Category Archives: Photography

Angie, Becky, Black & White, Carla, Flat Earth Joe, Jodie, Steph, Teresa, Vest, WPC - Submissions

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 39 – SKY/CLOUDS

June 13, 2016 Christopher D. Bennett

This week’s theme seemed to really inspire lots of people. Including first time contributor and conspiracy theory enthusiast Joe Lynch. Who wanted it known that those aren’t clouds in his picture. They are chem trails. Dropped by “them” on the “masses” to dumb us down or make us easier to control or more violent or something. Wake up people!

Here are the submissions for SKY/CLOUDS:

Joe Lynch

Angie DeWaard

Christopher D. Bennett

Carla Stensland 1

Carla Stensland 2

Jodie Bennett 1

Jodie Bennett 2

Stephanie Kim 1

Stephanie Kim 2

Stephanie Kim 3

Stephanie Kim 4

Becky Perkovich 1

Becky Perkovich 2

Mike Vest

An impressive collection of submissions methinks.

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!

BLUE!

This should be easy enough. Almost everybody has access to something BLUE. Blue is even an emotion. My inbox should be just packed full of BLUE submissions.

If you normally don’t pay attention to HOUSEKEEPING, you might want to this week. Or you might be disappointed next week.

HOUSEKEEPING

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. 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.

MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION DIVISION

Nothing new to report on this front. However, if you are reading these words and don’t have a Photography 139 email subscription. Let this guy know. I’ll get you hooked up!

MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 SCHEDULING DIVISION

I will be in Milwaukee next Monday for my church’s Youth Group Mission Trip. The deadline for BLUE will not change. However, the submissions will not be published next Monday. More like Friday night or Saturday when I return. However, at 12:01 PM next Monday, the week’s theme will publish and you can begin working in earnest on it.

MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 FACE BOOK IS THE DEVIL DIVISION

Just a heads up that I probably won’t be publishing a link to this here post today. Any time there is a mass shooting I stay away from Facebook for a couple days. Considering the nature of this latest symptom of our country’s disease, I’m sure Facebook is even worse than normal with posts that are racist, homophobic, scapegoating the mental health system, and highly inaccurate with its interpretation of the Second Amendment. These types of incidents always just make me sad. I don’t need anger pile on top of it.

I like to think that humans are mostly decent people. Even if most of the evidence seems to suggest otherwise. Seems like the timing of the Mission Trip is perfect.

That’s all I got, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will commune again next Monday.

THE CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT TRIVIA QUIZ

QUESTION 17

How many biological siblings do I have? Be very specific.

ANSWER: 2.5

BOUNS

What are their names?

ANSWER: TERESA, CARLA, & JODIE

Animals, History

04-04-07

June 11, 2016 Christopher D. Bennett 5 Comments

This collection of images was stored in the folder 04-04-07.

Dragonfly!

Next week’s folder contains many photos of the Iowa State Spring Game from 2007. Yes. The first Spring Game of The Chiz.

THE CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT TRIVIA QUIZ

QUESTION 16

Christopher D. Bennett is loved as far west as Manhattan, Kansas and as far south as Houston, Texas and as far north as Eagan, Minnesota and as far east as Brooklyn for his flower photography. What is his favorite flower?

ANSWER: MOONFLOWER

BONUS

Besides “dashing”, what does the D. in Christopher D. Bennett stand for?

ANSWER: DUANE

Flat Earth Joe, Flowers, Macro, Road Trip

It is the Time Wasted

June 10, 2016 Christopher D. Bennett

I had a recent trip to Marshalltown to try some pizza with some friends, co-workers, and co-working friends. On the way back Joe begged me to stop at the State Center Rose Garden. I obliged him.

It is one of my favorite places to visit every year and I can almost always have it to myself. Like Lone Wolf(s) like it!

PARTICULARS

CAMERA: SONY SLT-A65V
ISO: 400
FOCAL LENGTH: 60mm
APERTURE: f/4
EXPOSURE: 1/100
DATE: 06/04/2016 – 20:31
LATITUDE: 42.01533°
LONGITUDE: -93.16016°
PHOTO ASSISTANT: Joe Lynch
PHOTO EDITING SOUNDTRACK: “Bakai” by John Coltrane – COLTRANE (Track 1)

THE CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT TRIVIA QUIZ

QUESTION 15

I was hardcore even as a child. As a youngster, what band was the first rock concert I ever attended?

