Category Archives: Candid Portrait

Alexis, Amy, Andy, Angie, Animals, Bill, Brandon, Candid Portrait, Carla, Cathie, Dawn, Derrick, Elainie, Elizabeth, Evie, Funk, Iowa State, Jen, Jesse, Joe Duff, Kim, Kio, Linda, Logan, Mary, Micky, Mindi, Nathanial, Sabas, Sarah Toot, Scottie D., Shannon, Sheri, Still Life, Suzie, Tamara, Teresa, Vest, WPC - Submissions

WPC – WEEK 427 – PORTRAIT

November 20, 2023 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

A reminder that if you are looking for a Thanksgiving meal or a place to volunteer on Thanksgiving my church is hosting it’s annual Thanksgiving meal again this year. Information below:

I will be there for at least part of the day!

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I haven’t selected the 52 themes for Year 11 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE. But here is a list of the suggested themes:

-Science
-Remorse
-Necessity, something critical to your way of life
-Monochrome
-Tourism
-Sentimental
-Dog
-Screenshot
-Anything in the world but a cat
-Roman Numeral
-Outside your home county
– Memories/Memorial/etc.
– Clothing
– Out-of-date (I was thinking specifically of technology or items like pay phones and outhouses here, but it could be more expansive)
– Hands
– Struggle (or challenge)
– A stranger
– Fashion
– Starburst
– Symmetry
– Rule of 1/3’s
– Wheels
– Self portrait
– Emotion
– 6:00pm
– Warmth
– Candlelight
– Window view
– Ugly
– Sunday morning
-ANIMAL or PET
-PASSION

Definitely several of these will make next year’s list! Obviously ANYTHING IN THE WORLD BUT A CAT is a no-brainer!

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PORTRAIT! Everyone has taken one or been in one. But did enough people take a PORTRAIT to make it a popular theme? You’ll have to keep scrolling to find out!

As of 12:01 PM on Monday, November 13, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks (ignore the numbers in parentheses):

1-Susanna Funk – 1 week
2-Diane Sharp – 1 week
3-Suzie Brannen – 2 weeks
4-Monica Jennings – 2 weeks
5-Elainie Hernandez – 2 weeks
6-Sara Lockner – 2 weeks
7-Alexis Stensland – 5 weeks
8-Scott Degeneffe – 12 weeks (3)
9-Sabas Hernandez – 13 weeks
10-Willy McAlpine – 13 weeks
11-Mike Vest – 19 weeks
12-Sheri Fakhouri – 22 weeks
13-Logan Kahler – 23 weeks
14-Nathanial Brown – 24 weeks
15-Jesse Howard – 24 weeks
16-Tamara Peterson – 27 weeks
17-Mindi Terrell – 39 weeks
18-Brandon Kahler – 63 weeks
19-Linda Bennett – 68 weeks
20-Sarah Toot – 69 weeks (2)
21-Angie DeWaard – 73 weeks
22-Dawn Krause – 77 weeks
23-Kim Barker – 83 weeks
24-Joe Duff – 84 weeks
25-Teresa Kahler – 95 weeks
26-Carla Stensland – 95 weeks (2)
27-Micky Augustin – 97 weeks
28-Andy Sharp – 98 weeks (2)
29-Bill Wentworth – 99 weeks
30-Cathie Morton – 103 weeks
31-Elizabeth Nordeen – 104 weeks
32-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 106 weeks
33-Kio Dettman – 108 weeks (2)

The third week of each month I like to share a map of all the states that have had pictures taken in them that were submitted for this calendar year. Well, I checked my calendar and this is the third Monday of the month. Here is the map, heading into this week:

That is a lot of states filled in. In fact, going into this week, there are only 10 states that haven’t been visited and photographed by somebody that submits here. I don’t think there is any chance we will fill in the entire map this year, but we sure have gotten a lot closer than I ever would have guessed! There are 6 weeks left in this calendar year. I don’t anticipate any more states being filled in at this point. Maybe Indiana. But that is a pretty full map if it doesn’t change.

