Time to share the last collection of glorious BLACK AND WHITE images I took but didn’t use for THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE. These were also all taken at Logan’s birthday party.
The ink has barely dried on this post and I’m already sad our trip through all the glorious BLACK & WHITE pictures is over. I can’t wait until BLACK & WHITE is a theme again!
Today is Dahlia’s birthday. So I need to wish her a happy birthday.
I hope your birthday is filled with plenty of play time!
Time for another collection of glorious BLACK AND WHITE images. These were all taken at Logan’s birthday party. I hope you like pictures of kids playing in water!
I still have one more collection of glorious BLACK AND WHITE images to share! I’m post black and white, animal triste.
Time to share another collection of alternate images for THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE theme BLACK & WHITE. I took these glorious BLACK & WHITE pictures on July 5. I went over to Nevada to try what was allegedly great chicken from a gas station with Teresa and hosted Willy and Jay for FNSC and then a viewing of Dragon House. Or whatever that show is called.
2 more days of glorious BLACK & WHITE images left to share!
FACELESS PORTRAIT! A great theme! But did enough people face a camera to make it a popular theme! You’ll have to keep scrolling to find out!
As of 12:01 PM on Monday, July 8, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks (ignore everything in parentheses):
1-Elainie Hernandez – 1 week (IA)
2-Johnathan Stensland – 1 week (IA)
3-Monica Jennings – 1 week (IA) <2>
4-Jen Ensley-Gorshe – 2 weeks (IA, CO, MO, TX, TN, VA, IL, FL)
5-Deanna McClain – 4 weeks (IA, MN)
6-Mary Green – 5 weeks (MI, IA, IN, IL, PR) <2>
7-Sara Lockner – 5 weeks (IA, BHS, MN)
8-Suzie Brannen – 9 weeks (IA, MD) <2>
9-Mike Vest – 8 weeks (IA, MO) <2>
10-Alexis Stensland – 11 weeks (IA) <2>
11-Sabas Hernandez – 13 weeks (IA, OH)
12-Adam Gordon – 20 weeks (IA, MS, MO) <2>
13-Lowell Davis – 27 weeks (IA, MO) <2>
14-Michelle Haupt – 27 weeks (IA, MO, KS, LA)
15-Brandon Kahler – 28 weeks (IA, MN)
16-Scott Degeneffe – 46 weeks (IA, FL, UT, CO, KY, IN, IL)
17-Sheri Fakhouri – 56 weeks (IA, NE) <2>
18-Logan Kahler – 56 weeks (IA, MN) <2>
19-Nathanial Brown – 58 weeks (IA, SD, GA, TN, IRL, UK, FL)
20-Tamara Peterson – 69 weeks (IA, MN)
21-Mindi Terrell – 73 weeks (IA) <2>
22-Linda Bennett – 102 weeks (KS, IA)
23-Sarah Toot – 103 weeks (PA, NY, VT, NV, NJ)
24-Angie DeWaard – 107 weeks (IA, IL)
25-Dawn Krause – 111 weeks (IA, IL) <2>
26-Kim Barker – 117 weeks (IA, CO, LA)
27-Joe Duff – 118 weeks (TX, NY) <2>
28-Teresa Kahler – 129 weeks (IA, NE) <2>
29-Carla Stensland – 129 weeks (IA, MO, SD, WY, CO) <2>
30-Micky Augustin – 131 weeks (IA, IL, FL)
31-Andy Sharp – 132 weeks (IA, NE, AR, MS, MO, TN, LA, IL, MN, WI) <2>
32-Bill Wentworth – 133 weeks (NE, MO)
33-Cathie Morton – 135 weeks (IA, FL, BHS, MO, LA)
34-Elizabeth Nordeen – 138 weeks (IA, OH) <2>
35-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 140 weeks (IA, CA, NV)
36-Kio Dettman – 142 weeks (IA) <2>
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.
