Category Archives: Night

Adam, Alexis, Art, Birthdays, Black & White, Boone FUMC, Christianity, Commercial, Formal Portrait, Iowa State, Linda, Mom, Nature, Night, Road Trip, Still Life, Teresa, Work, WPC - Alternate

In a Beautiful World

September 14, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

Today is Adam’s birthday so I have to with him a happy birthday:

Cause All I Ever Wanted Was to Be Enough for You

Happy birthday Adam!

I hope your birthday is another big advance in your recovery and we will see you back in the pulpit soon!

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This is a comprehensive sweep of all the pictures from 2023 (except formal portraits) that I took in 2023 that were leftover and didn’t quite fit into other posts. It kind of is all over the place from short trips to church pictures to alternates for THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE.

Let’s get at it:

Came across this cross on a tenderloining road trip in northeast Iowa.

These images were alternates for THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE theme FAVORITE SPORTS TEAM.

There is a lot of my family in this picture. Starting with Alexis, obviously.

But Teresa made the hat and the scarf.

The bear belonged to my Mom.

The coat belonged to my Grandpa Paris and my Mom frequently wore it.

Feels good that almost all the 2023 pictures are out there. Just need to share the rest of the Memphis pictures and get to those pesky formal portraits!

Art, Christianity, Holidays, Jesse, Night, Road Trip, Still Life

Merry Christmas from Le Mars!

September 10, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

There is a line at the end of “A Christmas Carol” about Scrooge that goes:

And it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us!

It can definitely be said of the town of Le Mars that they keep Christmas well. Not only do they have Christmas Acres, they also have another random Christmas light display that doesn’t seem to have a name. They also pimp out their town park for Christmas better than any town park I’ve ever seen.

Here are the rest of the pictures I took on my road trip with Jesse to check out some Christmas lights:

I’d like to go see some Christmas lights again this year. Not sure where. Maybe Keokuk? Maybe the Christmas Train? Probably something much closer. We will see.

Candid Portrait, Christianity, Holidays, Jesse, Night, Road Trip, Still Life

Christmas Acres

September 7, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

I wasn’t foolin’ when I said there was a lot of Christmas coming up on this blog. I don’t know why, but last year I really had a bug to go see some Christmas Lights. On December 23 (and important date to me) Jesse and I drove 3 hours (which I know most people think is insane) to Christmas Acres. I’m telling you, like almost every trip I take, it was worth it. Cause it seems like on most of my trips I do discover something magical. Frequently it is where I intended to go. Sometimes it is something I had no clue existed. This trip, it might have been a little bit of both.

A little information on Christmas Acres from the Travel Iowa website:

Christmas Acres in Le Mars has become a staple holiday event. Started in 1995 by Rob and Joyce Scheitler, this festive display features lighted sculptures, inflatables, music and an estimated 200,000 lights. Visitors can enjoy the display on its walking paths and grab a hot chocolate or coffee sold by the Christian Needs Center as well as baked goods sold by the Scheitlers. The light display is free, though visitors are encouraged to leave a donation for the Christian Needs Center.

I don’t think they raise money for the Christian Needs Center any longer. I think it goes to the Le Mars Fire Department and an animal cause.

Here are some pictures:

Christmas Acres was the reason we drove to Le Mars, but it wasn’t the only Christmas light display we saw that night. Maybe the other stuff we saw that night was a Christmas miracle. You might poo poo that, but I learned long ago not to shoot down the miracles of other people.

Art, Candid Portrait, Dahlia, Holidays, Iowa State, Logan, Night, Still Life

Reiman Gardens Christmas

September 3, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

For the first time last year, I finally went and checked out the Christmas light show at Reiman Gardens. It was definitely worth the price of admission and I took a few photos.

Some more Christmas lights to share in the coming week!

Art, Jesse, Night, Politics, Road Trip, Street Photography, Travel

Home of the Blues – Day 1 Gamma

August 16, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

Here is the 3rd and final collection of images from Day 1 of Jesse and I’s trip to Memphis to watch the Liberty Bowl back in December:

Day 1 in Memphis was really only a few hours. Day 2 was a packed day. Did a ton of things and took a digital ton of pictures. Can’t wait to start sharing them!

