Category Archives: Flowers

Black & White, Blogging, Calendar, Flowers, Iowa State, Music

Goodbye 2023

December 31, 2023 Christopher D. Bennett

Time to share the June image of the 2024 Photography 139 Calendar. It is a picture of mums I took at Iowa State University.

JUNE

I chose this picture for June because I like to use a black and white image for June.

TECHNICAL DETAILS

CAMERA: Sony ILCE-7M2
DATE: September 22, 2023 0 4:51 PM
LENS: 105 MM F/2.8 MACRO ART
FOCAL LENGTH: 105mm
APERTURE: f/2.8
EXPOSURE: 1/125
ISO: 400

Tomorrow I will share the July image!

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I hope everybody has a wonderful New Year’s Eve. I’m sure I will be deep in sleep for hours before the bell tolls midnight on 2023. But I’m sure most of you will have much more interesting ways to usher in the new year. But before I do that, I would like to take a brief look back at 2023.

I don’t know if it was a good year or a bad year. I think it was just a year. Filled with good. Filled with bad. I’m sure 2024 will be more of the same.

I didn’t do a ton of travelling in 2023. I only set foot in 9 states besides Iowa:

I don’t know how much I will travel in 2024, but hopefully I can do better than 10 different states.

I also wasn’t super active on social media this year. I do intend to try to get back to it on Instagram in 2024. Here are my Top 9 Posts on Instagram:

I started using Spotify more and more this year. I mostly use it for podcasts, but this year I started using it for music more. I mostly use it to listen to artists that I don’t own. Apparently I hit the soundtrack from “Daisy Jones and the Six” pretty hard at one point.

Here is my Spotify Wrapped:

On this website, I posted 366 new journal entries in “An Artist’s Notebook”. May and August had the most posts at 32 each. February and November had the least at 28 posts each.

The Categories that grew the most were:

1. Black & White – 237
2. Street Photography – 237
3. Formal Portrait – 222
4. Art – 168
5. Macro – 152
6. Candid Portrait – 139
7. Flowers – 107
8. Teresa – 103
9. Nature – 85
10. Jesse – 82

Happy New Year’s everybody!

Calendar, Flowers, Music, Ruins, Still Life, Street Photography, Teresa

Stanhope Watermelon Day – IV

December 29, 2023 Christopher D. Bennett

Time to share the April image for the 2024 Photography 139 Calendar. It is a picture of tulips taken in Pella:

APRIL

I chose this tulips picture for April cause April is really the beginning of flowertography season. And tulips are really the first flowers of the year that I really like. Daffodils are just kind of okay in my book.

TECHNICAL DETAILS

CAMERA: Sony ILCE-7M4
DATE: April 29, 2023 – 10:02 AM
LENS: 17-28mm f/2.8
FOCAL LENGTH: 17mm
APERTURE: f/5.6
EXPOSURE: 1/125
ISO: 100

Tomorrow I will share the May image!

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Time to share the rest of the images from my trip to the Stanhope Watermelon Day with Teresa:

The Foreigner cover band was a bonus. It was a pretty great day and I think I will hit Stanhope Watermelon Day again next year.

Art, Calendar, Flowers, Kim, Macro, Movies, Street Photography, Travel

Lost Stars

December 28, 2023 Christopher D. Bennett

Time to share the March image for the 2024 Photography 139 Calendar. It was taken in Chicago while I was there for a work trip for the Computer Mine:

March

I took this image of Chicago’s The Bean after having a meal of Chicago Style Pizza with Kim and Lowell and Tony. The Bean was one of those rare touristy things that doesn’t disappoint in person.

TECHNICAL DETAILS
CAMERA: Sony ILCE-7M2
DATE: April 19, 2023 – 6:48 PM
LENS: Tamron 17-28 f/2.8
FOCAL LENGTH: 17mm
APERTURE: f/2.8
EXPOSURE: 1/60
ISO: 8000

Tomorrow I will share the April image.

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Please, don’t see
Just a boy caught up in dreams and fantasies
Please, see me
Reaching out for someone I can’t see

Take my hand
Let’s see where we wake up tomorrow
Best laid plans
Sometimes are just a one night stand
I’ll be damned

Cupid’s demanding back his arrow
So let’s get drunk on our tears
And, God, tell us the reason
Youth is wasted on the young
It’s hunting season and the lambs are on the run

Searching for meaning
But are we all lost stars
Trying to light up the dark?
Who are we?
Just a speck of dust within the galaxy
Woe is me

If we’re not careful turns into reality
Don’t you dare let our best memories bring you sorrow
Yesterday I saw a lion kiss a deer
Turn the page
Maybe we’ll find a brand new ending

Where we’re dancing in our tears
And, God, tell us the reason
Youth is wasted on the young
It’s hunting season
And the lambs are on the run

Searching for meaning
But are we all lost stars
Trying to light up the dark?