It is the third week of the month and on the third week of the month I like to share a map of all the states where people have submitted from heading into today. Here is that map:
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:
Shannon Bardole-Foley (Summerset, Iowa) – 141 weeks
Kim Barker (Chariton, Iowa) – 118 weeks
Christopher D. Bennett (Ankeny, Iowa)
Linda Bennett (Kansas) – 103 weeks
Suzie Brannen (Iowa) – 10 weeks
Nathanial Brown (Jefferson, Iowa) – 59 weeks
Lowell Davis (Iowa) – 28 weeks
Scott Degeneffe (Boone County, Iowa) – 47 weeks
Kio Dettman (Iowa) – 143 weeks
Angie DeWaard (Ames, Iowa) – 108 weeks
Angie DeWaard (Ames, Iowa)
Joe Duff (Texas) – 119 weeks
Sheri Fakhouri (Cool Basil – Clive, Iowa) – 57 weeks
Adam Gordon (Ames, Iowa) – 21 weeks
Michelle Haupt (Ankeny, Iowa) – 28 weeks
Elainie Hernandez (Iowa Speedway – Newton, Iowa) – 2 weeks
Sabas Hernandez (Ankeny, Iowa) 14 weeks
Monica Jennings (Boone, Iowa) – 2 weeks
Brandon Kahler (Iowa) – 29 weeks
Logan Kahler (Iowa) – 56 weeks
Teresa Kahler (Iowa) – 129 weeks
Dawn Krause (Iowa) – 112 weeks
Sara Lockner (Iowa) – 6 weeks
Willy McAlpine (Iowa) – 1 week
Deanna McClain (Iowa) – 5 weeks
Cathie Morton (Norwalk, Iowa) – 136 weeks
Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa) – 139 weeks
Tamara Peterson (Perry, Iowa) – 70 weeks
Andy Sharp (Brushy Creek – Iowa) – 133 weeks
Andy Sharp (Brushy Creek – Iowa)
Alexis Stensland (Iowa) – 12 weeks
Carla Stensland (Iowa Speedway – Newton, Iowa) – 130 weeks
Carla Stensland (Ogden, Iowa)
Mindi Terrell (Iowa) – 74 weeks
Mindi Terrell (Iowa)
Sarah Toot (Pennsylvania) – 104 weeks
Mike Vest (Madrid, Iowa) – 9 weeks
Bill Wentworth (Omaha, Nebraska) – 134 weks
35 participants this week! Not great, but not bad.
here were submissions this week taken in the following places:
+ Iowa (35)
+ Kansas (1)
+ Nebraska (1)
+ Pennsylvania (1)
+ Texas (1)
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 (11)
+ Indiana (4)
+ Iowa (1000)
+ Ireland (3)
+ Kansas (39)
+ Kentucky (1)
+ Louisiana (8)
+ Maryland (1)
+ Michigan (5)
+ Minnesota (10)
+ Mississippi (2.5)
+ Missouri (18.5)
+ Nebraska (34)
+ Nevada (4)
+ New Jersey (1)
+ New York (17)
+ North Ireland (1)
+ Ohio (2)
+ Oklahoma (2)
+ Pennsylvania (20)
+ Puerto Rico (4)
+ South Dakota (4)
+ Tennessee (2.5)
+ Texas (39)
+ Utah (1)
+ Vermont (1)
+ Virginia (1)
+ Wisconsin (2)
+ Wyoming (1)
32 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
+ Jen Ensley-Gorshe (IA, CO, MO, TX, TN, VA, IL, FL) – 8
+ Scott Degeneffe (IA, FL, UT, CO, IN, KY, IL) – 7
+ Nathanial Brown (IA, SD, TN, GA, IRL, NIR, FL) – 7
+ 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) – 4
+ Mike Vest (IA, MO, AR, OK) – 4
+ 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 now has a commanding lead to be crowned “The Most Travelled THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE Photographer!” Jen, Jesse, Scott, and Nathanial remain in striking distance though.
