D. Bennett (4-H Building – Iowa State Fair – Des Moines, Iowa)

Brandon Kahler (Iowa) – 33 weeks

Cathie Morton (Norwalk, Iowa) – 142 weeks

Dawn Krause (Iowa) – 116 weeks

Deanna McClain (Iowa) – 9 weeks

Elizabeth Nordeen (Ohio) – 143 weeks

Evie Gorshe (Indiana) – 1 week

Jen Ensley-Gorshe (Indiana Dunes National Park – Indiana) – 1 week

Jesse Howard (Iowa) – 4 weeks

Joe Duff (Texas) – 123 weeks

Joe Duff (Texas)

Kim Barker Des Moines, Iowa) – 121 weeks

Kio Dettman (Boone, Iowa) – 147 weeks

Kio Dettman (Boone, Iowa)

Linda Bennett (Ann Arbor, Michigan) – 107 weeks

Linda Bennett (Ann Arbor, Michigan)

Logan Kahler (Boone, Iowa) – 62 weeks

Lowell Davis (Iowa) – 32 weeks

Mary Green (Iowa) – 3 weeks

Mary Green (Iowa)

Michelle Haupt (Iowa) – 32 weeks

Micky Augustin (Wilton, Iowa) – 136 weeks

Mike Vest (Madrid, Iowa) – 13 weeks

Mindi Terrell (Iowa) – 78 weeks

Mindi Terrell (Iowa)

Monica Jennings (Boone, Iowa) – 1 week

Nathanial Brown (Jefferson, Iowa) – 63 weeks

Sabas Hernandez (Iowa) – 18 weeks

Sara Lockner (Iowa) – 2 weeks

Sarah Toot (Greensboro, North Carolina) – 108 weeks

Scott Degeneffe (Iowa) – 51 weeks

Shannon Bardole-Foley (Iowa) – 145 weeks

Sheri Fakhouri (Iowa) – 61 weeks

Sheri Fakhouri (Iowa)

Suzie Brannen (Iowa) – 14 weeks

Tamara Peterson (Perry, Iowa) – 74 weeks

Teresa Kahler (Iowa) – 134 weeks

Teresa Kahler (Iowa)

Tim Panages (Grinnell, Iowa) – 2 weeks

Tim Panages (Ankeny, Iowa)

Willy McAlpine (Boone, Iowa) – 5 weeks

40 participants! That is a great week!

There were submissions this week taken in the following places:

+ Florida (1)
+ Indiana (2)
+ Iowa (40)
+ Michigan (2)
+ North Carolina (1)
+ Ohio (1)
+ Scotland (1)
+ Texas (2)

Here is the Year 11 list of places where submissions have been taken (submissions taken in each places):

+ Arkansas (19.5)
+ California (3)
+ Colorado (9)
+ Florida (11)
+ Georgia (1)
+ Hawaii (2)
+ Illinois (12)
+ Indiana (6)
+ Iowa (1208)
+ Kansas (46)
+ Kentucky (1)
+ Louisiana (8)
+ Maryland (1)
+ Michigan (8)
+ Minnesota (12)
+ Mississippi (2.5)
+ Missouri (16.5)
+ Montana (4)
+ Nebraska (39)
+ Nevada (4)
+ New Jersey (1)
+ New York (17)
+ North Carolina (2)
+ Ohio (3)
+ Oklahoma (2)
+ Pennsylvania (23)
+ Puerto Rico (4)
+ South Dakota (4)
+ Tennessee (2.5)
+ Texas (47)
+ Utah (1)
+ Vermont (1)
+ Virginia (1)
+ Wisconsin (4)
+ Wyoming (1)
+ Aruba (1)
+ Bahamas (2)
+ Curacao (1)
+ Ireland (3)
+ North Ireland (1)
+ Scotland (1)

34 states so far! 1 U.S. Territory! 5 foreign countries! Not bad! So far, the following people have submitted from multiple places:

