Category Archives: Macro

Animals, Black & White, Jay, Macro, Nora, Photo Journal, Ruins, Self-Portrait, WPC - Submissions

A Photo Journal – Henry Carroll – Page 55

September 14, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett

A few weeks back Jay sent me an enigmatic message about archaeological photography. After drilling down, I figure out he was talking about taking pictures of a recently abandoned apartment in his building. An apartment that the former occupants left in less than stellar conditions.

One Sunday after a post church meal with the family I grabbed a camera and went over to Jay’s apartment building for a tour of Apartment 4. After a quick look around, I knew that somewhere in this mess was a perfect subject for Page 55 of THE PHOTO JOURNAL PROJECT:

Page 55 – ‘I am at war with the obvious.’ William Eggleston. Join Eggleston’s war.

Here is the idea for this page in THE PHOTO JOURNAL PROJECT from the tips in the back.

Sunsets, pretty flowers, and beaches. These are ‘obvious’ subjects offering a conventional idea of beauty. Instead, hunt down more unusual, surprising subjects-the sort that only come alive when they are photographed.

Only one picture can physically be adhered into the physical manifestation of THE PHOTO JOURNAL, however I did take several other pictures in Apartment 4. Here are the pictures that I like, but won’t be place in THE PHOTO JOURNAL.

Next time we check in with THE PHOTO JOURNAL PROJECT, we will probably check in with Page 40 or Page 47 or Page 111.

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Here is your reminder that this week’s WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE theme is PERSPECTIVE.

A PERSPECTIVE photo is any photo that involves a different perspective from the way you normally see the world. Above where you normally see the world. Below where you normally see the world. Another example of perspective is making something small look big by putting it in the foreground and something large in the background. This is called forced perspective.

PERSPECTIVE!

Happy photo harvesting!

Animals, Black & White, Contests, Event, Flowers, Formal Portrait, Macro, Nature, Photoshop, Pufferbilly Days, Railroad, Ruins, Scottie D., Travel

Them Degeneffe Boys – Volume 2

September 9, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett

As Pufferbilly Days wound to a close, I would like to share the photos that were selected by popular vote and how they did in the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest:

No Love.

3rd Place – Hidden Treasures of Boone County.

1st Place – Photojournalism.

1st Place – Photoshop.

As far as I know, there wasn’t anybody else in the contest that I know. Once again, they didn’t put any names on any of the photos. In years past they had at least put a sheet of paper at the bottom of the display with a list of who finished 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. It is what it is.

I started entering the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest again 2 years ago because I was worried that the amount of entries had gotten really small. the last couple of years the numbers had ballooned. This year, the amount of entries atrophied again.

Hopefully it bounces back again next year.

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We are so close to the end of the 2016 backlog that you can probably feel it. After this post, there is only one photo shoot left to publish.

But before we get to that, we need to finish up with the pictures of Austin and Porter at a McHose Park playground.

Next Sunday, when hit the 2016 backlog, we look at a commercial photo shoot I did for a Minnesota leather company.

Becky, Flowers, Macro, Nature, Night, Railroad

07-02-08

September 1, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett

There isn’t much to the folder called 07-02-08. A few pictures from a small road trip that I took with Becky. Then some flower pictures.

No reason to dilly dally. Let’s get to it:

I remember being so disappointed when I saw the design of the new “High Bridge”. 10 years later, I’m still disappointed.

By adding these photos to the Photography 139 Gallery I was able to restore the following historic “An Artist’s Notebook” entries to their original glory:

Enigmatic

Killing Time

Next Saturday’s walk down memory lane will involve more Ames on the Half Shell and fireworks.

Animals, Macro

Pelidnota punctata

August 30, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

The grapevine beetle, Pelidnota punctata, also known as the spotted June beetle or the spotted pelidnota, is a species of beetle in the family Scarabaeidae (Scarab beetles), situated in the subfamily Rutelinae. Grapevine beetles are common in the north and central United States and Eastern Canada, but do relatively little damage to their host plants. The beetles fly at a fast speed, usually in a curving flight.

I recently stumbled upon a beautiful grapevine beetle in my backyard. It actually wasn’t hanging out in my grapevine though. It was more cozying up with my raspberries. I couldn’t refuse a chance to photograph such a striking and handsome creature!

Now I know insects aren’t everybody’s cup of tea, but some of you drink green tea, and that is gross. Maybe it is time you look in the mirror.

For me give me a tea cup filled with insects. Then another one filled with Baby Got Rack’s patented Thick Soul Sweet Tea, and I’m having a pretty great day.

Here are some pictures of my friend (and yours) the grapevine beetle:

Hopefully I haven’t seen the last of this sweet prince of the insect kingdom.