The big milestones this were Suzie joining the Double Digit Streak Club! WooHoo! Sarah Toot joining the 2 Year Streak Club! WooHoo! WooHoo! Teresa and Carla joining the 2.5 Year Streak Club! WooHoo! WooHoo! Woo!
But it wasn’t all unicorns and rainbows! Johnathan couldn’t build on his submission last week, and his streak is over before it begins. Jen’s streak comes to an end at 2. Mary’s streak is over at 5.
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:
WINDOW VIEW! What a great theme for Year 11 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE! It can be a picture looking out a window. It can be a picture looking in to a window. The window possibilities are endless!
I look forward to seeing your 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 WINDOW VIEW in this place that is a view of the world of some kind next Monday.
Today is Logan’s birthday, so I have to wish him a happy birthday!
I hope your day is filled with quality garage sale finds and a ton of photo opportunities!
Today is also Derrick’s birthday, so I also need to wish him a happy birthday!
I hope your birthday is filled with camping and some tasty face melting guitar solos. Probably some Pink Floyd as well.
Time to share more alternate BLACK & WHITE images for THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE. These BLACK & WHITE images I took on July 3.
3 days of glorious BLACK & WHITE images shared! 4 more days to go!
Today is going to be a long one, so buckle up and get your popcorn ready!
Today is Jay’s birthday, so I need to start by wishing him a happy birthday.
I hope your birthday is magical in the nothingness you attempt to do!
It is that time of year when a little yellow card shows up in the mailboxes of many a photographer in the state of Iowa. The yellow card that tells you if you had any pictures accepted into one of the hardest photo contests in the country. The Iowa State Fair Photography Salon. A contest that only displays 25% of the pictures submitted. It is the only photo contest that I enter (for a wide variety of reasons) and as such I did get my yellow card in the mail last week. It looked a little something like this:
You might be wondering what pictures I entered this year. I’m the only person that currently knows what pictures I entered. But, you can go down to the Iowa State Fair and see them for yourself. I will reveal what pictures I entered and what pictures got in on the last day of the Fair. As is my custom.
But I wasn’t the only regular contributor to THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE that got pictures accepted to the Iowa State Fair Photography Salon. Angie, Logan, and Nathanial all got pictures accepted! WooHoo! Which makes sense, because when THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE was birthed into existence as THE RANDOM WEEKLY PHOTO EXPERIMENT all those years ago by me and Mike Vest, the idea was (to be honest more his idea than mine) that at the end of the year, you would have 52 photos you could consider for entering in photo contests. Maybe in 2025 there will be MORE than 4 people from THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE displayed at the Iowa State Fair. I have an eye on a few of you.
Must be time to see the submission for BLACK & WHITE, right? Not yet. As you may know, it is about 10 weeks out from the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest. So it is past time that I published the rules for this year’s contest. They are identical as last year.
Have a look:
I hope many of you enter again this year! Now I need to get to work!
BLACK & WHITE! A great theme! But did enough people see the world in monochrome to make it a popular theme? You’ll have to keep scrolling to find out!