+ Andy Sharp (IA, NE, MO, AR, TN, MS, LA, IL, MN, WI) – 10
+ Scott Degeneffe (IA, FL, UT, CO, IN, KY, IL, MN, WI) – 9
+ Nathanial Brown (IA, SD, TN, GA, IRL, NIR, FL, IL, KS) – 9
+ Jen Ensley-Gorshe (IA, CO, MO, TX, TN, VA, IL, FL, IN) – 9
+ Jesse Howard (IA, MO, NE, FL, ABW, CUW, MN) – 7
+ Christopher D. Bennett (IA, MO, NE, IL, IN, LA) – 6
+ Sarah Toot (PA, NY, VT, NV, NJ, NC) – 6
+ Cathie Morton (IA, FL, BHS, MO, LA) – 5
+ Carla Stensland (IA, MO, SD, WY, CO) -5
+ Mary Green (MI, IA, IN, IL, RP) – 5
+ Michelle Haupt (IA, MO, KS, LA, MI) – 5
+ Mike Vest (IA, MO, AR, OK, KS) – 5
+ Adam Gordon (IA, MS, MO, KS) – 4
+ Bill Wentworth (NE, MO, FL) – 3
+ Linda Bennett (KS, IA, MI) – 3
+ Kim Barker (IA, CO, LA) – 3
+ Shannon Bardole-Foley (IA, CA, NV) – 3
+ Becky Parmelee (AR, IA, OK) – 3
+ Sara Lockner (IA, BHS, MN) – 3
+ Micky Augustin (IA, IL, FL) – 3
+ Angie DeWaard (IA, IL, SCT) – 3
+ Susanna Funk (IA, CO) – 2
+ Brandon Kahler (IA, MN) – 2
+ Logan Kahler (IA, MN) – 2
+ Tamara Peterson (IA, MN) – 2
+ Teresa Kahler (IA, NE) – 2
+ Sheri Fakhouri (IA, NE) – 2
+ Sabas Hernandez (IA, OH) – 2
+ Suzie Brannen (IA, MD) – 2
+ Elizabeth Nordeen (IA, OH) – 2
+ Deanna McClain (IA, MN) – 2
+ Dawn Krause – (IA, IL) – 2
+ Joe Duff (TX, NY) – 2
+ Lowell Davis (IA, MO) – 2
+ Evie Gorshe (IA, IN) – 2

Andy is still in the lead to be crowned “The Most Travelled THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE Photographer!” Jen, Jesse, Scott, and Nathanial remain in striking distance though.

The big milestone this milestone this week was Mindi joining the 1.5 Year Streak Club! WooHoo!

But it wasn’t all good news. Johnathan couldn’t build on his submission from last week and his streak is over before it begins. Deb’s 2 week streak also came crumbling down. Worst of all Scarecrow, Elainie’s 5 week streak went up in smoke like a wicked witch being douse in water.

SCIENCE – SUGGESTED BY JOE DUFF

SCIENCE! What a great theme for Year 11 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE! And a theme I freely confess, I never would have come up with on my own. Thanks Joe! It will be interesting to see where this goes.

I look forward to seeing your interpretation!

That is all I got, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will see your idea of SCIENCE in this place that wouldn’t exist without it next Monday.

Adam, Alexis, Andy, Angie, Bill, Birthdays, Black & White, Bokeh, Brandon, Candid Portrait, Carla, Cathie, Contests, Dawn, Deanna, Elainie, Elizabeth, Jay, Jen, Joe Duff, Johnathan, Kim, Kio, Linda, Logan, Lowell, Mary, Michelle, Micky, Mindi, Monica, Nathanial, Pufferbilly Days, Sabas, Sara, Sarah Toot, Scottie D., Self-Portrait, Shannon, Sheri, State Fair, Suzie, Tamara, Teresa, Vest, Willy, WPC - Submissions

WPC – WEEK 460 – BLACK & WHITE

July 8, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett

Today is going to be a long one, so buckle up and get your popcorn ready!

Today is Jay’s birthday, so I need to start by wishing him a happy birthday.

Happy birthday Jay!

I hope your birthday is magical in the nothingness you attempt to do!