And I thought I saw you out there crying
And I thought I heard you call my name
And I thought I heard you out there crying

Just the same
Oh yeah, yeah yeah yeah yeah
God, give us the reason
Youth is wasted on the young
It’s hunting season and this lamb is on the run

Searching for meaning
But are we all lost stars
Trying to light up the dark?

-Written by Gregg Alexander, Danielle Brisebois, Nick Southwood, Nick Lashley
-Performed by Keira Knightley or Adam Levine (depending on the scene)

The song “Lost Stars” comes from the John Carney movie BEGIN AGAIN. The song is in some ways the center of the movie, even though the character that performs it at the end of the movie is not one of the main characters.

BEGIN AGAIN is the only John Carney movie that has famous actors in it. And it is loaded with famous actors… Mark Ruffalo, Keira Knightley, Hailee Steinfeld, Catherine Keener… But also plenty of famous musicians like Mos Def, CeeLo, Adam Levine… Even James Corden who is kind of both.

BEGIN AGAIN is the story of Dan (Mark Ruffalo), a music producer that is an alcoholic that has lost his job and his family. He has decided to kill himself when he hears Gretta (Keira Knightley) playing her song “A Step You Can’t Take Back” at an open mic night she was drug to by her friend Steve (James Corden).

This is Gretta’s last night in New York City. She is planning to return to England after she has broken up with her newly minted rock star boyfriend Dave (Adam Levine) who was cheating on her.

When Dan hears the song he decides he wants to sign Gretta to a record deal. He convinces her to go audition for Dan’s old partner Saul (Mos Def) at his former record label. When Saul decides to pass on Gretta, they decide to just record the album themselves in the elements of New York City. Partially because they have no money to rent a studio. Partially because they want the city to be part of the music. They record on a roof top, in Central Park, in a subway station and some other interesting places.

The song “Lost Stars” is central to the movie. When Gretta was still with Dave and she was too poor to buy him a Christmas present, she writes the song “Lost Stars” and gives it to him. He in turns the ball into stadium pop. Dave comes back into Gretta’s life after she has recorded her album and plays for her his version of “Lost Stars”. She is mortified because he has “lost the song in the production”.

Dave tries to win Gretta back and begs her to come hear him play the song at the Gramercy. She tells him not to play it like that.

For the rest of the movie, well… you’ll have to watch that yourself.

I won’t pretend I love BEGIN AGAIN like I love ONCE, but it still is a great movie that I highly recommend.

But Thursdays are for flowers. These flowertography images were taken in my yard:

Next Thursday’s flowertography session will probably feature a flower I don’t particularly like.

Art, Bethany, Billy, Calendar, Candid Portrait, Dory, Flowers, J.T., Laura, Macro, Nate, Nora, Street Photography

Minnesota Independence Day Road Trip – Day 2

December 27, 2023 Christopher D. Bennett

Time to share the February image from the 2024 Photography 139 Calendar. It is a picture of a strawflower bulb that was taken in my yard:

FEBRUARY

This image was placed in February as February houses Valentines Day and I like to think that flowertography is considered romantic.

TECHNICAL DETAILS:

CAMERA: Sony ILCE-7M4
DATE: June 7, 2023 – 7:43 PM
LENS: 105mm f/2.8
FOCAL LENGTH: 105mm
APERTURE: f/2.8
EXPOSURE: 1/125
ISO: 100

Tomorrow I will share the March image!

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My second and final day on my Independence Day Road Trip to Minnesota involved going to the Mall of America amusement park. But it started with breakfast:

It was a great trip! I should have stayed longer. Next time!

Flowers, Macro

Falling Slowly

December 21, 2023 Christopher D. Bennett

I don’t know you, but I want you
All the more for that
Words fall through me and always fool me
And I can’t react

And games that never amount
To more than they’re meant
Will play themselves out

Falling slowly, eyes that know me
And I can’t go back
And moods that take me and erase me
And I’m painted black

Well, you have suffered enough
And warred with yourself
It’s time that you won

Take this sinking boat and point it home
We’ve still got time
Raise your hopeful voice, you have a choice
You’ve made it now

Falling slowly, sing your melody
I’ll sing it loud
Oh

Take it all

I played the cards too late
Now you’re gone
-Written and performed by Marketa Irglova & Glen Hansard

The song “Falling Slowly” is from one of my absolute all-time favorite movies, ONCE. Those of you that have had the courage to watch it, know of its greatness. It is a movie made by the Irish filmmaker John Carney. The songs for the next 3 Thursdays will also come from John Carney films.

