Category Archives: Lensbaby

Letter to the Past

It’s a game
Baby, it’s just a game
And nobody loses
When you learn to love the one
Who finally wins sometimes

You’ll be wrong
‘Cause sometimes, we get it wrong
But nobody leaves here alive
And nothin’ holy comes from bein’ right
So don’t hold your breath like that
Baby, let it go
You’re gonna feel it in your back
Believe me, I oughta know

You can cry
You know it’s always okay to cry
You don’t even need to know why
But don’t you ever feel alone inside

If you need to know the truth
I still haven’t got a clue
If the blind can lead the blind
Then, baby, I’m just like you

You’re a stone wall
In a world full of rubber bands
You’re a pillar of belief
Still fightin’ your empty hands
Folks are gonna lean on you
And leave when the cracks appear
But, darlin’, I’ll be here
I’ll be the last
You’re my letter to the past
-Brandi Carlile

I want to include an answer that Brandi gave to Stereogum about this song because it references the book “Love Wins” by Rob Bell, which is a book I really love. One of my favorite Christian books.


To what extent does “Letter To The Past” demonstrate outreach to your younger self, if that’s what you’re doing?

CARLILE: I’m trying not to project, but I feel like I’m raising her. [My daughter] Evangeline is like some eerie stuff in terms of just stuff I never told anybody before, stuff I experienced in my own head. And Evangeline lives in her environment where she can be a little more forthcoming with it, and it’s just shocking to see it play out. When she was really little, like two, three, we would play Candy Land, and if she lost, she would audibly scream. She would let out this scream of defeat. She would cry, and we would have to set her on the stairs and be like, “You need to sit there until you calm down. You can lose a game. It’s okay.” Now she’s seven, and if she loses a game, she just goes totally silent.

She’s immovable in her beliefs. I feel better about this because a lot of parents are telling me that their kids are the same at this age. They won’t take lessons. They don’t want to learn anything. They tell you they already know it. She knows how to play guitar. She knows how to play piano. She is a ballerina. It’s like she’s so lovely, but she’s rigid.

Rob Bell wrote a book called Love Wins, about people who are indoctrinated with religion at a really young age, and how they start to view their faith as a brick wall instead of a trampoline, which is what faith really is. It’s full of doubt and flex and change and just stretch. Malleability. It’s living. It’s not dead like a stone wall.

I just worry about my girl because she lives in a world that’s built for flex, for change and openness. And she’s really strong, but she’s rigid. So we work through that, and it’s super beautiful because everything I’m saying to her, I need to hear.” And everything she’s saying to me, I need to hear.

We have to talk, us rigid people. We have to open our mouths and say how we feel, and let ourselves be challenged and influenced. Again, I’m not trying to project. She’s not me. She’s feminine and gentle, and she just loves nature and pine cones. And she creates visual art. She doesn’t like music very much. There’s a lot about her that’s not me. But it’s like a lot of raising her is going back and re-raising myself at the same time.

But Thursday’s are for flowers and this collection of flowertography images are from my yard:


Unceasing Effort - 2023

Unceasing Effort - 2023

Unceasing Effort - 2023

Unceasing Effort - 2023

Unceasing Effort - 2023

Unceasing Effort - 2023

Unceasing Effort - 2023

Unceasing Effort - 2023

Unceasing Effort - 2023

Unceasing Effort - 2023

Unceasing Effort - 2023

Unceasing Effort - 2023

Unceasing Effort - 2023

Solace of Ordinary Humanity - 2023

Solace of Ordinary Humanity - 2023

Girl in the Blue Skirt - 2023

Girl in the Blue Skirt - 2023

Girl in the Blue Skirt - 2023

Last Penny - 2023

Last Penny - 2023

Happiness Shared - 2023

Happiness Shared - 2023

Happiness Shared - 2023

Happiness Shared - 2023

Happiness Shared - 2023

Happiness Shared - 2023

Happiness Shared - 2023

Happiness Shared - 2023

Next Thursday’s flowertography session will involve more flowers from my yard.