Angie, Art, Black & White, Contests, Jesse, Logan, Nathanial, Night, Politics, Road Trip, State Fair, Street Photography, Travel

Home of the Blues – Day 1 Beta

August 9, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett 1 Comment

I made it down to the State Fair briefly last night to see what 3 of my pictures made it. And I came home with the photo book:

So if you are going to go to the Iowa State Fair Photography Salon, here are your clues to what 3 pictures I have there. A LEADING LINES picture. A color ANIMAL picture. A black & white PLACES & LANDSCAPES (I think that is the name of the category).

But I wasn’t the only person I know that have pictures at the Iowa State Fair Photography Salon. 3 other regular contributors put up big numbers down there. Angie got 2 pictures in and won the Superintendent’s Choice for Adult Color. I don’t know what the Superintendent’s Choice is and Angie doesn’t know either, but it is one of the biggest awards there. She also got a picture in for color PEOPLE. Nathanial got 3 pictures in and got 1st Place in PLANES, TRAINS, & AUTOMOBILES AND 1st Place in in SPORTS. He also got a picture in for IOWA PLACES & LANDSCAPES. Logan got 3 pictures accepted. One for PANORAMIC. One for black & white PEOPLE. One for color PEOPLE. I’m not fooling when I say that there are some big time talents that participate in THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!

I’ll reveal my images on the last night of the Fair.

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Time for the second collection of images from Day 1 of Jesse and I’s trip down to Memphis to watch the Liberty Bowl. These picture were all took on Beale Streak. Soaking in the ambience, music, night life, and neon lights. A glorious place. 12 our of 10 stars. Would recommend.

Still one more collection of images to share from the night we spent wandering around Beale Street. But not the last time we did.

Dahlia, Logan, Nathanial, Night, Street Photography, Teresa

Boone Christmas Parade

August 7, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

Ooooh… starting to run out of 2023 images to edit and share. Well not really, but at least getting near the end of the year. But it feels good that maybe by the end of August (hopefully, but not necessarily likely) I will be only posting 2024 images for the rest of 2024.

This collection of 2023 pictures is from the Boone Lighted Christmas Parade and Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony.

It isn’t the best lighted parade around, but it gets the job done. Lots of Chrismasy type picture in the next few weeks for you to digest.

Art, History, Jesse, Night, Road Trip, Street Photography, Travel

Home of the Blues – Day 1 Alpha

August 2, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

Football season starts at the end of the month. So I probably should start sharing pictures from the road trip Jesse and I took to Memphis to watch Iowa State in the Liberty Bowl. It was a great trip even if the game ended up being somewhat of a dud. When we got to Memphis (technically West Memphis) we dropped our stuff off in the hotel room and then went straight to Memphis for some barbecue at Central Barbecue and then to Beale Street to check it out. Beale Street was pretty empty on the night, and I’m not mad at that, not mad at all.

Here is the first collection of images:

We walked around the outside of the Civil Rights Museum because it was closed. We had been there before on a previous trip to Memphis. It is an absolute must see if you haven’t been. It just blows the mind how terrible humans can be to other humans and what makes it even worse is that it isn’t even ancient history. It isn’t even history. We are living in some of the great civil rights battles right now. A fact that often makes me sad.

Derrick, Football, Iowa State, Music, Night

Don’t Let the Door Hit You…

July 30, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

As fall camps are starting around college football in the coming weeks, seems like a good time to share my pictures from the last time the Texas Longhorns will ever play at Jack Trice Stadium. Texas and Oklahoma are leaving the Big 12 for the SEC. Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah are joining the Big 12 in the musical chairs that is conference realignment in college athletics. In what is possibly the stupidest thing in all of sports. The end of regional conferences in exchange for goliath national conferences. That has lead to the end of historic conferences like the Pac 12.

The Big 12 now has 16 teams that span from Orlando, Florida to Provo, Utah. The Big Ten has 18 schools that span from New Jersey to California. It is all stupid. Historic rivalries, gone. Being in the same conference with a team you might not play for years in now the norm.

Until last year the Big 12 had ten schools. It is the perfect number for a conference. You get to play everybody in football. You get to play home and home against everybody in basketball. I am sad to see that is gone. I will miss playing Kansas and Kansas State every year. Like I miss playing former Big 8/12 conference members Missouri and Nebraska. I will miss playing Oklahoma. However, I will not miss Texas. Not one bit. Not at all.

Horns down forever!

If you don’t follow the history of Conference Realignment. It goes like this.

