Category Archives: Night

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WPC – WEEK 487 – MOTION

January 13, 2025 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

Time to reveal the December image of the 2025 Photography 139 Calendar:

DECEMBER

TECHNICAL DETAILS
CAMERA: Sony 7 IV
LENS: Sony 50mm f/2.8 Macro
APERTURE: f/8
SHUTTER: 1/2000
ISO: 100
DATE: April 13, 2024

This picture of a bird soaring through the sky was taken at the Last Chance Cemetery near Chariton, Iowa. I ended up there as I was lunching nearby and saw it on the map and thought Last Chance Cemetery was a peculiar name and I decided to go visit it hoping for some photography opportunities. I had hoped for at the very least, a photogenic sign. However, the cemetery was fairly pedestrian. But while looking towards the heavens I saw a bird flying through a beautiful sky. It was not a wasted trip after all.

Here are the people that chose December as their favorite image:

Johnathan

Sabas

That concludes the calendar images, but tomorrow I will reveal all the images that I considered for the calendar, but decided to leave out for one reason or another.

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Here we are! Year 12. A far cry from when THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE was birthed violently into this world on January 14, 2010 under the name the Random Weekly Photo Experiment.

These were the two pictures submitted for the first ever theme of USE OF SPACE:

Christopher D. Bennett

Mike Vest

Then on January 2, 2012, I put the RANDOM WEEKLY PHOTO EXPERIMENT to bed. It had never really grown much in popularity. In the last several weeks of its existence, Vest and I were the only people to submit. It was time to admit it was a failure.

These were the last 2 pictures submitted for the final theme of SELF-PORTRAIT:

Mike Vest

Christopher D. Bennett

But the RANDOM WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE wouldn’t stay down. There were a few people that lobbied for it to return. In particular I remember Dawn and Angie making a case for its return. I brought it out of mothballs. Knocked the crust out of its eyes. Gave it a new name. THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE. It was brought back to life on September 21, 2015. The rest, as they say, is photography community history.

Here are the submissions for that week, for the theme of NIGHT:

Angie DeWaard

Becky Perkovich

Michael Augustin

Michelle Haupt

Dawn Krause

Mike Vest

Christopher D. Bennett

The original point of the RANDOM WEEKLY PHOTO EXPERIMENT was simple. The idea was to take 52 different themes and by merely taking on the challenge of tackling the themes you would improve your photography skills. Either through just the act of practicing the craft or through taking photographs that are outside your comfort zone or area of expertise. You don’t improve by NOT taking pictures and this challenge would force you to touch your camera at least once a week. At the end of the year you would have 52 unique images. Images that you could consider for entering into photo contests if you want.

Sometimes people mistakenly think this is a contest. It is not. Merely a challenge. I’m glad so many people have been up for it!

Here we are now. 11 years of submissions complete. Ready to start the 12th year. I hope you are as excited as I am!

Let us begin, shall we?

MOTION! What a great theme! But how many people got their photography juices in motion? Keep scrolling to find out.

As of 12:01 PM on Monday, January 6, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks:

1-Sabas Hernandez – 1 week
2-Monica Jennings – 1 week
3-Deanna McClain – 1 week
4-Johnathan Stensland – 1 week
5-Alexis Stensland – 2 weeks
6-Suzie Brannen – 14 weeks
*7-Deb Powers – 19 weeks
8-Willy McAlpine – 25 weeks
9-Mike Vest – 33 weeks
10-Lowell Davis – 53 weeks
11-Brandon Kahler – 54 weeks
12-Scott Degeneffe – 72 weeks
13-Sheri Fakhouri – 82 weeks
*14-Logan Kahler – 83 weeks
15-Nathanial Brown – 84 weeks
16-Tamara Peterson – 95 weeks
*17-Mindi Terrell – 99 weeks
18-Linda Bennett – 128 weeks
19-Sarah Toot – 129 weeks
20-Angie DeWaard – 132 weeks
*21-Dawn Krause – 137 weeks
22-Kim Barker – 143 weeks
*23-Joe Duff – 144 weeks
*24-Teresa Kahler – 155 weeks
*25-Carla Stensland – 155 weeks
26-Micky Augustin – 157 weeks
*27-Andy Sharp – 158 weeks
28-Bill Wentworth – 159 weeks
29-Cathie Morton – 163 weeks
30-Elizabeth Nordeen – 164 weeks
31-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 166 weeks
32-Kio Dettman – 168 weeks

Here is the list of rules for Year 12 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. If you submit 2 pictures, make sure they are of different subjects.
3. Deadline to submit your submission is 11 AM Central Time the following Monday. But that is a deadline. Pictures can be submitted as soon as you take them.
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.
6. Please include the location of where the picture was taken with your submission.