Flowers, Macro

Must Be An Angel

August 23, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett 1 Comment

“God will reward you,’ he said. ‘You must be an angel since you care for flowers.”
― Victor Hugo

I took these pictures back in June of some flowers in the beautiful Photography 139 flower garden.

There are plenty more flower pictures from the Photography 139 Flower Gardens. We had quite a bountiful year.

Andy, Animals, Cathie, Flowers, Jesse, Kim, Macro, Michelle, Micky, Photoshop, Shannon, State Fair, Tamara, Vest, WPC - Submissions

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 153 – ANIMAL

August 20, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett

ANIMAL seemed to really bring out the creative impulses of a lot of people. Plenty of ANIMAL submissions!

But you didn’t come here to listen to me talk all tommyrot about participation rates! You came to see the submissions!

Kim Barker

Micky Augustin

Shannon Bardole-Foley

Tamara Peterson

Michelle Haupt

Andy Sharp

Kim Barker

Mike Vest

Cathie Raley

Jesse Howard

A solid week of submissions!

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:

COMPETITION!

COMPETITION! What a great theme! But what is a COMPETITION photo? A COMPETITION photo is any photo that deals with competing. It could be a race. A football game. A board game. It could be people preparing for competition, like practice or working out. People don’t just compete against other people. They compete against time. They compete against themselves. Humans aren’t the only beings to compete either.

I look forward to seeing your interpretations!

HOUSEKEEPING

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 RULES DIVISION

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 due date. 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.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION DIVISION

Nobody showed class, taste, and sophistication this week by signing up for a Photography 139 email subscription. I’ll try and do better next week.

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That’s all I got for today, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will commune right here again next Monday. Hopefully it will be a very competitive Monday.

Baby Got Rack, Contests, Event, Macro, Melissa, Michelle, Scottie D., Shannon, State Fair

Baby Got Rack Takes the Iowa State Fair

August 19, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

A reminder that today is the last day of the Iowa State Fair. If you are going, you should make your way to the Cultural Building to see the pictures that I had accepted for display. They will come down at approximately 8 PM. Also, I will be at the Iowa State Fair today, if you want to try to look me up.

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On Tuesday, Baby Got Rack went to the Iowa State Fair to compete in the Iowa State Fair Farm Bureau Cookoff.

Baby Got Rack earned their way there by winning the Combination category at the Boone County Fair. The Combination category is any dish that combines 2 or more meats. We won with Scottie D.’s famous Mediterranean Pizza and his Barbecue Pizza.

Baby Got Rack took a little bit of a different formation this year. House dropped out this year. A couple of other people auditioned for roles on the team, but only one person stepped up to join Baby Got Rack. That was Bryon Porter.

I will also add that Baby Got Rack’s guardian angel, Melissa also increased her role with the team this year. In year’s past she had stayed mostly in the background. Running the books and being in charge of procurement. This year she also was in charge of making the pizza crust.

I can’t lie. At the Iowa State Fair they both did more work than me, probably. It looks like once again there is no Pufferbilly Days Barbecue Contest. We had heard rumors that it was a done deal at the Boone County Fair. But those rumors ended up being lies. Dirty, dirty lies! At least as of this writing, there is no listing for a Barbecue Contest on the Pufferbilly Days website.

Sorry people that were planning on coming to visit us on the Sunday of Pufferbilly Days. Tuesday might have been your last chance to see Baby Got Rack in action until at least May. When Baby Got Rack will cater my birthday party. If I have it. Which currently, everything trends to that happening.

Since I knew this was probably the last time Baby Got Rack would gird its loins for the field of barbecue battle, I took as many pictures as possible. Here are some of my favorites:

Unloading.

Baby Got Rack’s Latest Superstar

Fire!

4 AM came early for this guy!

Injecting the Pork

When you’re this stylish, you take a selfie!

4 AM also came early for this guy!

Applying BGR’s Proprietary Rub

That is a good looking piece of meat!

Seasoning the chicken!

Melissa is also our Interior Decorator.

Lots of competitors!

Strictly speaking, this isn’t a team competition. Scottie D.’s name is the only one you’ll see in the record books.

Bryon rocking the swag!

Checking the meats! Arby’s got nothing on BGR, on so many levels.

Cutting up the pizza toppings.

Is that 2 types of bell peppers? I’ll never tell!

Melissa, making magic.

Magic!

Crust!

Time to let the meat rest!

Delicious!

Mmmmm… Pork!

I love our chicken. It still might be my favorite thing we make.

Seasoning Up!

Spreading the Sauce!

(Wipes drool off of keyboard.)

Cheese!

Sean! This guy is the chicken master, but he entered pork. He got 2nd place in Pork.

Starting to look like pizzas!

Barbecue Pizza

Mediterranean Pizza

They gave everybody that came a Participant Ribbon*. Some people put it up. We put it away. BGR doesn’t come to “participate”. BGR comes to dominate!