This Time Tomorrow

When the fire inside that burns so bright
Begins to grow faded
It can be hard to see the ground on which you stand
Though you may not be afraid of walkin’ in the darkness
You will feel like a stranger in this land

When the hope that you hold tightly to has all but vanished
And there are no words of comfort to be found
You will know what it means to be lost and without love
May you fight to kill that deafening sound

But our holy dreams of yesterday aren’t gone
They still haunt us like the ghosts of Babylon
And the breakin’ of the day might bring you sorrow
You know I may not be around this time tomorrow
But I’ll always be with you
I’ll always be with you
-Brandi Carlile

Thursdays are for flowers! Last week I might have indicated that this collection was going to be from my yard, but that is before I realized I had more tulip pictures to share from the Orange City Tulip Festival! This is the final collection of tulip pictures from 2023.


Still Laughing - 2023

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Still Laughing - 2023

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Still Laughing - 2023

Still Laughing - 2023

Still Laughing - 2023

Next Thursday the flowers will come from my yard!

But You Broke Much More Than That

I took a ton of pictures on Saturday that are alternates for the BLACK & WHITE theme for THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE. So buckle up, this is going to be a long post. Even though most of these images can be broken into two different events.

1. Trip to Jester Park.
2. Iowa State football game.

No reason to keep dinking around. Here are the images from last Saturday:


But You Broke Much More Than That
I believe this is the 1st time I’ve seen Faust since before the pandemic. That is a damn shame!

But You Broke Much More Than That

But You Broke Much More Than That
Jester Park

But You Broke Much More Than That

But You Broke Much More Than That

But You Broke Much More Than That

But You Broke Much More Than That

But You Broke Much More Than That

But You Broke Much More Than That

But You Broke Much More Than That

But You Broke Much More Than That

But You Broke Much More Than That

But You Broke Much More Than That

But You Broke Much More Than That

But You Broke Much More Than That

But You Broke Much More Than That

But You Broke Much More Than That

But You Broke Much More Than That

But You Broke Much More Than That

But You Broke Much More Than That

But You Broke Much More Than That

But You Broke Much More Than That

But You Broke Much More Than That

But You Broke Much More Than That

But You Broke Much More Than That

But You Broke Much More Than That

But You Broke Much More Than That

But You Broke Much More Than That

But You Broke Much More Than That

But You Broke Much More Than That

But You Broke Much More Than That

But You Broke Much More Than That

But You Broke Much More Than That

But You Broke Much More Than That

But You Broke Much More Than That

I didn’t tailgate for the game on Saturday. Derrick and I got to stadium in time to catch the end of the warmups. I took in a cheap point & shoot I bought at a computer mine auction several years ago. I haven’t fired pixels through it in over 4 years. I didn’t take many game pictures for a variety of reasons, but I took plenty of pictures of the things that surround the game.


Iowa State vs Oklahoma State - 2023

Iowa State vs Oklahoma State - 2023

Iowa State vs Oklahoma State - 2023

Iowa State vs Oklahoma State - 2023
I love that they still use the Twitter logo. F Elon Musk.

Iowa State vs Oklahoma State - 2023

Iowa State vs Oklahoma State - 2023

Iowa State vs Oklahoma State - 2023

Iowa State vs Oklahoma State - 2023

Iowa State vs Oklahoma State - 2023

Iowa State vs Oklahoma State - 2023

Iowa State vs Oklahoma State - 2023

Iowa State vs Oklahoma State - 2023

Iowa State vs Oklahoma State - 2023

Iowa State vs Oklahoma State - 2023

Iowa State vs Oklahoma State - 2023

Iowa State vs Oklahoma State - 2023

Iowa State vs Oklahoma State - 2023

Iowa State vs Oklahoma State - 2023

Iowa State vs Oklahoma State - 2023

Iowa State vs Oklahoma State - 2023

Iowa State vs Oklahoma State - 2023

Iowa State vs Oklahoma State - 2023

Iowa State vs Oklahoma State - 2023

Iowa State vs Oklahoma State - 2023

Iowa State vs Oklahoma State - 2023

Iowa State vs Oklahoma State - 2023

Iowa State vs Oklahoma State - 2023

Iowa State vs Oklahoma State - 2023

Iowa State vs Oklahoma State - 2023

Iowa State vs Oklahoma State - 2023

Iowa State vs Oklahoma State - 2023

Iowa State vs Oklahoma State - 2023

Iowa State vs Oklahoma State - 2023

Iowa State vs Oklahoma State - 2023

Iowa State vs Oklahoma State - 2023

Iowa State vs Oklahoma State - 2023

Iowa State vs Oklahoma State - 2023

Iowa State vs Oklahoma State - 2023

Iowa State vs Oklahoma State - 2023

Iowa State vs Oklahoma State - 2023

Iowa State vs Oklahoma State - 2023

Iowa State vs Oklahoma State - 2023

Iowa State vs Oklahoma State - 2023

But You Broke Much More Than That

I think it was a pretty good to great day!

