Back in early June, I got together with Alexis and Kupono and Kanoa and Anela to take some family photos. Here is the first collection of images from that photo shoot:
There are still plenty more pictures to share from this photo shoot. The next Formal Portrait Sunday, we will check in again with Jayton’s Summer Senior Picture Photo Shoot.
Another Formal Portrait Sunday. Another volume of pictures from one of Jayton’s Senior Picture Photo Shoots. In this collection you can see that he was a very decorated track and field athlete during his high school career.
Next Formal Portrait Sunday will involve a Baugher Family Photo Shoot from this year.
A reminder that this Friday is the deadline for the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest. Entries are to be submitted to the Chamber office by 5 PM.
I hope there are plenty of submissions this year! Or at the least, more than there were last year.
Was WILD a WILDly popular theme? I guess you will have to scroll down to find out.
As of 12:01 PM on Monday, July 18, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks (ignore the numbers in parentheses):
+ Jesse Howard – 1 week
+ Willy McAlpine – 1 week
+ Suzie Brannen – 2 weeks
+ Sabas Hernandez – 2 weeks
+ Monica Jennings – 2 weeks
+ Mike Vest – 2 weeks
+ Sara Lockner – 3 weeks
+ Jen Ensley-Gorshe – 4 weeks
+ Mary Green – 4 weeks
+ Angie DeWaard – 6 weeks
+ Dawn Krause – 9 weeks
+ Linda Bennett – 11 weeks
+ Kim Barker – 15 weeks
+ Joe Duff – 16 weeks
+ Logan Kahler – 18 weeks (2)
+ Teresa Kahler – 26 weeks (2)
+ Tamara Peterson – 26 weeks
+ Carla Stensland – 26 weeks (2)
+ Michelle Haupt – 27 weeks
+ Micky Augustin – 28 weeks
+ Andy Sharp – 29 weeks
+ Bill Wentworth – 30 weeks
+ Cathie Morton – 34 weeks
+ Elizabeth Nordeen – 35 weeks (2)
+ Shannon Bardole-Foley – 37 weeks
+ Kio Dettman – 40 weeks (3)
You might look at this list and be thinking, “Wait a second. Didn’t Carla’s streak get snapped last week?” You are experiencing the Mandela Effect.
What is the Mandela Effect?
The Mandela Effect refers to a situation in which a large mass of people believes that an event occurred when it did not.
Here is the most famous example:
The famous children’s book series the “Berenstain Bears” is not immune to the Mandela effect. Many people report remembering the name being the Berenstein Bears (spelled with an “e” instead of an “a”).
So that is what is going on here. Just the Mandel Effect.
You also might be coming down with a touch of gaslighting here too…
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:
Mary Green
Mary Green
Michelle Haupt – 28 weeks
Sabas Hernandez – 3 weeks
Sarah Karber – 1 week
Sarah Toot – 1 week
Sarah Toot
Sarah Toot
Tamara Peterson – 27 weeks
Tamara Peterson
Angie DeWaard – 7 weeks
Bill Wentworth – 31 weeks
Kio Dettman – 41 weeks
Kio Dettman
Kio Dettman
Kio Dettman
Dawn Krause – 10 weeks
Sara Lockner – 4 weeks
Micky Augustin – 29 weeks
Micky Augustin
Christopher D. Bennett
Cathie Morton – 35 weeks
Teresa Kahler – 27 weeks
Teresa Kahler
Joe Duff – 17 weeks
Carla Stensland – 27 weeks
Willy McAlpine – 2 weeks
Brandon Kahler – 1 week
Shannon Bardole-Foley – 38 weeks
Logan Kahler – 19 weeks
Logan Kahler
Kim Barker – 16 weeks
Elizabeth Nordeen – 36 weeks
Monica Jennings – 3 weeks
Monica Jennings
Suzie Brannen – 3 weeks
Andy Sharp – 30 weeks
26 participants! A great week!