As of 12:01 PM on Monday, July 1, 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-Willy McAlpine – 1 week (IA)
3-Amy Peterson – 1 week (IA)
4-Deanna McClain – 3 weeks (IA, MN)
5-Mary Green – 4 weeks (MI, IA, IN, IL, PR) <2>
6-Sara Lockner – 4 weeks (IA, BHS, MN)
7-Suzie Brannen – 8 weeks (IA, MD) <2>
8-Mike Vest – 7 weeks (IA, MO)
9-Alexis Stensland – 10 weeks (IA) <2>
10-Sabas Hernandez – 12 weeks (IA, OH) <2>
11-Adam Gordon – 19 weeks (IA, MS, MO) <2>
12-Lowell Davis – 26 weeks (IA)
13-Michelle Haupt – 26 weeks (IA, MO, KS, LA)
14-Brandon Kahler – 27 weeks (IA, MN)
15-Scott Degeneffe – 45 weeks (IA, FL, UT, CO, KY, IN, IL) <2>
16-Sheri Fakhouri – 55 weeks (IA, NE)
17-Logan Kahler – 55 weeks (IA, MN) <2>
18-Nathanial Brown – 57 weeks (IA, SD, GA, TN, IRL, UK, FL)
19-Jesse Howard – 56 weeks (IA, MO, NE, FL, ABW, CUW, MN)
20-Tamara Peterson – 68 weeks (IA, MN)
21-Mindi Terrell – 72 weeks (IA) <2>
22-Linda Bennett – 101 weeks (KS, IA)
23-Sarah Toot – 102 weeks (PA, NY, VT, NV, NJ)
24-Angie DeWaard – 106 weeks (IA, IL) <2>
25-Dawn Krause – 110 weeks (IA, IL) <2>
26-Kim Barker – 116 weeks (IA, CO, LA) <2>
27-Joe Duff – 117 weeks (TX, NY)
28-Teresa Kahler – 128 weeks (IA, NE) <2>
29-Carla Stensland – 128 weeks (IA, MO, SD)
30-Micky Augustin – 130 weeks (IA, IL, FL)
31-Andy Sharp – 131 weeks (IA, NE, AR, MS, MO, TN, LA, IL) <2>
32-Bill Wentworth – 132 weeks (NE, MO)
33-Cathie Morton – 135 weeks (IA, FL, BHS, MO, LA) <2>
34-Elizabeth Nordeen – 137 weeks (IA, OH)
35-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 139 weeks (IA, CA, NV)
36-Kio Dettman – 141 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:
Adam Gordon (Madrid, Iowa)
Alexis Stensland (Boone, Iowa) – 11 weeks
Alexis Stensland (Boone, Iowa)
Andy Sharp (Prescott, Wisconsin) – 132 weeks
Andy Sharp (Plymouth, Minnesota)
Angie DeWaard (Iowa) – 107 weeks
Bill Wentworth (Omaha, Nebraska) – 133 weeks
Brandon Kahler (Story City, Iowa) – 28 weeks
Carla Stensland (Devil’s Tower National Monument – Wyoming) – 129 weeks
Carla Stensland (Arkansas River – Salida, Colorado)
Cathie Morton (Ankeny, Iowa) – 136 weeks
Christopher D. Bennett (Boone, Iowa)
Dawn Krause (Boone, Iowa) – 111 weeks
Dawn Krause (Boone, Iowa)
Deanna McClain (Iowa) – 4 weeks
Elainie Hernandez (Boone, Iowa) – 1 week
Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa) – 138 weeks
Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa)
Jen Ensley-Gorshe (Ames, Iowa) – 2 weeks
Joe Duff (New York) – 118 weeks
Joe Duff (New York)
Johnathan Stensland (Iowa) – 1 week
Kim Barker (Nevada, Iowa) – 117 weeks
Kio Dettman (Boone, Iowa) – 142 weeks
Kio Dettman (Boone, Iowa)
Linda Bennett (Boone, Iowa) – 102 weeks
Logan Kahler (Boone, Iowa) – 56 weeks
Logan Kahler (Bone, Iowa)
Lowell Davis (Kansas City, Missouri) – 27 weeks
Lowell Davis (Kansas City, Missouri)
Mary Green (Iowa) – 5 weeks
Mary Green (Iowa)
Michelle Haupt (Iowa) – 27 weeks
Micky Augustin (Colo, Iowa) – 131 weeks
Mike Vest (Grove, Oklahoma) – 8 weeks
Mike Vest (Bentonsville, Arkansas)
Mindi Terrell (Mitchellville, Iowa) – 73 weeks
Mindi Terrell (Johnston, Iowa)
Monica Jennings (Boone, Iowa) – 1 week
Monica Jennings (Boone, Iowa)
Nathanial Brown (Tampa, Florida) – 58 weeks
Sabas Hernandez (Ankeny, Iowa) – 13 weeks
Sara Lockner (Iowa) – 5 weeks
Sarah Toot (Pennsylvania) – 103 weeks
Scott Degeneffe (Boone County, Iowa) – 46 weeks
Shannon Bardole-Foley (Honey Hollow – Summerset, Iowa) – 140 weeks
Sheri Fakhouri (Ankeny, Iowa) – 56 weeks
Sheri Fakhouri (Ankeny, Iowa)
Suzie Brannen (Iowa) – 9 weeks
Suzie Brannen (Iowa)
Tamara Peterson (Perry, Iowa) – 103 weeks
Teresa Kahler (Boone, Iowa) – 129 weeks
Teresa Kahler (Boone, Iowa)
37 participants this week! A pretty good week!