All of his films have the same basic themes. People that have been broken by life meet in a chance encounter and begin making music together. Through the act of making music they begin to heal themselves and each other.

ONCE is the story of two struggling musicians that meet in Dublin. Guy a busker at night and Girl a Czech immigrant that is fleeing an unhappy marriage. Together, they start writing songs and record an album and maybe fall in love.

When Guy asks Girl is she still loves her husband.

She responds: “Miluji tebe”.

What does that mean? You’ll have to find out that for yourself. Cause I won’t give any more of the movie up.

The music in ONCE is phenomenal. The stars of the movie are actually musicians and not really actors. They toured for awhile as the band The Swell Season. I saw them one time at First Avenue in Minneapolis. One of the best concerts I ever saw in my life! Nobody in the world has a voice like Glen Hansard.

“Falling Slowly” is not my favorite song from ONCE. That would either be “Leave” or “Say It to Me Now”. But “Falling Slowly” is definitely the most romantic song in ONCE and the song that most people know from the movie. It would go on to win the Academy Award for Best Original Song.

Maybe the best song to ever win the award.

But Thursdays are for flowers! This flowertography collection is from my hard:

Next Thursday’s flower collection will also be flowers from my yard.

Animals, Art, Flowers, History, Macro

Bring My Flowers Now

December 14, 2023 Christopher D. Bennett

Bring my flowers now, while I’m livin’
I won’t need your love when I’m gone
Don’t spend time, tears, or money on my old breathless body
If your heart is in them flowers, bring ’em on

All the miles cast a long shadow
I’d take a couple back if I could
I’d’ve learned to play guitar
Told my daddy more I loved him
But I believe, for the most part, I done good

There’s always sunrise and rainbows and babies
And the little things I cherish on my way
Even though one day
They’ll bury me and Jessie Mae
I just know we’re gonna ride again someday

The days are long but the years are lightning
They’re bright and they will never strike again
I wish I’d been a better friend, a better daughter to my mother
There’s no goin’ back when your back’s against the wind

So if you got love, then you’re sittin’ on a gold mine
And you can’t take it with you when you go
So don’t wait to help your sister
Forgive your brother and your neighbor
We all think we got the time until we don’t

Bring my flowers now, while I’m livin’
I won’t need your love when I’m gone
Don’t spend time, tears, or money on my old breathless body
If your heart is in them flowers, bring ’em on
If your heart is in them flowers, bring ’em on
-Tanya Tucker

I said last week that this song would not be a Brandi Carlile song, but it would still be related to Brandi Carlile. This song was written by Tanya Tucker, Brandi Carlile, Phil Hanseroth, and Tim Hanseroth. The song was produced by Brandi Carlile for the Tanya’s comeback album that Brandi produced. The production of the album was documented in the movie THE RETURN OF TANYA TUCKER.

The song features Tanya Tucker singing and Brandi Carlile playing piano.

Some background on the song from The Wiki:

The songwriting process for “Bring My Flowers Now” began when Carlile suggested that Tucker finally finish the song she had been trying to write for 30 years. While Tucker was initially apprehensive about it, the track actually came about pretty easily. Tucker explained, “So I went into the restroom to think—I do my best thinking there—went back out, and [Brandi] was in the panel room. And we wrote this song in about 30 minutes. And then we walked in there to the vocal booth, and the band came in, and we recorded it.” Tucker would later admit in interviews that she “would have liked to change a few things.” She said that Carlile didn’t want her to, saying that this album was about Tanya the singer, not Tanya the performer. Carlile told her, “This song sticks. This is what came out of your mouth, and that’s the way we’re gonna put it on there.”

The song would win the Grammy for Best Country Song and the album “While I’m Livin'” would win the Grammy for Best Country Album. The first 2 Grammys of Tanya Tucker’s career.

But Thursday’s are for flowers. This flowertography collection was taken at the Gray Rose Garden. Unfortunately, I definitely missed the prime flowertography season for it, but it was still worth the trip:

Next Thursday’s flowertography will involve flowers from my yard. The song will actually have nothing to do with Brandi Carlile, but will have everything to do with one of my favorite movies of all-time.