+++++++

It is that time of year when a little yellow card shows up in the mailboxes of many a photographer in the state of Iowa. The yellow card that tells you if you had any pictures accepted into one of the hardest photo contests in the country. The Iowa State Fair Photography Salon. A contest that only displays 25% of the pictures submitted. It is the only photo contest that I enter (for a wide variety of reasons) and as such I did get my yellow card in the mail last week. It looked a little something like this:

You might be wondering what pictures I entered this year. I’m the only person that currently knows what pictures I entered. But, you can go down to the Iowa State Fair and see them for yourself. I will reveal what pictures I entered and what pictures got in on the last day of the Fair. As is my custom.

But I wasn’t the only regular contributor to THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE that got pictures accepted to the Iowa State Fair Photography Salon. Angie, Logan, and Nathanial all got pictures accepted! WooHoo! Which makes sense, because when THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE was birthed into existence as THE RANDOM WEEKLY PHOTO EXPERIMENT all those years ago by me and Mike Vest, the idea was (to be honest more his idea than mine) that at the end of the year, you would have 52 photos you could consider for entering in photo contests. Maybe in 2025 there will be MORE than 4 people from THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE displayed at the Iowa State Fair. I have an eye on a few of you.

+++++++

Must be time to see the submission for BLACK & WHITE, right? Not yet. As you may know, it is about 10 weeks out from the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest. So it is past time that I published the rules for this year’s contest. They are identical as last year.

Have a look:

I hope many of you enter again this year! Now I need to get to work!

+++++++

BLACK & WHITE! A great theme! But did enough people see the world in monochrome to make it a popular theme? You’ll have to keep scrolling to find out!

As of 12:01 PM on Monday, July 1, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks (ignore everything in parentheses):

1-Jen Ensley-Gorshe – 1 week (IA, CO, MO, TX, TN, VA, IL, FL)
2-Willy McAlpine – 1 week (IA)
3-Amy Peterson – 1 week (IA)
4-Deanna McClain – 3 weeks (IA, MN)
5-Mary Green – 4 weeks (MI, IA, IN, IL, PR) <2>
6-Sara Lockner – 4 weeks (IA, BHS, MN)
7-Suzie Brannen – 8 weeks (IA, MD) <2>
8-Mike Vest – 7 weeks (IA, MO)
9-Alexis Stensland – 10 weeks (IA) <2>
10-Sabas Hernandez – 12 weeks (IA, OH) <2>
11-Adam Gordon – 19 weeks (IA, MS, MO) <2>
12-Lowell Davis – 26 weeks (IA)
13-Michelle Haupt – 26 weeks (IA, MO, KS, LA)
14-Brandon Kahler – 27 weeks (IA, MN)
15-Scott Degeneffe – 45 weeks (IA, FL, UT, CO, KY, IN, IL) <2>
16-Sheri Fakhouri – 55 weeks (IA, NE)
17-Logan Kahler – 55 weeks (IA, MN) <2>
18-Nathanial Brown – 57 weeks (IA, SD, GA, TN, IRL, UK, FL)
19-Jesse Howard – 56 weeks (IA, MO, NE, FL, ABW, CUW, MN)
20-Tamara Peterson – 68 weeks (IA, MN)
21-Mindi Terrell – 72 weeks (IA) <2>
22-Linda Bennett – 101 weeks (KS, IA)
23-Sarah Toot – 102 weeks (PA, NY, VT, NV, NJ)
24-Angie DeWaard – 106 weeks (IA, IL) <2>
25-Dawn Krause – 110 weeks (IA, IL) <2>
26-Kim Barker – 116 weeks (IA, CO, LA) <2>
27-Joe Duff – 117 weeks (TX, NY)
28-Teresa Kahler – 128 weeks (IA, NE) <2>
29-Carla Stensland – 128 weeks (IA, MO, SD)
30-Micky Augustin – 130 weeks (IA, IL, FL)
31-Andy Sharp – 131 weeks (IA, NE, AR, MS, MO, TN, LA, IL) <2>
32-Bill Wentworth – 132 weeks (NE, MO)
33-Cathie Morton – 135 weeks (IA, FL, BHS, MO, LA) <2>
34-Elizabeth Nordeen – 137 weeks (IA, OH)
35-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 139 weeks (IA, CA, NV)
36-Kio Dettman – 141 weeks (IA)

Here is the list of rules for Year 11 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE:

There are still 2 ways to submit:
1. Email your submission to bennett@photography139.com.
2. Text your submission to my Google Pixel 8 Pro.