Until the mid 1990s Iowa State was in the Big 8. Which consisted of:

+ Iowa State
+ Colorado
+ Kansas
+ Kansas State
+ Missouri
+ Nebraska
+ Oklahoma
+ Oklahoma State

Then the Big 8 merged with part of the Southwest Conference and added 4 schools to become the Big 12. They added:

+ Baylor
+ Texas
+ Texas A&M
+ Texas Tech

Letting Texas in was the worst thing that ever happened. They think they are more important than everybody else and demand perks that other schools don’t get. Which lead to schools leaving to not deal with them (and more recently money became a big motivator).

In 2011, Nebraska left for the Big 10. Colorado left for the Pac-12.

In 2012, Missouri and Texas A&M left for the SEC. No loss losing Texas A&M. That is a cult more than a school and I don’t miss them in the slightest.

To replace the 4 schools that left, they added TCU from the Mountain West and West Virginia from the Big East.

Then in preparation for Texas and Oklahoma leaving this year, the Big 12 added 4 more schools. BYU from the West Coast Conference. Cincinnati, Houston, and Central Florida from The American Conference.

Then last year the Pac-12 blew up when USC, UCLA, Washington, and Oregon left to join the Big 10. Leaving the other 8 schools scrambling to find a conference. Stanford and California joined the Atlantic Coast Conference. Yes, 2 schools joined a conference named after the Atlantic Ocean.

The Big 12 added Colorado back. Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah followed.

Poor Washington State and Oregon State have been left without a conference. Frankly I’d rather have them instead of Arizona State and Utah, but I didn’t get a vote.

So Iowa State was in a conference that made sense with tons of regional rivalries and drivable road games for the fans and now we are in a conference that consists of:

+ Iowa State
+ Arizona
+ Arizona State
+ Baylor
+ Brigham Young
+ Central Florida
+ Cincinnati
+ Colorado
+ Houston
+ Kansas
+ Kansas State
+ Oklahoma State
+ Texas Christian
+ Texas Tech
+ Utah
+ West Virginia

It makes zero sense. I just hope we can stay in a conference with Kansas and Kansas State and Oklahoma State. I do look forward to seeing old rivals Colorado again. I am looking forward to football season. Could potentially be a good one for the Cyclones!

Adam, Alexis, Andy, Angie, Bill, Brandon, Carla, Cathie, Dawn, Deanna, Elainie, Elizabeth, Flowers, Jesse, Joe Duff, Kim, Kio, Linda, Logan, Lowell, Mary, Michelle, Micky, Mindi, Monica, Nathanial, Night, Sarah Toot, Scottie D., Shannon, Sheri, Street Photography, Suzie, Tamara, Teresa, Vest, Willy, WPC - Submissions

WPC – WEEK 463 – ABSTRACT

July 29, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

ABSTRACT! A great theme! But did enough people make the abstraction to make is a popular theme? You’ll have to keep scrolling to find out!

As of 12:01 PM on Monday, July 22, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks (ignore everything in parentheses):

1-Jen Ensley-Gorshe – 1 week (IA, CO, MO, TX, TN, VA, IL, FL)
2-Jesse Howard – 1 week (IA, MO, NE, FL, ABW, CUW, MN)
3-Amy Peterson – 1 week (IA)
4-Johnathan Stensland – 1 week (IA)
5-Willy McAlpine – 2 weeks (IA)
6-Elainie Hernandez – 3 weeks (IA)
7-Monica Jennings – 3 weeks (IA)
8-Deanna McClain – 6 weeks (IA, MN)
9-Sara Lockner – 7 weeks (IA, BHS, MN)
10-Mike Vest – 10 weeks (IA, MO, OK, AR)
11-Suzie Brannen – 11 weeks (IA, MD)
12-Alexis Stensland – 13 weeks (IA) <2>
13-Sabas Hernandez – 15 weeks (IA, OH)
14-Adam Gordon – 22 weeks (IA, MS, MO) <2>
15-Lowell Davis – 29 weeks (IA, MO)
16-Michelle Haupt – 29 weeks (IA, MO, KS, LA)
17-Brandon Kahler – 30 weeks (IA, MN)
18-Scott Degeneffe – 48 weeks (IA, FL, UT, CO, KY, IN, IL)
19-Sheri Fakhouri – 58 weeks (IA, NE)
20-Logan Kahler – 58 weeks (IA, MN)
21-Nathanial Brown – 60 weeks (IA, SD, GA, TN, IRL, UK, FL)
22-Tamara Peterson – 71 weeks (IA, MN)
23-Mindi Terrell – 75 weeks (IA) <2>
24-Linda Bennett – 104 weeks (KS, IA)
25-Sarah Toot – 105 weeks (PA, NY, VT, NV, NJ)
26-Angie DeWaard – 109 weeks (IA, IL)
27-Dawn Krause – 113 weeks (IA, IL) <2>
28-Kim Barker – 119 weeks (IA, CO, LA)
29-Joe Duff – 120 weeks (TX, NY)
30-Teresa Kahler – 131 weeks (IA, NE)
31-Carla Stensland – 131 weeks (IA, MO, SD, WY, CO) <2>
32-Micky Augustin – 133 weeks (IA, IL, FL)
33-Andy Sharp – 134 weeks (IA, NE, AR, MS, MO, TN, LA, IL, MN, WI)
34-Bill Wentworth – 135 weeks (NE, MO)
35-Cathie Morton – 137 weeks (IA, FL, BHS, MO, LA)
36-Elizabeth Nordeen – 140 weeks (IA, OH)
37-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 142 weeks (IA, CA, NV)
38-Kio Dettman – 144 weeks (IA)