Only one more pretty big sized collection of black & white images before we return to our normal broadcast schedule.

Most of All

I haven’t seen my father in some time
But his face is always staring back at me
His heavy hands hang at the ends of my arms
And my colors change like the sea

But I don’t worry much about time lost
I’m not gunning for the dreams I couldn’t find
‘Cause he taught me how to walk the best that I can
On the road I’ve left behind

But most of all
He taught me to forgive
How to keep a cool head
How to love the one you’re with
And when I’m far into the distance
And the pushing comes to shove
To remember what comes back
When you give away your love

I haven’t heard my mother’s voice in a while
But her words are always falling out my mouth
My mind and spirit are at odds sometimes
And they fight like the north and the south

But I still care enough to bear the weight
Of the heaviness to which my heart is tethered
She taught me how to be strong and say goodbye
And that love is forever

But most of all
She taught me how to fight
How to move across the line
Between the wrong and the right
And when I’m turned out in the darkness
And the pushing comes to shove
To remember what comes back
When you give away your love

Give away your love
When you give your love away
Give away your love
-Brandi Carlile

I think everybody can relate to that song. Particularly anybody that has lost one or both of their parents. During an NPR interview Brandi was asked about this song. She said:

I watched both my parents lose their mothers last year. It was really interesting, because throughout the process of growing up, I listened to all of their grievances and gripes about their mamas, the things that kept them from answering the phone sometimes and all that stuff. And then as soon as those women were gone, it was like all memory of any of that immediately just evaporated, and it was all funny stories and good things. There are people that could criticize the way that we that we react towards our loved ones when they’re gone, and say that we make them inhuman or perfect — but then, there is the argument to be made that suddenly we see things for real for the first time.

That suddenly we see things for real for the first time…

But enough diving in the deep end. Thursdays are for flowers! This is the final collection of images I took on my usually annual trip to Pella to do some tulip flowertography. Some of my favorites are in this collection:


Still Laughing - 2023

Still Laughing - 2023

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Still Laughing - 2023
This last picture features some AI Photoshop work in it, for fun.

There might be a State Fair picture or a Photography 139 Calendar image in that collection. Time will tell.

I’m already looking forward to my trip to Pella in 2024. If you would like to book a seat on the trip with me, you know where to find me. We can eat at #DutchFix.

The next set of flowertography pictures are taken on the same day, but are from Red Haw State Park.

Fulton County Jane Doe

One, two, three, four…

Out in the middle of nowhere
With nothing much else to do
Oh, the night brought us together
And I lent my heart to you

Maybe you were running way from something
Without so much as a plan
Not a living soul to guide you
Jesus tattooed on your hand

And when my heart has no rest
And a thousand things are on my mind
I’ll always save some room for you
I won’t let you get left behind

Oh, and I always will remember
When the lonely day is through
That somewhere fall from Fulton County
A stranger says a prayer for you

We came into this life with nothing
And all we’re taking is a name
That’s why I’ve written you this song
This is for Fulton County Jane
-Brandi Carlile

Before I get into this Thursday’s flowertography collection, thought I would share some cruddy cell phone picture from going to see Brandi in concert in Omaha with Sara and Shawn.


Brandi Carlile Concert
Pink was there supporting Brandi.

Brandi Carlile Concert
It was nearly or over 100 degrees on this day.

Brandi Carlile Concert
But people waited in line just to get in to see Brandi.

Brandi Carlile Concert
The concert was at the baseball stadium that host the College World Series.

Brandi Carlile Concert
It was a bigger stadium than I expected.

Brandi Carlile Concert
It was nice of Pink to build this big stage for Brandi.

Brandi Carlile Concert
The opening act was Grouplove. You can see Hannah Hooper if you squint.

Brandi Carlile Concert

Brandi Carlile Concert
Brandi!

Brandi Carlile Concert
This guy’s head.

Brandi Carlile Concert
About as good of a picture as I could get of Brandi and the twins, cause of this guy’s head.

Brandi Carlile Concert

Brandi Carlile Concert
Pink closed the show for Brandi.

Brandi Carlile Concert
If you look closely, you can see Pink descending to the stage from the lips.

Brandi Carlile Concert
More descending.

Brandi Carlile Concert

Brandi Carlile Concert
I actually almost like this picture.

Brandi Carlile Concert
On her last song, Pink flew around the stadium.

It was an amazing concert that just needed more Brandi! A week ago I could have told you every song she played, but for now it is enough to note that she did play “The Story” and “Broken Horses”. The highlight of the Pink portion of the show was when she talked about how she wished she could write songs like Brandi. Then Brandi came out and they sang “Nothing Compares 2 U” as a tribute to Sinead O’Connor.

It was a great show and I can’t wait to see Brandi perform again!

But Thursdays ARE for flowers. Here are some flower pictures I took in my yard back in May:


Fulton County Jane Doe

Fulton County Jane Doe

Fulton County Jane Doe

Solace of Ordinary Humanity - 2023

Solace of Ordinary Humanity - 2023

Solace of Ordinary Humanity - 2023

Solace of Ordinary Humanity - 2023

Solace of Ordinary Humanity - 2023

Solace of Ordinary Humanity - 2023

Solace of Ordinary Humanity - 2023

Solace of Ordinary Humanity - 2023

Solace of Ordinary Humanity - 2023

Solace of Ordinary Humanity - 2023

Solace of Ordinary Humanity - 2023

Solace of Ordinary Humanity - 2023

Next Thursday I might share more flower pictures from my yard or more pictures from Pella. It is a mystery that will only revealed by time.

Whatever You Do

If I don’t owe you a favor, you don’t know me
I don’t believe we’ve ever even met
If there’s a God in heaven you can show me
Then I guess I should admit I lost the bet
There are moments I could hold you forever
There are moments that lasted way too long
There are days when I change with the weather
To hold you in place would be wrong

I never met a morning I could get through
With nothing on my breath to hold the night
And I never said I’m sorry but I meant to
I never met a coward I don’t like
There are reasons why the body stays in motion
But at the moment only demons come to mine
There are days when I could walk into the ocean
With no one else but you to leave behind

There’s a road left behind me that I would rather not speak of
And a hard one ahead of me too
I love you, whatever you do
But I got a life to live too
-Brandi Carlile

As you all should know, on Monday I got a chance to see Brandi Carlile in concert for the first time in several years. It was an amazing concert! I had almost forgot how amazing of a live performer she is. Almost! I definitely can’t let it be so long before I see her live again!

I might be a little out of practice with taking selfies since I’m not doing THE SELFIE PROJECT this year so apparently the selfie I took with Sara and Shawn caused quite the stir…

I took this selfie and sent it to a few people:



One of the responses I got back was:

The girl behind you is practically showing her boob. She must know the kind of pictures you like.

I guess I walked into that one.

I guess we got Photo-boobed. I mean Boob-bombed. I mean boobs!

Anyways, I will still treasure this picture and this moment in time.

But Thursday is for flowers! Here is some flowers from my yard:


Rebels - 2023

Rebels - 2023

Rebels - 2023

Rebels - 2023

Rebels - 2023

Rebels - 2023

Rebels - 2023

Rebels - 2023

Rebels - 2023

Rebels - 2023

Rebels - 2023

Rebels - 2023

Rebels - 2023

Happiness Shared - 2023

Happiness Shared - 2023

Happiness Shared - 2023

Happiness Shared - 2023

Happiness Shared - 2023

There is one last collection of images of flowers taken from my yard on this day left to share.