WPC - WEEK 460 - BLACK & WHITE - ADAM GORDON

Adam Gordon (Boone, Iowa) – 20 weeks

Adam Gordon (Madrid, Iowa)

Alexis Stensland (Boone, Iowa) – 11 weeks

Alexis Stensland (Boone, Iowa)

Andy Sharp (Prescott, Wisconsin) – 132 weeks

Andy Sharp (Plymouth, Minnesota)

Angie DeWaard (Iowa) – 107 weeks

Bill Wentworth (Omaha, Nebraska) – 133 weeks

Brandon Kahler (Story City, Iowa) – 28 weeks

Carla Stensland (Devil’s Tower National Monument – Wyoming) – 129 weeks

Carla Stensland (Arkansas River – Salida, Colorado)

Cathie Morton (Ankeny, Iowa) – 136 weeks

Christopher D. Bennett (Boone, Iowa)

Dawn Krause (Boone, Iowa) – 111 weeks

Dawn Krause (Boone, Iowa)

Deanna McClain (Iowa) – 4 weeks

Elainie Hernandez (Boone, Iowa) – 1 week

Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa) – 138 weeks

Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa)

Jen Ensley-Gorshe (Ames, Iowa) – 2 weeks

Joe Duff (New York) – 118 weeks

Joe Duff (New York)

Johnathan Stensland (Iowa) – 1 week

Kim Barker (Nevada, Iowa) – 117 weeks

Kio Dettman (Boone, Iowa) – 142 weeks

Kio Dettman (Boone, Iowa)

Linda Bennett (Boone, Iowa) – 102 weeks

Logan Kahler (Boone, Iowa) – 56 weeks

Logan Kahler (Bone, Iowa)

Lowell Davis (Kansas City, Missouri) – 27 weeks

Lowell Davis (Kansas City, Missouri)

Mary Green (Iowa) – 5 weeks

Mary Green (Iowa)

Michelle Haupt (Iowa) – 27 weeks

Micky Augustin (Colo, Iowa) – 131 weeks

Mike Vest (Grove, Oklahoma) – 8 weeks

Mike Vest (Bentonsville, Arkansas)

Mindi Terrell (Mitchellville, Iowa) – 73 weeks

Mindi Terrell (Johnston, Iowa)

Monica Jennings (Boone, Iowa) – 1 week

Monica Jennings (Boone, Iowa)

Nathanial Brown (Tampa, Florida) – 58 weeks

Sabas Hernandez (Ankeny, Iowa) – 13 weeks

Sara Lockner (Iowa) – 5 weeks

Sarah Toot (Pennsylvania) – 103 weeks

Scott Degeneffe (Boone County, Iowa) – 46 weeks

Shannon Bardole-Foley (Honey Hollow – Summerset, Iowa) – 140 weeks

Sheri Fakhouri (Ankeny, Iowa) – 56 weeks

Sheri Fakhouri (Ankeny, Iowa)

Suzie Brannen (Iowa) – 9 weeks

Suzie Brannen (Iowa)

Tamara Peterson (Perry, Iowa) – 103 weeks

Teresa Kahler (Boone, Iowa) – 129 weeks

Teresa Kahler (Boone, Iowa)

37 participants this week! A pretty good week!

There were submissions this week taken in the following places:

+ Arkansas (1)
+ Colorado (1)
+ Florida (1)
+ Iowa (41)
+ Minnesota (1)
+ Missouri (2)
+ Nebraska (1)
+ New York (2)
+ Oklahoma (1)
+ Pennsylvania (1)
+ Wisconsin (1)
+ Wyoming (1)

Thanks to Carla’s travels, we were able to add Wyoming to the map!