Flowers, Lensbaby, Macro

Throwing Good After Bad

December 7, 2023 Christopher D. Bennett

I know you’re leavin’ me
I know I’m not your home
You want a movie dancer
You want blood from a stone
But I’m on to you
And you will pour your heart into
Any shimmering fad
Throwin’ good after bad

People get addicted to
The rush, the chase, the new
Just hopin’ that all that chaos
Will lead to somethin’ like this
I’ll get over you
But you won’t be whole until you do
You won’t find what you had
Throwin’ good after bad

And I’ll always feel a little left behind
But that lyin’ wind that calls your name
Will leave you flyin’ blind

I know you loved me once
You were somethin’ to prove
I was an unfinished song
You were nothin’ to lose
I’m a dandelion
And when my color suited you
You allowed me to grow
But you know when you know
And now the party’s over
And you’re dancin’ alone
You’ve been spinnin’ ’round for hours
The band have all gone home

And you’re fantasizin’
You’re takin’ us for granted
I know you’re bored
You always say I’m heavy handed
You got a beautiful mind
And the soul of a coyote
Hunger drivin’ you mad
Throwin’ good after bad
Hunger drivin’ you mad
Throwin’ good after bad
Hunger drivin’ you mad
Throwin’ good after bad
-Brandi Carlile

This is the final Brandi Carlile song (for now) that I’m going to use as title for our little flowertography sessions. I have plans for the future journal entry titles. Going to just walk down the road of some of the greatest romance songs of all-time. But next week’s theme will still have a Brandi Carlile twist to it.

But Thursdays are for flowers! This collection of flowertography images are from the State Center Rose Garden. This is the final collection of pictures from the State Center Rose Garden I have to share from this year:

Next Thursday I will share more rose pictures, but those roses will come from a different rose garden.

Flowers, Formal Portrait, Macro, Nader, Road Trip

Sinners, Saints and Fools

November 30, 2023 Christopher D. Bennett

Where the winds of change were blowin’
There lived a God-fearing man
He was turning through his Bible
When he came up with a plan
He painted up a sign
And held it high above his head
Waved it proudly in the air, and this is what it read

You can’t break the law
There are reasons for the rules
I keep things safe here for everyone
The sinners, saints, and fools
The poor and huddled masses
Who are hungry and afraid
You gotta do it by the Book and there’ll be
No exceptions made

To the weary, desperate souls
Who washed up on the sand
He said, “We hadn’t seen your paperwork”
And he withdrew his hand
You know he never felt any safer
All the peace he hoped he’d find
And up until the day he died
He never changed his mind

By the time he got to Heaven
It was surrounded by a wall
The pearly gates were locked up tight
The golden chains and all
They said, “We cannot let just anyone
Walk in here anymore
You didn’t do it by the Book, ”
And then they pointed to the floor

You can’t break the law
There are reasons for the rules
I keep things safe here for everyone
You sinners, saints, and fools
The poor and huddled masses
Who are hungry and afraid
You gotta do it by the Book and there’ll be
No exceptions made
-Brandi Carlile

I particularly like Brandi’s answer to what this song was about in that Stereogum interview:

CARLILE: To me, there’s nothing on planet Earth more maddening than the religious right’s rejection of displaced people. It’s just baffling. It could only be from a place of abstract evil, that there would be anything Christian about the concept of rejecting someone who’s had to leave their home, which no one wants to do for any reason, war, hunger, unrest, economic impact. For any reason that a person should become displaced and then systematically rejected is just antithetical to everything… I won’t even use the word “Christian,” but everything Gospel-based.

STEREOGUM: How do you personally stay close to faith, if you will, when there’s such a prevalence of people acting like the “god-fearing man” you describe in this song? The man who thinks he’s living according to scripture, but once he gets to heaven, it’s surrounded by a wall.

CARLILE: Well, because I realize that’s the powerful delusion. I realize that the powerful delusion foretold in scripture will be a complete rejection of love and generosity and enduring patience, tolerance, mercy, that it’s the faith revealing itself in ourselves every day. And it’s renewable. We can fix it. We can change as a species if we want to. It’s not hurtling towards some fiery end. It’s a living, breathing faith.

I was like 19, and I went to Urban Outfitters, and I saw a T-shirt with Jesus on a Harley, and I bought it. It said, “What the fuck is a Christian?” And you realize Jesus did not know what a Christian was. He didn’t know what the Bible was. Jesus is a concept of mercy and enduring love, not love, the feeling, but love, the action. And I subscribe. I follow. Anything you like about me, it’s because of that.

STEREOGUM: That’s pretty deep for Urban Outfitters.

CARLILE: Thanks, Urban Outfitters. You’re more likely to find Jesus in Urban Outfitters right now than you are in church.

Preach!

But Thursdays are for flowers. This flowertography collection came from a trip to the State Center Rose Garden with Nader:

Still more rose pictures left to share from this day!