Included in that list is the first time ever submissions from Sarah Toot. In fact, it was a big week for Sara(h)s! There were 3 Sara(h) participants. Smashing the previous record held by Michaels. Congratulations to Sara(h)s everywhere!
In another abnormality, it was the second straight week where there was a submission of a Pepsi product. Proving once again that Pepsi is better than Coke (although you shouldn’t drink either cause they are both poison, he said before taking a swig from his 20 oz bottle of Pepsi). The Cola Wars are over. All hail Pepsi!
A big milestone was reached by Dawn. Her streak reached 10 weeks. Another member of the double digit club!
But it wasn’t all good times with the choice of a new generation. 4 streaks were tragically snapped. Jesse couldn’t extend his streak to two weeks. Michael Vest couldn’t join Michael Augustin on the big board. His streak snapped at two. Jen’s streak withered on the vine at 4 weeks. And worst of all, Linda’s streak crumbled at 11 weeks. If there were family streak’s they would be at 12, but there are not family streaks.
I have no doubt all four will get back on the photography horse and have great things for us again in the future.
Here are the current top streaks:
9. Teresa Kahler – 27 weeks
9. Tamara Peterson – 27 weeks
9. Carla Stensland – 27 weeks
8. Michelle Haupt – 28 weeks
7. Micky Augustin – 29 weeks
6. Andy Sharp – 30 weeks
5. Bill Wentworth – 31 weeks
4. Cathie Morton – 35 weeks
3. Elizabeth Nordeen – 36 weeks
2. Shannon Bardole-Foley – 38 weeks
1. Kio Dettman – 41 weeks
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:
ODD CAMERA ANGLE! What a great theme for Year 9 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE.
But what exactly is an ODD CAMERA ANGLE photo? It is pretty simple. 99.9% of the pictures in the world are taken from the eye level of the photographer. This theme asks you to move the camera. It can be from an extremely low camera angle. Or it can be from an extremely high camera angle. Move your body and your camera to a perspective of your subject that isn’t normally seen.
While considering possible subjects and angles for your submission, meditate on the following quote:
Your problem is how you are going to spend this one odd and precious life you have been issued. Whether you’re going to spend it trying to look good and creating the illusion that you have power over people and circumstances, or whether you are going to taste it, enjoy it and find the truth about who you are.
-Ann Lamott
I look forward to seeing the interpretations.
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.
You can send your images to either bennett@photography139.com OR you may text them to my Pixel 5.
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 ODD CAMERA ANGLE in this place that is my crooked look at the world next Monday.
It is another Formal Portrait Sunday. This is the final collection of images from Kyle’s Fall Photo Shoot. But there is still another collection of Kyle pictures yet to share.
Here are more of my favorites:
Next Formal Portrait Sunday, we will check back-in with Jayton’s senior pictures.
It is time once again for another Formal Portrait Sunday. This time, we are checking back in with the Howard Family Portrait Shoot that was in some park in Cedar Falls.
Here are some more pictures from the day:
There is still more to come from the 2021 Howard Family Photo Shoot. Next Formal Portrait Sunday, we will check-in on Kyle’s Fall Senior Picture Photo Shoot one more time.
I need to start this post by wishing Naima a happy birthday. I know most of you are thinking, a day late and a dollar short Bennett, but the reason I didn’t wish Naima happy birthday is because we celebrated it today.
Here are some pictures of the 11 year old over the years:
Thanks to everybody that wished Naima a happy birthday. Jen and Alexander. She appreciated it and then probably went back to sleep.
Time once again for a Formal Portrait Sunday. This week’s features Gretchen and Maven. I’m not sure when, but at some point, Gretchen turned into a complete ham, and I’m here for it.
There is still one more collection of pictures to come from the 2021 Junck Family Photo Shoot. Next Formal Portrait Sunday, we will check back in with the Howard Family Photo Shoot.
