Category Archives: WPC – Reminder

Your Real World Away

Today is Valentine’s Day. I have been told that today is a holiday invented by the greeting card companies. I don’t know if that is the case, but I can’t think of the greeting card industry without thinking about one of my favorite scenes from one of my favorite movies of the last 10 years. 11 years actually. The scene where Tom quits the greeting card company in 500 DAYS OF SUMMER:

(Sorry, some mild profanity)

(set at a meeting to discuss new greeting card ideas)

Tom: Yeah, uh, this is… And Rhoda, no disrespect, but um, this is total shit.

McKenzie:
Tom!

Tom: “Go for it” “You can do it”? That’s not inspirational, that’s suicidal. If pickles goes for it right there, that’s a dead cat. These are lies. We’re liars. Think about it. Why do people buy these things? It’s not ’cause they wanna say how they feel. People buy cards ’cause they can’t say how they feel or they’re afraid too. We provide the service that lets them off the hook. You know what? I say to hell with it. Let’s level with America. At least let them speak for themselves! Right? I mean, look! What-What is this? What does it say? “Congratulations on your new baby.” Right? How ’bout, “Congratulations on your new baby. Guess that’s it for hanging out. Nice knowing you.”

Vance:
Sit down, Hansen.

Tom:
How bout this one, with all the pretty hearts on the front? I think I know where this ones going. Yep! “Happy Valentines Day, sweetheart. I love you.” That sweet? Ain’t love grand? This is exactly what I’m talking about. What does that even mean, “love”? Do you know? Do you? Anybody?

McKenzie:
Tom…

Tom:
If somebody gave me this card, Mr. Vance, I would eat it. It’s these cards, and the movies and the pop songs, they’re to blame for all the lies and the heartache, everything. We’re responsible. *I’m responsible.* I think we do a bad thing here. People should be able to say how they feel, how they really feel, not you know, some words that some stranger put in their mouths. Words like “love”… that don’t mean anything. Sorry, I’m sorry. I, uh… I quit. I’m… There’s enough bullshit in the world without my help.

Well anyways, I made you a picture for Valentine’s Day:


Valentine's Day - 2020

Happy Valentine’s Day! Hope yours is exactly how you want it to be!

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I’ve resolved to make public the dates and movies of Union Street Theater’s Monthly Movie Night, because (and get this) you are invited! February Movie Night will be very special, it is going to be a Leap Day Movie Night.

Date: Saturday, February 29, 2020
Time: 6 PM
Place: Union Street Theater
Address: 1416 Union Street, Boone, Iowa

The theme this month is romance. The B movie is TEETH.



TEETH

Here is a quick synopsis of the film:

Dawn (Jess Weixler) is an active member of her high-school chastity club but, when she meets Tobey (Hale Appleman), nature takes its course, and the pair answer the call. They suddenly learn she is a living example of the vagina dentata myth, when the encounter takes a grisly turn.

The feature will be RED ROCK WEST:



RED ROCK WEST

I get it. I know what you’re thinking. Nicolas Cage is the worst! And you are almost right. Kevin Costner is actually the worst and Nicolas Cage is the second worst. Remember that while Cage is awful, he did manage to make RAISING ARIZONA and ADAPTATION. 2 great movies! All Kevin Costner can say is that he was in THE UNTOUCHABLES where Sean Connery carried him.

Here is a quick synopsis of RED ROCK WEST:

When unemployed ex-marine Michael Williams (Nicolas Cage) stumbles into a bar in Red Rock, Wyo., the owner, Wayne (J.T. Walsh), mistakes him for a hired killer and offers him $10,000 to kill his wife, Suzanne (Lara Flynn Boyle). Michael plays along, taking half the money up front, then tells Suzanne what her husband is planning. She seduces Michael and proposes that he kill her husband instead. While he weighs his options, the real killer (Dennis Hopper) turns up looking for his money.

I believe that Jay will be holding his second Root Beer Symposium that night, so an added bonus will be blind taste testing a series of root beers.

I can’t guarantee your mental health if you attend Union Street Theater Movie Night. I still believe that Movie Night broke Willy.

March Movie Night will be a tribute to the great Kirk Douglas. Movies have yet to be determined at this time.

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


WEEK 231 - FAMILY
FAMILY

A FAMILY photo is any photo of a group of people that share a common relationship or common values or common purpose or even common DNA.

Happy photo harvesting!

Larry Howard

Willy, Jay, and I are taking Jesse out for his birthday. It isn’t anywhere near his birthday. Jesse’s birthday was way back in December, but life got in the way of going out then. We had to celebrate Willy’s birth. Then the holidays got in the way. Then it was the Camping World Bowl Road Trip. It took us awhile to come together on a day that worked for everybody.

After swapping calendars, we worked out the best day was February 7. A very special FNSC. We would gather ourselves up and head to The OP in Ankeny.