ANSWER: REO SPEEDWAGON

BONUS

I saw my current favorite band in concert at First Ave. Who are they?

ANSWER: THE SWELL SEASON

Animals, Art, Black & White, Flowers, Naima, Road Trip, WPC - Alternate

Don’t Believe Everything that You Breathe

June 9, 2016 Christopher D. Bennett

Here lieth a few PERSPECTIVE attempts that weren’t quite up to snuff.

Such a sad and pathetic bunch.

THE CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT TRIVIA QUIZ

QUESTION 14

This year I will be going on my 5th Mission Trip with my church’s Youth Group. Name the 4 places I have already gone: (Hint: 1 place twice)

ANSWER: KANSAS CITY, MINNEAPOLIS, KANSAS CITY, MARTIN (SOUTH DAKOTA)

BONUS

Where is the Mission Trip going this year?

ANSWER: MILWAUKEE

Animals, Micky

Titian

June 8, 2016 Christopher D. Bennett

Recently I picked, trained, and raced a turtle in the Colo Derby. We were quite victorious, as I’m sure time and history will record. Below is a photo of my loyal steed.

Some of the other combatants from that day will claim that my turtle did not win. They will cite a video as their flimsy evidence. I have no doubt that when the video from the man on the grassy knoll surfaces, I will be vindicated and lauded in a manner that befits me.

PARTICULARS

CAMERA: SONY-SLT-A65V
ISO: 100
FOCAL LENGTH: 60mm
APERTURE: f/4
EXPOSURE: 1/100
DATE: 06/04/2016 16:54
LATITUDE: 42.01001°
LONGITUDE: -93.34610°
PHOTO ASSISTANT: Micky Augustin
PHOTO EDITING SOUNDTRACK: “Blue Train” by John Coltrane from BLUE TRAIN

THE CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT TRIVIA QUIZ

QUESTION 13

My website is named after my favorite Bible verses. What is that chapter?

ANSWER: Psalm 139

BONUS

What is my second favorite Bible verse?

ANSWER: Ephesians 4:29

I was actually quite shocked by how few people got this one right. I’ll try to remedy that in some way in the future.

Automobiles, Black & White, Lowell, Nate, Road Trip, Ruins, Travel

Rust Bucket – Strong City Kansas

June 7, 2016 Christopher D. Bennett

Another automobile I found fascinating in the car graveyard that is Strong City, Kansas.

I have maybe a couple more pictures left to share from beautiful (cough, cough) to me Strong City, Kansas.

Added a new category in PARTICULARS since I love minutia.

PARTICULARS

CAMERA: SONY SLT-A65V
ISO: 100
FOCAL LENGTH: 18mm
APERTURE: f/6.3
EXPOSURE: 1/160
DATE: 04/03/2016 – 10:46
LATITUDE: 38.39543°
LONGITUDE: -96.53934°
PHOTO ASSISTANT: Nate Miller
PHOTO EDITING SOUNDTRACK: “Straight, No Chaser” – Thelonious Monk from the album STRAIGHT, NO CHASER

THE CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT TRIVIA QUIZ

QUESTION 13

I was born with limited musical skills. What instrument did I play poorly in the Boone High School Band?

ANSWER: TROMBONE

BONUS

Who was my high school locker partner?

ANSWER: Lowell Davis

Angie, Animals, Becky, Jodie, Kim, Steph, WPC - Submissions

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 38 – PERSPECTIVE

June 6, 2016 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

This week ended up being something of a rebound week. All the negative emotions that people felt towards EMOTIONS was left behind and they expressed positive emotions towards PERSPECTIVE. Particularly exciting this week is we have a submission from first time contributor Stephanie Kim. Stephanie lives the farthest east and by far the largest city of any other contributors, so I’ll be excited to see her perspective on things in the future!

The submissions for PERSPECTIVE:

Stephanie Kim 1

Stephanie Kim 2

Becky Perkovich

Jodie Bennett

Christopher D. Bennett

Angie DeWaard

Kim Barker

SKY/CLOUDS

SKY/CLOUDS! But what does that mean? While your submission probably should include the sky and/or some clouds, don’t feel that the sky or cloud has to be the focus of your composition. That being said, if the sky or cloud isn’t the main feature of your composition, it should add to the emotional impact of your image.

All that noise being said, feel free to interpret the theme in any way that you see fit.

HOUSEKEEPING

MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE RULES DIVISION

Don’t blow by this because you know the rules. There is a slight rule change in there for going forward as my lunch hour at the day job has changed.