On this Formal Portrait, it is once again time to check-in on Kyle’s Summer Senior Picture Photo Shoot.
There is still one more collection of pictures from Kyles Summer Photo Shoot left to share. Next Formal Portrait Sunday will be another look at the Junck Family Photo Shoot.
It is another Formal Portrait Sunday and time once again for another collection of pictures from one of Jayton’s senior picture photo shoots. These are all taken around downtown Boone. One thing about downtown Boone is that it doesn’t have much art, but it has a pretty solid collection of places to take portraits. Especially if you like brick wall backgrounds and guess what… I do! I do like brick wall backgrounds!
Next Formal Portrait Sunday we will check back in with one of Kyle’s senior picture photo shoots.
It has been 5,795 days since August 9, 2006. 5,795 days since I first took keyboard in hand and started the blog portion of the Photography 139 website. The portion I pompously named “An Artist’s Notebook”. The part I started with the 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”.
Over the years this website has transitioned less from an “idea box” and more into a “show and tell”. I keep my idea box more private these days. I didn’t even publish a picture on “An Artist’s Notebook” for months.
In fact, it wouldn’t be until October 20, 2006 that a blog post included an image. This image to be exact:
It is a picture of “Steve” the Groundhog that lived behind the Computer Mine for years.
While the format and what has posted on An Artist’s Notebook has changed several times over the years, its main goals of “actually writing in it”, “being truthful as possible”, and of course the goal of having produced something worthy as being as “pretentious sounding as An Artist’s Notebook” have remained intact.
On these periodic check-ins I like to overwhelm those that stick around this long with a ton of meaningless statistics. Today’s post should be no different. 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 #4250 & Increase since then):
9. WPC-Submissions – 455 (#9 – +38)
9. Teresa – 455 (NR)
8. Carla – 476 (#7 – +41)
7. Road Trip – 477 (NR)
6. Shannon – 500 (#5 – +42)
5. Art – 506 (#10 – +92)
4. Jesse – 579 (#4 – +50)
3. Animals – 698 (#3 – +33)
2. Flowers – 819 (#2 – +65)
1. Black and White – 918 (#1 – +99)
Top 10 Non Human Categories:
10. Formal Portrait – 381 (NR)
9. Nature – 396 (#9 – +17)
8. Portrait – 435 (#4 – -15)
7. Macro – 441 (#8 – +51)
6. WPC – Submissions – 455 (#5 – +38)
5. Road Trip – 477 (#7 – +83)
4. Art – 506 (#6 – +92)
3. Animals – 698 (#3 – +33)
2. Flowers – 819 (#2 – +65)
1. Black and White – 918 (#1 – +99)
Top 10 Human Categories:
10. Jen – 286 (#9 – +9)
9. Vest – 294 (#10 – +20
8. Kim – 297 (NR)
7. Derrick – 320 (#7 – +9)
6. Jay – 337 (#6 – +8)
5. Mom – 453 (#4 – +31)
4. Teresa – 455 (#5 – +50)
3. Carla – 476 (#3 – +41)
2. Shannon – 500 (#2 – +42)
1. Jesse – 579 (#1 – +50)
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 194 categories used on the website. I could cover the Bottom 10, but they are mostly people that either very recently came into my life by birth (Dahlia, Anela) or another way. Or people that I thought would be a bigger part of my life and then weren’t. No need to cover those people. The Category that is #194 probably needs to be purged.
The Bottom 10 of the Top 100:
#100. Jaycees – 65
#99. Vacation – 67
#98. Mark – 69
#97. Commercial – 72
#95. Pastor Sarah – 74
#95. Life – 74
#94. Andree – 75
#93. Lowell – 77
#92. Photo Journal – 79
#91. Birthdays – 80
Some of these are bound to slip out of the Top 100. For example, there will never be another Jaycees post. Ever. I also apparently don’t take many vacations. Mark, not really part of my life any more. Life, is a broad category that I’ve tried to eliminate over the years. Photo Journal, a project I have completed, so there will never be another post on that. Birthdays, I currently don’t wish people “happy birthday”, but maybe I will again someday.