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:

WPC - WEEK 487 - MOTION - ALEXIS STENSLAND

Alexis Stensland (Ogden, Iowa) – 3 weeks

Andy Sharp (West Roads Mall – Omaha, Nebraska) – 159 weeks

Andy Sharp (West Roads Mall – Omaha, Nebraska)

Angie DeWaard (Iowa) – 133 weeks

Becky Parmelee (Bella Vista, Arkansas) – 1 week

Bill Wentworth (Omaha, Nebraska) – 160 weeks

Brandon Kahler (Ames, Iowa) – 55 weeks

Carla Stensland (Ankeny, Iowa) – 156 weeks

Cathie Morton (Norwalk, Iowa) – 164 weeks

Christopher D. Bennett (Hilton Coliseum – Ames, Iowa)

Dawn Krause (Boone, Iowa) – 138 weeks

Deanna McClain (Iowa) – 2 weeks

Deb Powers (Ankeny, Iowa) – 20 weeks

Deb Powers (Ankeny, Iowa)

Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa) – 165 weeks

Joe Duff (Texas) – 145 weeks

Kim Barker (Ames, Iowa) – 144 weeks

Kio Dettman (Ogden, Iowa) – 169 weeks

Linda Bennett (Kansas) – 129 weeks

Linda Bennett (Kansas)

Logan Kahler (Boone, Iowa) – 84 weeks

Lowell Davis (Iowa) – 54 weeks

Mary Green (Manchester, Iowa) – 1 week

Mary Green (Manchester, Iowa)

Micky Augustin (Story County, Iowa) – 158 weeks

Mike Vest (Madrid, Iowa) – 34 weeks

Mindi Terrell (Iowa) – 100 weeks

Mindi Terrell (Iowa)

Monica Jennings (Boone, Iowa) – 2 weeks

Nathanial Brown (Ohio) – 85 weeks

Nathanial Brown (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania)

Sabas Hernandez (Ankeny, Iowa) – 1 week

Sabas Hernandez (Ankeny, Iowa)

Sara Lockner (Brenton Park – Des Moines, Iowa) – 1 week

Sarah Toot (E. Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania) – 130 weeks

Scott Degeneffe (Boone County, Iowa) – 73 weeks

Shannon Bardole-Foley (Summerset, Iowa) – 167 weeks

Sheri Fakhouri (Ankeny, Iowa)

Tamara Peterson (Iowa) – 96 weeks

Teresa Kahler (Boone, Iowa) – 156 weeks

Teresa Kahler (Boone, Iowa)

Willy McAlpine (Iowa) – 26 weeks

34 participants this week. That is a solid way to start Year 12.

There were submissions this week taken in the following places:

+ Arkansas (1)
+ Iowa (32)
+ Kansas (2)
+ Nebraska (3)
+ Ohio (1)
+ Pennsylvania (2)
+ Texas (1)

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

+ Arkansas (1)
+ Iowa (32)
+ Kansas (2)
+ Nebraska (3)
+ Ohio (1)
+ Pennsylvania (2)
+ Texas (1)

There were quite a few milestones this week! Willy hit the Half Year Streak Club! Woo! Mindi hit the Triple Digit Streak Club! WooHoo! Sarah hit the 2.5 Year Streak Club! WooHoo! WooHoo! Woo! Carla and Teresa both hit the 3 Year Streak Club! WooHoo WooHoo! WooHoo!

But it wasn’t all good news. Johnathan couldn’t build on his submission from last week. His streak is over before it began. Suzie’s streak is gone after 14 weeks.

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:

COLORFUL

COLORFUL! A great theme for Year 12 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE.

PHOTOGRAPHY TIP OF THE WEEK

There are several ways to make colors really pop in a picture, but the easiest by far is to slightly underexpose the image.

That is all I got, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will see a bunch of COLORFUL submissions in this place that tries to be splashed in saturation next Monday.

Adam, Baier, Flowers, Fran, History, Jason, Macro, Night, Sign, Street Photography, Travel

Your Song

January 2, 2025 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

Time to reveal the January image for the 2025 Photography 139 Calendar:

JANUARY

Technical Details

CAMERA: Sony 7M4
LENS: Tamron 17-28 f/2.8
FOCAL LENGTH: 24 mm
APERTURE: f/2.8
EXPOSURE: 1/30
ISO: 160
DATE TAKEN: December 27, 2023

This picture was taken in Memphis, Tennessee on Jesse and I’s trip to watch Iowa State play in the Liberty Bowl. This neon sign for the Lorraine Hotel is part of the Civil Rights Museum. We walked around the grounds of the museum after eating at Central BBQ nearby. We didn’t visit the museum on this trip, but if you are ever in Memphis, I highly recommend visiting it. Despite my love for history, I’m not really a museum person, but this museum is a very powerful experience. I picked this image to represent January because Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday is in January.

