I spent a good chunk of a couple of my vacation days doing yard work. While I was moving my woodpile, I came across this fascinating creature.
I just wish that we would’ve gotten to know each other better.
PARTICULARS
CAMERA: SONY SLT-A65V
ISO: 100
FOCAL LENGTH: 60mm
APERTURE: f/5
EXPOSURE: 1/160
DATE: 06/28/2016 – 11:13
LATITUDE: 42.05518°
LONGITUDE: -93.87066°
PHOTO ASSISTANT: Naima
EDITING SOUNDTRACK: “Pusherman” by Curtis Mayfield
The collection of images in the folder 04-14-07 includes one of Alexis’ many hamsters, The Chiz’s first Iowa State Spring Game, and lots of squirrel!
Next week’s collection will include June and Dean Miller and maybe a tulip.
As I promised, after two days of having to look at disgusting Coca-Cola products, I would reward you with fuzzy cuteness. If I am nothing, I am a man of my word!
A week or so back, I was in the backyard with my legendary hunting pooch Naima. We were in the process of putting away a tarp that I was drying out. As I picked up the tarp, Naima started going crazy. After I moved the tarp I uncovered one of her favorite toys. I naturally assumed this is what she wanted so badly. I pointed it out to her, but she ignored it and she kept barking.
I turned around to see what she was all jacked up about. Turns out having fallen out of the tarp was this cute little baby possum.
After snapping a few photos, I placed the tarp over him and let him be. Despite the advice of legendary outdoorsman and animal lover Micky Augustin to just hit it with a shovel and throw it in the garbage.
When Naima woke me up at 5:30 in the morning the next day (as is our custom), I went outside and removed the tarp. Baby Possum was gone. Having moved on to spread his fuzzy cuteness to the rest of the world.
I hope our paths can cross again and and if they do I’m sure he will give me a knowing glance that says, “Hey pal. Thanks for not hitting me in the head with a shovel and throwing me in the garbage. That was doing a brother a solid.”
PARTICULARS
CAMERA: Sony SLT-A65V
ISO: 500
FOCAL LENGTH: 60mm
APERTURE: f/4
EXPOSURE: 1/100
DATE: 06/09/2016 – 19:50
LATITUDE: 42.05525°
LONGITUDE: -93.87058°
PHOTO ASSISTANT: Naima
PHOTO EDITING SOUNDTRACK: “My Name Is” by Eminem
QUESTION 20
Even though I can’t find a good glass of it in Kansas or Minnesota or anywhere else I may travel outside of Iowa, what do I always drink with my breakfast?
ANSWER: CHOCOLATE MILK
BONUS
What decidedly Iowa food item do Scottie D. and I travel the backroads of the Cyclone State to eat, rate, and seek out the best of?
ANSWER: Tenderloin
A couple Saturdays back I traveled to America’s crossroads: Colo, Iowa to take place in a turtle race that I have dubbed The Colo Derby.
My noble steed Titian dominated the competition, but on that day, it would NOT only be the turtles that smelled fishy. If you get what I’m laying down. Nudge-nudge-wink-wink! I’m saying the officiating was terrible. Okay.
Here are a few photos of this most American of travesties.
Victory. Titian is thy name!
A training lap.
I’m hoping we can make some wishes out of turtle-planes.
The combatants and their steeds. Cathie (left) was the “victor”.
The official results and some dimestore (albeit very accurate) analysis:
1. Cathie’s Turtle (won because some people don’t understand time.)
2. Titian (second place because of the base ugly human emotion called jealousy.)
3. Joe’s Turtle (third place because Joe was afraid to touch his turtle and his turtle didn’t respect him for this weakness.)
4. Michelle’s Turtle (last place because Michelle hates animals and the turtle could sense it and the turtle quit on her.)
After the race was run, I placed Titian back in the 5 gallon bucket from which he came. I am a man. He is a turtle, but I know we made a very special connection that day. Our paths will cross again. We will have our vengeance!
This collection of images was stored in the folder 04-04-07.
Dragonfly!
Next week’s folder contains many photos of the Iowa State Spring Game from 2007. Yes. The first Spring Game of The Chiz.
QUESTION 16
Christopher D. Bennett is loved as far west as Manhattan, Kansas and as far south as Houston, Texas and as far north as Eagan, Minnesota and as far east as Brooklyn for his flower photography. What is his favorite flower?
ANSWER: MOONFLOWER
BONUS
Besides “dashing”, what does the D. in Christopher D. Bennett stand for?
ANSWER: DUANE
Here lieth a few PERSPECTIVE attempts that weren’t quite up to snuff.
Such a sad and pathetic bunch.
QUESTION 14
This year I will be going on my 5th Mission Trip with my church’s Youth Group. Name the 4 places I have already gone: (Hint: 1 place twice)
ANSWER: KANSAS CITY, MINNEAPOLIS, KANSAS CITY, MARTIN (SOUTH DAKOTA)
BONUS
Where is the Mission Trip going this year?