So what has a shot at cracking the Top 100? These are the 5 that are the closest.
+ Self-Portrait Project
+ Dae Hee
+ Kelly
+ Layla
+ FNSC
So, you might be wondering, how do you improve your Photography 139 score?
The easiest way is simple. Participate in THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE. You don’t even have to be around me and most people will tell you that being around me isn’t all that great. I mean look at Shannon. She is still #2 on the Big Board and I haven’t seen her in person since October 22, 2021. It can be done!
Other ways to increase your score:
+ Act as a Photo Assistant
+ Show up in THE SELFIE PROJECT
+ Go on TOWN SIGN PROJECT road trips with me… that one to Scott County is going to be epic!
+ An underated way is to assist with the FatMumSlim Photo a Day Project.
+ Doesn’t hurt to be related to me, but most of those slots are taken.
+ Doesn’t hurt to work with me, go to the same church as me, or otherwise engage me socially.
That is probably enough Category nonsense. I bet at least Joe is still here with me though.
“An Artist’s Notebook” is part of Photography 139. The 139 comes from Psalm 139:1-12. The Photography part comes from this website is supposed to be filled with photography. So, what are the most popular photo galleries on the Photography 139 website? Glad you asked:
9. 9 Emotions Project – 69,259 Views
8. WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – YEAR 8 – 74,730 Views
7. WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – YEAR 9 – 77,929 Views
6. SELFIE PROJECT – 2022 – 84,763 Views
5. Alexis Pregnancy Photo Shoot – 2020 – 95,358 Views
4. Christopher D. Bennett – 104,433 Views
3. Town Sign Project – Auxiliary Images – 108,873 Views
2. Selfie Project – 2021 – 120,185 Views
1. Town Sign Project – 176,664 Views
At post 4,250 these were the 5 most popular galleries:
5. Gorshe Family
4. Town Sign Project
3. Weekly Photo Challenge – Year 8
2. Selfie Project – 2021
1. Alexis Pregnancy Photo Shoot – 2020
But what are the most popular single images of the last 365 days? Don’t worry, I’m gonna feed you baby birds.
9. Carla and Teresa – 2,379 Views
8. Dexter, Iowa – 2,426 Views
7. Scranton, Iowa – 2,484 Views
6. Moingona, Iowa – 2,770 Views
5. The Howards – 2,842 Views
4. Miami – 2,920 Views
3. Alexis Pregnant – 3,458 Views
2. Me and Mom – 4,134 Views
1. Bellevue – 14,629 Views
The final statistic I want to share with everybody before riding off into the sunset and not boring you with these statistics for another 250 posts is the 5 people with the highest Photography Subscriber Loyalty Scores.
Top 5 Photography 139 Loyalty Scores
5. Frank Meiners – 97.0%
4. Michelle Haupt – 98.6%
3. Angie DeWaard – 99.5%
2. Joe Duff – 99.7%
1. Mary Green – 100.0%
People right outside the Top 5:
+ Linda Bennett
+ Tamara Peterson
+ Jeannette Duff
To be honest, I don’t know how this number is figured. I believe it is the percentage of emails from the subscriber list that you open within the first 24 hours of getting an email from me, but but I really don’t know if we are being honest. But thanks for doing what it is you are doing!
I think that is enough. Here is to the next 4,500 posts!
This is the final collection of pictures from the 2021 Baugher Family Photo Shoot. All of these pictures are of Anela and one could argue there are too many of them, but when there is magic between the photographer and the model, is it possible for there to be too many? Search your heart, for you know the answer…
Next Formal Portrait Sunday will be another look at Jayton’s 1st Senior Pictures Photo Shoot.