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. 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.

THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION DIVISION

Nothing new to report on this front. However, if you are reading these words and don’t have a Photography 139 email subscription. Let a guy know. I’ll get you hooked up!

That’s all I got, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will commune again next Monday. Hopefully with lots of looks at our flat earth’s sky.

THE CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT TRIVIA QUIZ

QUESTION 11

I was lucky to be accepted and graduate from the most beautiful and prestigious university in the land. What was my major?

ANSWER: Political Science

BONUS

What was my minor?

ANSWER: History

Flat Earth Joe, History, Nature, Night

03-29-07

June 4, 2016 Christopher D. Bennett

When the light poking from the trees picture were first published 9 years ago, most people thought it was a setting sun. Actually it is a street lamp. Now all my secrets are known.

Next week’s folder includes a dragonfly. Well, it might as well be a dragonfly.

I know! I’m super excited too!

THE CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT TRIVIA QUIZ

QUESTION 10

I was so scary to my employees at the Campustown Outpost of the Evil Clown Empire that they gave me a button with a ferocious bear on it and my terrifying nickname. What was that terrifying nickname?

ANSWER: The Intimidator

BONUS

I share a cubicle with a guy that thinks the Earth is flat, that most people are clones, and that Hitler faked his death. Basically an awesome dude that I’m proud to call my WB. What does WB stand for?

ANSWER: Workspace Buddy

Alexis, Anders, Carla, Derrick, Elainie, Formal Portrait

Elainie, Josh, Lucy

June 3, 2016 Christopher D. Bennett

Recently Elainie came home for Alexis’ graduation. She brought with her Josh and their pooch Lucy.

We got the pleasure of Elainie being home for a week, but Josh had to leave after a day for he was deployed to Gitmo. It will be a long 9 months for Elainie.

PARTICULARS

CAMERA: SONY SLT-A65V
ISO: 400
FOCAL LENGTH: 22mm
APERTURE: f/4
EXPOSURE: 1/60
DATE: 05/21/2016 – 22:32
NO GPS DATA RECORDED
PHOTO ASSISTANT: Carla Stensland

THE CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT TRIVIA QUIZ

QUESTION 9

I was recently thanked in the foreword of Anders Runestad’s book (I CANNOT, YET I MUST) on the making of one of the worst movies ever made. What movie is the book about?

ANSWER: ROBOT MONSTER

BONUS

I’ve been in many clubs over the years from the Dawg Pound to Nature Squad to Hoodie Club. However, only one fake band. What was the name of the gastronomically monikered fake band name that featured me, Rick Poore, and Derrick Gorshe that fake rocked the Boone Outpost of the Evil Clown Empire in the mid 90s?

ANSWER: Bratwurst Explosion

Flowers, Macro, Michelle, Micky, Nader

A Punchable Flower

June 2, 2016 Christopher D. Bennett

Before I start rambling about this picture, I should point out that AM Outdoors expert and friend of this here blog Michael Augustin corrected my assertion that yesterday’s blog featured a ground squirrel. When in fact, it was a chipmunk. A pox upon me, my good fellows.

Today’s post features a flower that I’ve always loathed. The iris. Take a look, you’ll see what I mean.

Don’t you just want to punch that flower?

PARTICULARS

CAMERA: SONY SLT-A65V
FOCAL LENGTH: 70mm
APERTURE: f/5.6
EXPOSURE: 1/125
DATE: 05/31/2016 – 17:03
LATITUDE: 42.02903°
LONGITUDE: -93.62927°
PHOTO ASSISTANT: Nader Parsaei

Friend of this here blog Michelle recently pointed out that the last 2 posts have not included an answer to the CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT TRIVIA QUIZ. So today you get two answers.

THE CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT TRIVIA QUIZ

QUESTION 8

One year for Christmas I received Nirvana’s NEVERMIND for Christmas from my Grandparents. Many of my aunts and uncles were offended by what they called the album cover’s “child pornography”. My Grandpa put the cassette in his stereo, put on his headphones and listened to SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT. Upon the conclusion of listening to this song he summed it up like this, “Well it ain’t…” Which of his favorite artists did he compare to Nirvana?

ANSWER: HANK meaning HANK WILLIAMS SR.

BONUS

In 1983 I began attending Iowa State football games with my Grandpa. Where did we park?

ANSWER: Highway 30