Pizza. Macro.

The crowd starts to swell around our booth.

Pizza on the grill.

Picking out pieces for the judges.

Next year, we will have our own hashtag!

Piece for the judges.

Category Judges.

Scottie D. working his magic.

Giving the judges a sample of the meats.

Everybody loves this pizza!

The Showmanship Judges.

Ed Wilson gave Scottie D. a fist bump.

Scottie D. was briefly on the news that night.

There was one pizza catastrophe, but people didn’t care, They wolfed it down!

People love free samples, but not everybody is what I would call appreciative.

Scottie D. being interviewed for the pseudo-radio broadcast.

More free samples!

The Grand Champion Judges.

This is our favorite judge.

The Secretary of Agriculture.

We won our Category.

Baby Got Rack Team Picture. Melissa refused to be in it for some reason.

There are plenty more pictures from the day’s event. If you want to peruse them, you should click on the link below:

BABY GOT RACK – 2018

That is probably all she wrote for this year’s Competitive Barbecue Season. I’m sure Baby Got Rack will be back in 2019, unless Scottie D. decides to open up a restaurant instead of all this small fish stuff. Many people wanted to know where our restaurant is and we had to break their heart.

Special thanks to everybody that came down to see us and support us:

Shannon
Barb Shedd
Michelle’s Parents

BGR out! Mic drop.

*I’m not one of those people that freaks out about giving out “participant” ribbons. I don’t suffer from the disease of toxic masculinity. If you want to give kids participant ribbons, it isn’t making them soft. It isn’t making them less competitive. It might even people helping their self-esteem. Which is fine by me.

Animals, Black & White, Christianity, Event, Flowers, Macro, Photoshop, Railroad

Focus Stack II

August 8, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett 1 Comment

There are only a few hours left to cast your vote for what pictures I will be entering in the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest. If the poll ended this second, this would be the results:

2018 Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest Nominee

This photo would win. It has a 2 vote lead.

This photo….

Is tied with this photo. So tomorrow there would be an emergency runoff election.

This photo would win. It has a 4 vote lead.

This photo would win. It has a one vote lead.

This photo…

Would be tied with this photo. Tomorrow there would be an emergency runoff election.

This photo would win. It has a 2 vote lead.

There still is about 7 hours to vote, if you haven’t voted yet.

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Once again, I’ve been messing around a little bit with focus stacking. Here are 2 images I created with the technique:

I think I’ll continuing playing with these technique more in the future.

Animals, Christianity, Contests, Event, Flowers, Macro, Nature, Photoshop, Politics, Railroad, State Fair, WPC - Reminder

Flowers, Always and Always

August 3, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett

REMINDER

It is once again time for me (and by me, I mean you guys) to pick out my photos to enter in the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest. Once again, I am going to leave it up to a popular vote.

The Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest allows you to enter up to 6 photos.

There are 4 Categories:

1. Nature
2. Photojournalism
3. Photoshop Enhanced
4. Hidden Treasures of Boone County.

I have selected 60 images for you to consider. To simplify things, I have split the 60 photos into 6 sets of 10. If you wish to exercise your enfranchisement, clicking on the link below will take you to Poll #1. Vote for one of those pictures and then move onto the next poll, until you have voted in all six polls.

The winner of EACH poll will be entered into the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest.

Click on the link below to start voting:

Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest Nominees

Voting will end at midnight, August 8.

As of this writing, if there are no votes between now and the end of the voting, these will be the Entries:

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A friendly reminder that this week’s WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE theme is TREE:

TREE

A TREE picture is any picture that involves a TREE or a TREE byproduct.

Happy photo harvesting!

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I must have flowers, always and always.
-Claude Monet

Monet is one of my favorite painters and his work is definitely an influence on my photography. There was a point that I could argue that my most popular photo was named after Monet’s personal garden. I called the photo “My Giverny”.

I respect Monet’s love of flowers. I like to have a wide variety of flowers in my yard. Of course, I always have to visit the Discovery Garden at the Iowa State Fair.

These are the balance of pictures from my trip to the Discovery Garden at the Iowa State Fair last year:

I have more State Fair pictures to share at some point in the future. The near future.

Animals, Black & White, Contests, Flowers, Jay, Macro, Nature, Road Trip, Willy

Maquoketa Caves State Park: Chapter 3

August 2, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett

REMINDER

It is once again time for me (and by me, I mean you guys) to pick out my photos to enter in the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest. Once again, I am going to leave it up to a popular vote.

The Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest allows you to enter up to 6 photos.

There are 4 Categories:

1. Nature
2. Photojournalism
3. Photoshop Enhanced
4. Hidden Treasures of Boone County.

The winner of EACH poll will be entered into the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest.

Click on the link below to start voting: