Category Archives: Black & White

Black & White, Flowers, Formal Portrait, Photoshop, Saydie

Congratulations Saydie – Delta

June 24, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett 1 Comment

Time again to check in with everybody’s favorite 2018 high school graduate, Saydie!

I came across this quote from Alice Walker for graduates:

Be compassionate to everyone. Don’t just search for whatever it is that annoys and frightens you, see beyond those things to the basic human being. Especially see the child in the man or woman. Even if they are destroying you, allow a moment to see how lost in their own delusion and suffering they are.
-Alice Walker

Alice Walker is famous for writing THE COLOR PURPLE. A line from that book is one of the mandates of this website:

I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don’t notice it. People think pleasing God is all God cares about. But any fool living in the world can see it always trying to please us back.

Here is another set of pictures from Saydie’s Senior Pictures photo shoot:

The tall drink of water posing with Saydie in half the pictures is Kyle. He currently attends UNI. Saydie will also be attending UNI, but I’m told, “not because Kyle goes there”.

We’re about to the halfway point on Saydie pictures now. About.

Alexis, Animals, Art, Black & White, Nature

05-19-08

June 23, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett

The pictures in the folder were from the folder 05-19-08. They were taken on my birthday, as the artwork by Alexis might reveal.

I don’t recall everything I did on my birthday that day, but I know for sure I went to Jester Park.

Jester Park is one of my favorite parks that I don’t visit nearly enough. Not anywhere nearly enough.

By adding these images to the Photography 139 Photo Gallery, I was able to return the following historic “An Artist’s Notebook” post to its original glory:

Mt. St. Helens Anniversary

The next time we stroll down memory lane, it will involve a flood and a rock concert.

Art, Black & White, History, Mom, Photoshop, Travel, Vacation

The Mount Rushmore of Presidents Vol. 3

June 20, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett

This is the final collection of photos from my trip to Mount Rushmore with my Mom.

Here are a few final facts about Mount Rushmore from the Wikipedia:

The Sculptor’s Studio – a display of unique plaster models and tools related to the sculpting – was built in 1939 under the direction of Borglum. Borglum had planned to make a secret room behind the hairline of Abraham Lincoln which was supposed to be a doorway to a chamber originally intended to hold some of America’s most treasured documents but was left unfinished due to his death. Borglum died from an embolism in March 1941. His son, Lincoln Borglum, continued the project. Originally, it was planned that the figures would be carved from head to waist, but insufficient funding forced the carving to end. Borglum had also planned a massive panel in the shape of the Louisiana Purchase commemorating in eight-foot-tall gilded letters the Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, Louisiana Purchase, and seven other territorial acquisitions from Alaska to Texas to the Panama Canal Zone. In total, the entire project cost US$989,992.32. Unusual for a project of such size, no workers died during the carving.

In a canyon behind the carved faces is a chamber, cut only 70 feet (21 m) into the rock, containing a vault with sixteen porcelain enamel panels. The panels include the text of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, biographies of the four presidents and Borglum, and the history of the U.S. The chamber was created as the entrance-way to a planned “Hall of Records”; the vault was installed in 1998.

Here are the balance of pictures:

Now that the South Dakota trip is all published, might be time to get into the Independence Bowl Road Trip or finish up with the Caves Road Trip.

Animals, Black & White, Flowers, Macro

Happiness Shared

June 19, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett 1 Comment

Happiness held is the seed; happiness shared is the flower.
-John Harrigan

Another look at more of Donna’s flowers. This is more like a quick peek. Maybe even a very quick peek.

Some coneflowers involved in this small collection:

There are plenty more of Donna Jones’ flower waiting to be unleashed on the world.

Andy, Black & White, Candid Portrait, Flat Earth Joe, Jesse, Jorge, Mission Trip, Photoshop, Self-Portrait, Work, WPC - Alternate, WPC - Reminder, Youth Group

And What You Gon’ Be When You Grow up Chris? I Doubt They Will Get It!

June 15, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett 1 Comment

Those of you that know me well or are paying attention to this here blog know that tomorrow at 7 AM I hit the road for a Mission Trip to Houston. We will leave Saturday morning. Stay a night at a church near Fort Worth on Saturday night and then carry on to a town near Houston on Sunday.

We will work it to the bone for 4 days and then start the return trip home on Friday morning. We will spend Friday night in a Tulsa hotel and then be home at some point on Saturday.

Last Year’s Mission Trip Group

If you wish to follow along and see sporadic updates of our adventures in Houston, the best path is to follow us on Instagram:

@boonefumcyg

If you are too old for Instagram, then you will have to wait for my inevitable blogs.

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Here is your reminder that this week’s theme for THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE is SELF-PORTRAIT.

A SELF-PORTRAIT is a picture where the photographer is also the subject.

But don’t be afraid to be creative. Take a picture of yourself in a reflection that morphs your appearance. Take a picture of something that defines you. Take a picture of something that reflects your influence in the world.

Or take a picture of yourself in the gym mirror. It is all good.

SELF-PORTRAIT

Happy photo harvesting!

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The world wasn’t ready for these WORK pictures on Monday. The world might not be ready for them now, but I can’t hold them back any longer:

You’re welcome world!!

Art, Black & White, History, Mom, Nature, Photoshop, Travel, Vacation

The Mount Rushmore of Presidents Vol. 2

June 13, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett 1 Comment

Time to check in on more pictures from my trip to Mount Rushmore with my Mom.

One of the debate topics that occasionally rises is who is the next President to go on Mount Rushmore. Say that Washington, Teddy Roosevelt, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln were the 4 greatest Presidents of the United States before construction was started on Mount Rushmore in 1927, won’t there some day be a President as great as them, that should also be placed alongside them.

To be honest, I don’t think that they will ever add another President to Mount Rushmore. Our country doesn’t spend money on projects like this any longer.

But say that they would, the choice for the 5th President according to the Presidents & Executive Politics Presidential Greatness Survey is pretty obvious. Next to nobody else even got any votes:

1. Franklin Roosevelt – 108 votes
2. Barack Obama – 12 votes
3. Ronald Reagan – 8 votes
4. Dwight Eisenhower – 6 votes
4. James Madison – 6 votes

It would be hard to argue that FDR wouldn’t be the next President to go up. He steered the country through its greatest economic collapse and then most of the way through WWII.

Let us say that some day another face was added to Mount Rushmore, the truth is that it might not even be a President. In 1937, a bill was proposed to Congress to add Susan B. Anthony to the mountain. I’d imagine there would be a pretty strong movement to add Martin Luther King Jr. to the mountain today.

Although it would be hard to imagine putting a Civil Rights Leader on the mountain after the mountain was stolen from the Lakota in 1876 in violation of the 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie.

But I digress…

There are still more Mount Rushmore pictures coming!

Animals, Black & White, Flowers, Macro, Photoshop, Russell, Work

A Blossoming Soul

June 12, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett

Every flower is a soul blossoming in nature.
-Gerard De Nerval

Last time we took a look at the flowerbeds of Donna Jones, I said that I felt that I had taken a step away from flower photography back in 2017. Russell, who hates flower pictures the way some people hate cats or reality television texted me to call poppycock on such a statement. He would go on to ask how many flower photos I took last year.

It is just a very rough estimated, but I bet it was only 2,000. Definitely no more than 2,000. Possibly as low as 1,500.

He wanted to know how many I normally take. I can only estimate that number, but I bet it is closer to 5,000.

I think Russell appreciated the downturn, but I feel he still thinks that 1 flower picture is one too many.

Below, enjoy some of Russell’s pain:

At the Computer Mine we have a photo bar next to the kitchen. Once a year they changed out the photos to display the work of employees. I always submit one photo because I personally feel that the photo bar should represent as many employees as possible. I’m considering submitting one of the grasshopper photos for my submission.

If any of you out there are the anti-Russell, don’t worry. There are plenty more flower pictures just waiting to bloom. This year might be a flower photo boom. Well probably not a boom, but have I mentioned that my hollyhocks are back!!

I’m excited too!

Black & White, Formal Portrait, Photoshop, Saydie

Congratulations Saydie – Gamma

June 10, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett

Time to check back in with my favorite 2018 high school graduate Saydie.

Thought I would start with more of my favorite bits of wisdom given at commencement speech:

Success is like a mountain that keeps growing ahead of you as you hike it… Err in the direction of kindness.
-George Saunders

People should always err in the direction of kindness. Wish I saw more of that in my everyday life.

Saydie:

We’re at the point in the Saydie pictures that we are warmed up. Giving the umpire the signal that we are ready to play ball.