This is apropos because today is the birthday of Jesse’s dad Larry. Larry passed away on February 21, 2019. Larry was a Vietnam veteran and was eventually laid to rest at the Veteran’s Cemetery in Van Meter.

I was asked to take pictures of the ceremony once I got there. I didn’t actually plan on that and I didn’t have my normal camera with me. I did what I could with the RX0II. Here are a few pictures of Larry’s graveside service:


Larry Howard's Graveside Service

Larry Howard's Graveside Service

Larry Howard's Graveside Service

Larry Howard's Graveside Service

Larry Howard's Graveside Service

Larry Howard's Graveside Service

Larry Howard's Graveside Service

Larry Howard's Graveside Service

Larry Howard's Graveside Service

Larry Howard's Graveside Service

Larry Howard's Graveside Service

Larry Howard's Graveside Service

Larry Howard's Graveside Service

Larry Howard's Graveside Service

Larry Howard's Graveside Service

Larry Howard's Graveside Service

Larry Howard's Graveside Service

Larry Howard's Graveside Service

Larry Howard's Graveside Service

Larry Howard's Graveside Service

Larry Howard's Graveside Service

If you have never been to the Veteran’s Cemetery in Van Meter, I recommend visiting it. Even if you don’t have anybody there. It will recalibrate your sense of priorities.

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



REFLECTION

I don’t know that REFLECTION picture needs explained.

Happy photo harvesting!

Sunday at the Fair

Hitting up the 2019 backlog for a collection of pictures I took while wandering around the Boone County Fair on the last day of the Fair. I was mostly just still playing a bit with the RXO II as I looked to capture many of the animals that were being exhibited.


Boone County Fair - 2019

Boone County Fair - 2019

Boone County Fair - 2019

Boone County Fair - 2019

Boone County Fair - 2019

Boone County Fair - 2019

Boone County Fair - 2019

Boone County Fair - 2019

Boone County Fair - 2019

Boone County Fair - 2019

Boone County Fair - 2019

Boone County Fair - 2019

Boone County Fair - 2019

Boone County Fair - 2019

I recall buying the RXO II because we got a rando bonus at the Computer Mine. I should’ve done something smart with that money, but instead I bought a really, really small camera to photograph sleeping pigs with.

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


WEEK 229 - WORK
WORK

A WORK photo is any image of a person engaged in WORK or tools that are used in WORK or anything that might remind you of WORK. Remember, WORK doesn’t just happen at your place of employment.

Happy photo harvesting!

Behind Curtiss

Last year I failed to make it to Pella to photograph tulips. In fact, I think it has been a couple of years since I’ve been to Pella. Which is sad, because I really enjoy photographing tulips. Even though, there are those that hate my flower photography, I persist.

While I didn’t make it to Pella last year, I did photograph a lovely patch of tulips behind Curtiss Hall on Iowa State’s campus while I was waiting for a Bernie Sanders event to start.

In many ways, that is better than Pella since it is known that Iowa State is superior to Central. While Central is filled with a bunch of wooden-shoe-humpers, Iowa State is filled with some of the best people on earth.

Here are my tulip photos:


Behind Curtiss

Behind Curtiss

Behind Curtiss

Behind Curtiss

Behind Curtiss

Behind Curtiss

Behind Curtiss

Behind Curtiss

Behind Curtiss

Behind Curtiss

Behind Curtiss

Behind Curtiss

Behind Curtiss

Behind Curtiss

Behind Curtiss

Behind Curtiss

Behind Curtiss

Behind Curtiss

Behind Curtiss

Behind Curtiss

Behind Curtiss

Behind Curtiss

Behind Curtiss

Truth is that I will probably effort to make it to Pella this tulip season. If for no reason that I need to visit their bakeries. While dutch letters are straight trash, bokkepootjes are a little slice of heaven.

That is right, Photography 139, come for the high quality flower photography and stay for the straight fire pastry takes.

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


WEEK 228 - COUNTRY
COUNTRY

A COUNTRY photo is any photo that is taken outside of a city or town.

Happy photo harvesting!

Tenderloin Appreciation Society – Don Williams Field Work

It is hard to believe, but I haven’t published a tenderloining blog since August 26, 2018 when I recapped Michelle and I’s trip to The Filling Station in Ames. I actually made a few tenderloining trips and I just never got around to telling the world what I experienced. I feel guilty about this because I have a gift. A true gift for evaluating tenderloins. The fact I’m not sharing this with the world is very greedy of me.

The tenderloin I’m going to recap today comes from a trip to the Don Williams Golf Course Clubhouse. It came a few weeks after I ate breakfast there with my Mom and wasn’t overly impressed. A trip that really hammered home my loyalty to The Whistle Stop Cafe for those treasured Saturday morning breakfasts.