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

Micky Augustin (Sonnette, Montana) – 98 weeks

Shannon Bardole-Foley (Iowa) – 107 weeks

Kim Barker (Iowa) – 84 weeks

Christopher D. Bennett (Jack Trice Stadium – Ames, Iowa)

Linda Bennett (Jewell, Iowa) – 69 weeks

Suzie Brannen (Iowa) – 3 weeks

Nathanial Brown (Dobson Pipe Organ Builders – Lake City, Iowa) – 25 weeks

Scott Degeneffe (Boone County, Iowa)- 13 weeks

Kio Dettman (Iowa) – 109 weeks

Angie DeWaard (Iowa) – 74 weeks

Joe Duff (Texas) – 85 weeks

Jen Ensley-Gorshe (Iowa) – 1 week

Sheri Fakhouri (Ankeny, Iowa) – 23 weeks

Sheri Fakhouri (Ankeny, Iowa)

Susanna Funk (Iowa) – 2 weeks

Evie Gorshe (Iowa) – 1 week

Mary Green (Manchester, Iowa) – 1 week

Mary Green (Manchester, Iowa)

Elainie Hernandez (Ledges State Park – Boone County, Iowa) – 3 weeks

Sabas Hernandez (Ankeny, Iowa) – 14 weeks

Jesse Howard (Iowa) – 25 weeks

Brandon Kahler (Iowa) – 64 weeks

Logan Kahler (Iowa) – 24 weeks

Logan Kahler (Iowa)

Teresa Kahler (Boone, Iowa) – 96 weeks

Dawn Krause (Iowa) – 78 weeks

Dawn Krause (Iowa)

Cathie Morton (Iowa) – 104 weeks

Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa) – 105 weeks

Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa)

Amy Peterson (Idaho Falls, Idaho) – 1 week

Tamara Peterson (Iowa) – 28 weeks

Andy Sharp (UNI Dome – Cedar Falls, Iowa) – 99 weeks

Andy Sharp (UNI Dome – Cedar Falls, Iowa)

Alexis Stensland (east Des Moines, Iowa) – 6 weeks

Carla Stensland (Ames, Iowa) – 96 weeks

Sarah Toot (New Jersey) – 70 weeks

Mindi Terrell (Iowa) – 40 weeks

Mindi Terrell (Iowa)

Mike Vest (Iowa) – 20 weeks

Bill Wentworth (Nebraska) – 100 weeks

34 participants! A pretty good week by current standards!

There were submissions this week taken in the following places:

+ Idaho
+ Iowa
+ Montana
+ Nebraska
+ New Jersey
+ Texas

Here is the current calendar year list for states:

+ Arizona
+ Arkansas
+ California
+ Colorado
+ Florida
+ Georgia
+ Hawaii
+ Idaho
+ Illinois
+ Iowa
+ Kansas
+ Kentucky
+ Louisiana
+ Maryland
+ Michigan
+ Minnesota
+ Mississippi
+ Missouri
+ Montana
+ Nebraska
+ New Hampshire
+ New Jersey
+ New Mexico
+ New York
+ Nevada
+ North Carolina
+ North Dakota
+ Ohio
+ Oklahoma
+ Oregon
+ Pennsylvania
+ South Carolina
+ South Dakota
+ Tennessee
+ Texas
+ Utah
+ Vermont
+ Washington
+ Washington D.C.
+ Wisconsin
+ Wyoming

40 states and 1 district! That is pretty impressive! Over 80% of the way there! Every continental state west of the Mississippi is now accounted for.

This is the list of states currently missing:
+ Alabama
+ Alaska
+ Connecticut
+ Delaware
+ Indiana
+ Maine
+ Massachusetts
+ Rhode Island
+ Virginia
+ West Virginia

The Outside of the United States map is currently:

+ Spain
+ British Virgin Islands
+ Mexico
+ Nassau Bahamas
+ Canada
+ Peru
+ France
+ Austria
+ Germany
+ Italy
+ Slovenia

The big milestone this week is Bill joining the Triple Digit Club! Also Cathie joins the 2 Year Streak Club. I forgot to mention it last week when Elizabeth joined it or a few weeks ago when Shannon joined and a few weeks before that when Kio joined it! Also, Dawn joined the Year and Half Club!

But it was all good news. Diane couldn’t build on her submission from last week. Monica’s 2 week streak went poof! As did Sara’s. And worst of all… Willy’s streak ends at unlucky 13.

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:

ANIMAL

ANIMAL! What a great theme for Year 10 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!

But what is a ANIMIMAL picture? It is simply a picture of an ANIMAL. That could be a live ANIMAL. It could be a stuffed ANIMAL. It could be a box of meat. It could be a pet. It could be a wild animal. It could be something related to an ANIMAL. The possibilities are endless!

While thinking about possible subjects for your ANIMAL picture, meditate on the following quote and I have no doubt that you will come up with a fabulous image:

Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.
-Anatole France

I look forward to your interpretation!

RULES

The picture has to 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 (unless you are taking your picture from the couch) and take pictures challenge. There is a limit of 3 submissions per participant. To be considered the photographer, you have to be the one that takes the picture. Don’t be stealing the work of other artists. You can submit pictures for other photographers that took pictures with your camera or phone, but give credit where credit is due.