Andy, Art, Black & White, Blogging, Boone FUMC, Christianity, Photoshop, Still Life, Work, WPC - Alternate, WPC - Reminder, Youth Group

You Still Wonder Why I Existed, I Exist in a World That’s Real Different!

June 8, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett 1 Comment

I need to start this post with yet another apology. On Monday, when I posted the submissions for RELIGION and THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE I did not post a second picture submitted by Andy.

This was not an error of carelessness like in some past weeks. I legitimately didn’t know that it was a submission.

You see, he sent me a picture of Hawkeye propaganda. I didn’t realize that it was a submission for RELIGION. I thought he was committing a hate crime and I nearly called the police.

However, I remember that in some societies, being a Hawkeye fan is considered a mental illness. With the way this society stigmatizes mental illness, I thought I better just pretend like nothing happened. Back away from the propaganda and nobody gets hurt.

But the ordeal wasn’t over. You see before Andy sent me the picture of his boat, he implied that I might not publish his submission. I let him know that I will publish ANY submission that doesn’t get me in trouble with the law.

He then sent me a picture of his boat with the following explanation:

I feel closest to God in my boat on water at sunrise or sunset…

I can relate to this sentiment. I don’t fish (much), although I did catch a fish worthy of a Master Angler Big Fish award once, but didn’t turn it in due to my modesty. I also often feel closest to God when I am in nature.

I texted back:

I was worried it was going to be some Hawkeye garbage.

He then sent me the picture of Hawkeye propaganda with the commentary that they go together. I didn’t put together that the pictures went together. I thought that the propaganda was on the boat, because it is.

I have since rectified the situation. If you click on the link below, you can see Andy’s submitted Hawkeye propaganda:

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 142 – RELIGION

Now that bit of unpleasantness is behind us, I need to remind you that this week’s WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE theme is:

WORK!

A WORK picture is anything that involves WORK. A person WORKing. The tools somebody uses when they are WORKing. The results of WORKing. If you don’t know what WORK is, ask an immigrant. They get the job done. We all know that Peter Piper claimed he picked them, he just underpaid Pablo.

The world wasn’t ready for the following RELIGION pictures on Monday. Not sure the world is ready now, but I can’t hold them back any longer:

You’re welcome world!

Art, Black & White, History, Iowa State, Mom, Politics, Travel, Vacation

The Mount Rushmore of Presidents Vol. 1

June 6, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett

It is time to crack into the final spot I hit in South Dakota with my Mom last year. Mount Rushmore.

People (particularly bored sports talk show hosts) are always trying to make comparisons in the sports world to Mount Rushmore. Who would be on the Mount Rushmore of Iowa State athletics? (Dan Gable, Fred Hoiberg, Troy Davis, Jack Trice) Who would be on the NBA’s Mount Rushmore? (Lebron, Magic, Jordan, Wilt) Who would be on Cyclone basketball’s Mount Rushmore? (Hoiberg, Niang, Tinsley, Grayer) Who would be on Cyclone football’s Mount Rushmore? (Troy Davis, Jack Trice, Seneca, Matt Blair)

That type of thing?

But does the Mount Rushmore of Presidents have the 4 best Presidents on it?

According to the official results of the 2018 Presidents & Executive Politics Presidential Greatness Survey, they did a pretty good job.

A little about the survey:

The 2018 Presidents & Executive Politics Presidential Greatness Survey was conducted online via Qualtrics from December 22, 2017 to January 16, 2018. Respondents were current and recent members of the Presidents & Executive Politics Section of the American Political Science Association, which is the foremost organization of social science experts in presidential politics.

Here is their Top 10 Greatest Presidents

1. Abraham Lincoln
2. George Washington
3. Franklin Roosevelt
4. Teddy Roosevelt
5. Thomas Jefferson
6. Harry Truman
7. Dwight D. Eisenhower
8. Barack Obama
9. Ronald Reagan
10. Lyndon Johnson

Therefore, the creators of Mount Rushmore did manage to pick the 4 top Presidents that were available to them. FDR hadn’t been President when Mount Rushmore began. He was President when it was abandoned however. During WWII, the United States couldn’t afford to spend any more on the project. At this point, it is safe to assume it will never be finished.

Here some pictures from the trip to Mount Rushmore:

A few more pictures of Mount Rushmore are still stretching their legs, waiting for the call to get into the game.