Here is the list of rules for Year 11 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE:

1. The picture must 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 and take pictures challenge!
2. There is a limit of 2 submissions per person per theme. If you send me more than 2, I will use the first 2 that you submit.
3. Deadline to submit your submission is 11 AM next Monday.
4. To be considered the photographer of an image, you have to be the one that clicks the shutter. If you hand your camera over to somebody else to take a picture of you, you are NOT the photographer of that image.
5. No screen captures. This is a photography challenge. Not a “look at what I found on the internet” challenge.

There are still 2 ways to submit:
1. Email your submission to bennett@photography139.com.
2. Text your submission to my Google Pixel 8 Pro.

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

Kio Dettman (Boone, Iowa) – 145 weeks

Shannon Bardole-Foley (National Balloon Classic – Indianola, Iowa) -143 weeks

Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa) – 141 weeks

Cathie Morton (Norwalk, Iowa) – 138 weeks

Bill Wentworth (Omaha, Nebraska) – 136 weeks

Andy Sharp (Ames, Iowa) – 135 weeks

Micky Augustin (Ames, Iowa) – 134 weeks

Carla Stensland (Ogden, Iowa) – 132 weeks

Carla Stensland (Ogden, Iowa)

Teresa Kahler (Iowa) – 132 weeks

Teresa Kahler (Iowa)

Joe Duff (Texas) – 121 weeks

Kim Barker (Nevada, Iowa) – 120 weeks

Dawn Krause (Boone, Iowa) – 114 weeks

Angie DeWaard (Iowa) – 110 weeks

Sarah Toot (Pennsylvania) – 106 weeks

Linda Bennett (Kansas) – 105 weeks

Linda Bennett (Kansas)

Mindi Terrell (Iowa) – 76 weeks

Mindi Terrell (Iowa)

Tamara Peterson (Perry, Iowa) – 72 weeks

Nathanial Brown (Princeton, Illinois) – 61 weeks

Nathanial Brown (Emporia, Kansas)

Sheri Fakhouri (Ankeny, Iowa) – 59 weeks

Sheri Fakhouri (Ankeny, Iowa)

Logan Kahler (Boone, Iowa) – 59 weeks

Scott Degeneffe (Potato Lake, Wisconsin) – 49 weeks

Scott Degeneffe (Albert Lea, Minnesota)

Brandon Kahler (Iowa) – 31 weeks

Lowell Davis (Iowa) – 30 weeks

Michelle Haupt (Montague, Michigan) – 30 weeks

Adam Gordon (Iowa) – 23 weeks

Sabas Hernandez (Ankeny, Iowa) – 16 weeks

Alexis Stensland (Iowa) – 14 weeks

Suzie Brannen (Iowa) – 12 weeks

Mike Vest (Kansas City, Kansas) – 11 weeks

Deanna McClain (Iowa) – 7 weeks

Monica Jennings (Boone, Iowa) – 4 weeks

Elainie Hernandez (Ankeny, Iowa) – 1 weeks

Willy McAlpine (Boone, Iowa) – 3 weeks

Jesse Howard (Winterset, Iowa) – 2 weeks

Deb Powers (Glacier National Park, Montana) – 1 week

Deb Powers (Glacier National Park, Montana)

Mary Green (Iowa) – 1 week

Mary Green (Iowa)

Christopher D. Bennett (Boone, Iowa)

37 participants! That is a pretty good week!