There were a few people that picked this image as their favorite calendar image. Here are the people that picked it:

Fran

Adam

Jason Stensland

Jason Baier

Ryan

Jesse

I’m pretty excited to reveal the February image tomorrow!

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It’s a little bit funny
This feelin’ inside
I’m not one of those who can easily hide
I don’t have much money, but boy, if I did
I’d buy a big house where we both could live

If I was a sculptor, heh
But then again, no
Or a man who makes potions in a travellin’ show, oh
I know it’s not much, but it’s the best I can do
My gift is my song and this one’s for you

And you can tell everybody
This is your song
It may be quite simple, but
Now that it’s done
I hope you don’t mind, I hope you don’t mind
That I put down in words
How wonderful life is
While you’re in the world

And kicked off the moss
Well, a few of the verses
Well, they’ve got me quite cross
But the sun’s been quite kind
While I wrote this song
It’s for people like you that keep it turned on

So excuse me forgettin’
But these things I do
You see, I’ve forgotten
If they’re green or they’re blue
Anyway, the thing is
What I really mean
Yours are the sweetest eyes I’ve ever seen

I hope you don’t mind, I hope you don’t mind
That I put down in words
How wonderful life is
While you’re in the world
-Written by Elton John & Bernie Taupin
-Performed by Elton John

I was inspired to use this great song because I was watching “No Good Deed” on Netflix recently and this song makes an appearance. And it truly is one of the great songs of all-time!

But Thursdays are for flowers and this flowertography session took place in my yard:

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

Becca, Black & White, Bridge, Candid Portrait, Nature, New Year's, Night, Railroad, Sign, Willy

Rail Explorers Denouement

December 31, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett 7 Comments

I need to start by wishing everyone a Happy New Year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

That image didn’t turn out quite like I wanted, but I’m pretty up front about sharing my failures a long with my success! As few as they may be. Thanks to Willy for assisting with making this image!

I hope everybody has a safe and joyous celebration. I’m sure I will long be in the Land of Nod* when midnight strikes in the Cyclone State. So I’ll be safe. Joyous? Depends on what I’m dreaming about.

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Time to share the final collection of Rail Explorers images from my trip on their with Becca, Becca’s boyfriend, and Willy. I once again hope you like images of railroad tracks. I mean, who doesn’t right?

That concludes all the pictures from what was a great adventure! I can’t endorse going on the Rail Explorers enough. Pretty much any physical fitness level can do it too. You don’t have to be super buff like me.

*Sleeping. Not where Cain was sent after killing Abel.

Art, Christianity, Lensbaby, Night, Street Photography

You’re so Effing Special

November 23, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

Time again to clear up some of the backlog. This is a collection of images from February, March, and April that just never found a home in a previous “An Artist’s Notebook” entry. Some were take as theme reveal images for THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE. One was a test picture for the eclipse. Some are pictures taken with a Lensbaby obscura lens I purchased to play with.

Here is the collection:

It is always good to get the backlog cleared up. On to the future!!

Animals, Elizabeth, Holidays, Iowa State, Nature, Night, Still Life, WPC - Alternate

I Wish I Was Special

October 15, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett 1 Comment

I made a horrible mistake yesterday. I didn’t mislabel or completely miss somebody’s submissions. Like I have done in the past. No. I completely forgot to acknowledge Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

Happy Indigenous Peoples’ Day! (1 day late.)

I apologize for missing it. The Computer Mine does not celebrate a single social justice holiday, cause… well you can fill in the blanks… so it was a bit off my radar.

If it is completely off your radar:

Indigenous Peoples’ Day is a holiday in the United States that celebrates and honors Indigenous American peoples and commemorates their histories and cultures.

Thought I would share some of the history of the Meskwaki Nation in Iowa. Cause I think most people think it is a reservation, but it isn’t.

From the Meskwaki website:

Reclaiming Our Iowa Homeland
On July 13, 1857, the Meskwaki formally purchased their first 80 acres in Tama County, which gave formal federal identity to the Meskwaki people as the “Sac & Fox in Iowa.” Then 10 years later, in 1867, the United States government allowed the Meskwaki living in Iowa to receive federal annuity payments for the first time. This unique identity (that of unclear jurisdictional status since the tribe had formal federal recognition but also continuing relations with the State of Iowa due to the tribe’s private ownership of land) allowed the Meskwaki people to be virtually ignored by federal as well as state policies. Always persevering, this gave them time to return, thrive, and grow.