You can send your images to either bennett@photography139.com OR you may text them to my Pixel 5.

That is it. Thems the rules!

That is all I got, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will all be sharing your idea of ANIMAL in this place that loves dogs and so many other animals next Monday.

Black & White, Candid Portrait, Evie, Gretchen, Holidays, Layla, Nature, Night, Railroad, Still Life, Street Photography, WPC - Alternate

But Don’t Tell Me You’re Sorry, Boy

November 11, 2023 Christopher D. Bennett

Today is Veterans Day. A day that celebrates all those who served in the U.S. Military.

Happy Veterans Day to all the veterans I know! And to the ones I don’t know too.

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Time to hit up the backlog again. These pictures are from March and they just didn’t fit into any previous post. Some are sunset pictures. Some are from Gretchen’s birthday party. Some are pictures of gas stations.

Have a look:

Unfortunately I didn’t get any pictures of Gretchen or Maven. I kinda suck.

There are still plenty more images in the March backlog to share.

Animals, Art, Black & White, Candid Portrait, Christianity, Jesse, Nader, Road Trip, Street Photography, Town Sign Project

Birthday Road Trip Denouement

November 3, 2023 Christopher D. Bennett

Here is the final collection of images from the birthday road trip I took with Jesse and Nader. On the way back we stopped at The Grotto of the Redemption. Nader had never been to it before, which was no shocker. But this was also Jesse’s first trip there.

But before we made it to The Grotto of the Redemption, we stumbled across an unincorporated town with a town sign that had a town sign I hadn’t harvested:

Langdon, Iowa – Unincorporated
LANGDON
IOWA
EST. 1899 POP. 53

Maybe not a great town sign, but a solid town sign.

When we pulled up to The Grotto, I wasn’t sure if Nader was going to get out of the car. He was being a grumpypants and was pretty addicted to his phone. But he did finally get out of the car and then after he saw the Grotto he described it as the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen in his life. It is definitely beautiful.

Here are the pictures:

I wonder where I will go for my birthday road trip in 2024?

Animals, Candid Portrait, Christianity, Jesse, Nader, Road Trip, Still Life, Street Photography

Orange City Tulip Festival II

October 10, 2023 Christopher D. Bennett

I’m currently out of drone pictures, so thought I would move up the next post on the Orange City Tulip Festival a couple of days early.

We start this collection off where the collection ended. We had just got our poffertjes and had sat down to eat the deliciousness!

These buckets of water are throughout the parade route. Little kids clean the road before the Orange Festival Royalty walk through. I hope to get pictures of that next year.

Fried Almond Patties are a game changer!

The world needs more conveyor belts.

Still a couple more collections of images from this trip left to share!

Art, Black & White, Candid Portrait, Flowers, Formal Portrait, Jesse, Kalista, Kelly, Music, Naima, Nature, Saydie, Still Life, Street Photography, Taylan, WPC - Alternate

Now I Don’t Want Your Sympathy

October 1, 2023 Christopher D. Bennett

We’ve come to the end of the black & white week. Time to share the black & white pictures I took last Sunday. Some of these pictures are from wandering around my yard. Some are from the Howard Family Photo Shoot. Some are from the Octagon Art Festival.

This might be the biggest collection yet, so we might as well get to it:

If you are wondering about the Howard family photos, I kept a separate camera set to black & white to snap a few photos here and there. The photo shoot was not in black & white. Except for the clothes they are wearing.

If you are wondering how many black & white photos I took last week to get one submission for THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE… the answer is…

872

Although to be transparent, somewhere on Tuesday I knew the basic setup of the picture I was going to use for my submission. So you could say I took that image and then over 800 safeties.

Black & White Week has concluded. But remember.

There was nothing wrong with this website. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. I am controlling transmission. If I wish to make it louder, I will bring up the volume. If I wish to make it softer, I will tune it to a whisper. I will control the horizontal. I will control the vertical. I can roll the image, make it flutter. I can change the focus to a soft blur, or sharpen it to crystal clarity. For this last week, you sat quietly and I controlled all that you saw and heard. There is nothing wrong with this website. You participated in a great adventure. You experienced the awe and mystery which reaches from the inner mind to… Black & White Week.

I now return control of this website (not really) to you, until next year, when the Control Voice will take you to Black & White Week!

Animals, Art, Black & White, Candid Portrait, Flowers, Macro, Naima, Nature, Railroad, Self-Portrait, Still Life, Street Photography, Vest, Work

About Someone Who Loved You More

September 27, 2023 Christopher D. Bennett

This collection of alternate images for last week’s theme for THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE will include pictures I took on Wednesday and Thursday of last week. Most of them I took on my lunch break from the computer mine on Wednesday. I went to downtown Ames to talk to Derrick about the upcoming football game on Saturday, but he was actually at the bank. So I did wander around a little bit and do some street photography.