Heroes and Songs

Some rights and some wrongs
Some heroes and songs
Are much better left unsung
Between fiction and fact
Illusion and pact
Where we’ve been into what we’ve become
Although we have changed
We’re never estranged
And there’s nothing I’d trade from before

I’ll never ally
Although this is goodbye
To the magical mystery tour
Keep the tears that I cried
In my youth and my pride
And my sorrow like never before

I’ve got thank you’s and smiles
And affection for miles
And I always will look unto you
You held open the door
For who I’m sent here for
To come in and make my dreams come true

Although it was sad
And it hurt ’cause it had to
There’s nothing I’d change from before

I love you my friend
My dear means to an end
But you’re not in my dreams anymore
-Brandi Carlile

Sometimes Brandi Carlile’s lyrics really hit hard in a special place. This is one of those songs.

AND… it is only a month and one day until I go to Omaha to see Brandi Carlile in concert! WooHoo! I promise I won’t talk about it constantly. But if you have HBO or MAX, you should check out her concert movie that she recorded in Laurel Canyon that you can currently stream.

But while Thursdays are for great song lyrics, it is also about flowers. Thought I would visit the collection of tulip pictures I took when I visited Pella a week before their tulip festival. Many of these pictures were taken with a Lensbaby lens. Lensbaby is my favorite line of art lenses. I would explain that more, but I recently added another Lensbaby lens into the arsenal. One I have coveted for quite some time. So I will cover Lensbaby in depth when I do an equipment post on the new sweetness.

Here are some tulip pictures from Pella:


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I still have over 200 tulip pictures from Pella to curate, edit, and post. So next week will probably feature more tulip pictures from Pella.

Alibi

I done some bad, bad things
The kind you don’t bring up at confession
Somewhere in my life, woah
I took the wrong direction
I swear on my soul
I didn’t wanna hurt no one
But I got no way to justify
The things I done

I swear some people in this world
They got no moral compass
I know the wicked ones
I feel them walk among us
The hangman begs for mercy
Only when his time has come
Because he got no way to rectify the things he done

If you’re good at telling lies
You could be my alibi
And I won’t have to atone for my sins
If you’re good at telling lies
You could be my alibi
And I won’t take the fall for where I’ve been
-Brandi Carlile

Thursdays are for flowers! And this Thursday I’m sharing more pictures of tulips I took in Pella.


Still Laughing - 2023

Still Laughing - 2023

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Still Laughing - 2023

Still Laughing - 2023

Still so many pictures from Pella to share. No joke, this is the 5th collection of Tulip pictures from Pella that I’ve shared and there are still nearly 300 pictures that I haven’t even looked at. That being said, next Thursday I’ll probably share a collection of flower pictures I took in my own yard.

I Belong to You

Last night I had the exact same dream as you
I killed a bird to save your life
And you gave me your shoes
You said clip my wings
And walk my miles
And I said I would too
Then I woke up
But, I wasn’t gonna tell you

Today I sang the same damn tune as you
It was Lady in Red
I hate that song
And I know you do too
You didn’t catch me singing along
But I always sing with you
Nice and quietly
‘Cause I don’t want to stop you

I see the world the exact same way that you do
We lend our hands and take our stands
In tandem when we do
When I lied and said I knew the way
I hid my eyes from you
I still don’t know why
I probably didn’t want to scare you

I know I could be spending a little too much time with you
But time and too much don’t belong together like we do
If I had all my yesterdays
I’d give them to you too
I belong to you now
I belong to you
-Brandi Carlile

Thursdays are for flowers! And this Thursday I’m share more pictures I took of tulips in Pella the week before the Pella Tulip Festival.


Still Laughing - 2023

Still Laughing - 2023

Still Laughing - 2023

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Still Laughing - 2023

Still Laughing - 2023

Still Laughing - 2023

Still Laughing - 2023

Still Laughing - 2023

Next Thursday I’ll probably share some more tulip pictures from Pella.

WPC – WEEK 405 – FLOWER

Here is another reminder that we are a little more than a month away from the deadline for the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest. Flyers should start showing up around town this week. I hope at least a few of you enter. Or you get your kids to enter or your grandkids to enter. You don’t have be from Boone or Boone County to enter. You merely have to enjoy photography. Monica made a wonderful flyer this year:



Thanks Monica!

She had a lot of fun with this year’s Pufferbilly Days theme, which is the ’90s. I’ll probably need more volunteers than normal this year, so if that is something that might interest you. Let me know. Many hands make light work. And there might be a meal or two in it for you.