Here is the Year 11 list of places where submissions have been taken (submissions taken in each places):

+ Arkansas (16.5)
+ Aruba (1)
+ Bahamas (2)
+ California (3)
+ Curacao (1)
+ Colorado (7)
+ Florida (13)
+ Georgia (1)
+ Hawaii (2)
+ Illinois (11)
+ Indiana (4)
+ Iowa (943)
+ Ireland (3)
+ Kansas (36)
+ Kentucky (1)
+ Louisiana (8)
+ Maryland (1)
+ Michigan (5)
+ Minnesota (10)
+ Mississippi (2.5)
+ Missouri (18.5)
+ Nebraska (34)
+ Nevada (4)
+ New Jersey (1)
+ New York (17)
+ North Ireland (1)
+ Ohio (2)
+ Oklahoma (2)
+ Pennsylvania (19)
+ Puerto Rico (4)
+ South Dakota (4)
+ Tennessee (2.5)
+ Texas (38)
+ Utah (1)
+ Vermont (1)
+ Virginia (1)
+ Wisconsin (2)
+ Wyoming (1)

31 states so far! 1 U.S. Terriorty! 5 foreign countries! Not bad! So far, the following people have submitted from multiple places:

+ Andy Sharp (IA, NE, MO, AR, TN, MS, LA, IL, MN, WI) – 10
+ Jen Ensley-Gorshe (IA, CO, MO, TX, TN, VA, IL, FL) – 8
+ Scott Degeneffe (IA, FL, UT, CO, IN, KY, IL) – 7
+ Nathanial Brown (IA, SD, TN, GA, IRL, NIR, FL) – 7
+ Jesse Howard (IA, MO, NE, FL, ABW, CUW, MN) – 7
+ Christopher D. Bennett (IA, MO, NE, IL, IN, LA) – 6
+ Cathie Morton (IA, FL, BHS, MO, LA) – 5
+ Carla Stensland (IA, MO, SD, WY, CO) -5
+ Mary Green (MI, IA, IN, IL, RP) – 5
+ Sarah Toot (PA, NY, VT, NV, NJ) – 5
+ Michelle Haupt (IA, MO, KS, LA) – 4
+ Mike Vest (IA, MO, AR, OK) – 4
+ Kim Barker (IA, CO, LA) – 3
+ Shannon Bardole-Foley (IA, CA, NV) – 3
+ Adam Gordon (IA, MS, MO) – 3
+ Becky Parmelee (AR, IA, OK) – 3
+ Sara Lockner (IA, BHS, MN) – 3
+ Micky Augustin (IA, IL, FL) – 3
+ Susanna Funk (IA, CO) – 2
+ Brandon Kahler (IA, MN) – 2
+ Logan Kahler (IA, MN) – 2
+ Tamara Peterson (IA, MN) – 2
+ Teresa Kahler (IA, NE) – 2
+ Sheri Fakhouri (IA, NE) – 2
+ Angie DeWaard (IA, IL) – 2
+ Sabas Hernandez (IA, OH) – 2
+ Suzie Brannen (IA, MD) – 2
+ Elizabeth Nordeen (IA, OH) – 2
+ Linda Bennett (KS, IA) – 2
+ Bill Wentworth (NE, MO) – 2
+ Deanna McClain (IA, MN) – 2
+ Dawn Krause – (IA, IL) – 2
+ Joe Duff (TX, NY) – 2
+ Lowell Davis (IA, MO) – 2

Andy now has a commanding lead to be crowned “The Most Travelled THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE Photographer!” Jen, Jesse, Scott, and Nathanial remain in striking distance though.

There were no major milestones reached this week. And unfortunately a few streaks bit it. Willy and Amy couldn’t build on their submissions from last week. Their streaks are over before they began. Then worst of all, Jesse’s 56 week streak is over! It lasted over a year, but now it is over. The humanity!

FACELESS PORTRAIT

FACELESS PORTRAI! What a great theme for Year 11 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!

I look forward to seeing your interpretation!

That is all I got, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will see your idea of FACELESS PORTRAIT in this place that isn’t afraid to show its face next Monday.