I got stuck working late yet again on Wednesday night, so I didn’t take many pictures in the evening.

Here is the collection of images from Wednesday:

On Thursday I woke up to a foggy morning. I had to work at the Computer Mine worldwide headquarters. So I snapped some pictures on the way there. Then I snapped a few pictures at work and then did some shopping after work. Then took a few more when I got home.

Here are the Thursday pictures:

A lot of examples in this collection for why I love black & white photography so much. Or one of the reasons. There is just so much play in the exposure control that you get with black & white that you don’t get with color photography. Which isn’t to say that it is less demanding, because if anything, it can be more demanding. However, there is so much latitude in exposure and some of the things that can destroy a color photo like grain (or digital noise) can actually enhance a black & white image.

4 days down, but believe you me… we are just starting to get warmed up.

Amanda, Animals, Black & White, Boone County Fair, Candid Portrait, Dahlia, Event, Greyson, Logan, Nature, Russ, Still Life, Street Photography, Teresa

The Next Second You Were Gone

April 22, 2023 Christopher D. Bennett

Seems like a good time to clean up the July backlog. This collection of images was taken in July of last year, but never really found a spot in a previous “An Artist’s Notebook” entry. Some pictures are of a storm. Some are from the Boone County Fair. Some are of a baby bird, or an immature bird. Some are from Dahlia’s birthday party.

Always feels good to get a little bit of that backlog cleared out.

Basketball, Black & White, Candid Portrait, Formal Portrait, Fran

Roundball Oracles – Year 18/F & P – Vol. 4

March 12, 2023 Christopher D. Bennett

It is time once again for the greatest sporting event of year. It is that time known as March Madness. The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

Once again, I will be sponsoring a NCAA Tournament Pool. There is no cost to enter the pool, except for pride. And if pride is nothing to you, well done.

The winner gets a trophy. The dead last place person gets a trophy known as The Sara*. Nobody else gets a trophy. I’m not made of trophies people!

By winning, you get your name etched on the List of Immortals:

PAST ROUNDBALL ORACLE CHAMPIONS – LIST OF IMMORTALS

2022 – Ben Baier
2021 – Micky Augustin
2019 – Becky Parmelee
2018 – Paul Golden
2017 – Paul Golden
2016 – Michelle Haupt
2015 – Derek Dohrman
2014 – Brandon Kahler
2013 – William McAlpine
2012 – Lowell Davis
2011 – Carrie Baier
2010 – Mark Wolfram
2009 – Mark Wolfram
2008 – Mark Wolfram
2007 – Tim Peterson
2006 – William McAlpine
2005 – William McAlpine

But I said that there are 2 trophies. The 2nd trophy, The Sara, goes to the adult that finishes dead last, while trying. A person can not tank on purpose and win The Sara. The reason The Sara winner has to be an adult is that I don’t want to mock children, to their face. Does that mean I have no problem mocking children behind their back? Does it make me a bad person if I say yes? Probably a better rule would be that to “win” The Sara, you have to be at least a teenager. I have no problem mocking teenagers to their face. At least, back when there was a Youth Group.

Past “The Sara” Winners:

2022 – Joey Randazzo
2021 – Rachel Gildersleeve
2019 – Russell Kennerly
2018 – Robert Henning
2017 – Shannon Bardole
2016 – Laura Priest
2015 – Derrick Gorshe
2014 – Sara Lockner

The Sara doesn’t have the long storied history of the championship trophy, but it will get there. I have no doubts. This will be the 9th winner since its inception after all.

These were the final standings from last year:

ROUNDBALL ORACLES – YEAR 17

1. Ben Baier – 273 points
2. Sara Lockner – 271 points
3. Shawn Lockner – 242 points
4. Rachel Gildersleeve – 242 points
5. Linda Bennett – 232 points
6. Becky Parmelee – 231 points
7. Carla Stensland – 229 points
8. Angie DeWaard – 224 points
9. Christopher D. Bennett – 224 points
10. Tim Peterson – 223 points
11. Jason Baier – 217 points
12. Lowell Davis – 215 points
13. Derek Dohrman – 215 points
14. Carrie Baier – 214 points
15. Sarah Karber – 210 points
16. Michael Augustin – 209 points
17. Elizabeth Nordeen – 206 points
18. Jorge Rios – 203 points
19. Brandon Kahler – 203 points
20. Will Baier – 197 points
21. Jordan Toot – 197 points
22. Corey Faust – 197 points
23. Andree Jauhari – 192 points
24. Jesse Howard – 191 points
25. Dawn Krause – 182 points
26. Derrick Gorshe – 181 points
27. Michelle Haupt – 179 points
28. Jackson Faust – 176 points
29. Jason Stensland – 168 points
30. J.J. Baier – 164 points
31. Russell Kennerly – 161 points
32. Toby Sebring – 157 points
33. Robert Henning – 151 points
34. Jill Gorshe – 147 points
35. Joe Randazzo – 143 points
36. Olivia Baier – 141 points