Flowers, Macro

Stay Gentle

November 23, 2023 Christopher D. Bennett 1 Comment

Stay gentle, keep the eyes of a child
Don’t harden your heart or your hands
Know to find joy in the darkness is wise
Although they will think you don’t understand

Don’t let the world make you callous
Be ready to laugh
No one’s forgotten about us
There is light on your path

Stay gentle, keep the eyes of a child
And wear your heart on your sleeve
Know to find joy in the darkness is wise
Although they will think you are naive

Don’t let ’em lower your shoulders
Love ’em more while they try
Grow younger while you’re growin’ older
Be amazed by the sky

Darling, stay wild if you can (if you can)
The girl with the world in her hands (in her hands)
The kingdom of Heaven belongs to a boy
While his worry belongs to a man

Stay gentle, stay gentle
The most powerful thing you can do
Oh, gentle, unbreakable you
-Brandi Carlile

I’m going to share what Brandi said about this song in that Stereogum interview because it references “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”.

Well, it’s like this. One of the things that’s been the most enriching about this point in my life, and, buddy, I know I’m in for a world of heartache, but my friendship with Mavis [Staples] and Kris Kristofferson and, God rest his soul, John Prine, and Joni Mitchell, and basically the great pillars, the way-pavers, the elders, the beautiful souls that gave us the narrative of our lives, whether you’re a musician or not, they are all in this place of gentleness. It’s the same gentleness I see in Elijah, my three-year-old, that I’ve always seen in her life.

But it just seems like this big rainbow of a lifeline where you start out so gentle and funny and innocent, and you don’t care if somebody thinks you’re naïve. You ask whatever questions you want to ask. And then, at some point, you sort of shut it down, and you become a bit brutal. And then you get gentle again. And it’s like why can’t you just stay gentle? What is it about the world that sort of steals our gentleness and then gives it back to us just in time for us to realize that we should’ve just stayed that way? Again, it’s biblical, and it’s referenced many times in my faith. And yet none of us are able to do it. I’m fascinated by that, and I just feel like nobody’s written a song as gentle as “Somewhere Over The Rainbow,” since “Somewhere Over The Rainbow.”

Two great songs! However, Thursdays are for flowers. This flowertography collection is from the State Center Rose Garden:

Still plenty of pictures from State Center left to share!

Flowers, Lensbaby, Macro, Naima

When You’re Wrong

November 16, 2023 Christopher D. Bennett

“Don’t go borrowing trouble”
That’s what you used to say
But we don’t keep in touch
The way we used to nowadays
Your eyes are not as bright
As I remember them to be
The light inside’s grown dim
And that’s hard for me to see

The creases on your forehead
Run like treads on a tire
The white stripe running through your bangs
A long and twisted spire
You’re sweeping up the flies
And you’ve been vacuuming the fires
And you lay down every night
Next to a goddamn liar

When the day is winding down
My heart abandons me for you
You forgot yourself so long ago
And I wish I could too
But you live inside a quiet hell
No one can pray away
Leaving would be easy
I understand why you won’t stay

You’ll be wrong if you were thinking
That we all don’t fade away
Like dew drops in the dawn
Like sunbeams through the haze
It’s a long way to be sinking
Holding tightly to the weights
Of the one who pulls you down
While you slowly waste your days

You may be here today
But tomorrow you’re a ghost
I guess the most someone can hope for
Is to find a place to lay
Someone to tell your secrets to
When the nights get long and blue
Someone strong enough to lean on
When the roses fall away

Strong enough to love you when you’re wrong
-Brandi Carlile (Although mostly written by the Hanseroth Twins

In that Stereogum interview Brandi said the following about this song:

CARLILE: This is one of those situations, without being too abstract, where I share a life with several families. And I share songwriting with the twins. I didn’t pen this one, but I mean it. I think it’s absolutely for me when I sing it. It’s about balancing intense pain and anger, which I feel like are packaged as one emotion in this song, with acceptance and empathy, which is really hard to do. When I sing this song, I am angry and really hurt by this person’s choices and their existence. And then, on the other hand, I’m accepting their decision and empathizing with the things that led them to making that decision. And that’s, I think, really important because that’s the only way to put one foot in front of the other. That’s kind of a classic… This is Al-Anon language for me, which I basically grew up marinating in. I feel really raw when I sing this song because I can understand it and fathom what’s been written in a really big way.

You believe that there are only 3 Brandi Carlile songs (sorta) to use as flowertography entry titles? Makes me sad and excited at the same time! Intense pain and anger. Acceptance and empathy. All flowing at once.

But Thursdays are for flowers. This flowertography collection was taken on June 16th. In my yard.