9 Emotions Project, Anders, Animals, Baby Got Rack, Baier, Becca, Becky, Black & White, Blogging, Candid Portrait, Carla, Christianity, Drone, Evie, Faust, Formal Portrait, Jaycees, Jesse, Kim, Layla, Logan, Micky, Mom, Naima, Nathanial, Nature, Night, Pastor Sarah, Pufferbilly Days, Railroad, Shannon, Still Life, Tenderloining, Teresa, Town Sign Project, Vest, Willy

Post 5,250

July 6, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett

Can you believe that this is the 5,250th entry in the blog known as “An Artist’s Notebook”? Every 250 posts or so I like to take a moment to reflect on where this post has been and post a lot of meaningless stats.

As always on these posts, I like to start by quoting the very first “An Artist’s Notebook” entry that published on August 9, 2006. That first post that published 6,296 days.

That post that started with these 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”.

Since those words, I have posted 5,250 journal entries. This website is still something of an “idea box”. Sometimes I’m just working stuff out here. I don’t know why, sometimes I need to work stuff out in public. But this website is definitely more than just an “idea box”. It is a place where I post a few thoughts and a ton of pictures. I’ve gone through a few photo projects on these pages. From THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT to the 9 EMOTIONS PROJECT to THE SELFIE PROJECT to the POSTCARD RECREATION PROJECT to name just a few. This website has also created a community with THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE. Which is one of my proudest achievements. Even if it sputtered and spit and barely survived in its first few years.

On these reflective posts, I like to publish a bunch of statistics that me and Joe Duff find interesting. So I might as well get to it.

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 #5005 & INCREASE SINCE BEGINING OF 2024)

10. Carla – 632 (#10 – 39)
9. Formal Portrait – 655 (#6 – 6)
8. Teresa – 657 – (#9 – 49)
7. Road Trip – 657 (#8 – 32)
6. Macro – 662 (#7 – 26)
5. Jesse – 754 (#5 – 54)
4. Animals – 833 (#3 – 34)
3. Art – 842 – (#4 – 75)
2. Flowers – 1,010 (#2 – 40)
1. Black & White – 1,221 (#1 – 27)

No categories dropped from the Top 10. The categories with the best shot at cracking the Top 10 in the next 250 posts are Shannon, Nature, WPC-Submissions, Candid Portrait, & Still Life.

THE TOP 10 NON-HUMAN CATEGORIES
10. Candid Portrait – 504 (#9 – 16)
9. WPC-Submissions – 563 (NR – 27)
8. Nature – 568 (#8 – 26)
7. Formal Portrait – 655 (#5 – 6)
6. Road Trip – 657 (#7 – 32)
5. Macro – 662 (#9 – 26)
4. Animals – 833 (#3 – 34)
3. Art – 842 – (#4 – 75)
2. Flowers – 1,010 (#2 – 40)
1. Black & White – 1,221 (#1 – 27)

Photoshop dropped out of the Top 10.

The categories with the best shot of cracking the Top 10 in the next 250 posts are Still Life, Photoshop, Naima, History, and Self-portrait.

THE TOP 10 HUMAN CATEGORIES

10. Willy – 379 (NR – 27)
9. Vest – 388 (#10 – 29)
8. Micky – 399 (#8 – 29)
7. Logan – 428 (#7 – 37)
6. Kim – 441 (#6 – 35)
5. Mom – 473 (#5)
4. Shannon – 615 (#4 – 30)
3. Carla – 632 (#3 – 39)
2. Teresa – 657 (#2 – 49)
1. Jesse – 754 (#1 – 54)

Jay dropped out of he Top 10. The categories that have the best chance of breaking into the Top 10 in the next 250 posts are Andy, Jay, Jen, Sara, and Derrick.

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 208 categories used on the website. I could cover the Bottom 10, but no real reason. Some of those categories probably need to be purged. I do like to cover the Top 10 of the Bottom 100 though.

THE BOTTOME 10 OF THE TOP 100

10. Nathanial – 82 (+29)
9. Layla – 84 (+8)
8. Commercial – 84 (0)
7. House – 91 (+1)
6. Writing – 92 (0)
5. Becca – 92 (+2)
4. Pastor Sarah – 93 (+2)
3. Pufferbilly Days – 95 (+4)
2. Tenderloining – 96 (+25)
1. Faust – 96 (+4)

The following categories have either fallen out of the Bottom 10 of the Top 100 or climbed out of it:
Andree, Flat Earth Joe, Self-Portrait Project, and Sabas

The following categories have the best shot at dropping back into the Bottom 10 of the Top 10:
Russell, Nate, Jill, Blogging, Sabas, and Lowell.