There were submissions this week taken in the following places:
+ Arkansas (1)
+ Colorado (1)
+ Florida (1)
+ Iowa (41)
+ Minnesota (1)
+ Missouri (2)
+ Nebraska (1)
+ New York (2)
+ Oklahoma (1)
+ Pennsylvania (1)
+ Wisconsin (1)
+ Wyoming (1)
Thanks to Carla’s travels, we were able to add Wyoming to the 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 (11)
+ Indiana (4)
+ Iowa (943)
+ Ireland (3)
+ Kansas (36)
+ Kentucky (1)
+ Louisiana (8)
+ Maryland (1)
+ Michigan (5)
+ Minnesota (10)
+ Mississippi (2.5)
+ Missouri (18.5)
+ Nebraska (34)
+ Nevada (4)
+ New Jersey (1)
+ New York (17)
+ North Ireland (1)
+ Ohio (2)
+ Oklahoma (2)
+ Pennsylvania (19)
+ Puerto Rico (4)
+ South Dakota (4)
+ Tennessee (2.5)
+ Texas (38)
+ Utah (1)
+ Vermont (1)
+ Virginia (1)
+ Wisconsin (2)
+ Wyoming (1)
31 states so far! 1 U.S. Terriorty! 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
+ Jen Ensley-Gorshe (IA, CO, MO, TX, TN, VA, IL, FL) – 8
+ Scott Degeneffe (IA, FL, UT, CO, IN, KY, IL) – 7
+ Nathanial Brown (IA, SD, TN, GA, IRL, NIR, FL) – 7
+ 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) – 4
+ Mike Vest (IA, MO, AR, OK) – 4
+ 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 now has a commanding lead to be crowned “The Most Travelled THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE Photographer!” Jen, Jesse, Scott, and Nathanial remain in striking distance though.
There were no major milestones reached this week. And unfortunately a few streaks bit it. Willy and Amy couldn’t build on their submissions from last week. Their streaks are over before they began. Then worst of all, Jesse’s 56 week streak is over! It lasted over a year, but now it is over. 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:
FACELESS PORTRAI! What a great theme for Year 11 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!
I look forward to seeing your 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 FACELESS PORTRAIT in this place that isn’t afraid to show its face next Monday.
Can you believe that this is the 5,250th entry in the blog known as “An Artist’s Notebook”? Every 250 posts or so I like to take a moment to reflect on where this post has been and post a lot of meaningless stats.
As always on these posts, I like to start by quoting the very first “An Artist’s Notebook” entry that published on August 9, 2006. That first post that published 6,296 days.
That post that started with these words:
So here is the first journal entry. I felt like having as pretentious sounding name as possible for my journal. I have a few goals about this journal. My main goal is just to actually write in it. My second goal is to be as truthful as possible towards my true thoughts and feelings. I have another journal on another website, but it is really just a collection of sarcastic statements and cheap jabs at open faced sandwiches. This journal is meant to be about what my achievements and failures are in the world of art. What projects I am working on and what I have accomplished and what I have failed to accomplish. What I am photographing and what I am thinking about entering in photo contests. What I am thinking about. It might not always make sense. It might just be things I need to write down because they strike me as poignant or inspirational. This is in a small way an online “idea box”.