+++++++

NOTE: ALMOST EVERYBODY HAD THEIR SUBMISSIONS IN THIS WEEK BY SUNDAY NIGHT. WHILE THAT ISN’T THE DEADLINE, I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE IT. MAKES MY JOB MUCH EASIER! THANKS!

FLOWER! What a great theme! A person would have to have no joy in their heart to not find joy in a beautiful FLOWER. In fact, I’ve even heard some suggest that next year all 52 weeks should be flower themes. One week ROSE. The next week DAISY. The next week SUNFLOWER. I mean that is just crazy talk though. So crazy it just might work. But was this year’s lone FLOWER theme enough to make a bunch of people crazy enough to submit? You’ll have to keep scrolling to find out.

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

1-Elainie Hernandez – 1 week
2-Sabas Hernandez – 1 week
3-Monica Jennings – 1 week (3)
4-Logan Kahler – 1 week
5-Suzie Brannen – 2 weeks (3)
6-Nathanial Brown – 2 weeks
7-Jesse Howard – 2 weeks
8-Willy McAlpine – 3 weeks
9-Sara Lockner – 4 weeks (2)
10-Tamara Peterson – 5 weeks
11-Mike Vest – 7 weeks
12-Alexis Baugher – 10 week (2)
13-Mindi Terrell – 17 weeks (3)
14-Brandon Kahler – 42 weeks
15-Linda Bennett – 46 weeks (2)
16-Sarah Toot – 47 weeks (2)
17-Angie DeWaard – 51 weeks
18-Dawn Krause – 55 weeks (2)
19-Kim Barker – 61 weeks
20-Joe Duff – 62 weeks (2)
21-Teresa Kahler – 73 weeks (3)
22-Carla Stensland – 73 weeks (3)
23-Micky Augustin – 75 weeks
24-Andy Sharp – 76 weeks
25-Bill Wentworth – 77 weeks
26-Cathie Morton – 81 weeks (2)
27-Elizabeth Nordeen – 82 weeks (2)
28-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 84 weeks
29-Kio Dettman – 86 weeks

Entering today, this is the map of states where people have submitted pictures from:



Map made at visitedplaces.com

Only 1 new state added since last time I shared the map.

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


WEEK 405 - FLOWER - WILLY MCALPINE
Willy McAlpine (30 Miles East of Ashland, Montana) – 1 week

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker (New Orleans, Louisiana) – 62 weeks

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker (New Orleans, Louisiana)

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - SABAS HERNANDEZ
Sabas Hernandez (Ankeny, Iowa) – 2 weeks

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp (Boone, Iowa) – 77 weeks

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - SHERI FAKHOURI
Sheri Fakhouri (Boone, Iowa) – 1 week

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - SHERI FAKHOURI
Sheri Fakhouri (Boone, Iowa)

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - SHERI FAKHOURI
Sheri Fakhouri (Boone, Iowa)

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - SUZIE BRANNEN
Suzie Brannen (Iowa) – 3 weeks

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - SUZIE BRANNEN
Suzie Brannen (Iowa)

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - SUZIE BRANNEN
Suzie Brannen (Iowa)

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - MICKY AUGUSTIN
Micky Augustin (Rural Story County, Iowa) – 76 weeks

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - JOHNATHAN STENSLAND
Johnathan Stensland (Iowa) – 1 week

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland (Ogden, Iowa) – 74 weeks

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland (Ogden, Iowa)

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland (Ogden, Iowa)

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman (Iowa) – 87 weeks

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman (Iowa)

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman (Iowa)

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - LINDA BENNETT
Linda Bennett (Kansas) – 47 weeks

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - LINDA BENNETT
Linda Bennett (Kansas)

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - LOGAN KAHLER
Logan Kahler (Iowa) – 2 weeks

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - LOGAN KAHLER
Logan Kahler (Iowa)

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - SHANNON BARDOLE-FOLEY
Shannon Bardole-Foley (Rural Warren County, Iowa) – 85 weeks

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - TAMARA PETERSON
Tamara Peterson (Iowa) – 6 weeks

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - ALEXIS BAUGHER
Alexis Baugher (Boone, Iowa) – 11 weeks

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - ALEXIS BAUGHER
Alexis Baugher (Rural Boone County, Iowa)