The following categories have the best shot at climbing up into the Bottom 10 of the Top 10:
Andree, Photo Journal, Self-Portrait Project, Flat Earth Joe, and Mary.

I’m now starting to track what categories have had the greatest gain. These are the ones that have the greatest gain since the beginning of 2024.

THE TOP 10 CATEGORIES BY GAIN

10. Kim – 35
10. Andy – 35
10. Michelle – 35
8. Logan – 37
8. Elizabeth – 37
7. Carla – 39
6. Flowers – 40
5. Teresa – 49
4. Jesse – 54
2. Still Life – 72
2. Street Photography – 72
1. Art – 75

THE TOP 10 NON-HUMAN CATEGORIES BY GAIN

9. Nature -26
9. Nature – 26
7. Black & White – 27
7. WPC – Submissions – 27
6. Road Trip – 32
5. Animals – 34
4. Flowers – 40
2. Still Life – 72
2. Street Photography – 72
1. Art – 75

THE TOP 10 HUMAN CATEGORIES BY GAIN

9. Scottie. D. – 33
9. Linda – 33
9. Sabas – 33
6. Kim – 35
6. Andy – 35
6. Michelle – 35
4. Logan – 37
4. Elizabeth – 37
3. Carla – 39
2. Teresa – 49
1. Jesse – 54

If you are wondering what is your best way to improve your Photography 139 Score and crack the Top 10, it is simply to be active in THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE or go on trips with me or participate in various other photo projects or be related to me. Now these aren’t necessarily the 10 people that have influenced my photography the most, but these are the 10 people that have made the largest imprint on this website.

I can tell you the people that have influenced my photography the most, but that is a tale for another time. But I’m pretty sure you can guess who.

TOP 10 PHOTOGRAPHY 139 PHOTOGRAPHY GALLERIES (LAST 365 DAYS)

To View the Gallery, Click on its Representative Image

10. Naima – 72,941 views

9. Drone – 73,421 views

8. 9 Emotions Project – 98,062 views

7. Weekly Photo Challenge Year 3 – 124,533 views

6. Town Sign Project – 127,555 views

5. Tenderloining – 134,777 views

4. Town Sign Project Auxiliary Images – 172,671 views

3. Weekly Photo Challenge – Year 11 – 192,976 views

2. Instagram – 212,131 views

1. Weekly Photo Challenge – Year 11 – 289,984 views

Galleries that fell out of the Top 10 are:
Las Vegas 2023, Weekly Photo Challenge Year 9, Selfie Project – 2022,

Galleries that fell just outside of the Top 10 are:
Life, 365 Day Photo Project -2013, Memphis – 2023, New Orleans – 2024, Phot Journal Rejects.

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

10. 2,475 views

9. 2,508 views

8. 2,812 views

7. 3,774 views

6. 3,875 views

5. 3,999 views

4. 4,020 views

3. 4,305 views

2. 4,816 views

1. 20,050 views

If you are interested in checking out some of the milestone posts of the past, I got you. Click on any of the links below to check them out:

Post 1
Post 750
Post 850
Post 1,000
Post 1,101
Post 1,200
Post 1,447
Post 1,718
Post 2,500
Post 3,000
Post 3,252
Post 3,751
Post 4,000
Post 4,250
Post 4,500
Post 4,757
Post 5,005

I think that is enough. We will check back in, in another 250 posts.

Anders, Animals, Birthdays, Pufferbilly Days, Street Photography

Pufferbilly Days Parade Three

January 26, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett

Today is Anders’ birthday, so I need to wish him a happy birthday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANDERS!

I hope your birthday is filled with all the British and 70s science fiction you can handle!

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Time to share the final collection of images from the Pufferbilly Days Parade and the final collection of Pufferbilly Day images altogether. Man… you will have to wait until September for more Pufferbilly Day images. Stay strong.