Since those words, I have posted 5,250 journal entries. This website is still something of an “idea box”. Sometimes I’m just working stuff out here. I don’t know why, sometimes I need to work stuff out in public. But this website is definitely more than just an “idea box”. It is a place where I post a few thoughts and a ton of pictures. I’ve gone through a few photo projects on these pages. From THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT to the 9 EMOTIONS PROJECT to THE SELFIE PROJECT to the POSTCARD RECREATION PROJECT to name just a few. This website has also created a community with THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE. Which is one of my proudest achievements. Even if it sputtered and spit and barely survived in its first few years.
On these reflective posts, I like to publish a bunch of statistics that me and Joe Duff find interesting. So I might as well get to it.
Every post in “An Artist’s Notebook” is tagged with at least one Category. It is one of the easiest ways to navigate around the website. They are listed at the top of each post. Here are some statistics about Categories:
THE TOP 10 MOST USED CATEGORIES (RANK IN POST #5005 & INCREASE SINCE BEGINING OF 2024)
10. Carla – 632 (#10 – 39)
9. Formal Portrait – 655 (#6 – 6)
8. Teresa – 657 – (#9 – 49)
7. Road Trip – 657 (#8 – 32)
6. Macro – 662 (#7 – 26)
5. Jesse – 754 (#5 – 54)
4. Animals – 833 (#3 – 34)
3. Art – 842 – (#4 – 75)
2. Flowers – 1,010 (#2 – 40)
1. Black & White – 1,221 (#1 – 27)
No categories dropped from the Top 10. The categories with the best shot at cracking the Top 10 in the next 250 posts are Shannon, Nature, WPC-Submissions, Candid Portrait, & Still Life.
THE TOP 10 NON-HUMAN CATEGORIES
10. Candid Portrait – 504 (#9 – 16)
9. WPC-Submissions – 563 (NR – 27)
8. Nature – 568 (#8 – 26)
7. Formal Portrait – 655 (#5 – 6)
6. Road Trip – 657 (#7 – 32)
5. Macro – 662 (#9 – 26)
4. Animals – 833 (#3 – 34)
3. Art – 842 – (#4 – 75)
2. Flowers – 1,010 (#2 – 40)
1. Black & White – 1,221 (#1 – 27)
Photoshop dropped out of the Top 10.
The categories with the best shot of cracking the Top 10 in the next 250 posts are Still Life, Photoshop, Naima, History, and Self-portrait.
THE TOP 10 HUMAN CATEGORIES
10. Willy – 379 (NR – 27)
9. Vest – 388 (#10 – 29)
8. Micky – 399 (#8 – 29)
7. Logan – 428 (#7 – 37)
6. Kim – 441 (#6 – 35)
5. Mom – 473 (#5)
4. Shannon – 615 (#4 – 30)
3. Carla – 632 (#3 – 39)
2. Teresa – 657 (#2 – 49)
1. Jesse – 754 (#1 – 54)
Jay dropped out of he Top 10. The categories that have the best chance of breaking into the Top 10 in the next 250 posts are Andy, Jay, Jen, Sara, and Derrick.
If you have spent any time on the Photography 139 website, you know that on the left sidebar, the “Top 100 Categories” are listed. I thought I would give a little bit of coverage to the Bottom 10 of the Top 100. There are currently 208 categories used on the website. I could cover the Bottom 10, but no real reason. Some of those categories probably need to be purged. I do like to cover the Top 10 of the Bottom 100 though.
THE BOTTOME 10 OF THE TOP 100
10. Nathanial – 82 (+29)
9. Layla – 84 (+8)
8. Commercial – 84 (0)
7. House – 91 (+1)
6. Writing – 92 (0)
5. Becca – 92 (+2)
4. Pastor Sarah – 93 (+2)
3. Pufferbilly Days – 95 (+4)
2. Tenderloining – 96 (+25)
1. Faust – 96 (+4)
The following categories have either fallen out of the Bottom 10 of the Top 100 or climbed out of it:
Andree, Flat Earth Joe, Self-Portrait Project, and Sabas
The following categories have the best shot at dropping back into the Bottom 10 of the Top 10:
Russell, Nate, Jill, Blogging, Sabas, and Lowell.