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - ALEXIS BAUGHER
Alexis Baugher (Rural Boone County, Iowa)

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - ANGIE DEWAARD
Angie DeWaard (Ames, Iowa) – 52 weeks

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - BILL WENTWORTH
Bill Wentworth (Omaha, Nebraska) – 78 weeks

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - NADER PARSAEI
Nader Parsaei (State Center, Iowa) – 1 week

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - NATHANIAL BROWN
Nathanial Brown (Mexico) – 3 weeks

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - NATHANIAL BROWN
Nathanial Brown (Mexico)

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - NATHANIAL BROWN
Nathanial Brown (Mexico)

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - ELIZABETH NORDEEN
Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa) – 83 weeks

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - ELIZABETH NORDEEN
Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa)

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett (Boone, Iowa)

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - MINDI TERRELL
Mindi Terrell (Iowa) – 18 weeks

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - MINDI TERRELL
Mindi Terrell (Iowa)

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - MINDI TERRELL
Mindi Terrell (Iowa)

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - MARY GREEN
Mary Green (Iowa) – 1 week

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - MARY GREEN
Mary Green (Iowa)

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - MARY GREEN
Mary Green (Iowa)

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - PORTER DEGENEFFE
Porter Degeneffe (Rural Boone County, Iowa) – 1 week

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler (Boone, Iowa) – 74 weeks

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler (Boone, Iowa)

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler (Boone, Iowa)

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - DAWN KRAUSE
Dawn Krause (South Dakota) – 56 weeks

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - DAWN KRAUSE
Dawn Krause (South Dakota)

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - DAWN KRAUSE
Dawn Krause (South Dakota)

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - ELAINIE HERNANDEZ
Elainie Hernandez (Ankeny, Iowa) – 2 weeks

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - ELAINIE HERNANDEZ
Elainie Hernandez (Ankeny, Iowa)

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - ELAINIE HERNANDEZ
Elainie Hernandez (Ankeny, Iowa)

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - SARA LOCKNER
Sara Lockner (Johnston, Iowa) – 5 weeks

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - JOE DUFF
Joe Duff (Texas) – 63 weeks

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - SARAH TOOT
Sarah Toot (Pennsylvania) – 48 weeks

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - MONICA JENNINGS
Monica Jennings (Iowa) – 2 weeks

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - BRANDON KAHLER
Brandon Kahler (Ames, Iowa) – 43 weeks

WEEL 405 - FLOWER - JESSE HOWARD
Jesse Howard (Boone, Iowa) – 3 weeks

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - CATHIE MORTON
Cathie Morton (Norwalk, Iowa) – 82 weeks

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - BECKY PARMELEE
Becky Parmelee (Bella Vista, Arkansas) – 1 week

WEEK 405 - FLOWER - MIKE VEST
Mike Vest (Noel, Missouri) – 8 weeks

36 participants this week! This is a new record for participation! Making FLOWER the most popular theme in the storied history of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE. Maybe the idea of 52 themes of FLOWER isn’t crazy after all. Marigolds one week. Pansies the next. Oooh… a week of begonias would be lovely!

36 participants breaks the previous record of 34 held by HAPPY that was set just 4 weeks ago.

36 participants is so many that it is more lines than I have in my Ledger book where I record such things for posterity. Have a look:



I’m not sure how I will record this week, but it is a great problem to have!

Also, if we continue on this trajectory (5 straight weeks of 30+ participants) I might be lowering the cap for submissions from 3 to 2. Just fair warning. Like I say in the FAQ, it isn’t about harshing anybody’s creativity buzz, but about managing workload. Hopefully, we get there!

Thanks to Willy attending a Tuesday Wedding in Montana (all weddings should be on Tuesday or Thursdays) and Kim’s work trip to Louisiana, we added two more states to the THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE SUBMISSION MAP!