If you are a basketball fan, or are just interested in having fun, click on the link below to join my pool:

Roundball Oracles – Year 18

The rules are as follows:
Round 1 = 1 point + seed
Round 2 = 2 points + seed
Round 3 = 4 points + seed
Round 4 = 8 points + seed
Round 5 = 16 points + seed
Rounds 6 = 32 points + seed

The Play-in Games (AKA the First Four) don’t matter. You can wait for those games to complete before filling out your bracket. The deadline to fill out your bracket, is tip-off of the first game on Thursday. Roughly 11 AM.

Under special circumstances, I will allow you to turn in a paper bracket to me. So, don’t be afraid to ask.

Yes, your child can fill out a bracket. Your dog, no.

There were 36 competitors in 2022. A 9 person gain from 2019. Hopefully there is continued growth in participation this year, but I don’t know that I have 9 more friends than I did in 2021. It is possible I have gained even more friends since 2022. I might be a pretty great person.

*You have to be 14 years or older to win “The Sara”.

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It is a Sunday, and it is a Formal Portrait Sunday. In fact, this is the last Formal Portrait Sunday for the foreseeable future. I’m sure I’ll take some more formal portraits at some point, but until then… I’m not sure what I will do with my Sundays. Maybe I’ll take them off. Or maybe it will just be fairly random. Who knows? It is a whole new world!

On this last Formal Portrait Sunday I am sharing a small collection of pictures from the photo shoot with Fran and Pepper:

Baier, Birthdays, Black & White, Candid Portrait, Self-Portrait

I Knew from the Start this is Exactly How You’d Leave

March 11, 2023 Christopher D. Bennett

I need to start off this post by wishing Jason Baier a happy birthday. Happy birthday Baier:

I hope your birthday has all the joy, happiness, and bears doing cocaine you could ever want!

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I also need to wish Dawn a happy birthday. Happy birthday Dawn!

I just hope you enjoy your book!

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Time once again to work on the backlog. The images I’m about to share were taken last May and they never really fit into any other “An Artist’s Notebook” entries. Some are self-portraits I took shortly before I shaved off my beard for the trip to Miami Beach. The rest are pictures of Jesse before or after having a water balloon exploded on his face.

I made up four water balloons. Jesse volunteered to be the subject. Anders and Jay watched. Willy, was also in the crowd and he was deemed to be the most athletic of the the three so he was selected to throw the water balloons at Jesse. He missed 3 times in a row. THREE TIMES IN A ROW!!!

So finally, down to the last water balloon, Willy just pressed a water balloon against Jesse’s face. While some of the pictures of Jesse anticipating the water balloon look like the before picture in one of those commercials for t-shirts that fit better, he is actually it is anticipation of a balloon collision.

I Knew from the Start this is Exactly How You'd Leave

It always feels good to get some of the backlog knocked out. You never know, some day there might night be a backlog. On to the June backlog!

Art, Becca, Bethany, Billy, Candid Portrait, Colleen, Dory, Event, Fran, J.T., Jim, Jonah, Nate, Nora, Still Life

Triplet + Jonah Birthday Party – 2022

February 3, 2023 Christopher D. Bennett

A few months back I picked up some cakes and Jim and went to the Wolf Lodge near Kansas City for the birthday party of the triplets and Jonah. I didn’t get to spend much time there cause Jim is kind of like Cinderella. He expires after being away from home too long.

I also didn’t get many pictures because we drove 4 hours to catch the last 25 minutes of the party. The rest of the day was spent in the Wolf Lodge water park area and I didn’t take any pictures there.

Here are some of the pictures I took:

Despite its brevity, it was a good trip. I wish I had some pictures of the kids playing in the water park, but I didn’t get any. I wonder what will happen with the birthday parties this year?

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This is your reminder that this week’s THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE theme is BOOKS:

BOOKS

BOOKS! What a great theme for Year 10 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!

But what is a BOOKS image? Simply put, it is any image where the subject or a major compositional element is a BOOK or BOOKS.

Happy photo harvesting!