There were submissions this week taken in the following places:

+ Illinois (1)
+ Iowa (33)
+ Kansas (4)
+ Michigan (1)
+ Minnesota (1)
+ Montana (2)
+ Nebraska (1)
+ Pennsylvania (1)
+ Texas (1)
+ Wisconsin (1)

Thanks to Deb’s first ever submissions, Montana was added to this year’s THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE Map!

Here is the Year 11 list of places where submissions have been taken (submissions taken in each places):

+ Arkansas (16.5)
+ Aruba (1)
+ Bahamas (2)
+ California (3)
+ Curacao (1)
+ Colorado (7)
+ Florida (13)
+ Georgia (1)
+ Hawaii (2)
+ Illinois (12)
+ Indiana (4)
+ Iowa (1074)
+ Ireland (3)
+ Kansas (44)
+ Kentucky (1)
+ Louisiana (8)
+ Maryland (1)
+ Michigan (6)
+ Minnesota (11)
+ Mississippi (2.5)
+ Missouri (18.5)
+ Montana (2)
+ Nebraska (36)
+ Nevada (4)
+ New Jersey (1)
+ New York (17)
+ North Ireland (1)
+ Ohio (2)
+ Oklahoma (2)
+ Pennsylvania (22)
+ Puerto Rico (4)
+ South Dakota (4)
+ Tennessee (2.5)
+ Texas (42)
+ Utah (1)
+ Vermont (1)
+ Virginia (1)
+ Wisconsin (3)
+ Wyoming (1)

33 states so far! 1 U.S. Territory! 5 foreign countries! Not bad! So far, the following people have submitted from multiple places:

+ Andy Sharp (IA, NE, MO, AR, TN, MS, LA, IL, MN, WI) – 10
+ Scott Degeneffe (IA, FL, UT, CO, IN, KY, IL, MN, WI) – 9
+ Nathanial Brown (IA, SD, TN, GA, IRL, NIR, FL, IL, KS) – 9
+ Jen Ensley-Gorshe (IA, CO, MO, TX, TN, VA, IL, FL) – 8
+ Jesse Howard (IA, MO, NE, FL, ABW, CUW, MN) – 7
+ Christopher D. Bennett (IA, MO, NE, IL, IN, LA) – 6
+ Cathie Morton (IA, FL, BHS, MO, LA) – 5
+ Carla Stensland (IA, MO, SD, WY, CO) -5
+ Mary Green (MI, IA, IN, IL, RP) – 5
+ Sarah Toot (PA, NY, VT, NV, NJ) – 5
+ Michelle Haupt (IA, MO, KS, LA, MI) – 5
+ Mike Vest (IA, MO, AR, OK, KS) – 5
+ Kim Barker (IA, CO, LA) – 3
+ Shannon Bardole-Foley (IA, CA, NV) – 3
+ Adam Gordon (IA, MS, MO) – 3
+ Becky Parmelee (AR, IA, OK) – 3
+ Sara Lockner (IA, BHS, MN) – 3
+ Micky Augustin (IA, IL, FL) – 3
+ Susanna Funk (IA, CO) – 2
+ Brandon Kahler (IA, MN) – 2
+ Logan Kahler (IA, MN) – 2
+ Tamara Peterson (IA, MN) – 2
+ Teresa Kahler (IA, NE) – 2
+ Sheri Fakhouri (IA, NE) – 2
+ Angie DeWaard (IA, IL) – 2
+ Sabas Hernandez (IA, OH) – 2
+ Suzie Brannen (IA, MD) – 2
+ Elizabeth Nordeen (IA, OH) – 2
+ Linda Bennett (KS, IA) – 2
+ Bill Wentworth (NE, MO) – 2
+ Deanna McClain (IA, MN) – 2
+ Dawn Krause – (IA, IL) – 2
+ Joe Duff (TX, NY) – 2
+ Lowell Davis (IA, MO) – 2

Andy is clinging to his lead to be crowned “The Most Travelled THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE Photographer!” Scott and Nathanial and Jen are in striking distance though!

There were no major milestones reached this week. But there were a ton of streaks snapped. Jen, Amy, and Johnathan couldn’t build on their submission from last week. Their steaks are over before they began. Sara’s steak is over at 7! The humanity!

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:

FLOWER

FLOWER! What a great theme for Year 11 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!

FLOWER is obviously one of my favorite themes. It helps separate those of us with sensitive souls from those with a debilitating case of toxic masculinity.

I look forward to seeing you interpretation!

That is all I got, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will see your idea of FLOWER in this place that get its flowers next Monday.