There were submissions this week taken in the following places:

+ Arkansas
+ Iowa
+ Kansas
+ Louisiana
+ Nebraska
+ Mexico
+ Missouri
+ Montana
+ Pennsylvania
+ South Dakota
+ Texas

Here is the current calendar year list for states:

+ Arizona
+ Arkansas
+ California
+ Colorado
+ Florida
+ Georgia
+ Illinois
+ Iowa
+ Kansas
+ Louisiana
+ Nebraska
+ New Jersey
+ New York
+ Nevada
+ Michigan
+ Minnesota
+ Missouri
+ Montana
+ North Dakota
+ Ohio
+ Oklahoma
+ Oregon
+ Pennsylvania
+ South Dakota
+ Texas
+ Utah
+ Washington
+ Washington D.C.
+ Wisconsin
+ Wyoming

29 states and 1 district! That is pretty impressive! Over halfway there!

You might be wondering what states are currently missing. I got you:

+ Alabama
+ Alaska
+ Connecticut
+ Delaware
+ Hawaii
+ Idaho
+ Indiana
+ Kentucky
+ Maryland
+ Massachusetts
+ Mississippi
+ New Hampshire
+ New Mexico
+ North Carolina
+ Rhode Island
+ South Carolina
+ Tennessee
+ Vermont
+ Virginia
+ West Virginia

The Outside of the United States map is currently (I could put more info for Mexico, but nobody told me where they went in Mexico):

+ British Virgin Islands
+ Mexico
+ Nassau Bahamas
+ Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

I travelled about 15 steps from front door to take my submission I continue not to contribute to expanding the map.

The big accomplishment this week was Angie reaching the 52 Week Club! That is a fully year of submitting without missing a week. A big time accomplishment! WooHoo!

Bill also joined the Year and a Half Club. He isn’t the first person to join the club, but he is the first person that I have noted to have made the club. Cathie made it 4 weeks ago. Elizabeth made it 5 weeks ago. Shannon 7 weeks ago. Kio 12 weeks ago. Monster achievements for all of them!

Another sweet deal was that there wasn’t a single streak snapped this week.

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:


WEEK 406 - 'SCAPE
‘SCAPE

‘SCAPE! What a great theme for Year 10 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!

But what is a ‘SCAPE picture? The “‘” in the theme name allows you to substitute in a few words. Your submission could be a LANDSCAPE or a WATERSCAPE or a CITYSCAPE.

Well for one thing, it is a great theme for me to remind you that you can include the town your picture was taken in or the county and I will include that with your submission.

Did you know that the first photograph ever taken was of a landscape?

“View from the Window at Le Gras” was captured by Nicéphore Niépce, in 1827. It features a very abstract view from Niépce’s window.

It would be another 12 years before somebody would think to take a “photograph” of a stupid human. I assume the 2nd picture ever taken was of a dog.

With this theme, you are literally touching the absolute deepest root of photography. Wow! That is powerful to think about. But maybe you are still confused about what LANDSCAPE photography is. Here is a definition from the Wiki:

Landscape photography commonly involves daylight photography of natural features of land, sky and waters, at a distance—though some landscapes may involve subjects in a scenic setting nearby, even close-up, and sometimes at night.

Photography of artificial scenery, such as farm fields, orchards, gardens and architecture, may be considered “landscape” photography as well. Even the presence of man-made structures (buildings, roads and bridges, etc.) or art (such as sculpture) may be considered “landscape” if presented in artistic settings or appearing (or photographed) in artistic style.

Further, landscape photography is typically of relatively stationary subjects—arguably a form of “still life.” This tends to simplify the task, as opposed to photography of kinetic or live subjects. However, landscape photography often overlaps the activity of wildlife photography and the two terms are used somewhat interchangeably; both wildlife and landscapes may be elements of the same picture or body of work.

While thinking about a possible subject for your ‘SCAPE theme, meditate on the following quote:

This is the gift of the landscape photograph, that the heart finds a place to stand.
-Emmet Gowin (American Photographer)

I look forward to seeing your interpretation!

RULES

The picture has to 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 (unless you are taking your picture from the couch) and take pictures challenge. There is a limit of 3 submissions per participant. To be considered the photographer, you have to be the one that takes the picture. Don’t be stealing the work of other artists. You can submit pictures for other photographers that took pictures with your camera or phone, but give credit where credit is due.

You can send your images to either bennett@photography139.com OR you may text them to my Pixel 5.

That is it. Thems the rules!

That is all I got, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will all be sharing your idea of ‘SCAPE in this place that hopefully has a least put a little dent in the landscape of photography next Monday.