ANSWER: MILWAUKEE
Recently I picked, trained, and raced a turtle in the Colo Derby. We were quite victorious, as I’m sure time and history will record. Below is a photo of my loyal steed.
Some of the other combatants from that day will claim that my turtle did not win. They will cite a video as their flimsy evidence. I have no doubt that when the video from the man on the grassy knoll surfaces, I will be vindicated and lauded in a manner that befits me.
PARTICULARS
CAMERA: SONY-SLT-A65V
ISO: 100
FOCAL LENGTH: 60mm
APERTURE: f/4
EXPOSURE: 1/100
DATE: 06/04/2016 16:54
LATITUDE: 42.01001°
LONGITUDE: -93.34610°
PHOTO ASSISTANT: Micky Augustin
PHOTO EDITING SOUNDTRACK: “Blue Train” by John Coltrane from BLUE TRAIN
QUESTION 13
My website is named after my favorite Bible verses. What is that chapter?
ANSWER: Psalm 139
BONUS
What is my second favorite Bible verse?
ANSWER: Ephesians 4:29
I was actually quite shocked by how few people got this one right. I’ll try to remedy that in some way in the future.
This week ended up being something of a rebound week. All the negative emotions that people felt towards EMOTIONS was left behind and they expressed positive emotions towards PERSPECTIVE. Particularly exciting this week is we have a submission from first time contributor Stephanie Kim. Stephanie lives the farthest east and by far the largest city of any other contributors, so I’ll be excited to see her perspective on things in the future!
The submissions for PERSPECTIVE:
Stephanie Kim 2
Becky Perkovich
Jodie Bennett
Christopher D. Bennett
Angie DeWaard
Kim Barker
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!
SKY/CLOUDS! But what does that mean? While your submission probably should include the sky and/or some clouds, don’t feel that the sky or cloud has to be the focus of your composition. That being said, if the sky or cloud isn’t the main feature of your composition, it should add to the emotional impact of your image.
All that noise being said, feel free to interpret the theme in any way that you see fit.
MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE RULES DIVISION
Don’t blow by this because you know the rules. There is a slight rule change in there for going forward as my lunch hour at the day job has changed.
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.
THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION DIVISION
Nothing new to report on this front. However, if you are reading these words and don’t have a Photography 139 email subscription. Let a guy know. I’ll get you hooked up!
That’s all I got, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will commune again next Monday. Hopefully with lots of looks at our flat earth’s sky.
QUESTION 11
I was lucky to be accepted and graduate from the most beautiful and prestigious university in the land. What was my major?
ANSWER: Political Science
BONUS
What was my minor?
ANSWER: History
I haven’t posted a picture of an animal (besides Naima) for a bit. No worries though. This animal posting will not make any references to the current inane social media debate.
I present a ground squirrel…
I found this guy scurrying around the Memorial Union. The only one that I know exists.
PARTICULARS
CAMERA: SONY SLT-A65V
ISO: 160
FOCAL LENGTH: 70mm
APERTURE: f/5.6
EXPOSURE: 1/125
DATE: 05/331/2016 – 16:39
LATITUDE: 42.02441°
LONGITUDE: -93.64683°
PHOTO ASSISTANT: Nader Parsaei
EMOTIONS was a profoundly unpopular theme. I’m sure destined to hit the cutting room floor if this challenge extends into a second year. Maybe it was the holiday weekend. Maybe people were like feelings? Actually feeling something? No thanks! Back to my mass consumerism, thank you very much*. Either way, Angie was the only person that kept this theme from being a shutout and being the first strike against this challenge.
Here are the submissions for EMOTIONS:
Angie DeWaard
Becky Perkovich
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 is…
Back when I was compiling the list of 52 themes, I thought about breaking PERSPECTIVE into LOW PERSPECTIVE and HIGH PERSPECTIVE, but I thought it would be interesting, given the choice where people would go. The level of a rat or the level of an eagle. Both animals forage through trash for food, but their perspective on the world is totally different.
However, being high or low isn’t the only definition of perspective. As always, feel free to define perspective any way that you want.
RULES
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 noon 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.
That’s all I got, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will commune again next Monday. Hopefully with a lot of new perspectives on the world.
*Just wanted to make sure everybody knows that I’m a minimalist and that I’m super excited about the new movie coming out about my people.
QUESTION 7
Quentin Tarantino famously was once quoted as saying: “When I’m getting serious about a girl I show her RIO BRAVO and she better (expletive deleted) like it.” What one of my 3 favorite movies do I use as a test of the quality of the people in my life? They better (expletive deleted) like it!
ANSWER: A CLOCKWORK ORANGE
BONUS
What are my other 2 favorite movies? To earn the point, you must include the year of release.
KING KONG (1933) & PSYCHO (1960)