Gaining Ground
Every year between 1857 and 1866, different groups of Meskwaki returned to the Settlement, with the majority coming to the area after 1862. The tribe traded 130 trees to obtain funds to purchase another parcel of 40 acres in January 1867. This expanded the Meskwaki Settlement to almost 3,000 acres.

By generating income through trapping and by accumulating annuity payments, the tribe was able to purchase additional land between 1867 and 1901. During this 30-year time period, the Meskwaki people were able to live a more independent lifestyle than other tribes confined to regular reservations strictly regimented by federal authority. Seeking to resolve this ambiguity, the State of Iowa ceded to the Federal Government all jurisdiction over the Meskwaki. The outdated federal law was later repealed by the Federal Government in 2019.

In 1987, the Meskwaki purchased additional ground, expanding their holdings to 7,054 acres, acquiring land towards the north. Powwow celebrations, however, continue to be held on traditional grounds to the south.

A Sovereign Nation
Because their ancestors had the tenacity and foresight to purchase their land, the Meskwaki Settlement is not an Indian Reservation. It was not set apart from the public domain and reserved for Indians. It is privately purchased property — a sovereign nation. Owing to the noble sacrifices and vision of their ancestors, the Meskwaki continued to thrive and grow over the years on their purchased land.

Today’s Success & Our Future
Today, the Meskwaki continue to purchase land as opportunities for economic diversification arise. They currently own more than 8,100 acres in Tama, Marshall, and Palo Alto County. The Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa is the only federally recognized Indian tribe in Iowa. They have their own constitution, codified laws, 13 full-time police officers, and a fully functioning court system. They have more than 1,450 enrolled tribal members and are the largest employer in Tama County, employing more than 1,200 people.

The Meskwaki Nation has been working to improve housing and infrastructure along with modern amenities over the years, including beginning their own fiber-optic network. Tribal activities at the Settlement shifted to the north after the relocation of Highway 30 where the Meskwaki Bingo, Casino & Hotel, Meskwaki Settlement School, Meskwaki Health Clinic, Meskwaki Business Center, and newer housing additions are situated.

Over the last 15 years, the tribe has purchased Pinnacle Bank, built a new Meskwaki Travel Plaza, and created the Natural Resources and Buffalo Wildlife Project. They opened Meskwaki, Inc. and their subsidiaries which started an economic diversification project working to create sustainable business opportunities for the Tribe. In 2013, as part of the Meskwaki Food Sovereignty Initiative, they launched Red Earth Gardens, a 40-acre self-sustaining farm and in 2022 the tribe began growing and harvesting CBD grade hemp through its new production/manufacturing corporation. Scheduled for opening in 2023, the community is currently building a 75,959 sq.ft. recreation facility which will include a large gathering area for the community, youth classrooms, a daycare, a four-court gymnasium, running/walking track, weight room, outdoor splash park and more. Above all, the Meskwaki Nation is working to build a better life for their community members through family service programs like their Behavior Health Services, Historic Preservation and Language Preservation initiatives, Apprenticeship Program and Higher Education.

By adapting, surviving, and thriving, The People Of The Red Earth are working hard to determine the needs within their community. They are committed to protecting their inherent sovereignty, preserving and promoting their culture, and improving the quality of life for future generations.

Hard to imagine a community that isn’t afraid of success. Maybe Boone should go there and start taking notes.

And as always:

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This is a small collection of sort of random images I took back in January, February, and March. Some are alternates for THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE. Some are not.

Notice the guy in the black and orange tent.

Always feels good to get some of the backlog cleared out!

Animals, Jesse, Night, Street Photography, Travel

Home of the Blues – Day 2 – Bass Pro Shop

September 27, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett

This is the final collection of images I took on Day 2 of the trip to Memphis to see the Liberty Bowl. In fact I didn’t take many pictures on the day of the game and even less on the trip home. So there aren’t many pictures left after this collection.

These pictures were taken at the Bass Pro Shop in Memphis. Which normally wouldn’t be much of an attraction, but the Bass Prop Shop in Memphis is unique. It is a giant pyramid. You won’t get much of the sense of it from these pictures. These are mostly taken from the observation deck.

Liberty Bowl Road Trip - Day 2 - Bass Pro Shop

Just one more collection of images from this trip left to share!

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

In a Beautiful World

September 14, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett

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

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

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

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!