The following categories have the best shot at climbing up into the Bottom 10 of the Top 10:
Andree, Photo Journal, Self-Portrait Project, Flat Earth Joe, and Mary.
I’m now starting to track what categories have had the greatest gain. These are the ones that have the greatest gain since the beginning of 2024.
THE TOP 10 CATEGORIES BY GAIN
10. Kim – 35
10. Andy – 35
10. Michelle – 35
8. Logan – 37
8. Elizabeth – 37
7. Carla – 39
6. Flowers – 40
5. Teresa – 49
4. Jesse – 54
2. Still Life – 72
2. Street Photography – 72
1. Art – 75
THE TOP 10 NON-HUMAN CATEGORIES BY GAIN
9. Nature -26
9. Nature – 26
7. Black & White – 27
7. WPC – Submissions – 27
6. Road Trip – 32
5. Animals – 34
4. Flowers – 40
2. Still Life – 72
2. Street Photography – 72
1. Art – 75
THE TOP 10 HUMAN CATEGORIES BY GAIN
9. Scottie. D. – 33
9. Linda – 33
9. Sabas – 33
6. Kim – 35
6. Andy – 35
6. Michelle – 35
4. Logan – 37
4. Elizabeth – 37
3. Carla – 39
2. Teresa – 49
1. Jesse – 54
If you are wondering what is your best way to improve your Photography 139 Score and crack the Top 10, it is simply to be active in THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE or go on trips with me or participate in various other photo projects or be related to me. Now these aren’t necessarily the 10 people that have influenced my photography the most, but these are the 10 people that have made the largest imprint on this website.
I can tell you the people that have influenced my photography the most, but that is a tale for another time. But I’m pretty sure you can guess who.
10. Naima – 72,941 views
9. Drone – 73,421 views
8. 9 Emotions Project – 98,062 views
7. Weekly Photo Challenge Year 3 – 124,533 views
6. Town Sign Project – 127,555 views
5. Tenderloining – 134,777 views
4. Town Sign Project Auxiliary Images – 172,671 views
3. Weekly Photo Challenge – Year 11 – 192,976 views
2. Instagram – 212,131 views
1. Weekly Photo Challenge – Year 11 – 289,984 views
Galleries that fell out of the Top 10 are:
Las Vegas 2023, Weekly Photo Challenge Year 9, Selfie Project – 2022,
Galleries that fell just outside of the Top 10 are:
Life, 365 Day Photo Project -2013, Memphis – 2023, New Orleans – 2024, Phot Journal Rejects.
But what are the most popular single images of the last 365 days? Don’t worry, I’m gonna feed you baby birds.
9. 2,508 views
8. 2,812 views
7. 3,774 views
6. 3,875 views
5. 3,999 views
4. 4,020 views
3. 4,305 views
2. 4,816 views
1. 20,050 views
If you are interested in checking out some of the milestone posts of the past, I got you. Click on any of the links below to check them out:
I think that is enough. We will check back in, in another 250 posts.
Last October I spent a few hours in beautiful gardens with a lot of family. Teresa, Linda, Linda’s friend, my cousin Marybeth and her husband.
Here are some pictures from the day:
It was a good time and I have one more collection of images from the day left to share.
When we last left off from my trip around Omaha with Bill, we were wandering around the Union Station Museum. Plenty more from there to share.
Still one more collection of images left to share. That time we will get out of Union Station. And not because we were almost kicked out.
Time to share another collection of images taken on my last trip to the Iowa State Fair on the last day of the Iowa State Fair with Jesse and Nader.
This collection begins in the Varied Industry Building and ends in the Cultural Building. One of my favorite buildings at the Iowa State Fair:
This mural is interactive when you hold your phone up to it.
This was a bad, delicious idea.
A deliciously bad idea.
Still one more collection of images to share from this day and that will be it for Iowa State Fair 2023. Just about in time for me to start thinking about what I’m going to enter this year.