Despite the fact that I wasn’t impressed by the breakfast there, I was intrigued by the passion of the new operator of the Clubhouse. He spoke eloquently about his tenderloin and more than one person in the restaurant backed up his bragging.

I decided to organize a trip out there with Scottie D. to give it the test.

Because it is over 6 months since I’ve been there I won’t go into detail about the quality of the tenderloin we experienced. To say it wasn’t very good should be sufficient. I shouldn’t be surprised because people in that area think that The Lucky Pig has a good tenderloin. They are sadly misguided.

Here are a few pictures of our trip:


Tenderloin Quest - Don Williams

Tenderloin Quest - Don Williams

Tenderloin Quest - Don Williams

Tenderloin Quest - Don Williams

Tenderloin Quest - Don Williams

Tenderloin Quest - Don Williams

Tenderloin Quest - Don Williams

Tenderloin Quest - Don Williams

Tenderloin Quest - Don Williams

Tenderloin Quest - Don Williams

Tenderloin Quest - Don Williams

Tenderloin Quest - Don Williams

Tenderloin Quest - Don Williams

Tenderloin Quest - Don Williams

I have a couple other tenderloining trips to post about eventually. I promise that any 2020 tenderloin trips will be reported on as quickly as possible. Hopefully with the taste of tenderloin still swirling around my mouth.

I know for sure that at some point I have a trip to Corning with Shannon on the books. I will also be visiting New Hampton for a date with a tenderloin at some point soon. The lucky person to join me on that venture is still to be determined. Could be you. But let’s face it, do you really think you have what it takes? Search your soul for the answer.

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


WEEK 226 - TEXTURE
TEXTURE

A TEXTURE photo is a photo that concentrates on the feel, appearance, or consistency of the surface of a substance. A reminder that often TEXTURE is more apparent in a black & white image.

Happy photo harvesting!

Will You Pardon Me?

I spent a few moments taking pictures of flowers one day back in May. Here are some of my favorites:


Will You Pardon Me?

Will You Pardon Me?

Will You Pardon Me?

Will You Pardon Me?

Will You Pardon Me?

Will You Pardon Me?

Will You Pardon Me?

Will You Pardon Me?

Will You Pardon Me?

Will You Pardon Me?

The tulips belong to my Mom. The rest belong to me.

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One thing I wanted to bring back this year was happy birthdays. Today is Lowell’s birthday, so happy birthday Lowell!


Little League - 2009

I hope it is a good one!

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


WEEK 226 - FOOD
FOOD

A FOOD photo is any photo that centers around FOOD. A picture of FOOD. Preparation of FOOD. People eating FOOD. You get the idea!

Happy photo harvesting!

Selfie Project – December

December was a truly busy month. I actually left the state more than one. I visited places like Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida.

I feel I ended this attempt at THE SELFIE PROJECT fairly strong. Here are some of my favorite pictures from December:


December 1, 2019
December 1

December 2, 2019
December 2

December 3, 2019
December 3

December 4, 2019
December 4

December 5, 2019
December 5

December 6, 2019
December 6

December 7,  2019
December 7

December 10, 2019
December 10

December 12, 2019
December 12

December 14, 2019
December 14

December 15, 2019
December 15

December 19, 2019
December 19

December 20, 2019
December 20

December 21, 2019
December 21

December 22, 2019
December 22

December 23, 2019
December 23

December 24, 2019
December 24

December 25, 2019
December 25

December 26, 2019
December 26

December 27, 2019
December 27

December 28, 2019
December 28

December 30, 2019
December 30

December 31, 2019
December 31

January 1, 2020
January 1

I might do a year-end look at THE SELFIE PROJECT, at some point, but if I don’t, you can peruse all THE SELFIE PROJECT pictures by clicking on the link below:

THE SELFIE PROJECT

I’m not duplicating this project in 2020. I might do a “selfie-type” project, but it will be completely different.

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


WEEK 225 - HDR
HDR

Remember an HDR image is a combination of several images to create on image with expanded dynamic range. Pretty much every camera will have an HDR setting that will do this for you automatically. If you can find me, I can show you the setting on your camera.

Happy photo harvesting!

Week 225 Theme Reveal

Today I reveal the 2020 Photography 139 Calendar images for September and October.


2020 Calendar - September
September

The September image is of the Union Pacific Big Boy. It was taken a few miles east of Boone, near Jordan. It was taken on August 2, 2019. The Big Boy was on a tour to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad.

Details

Camera: Sony ILCA-77M2
Focal Length: 28mm
Aperture: f/8
Exposure: 1/400
ISO: 100


2020 Calendar - October
October

The October image was taken in the Discovery Garden at the Iowa State Fair. The subject is a monarch butterfly on top of a zinnia. The picture was taken on August 19, 2018.

Details

Camera: Sony ILCA-77M2
Focal Length: 200mm
Aperture: f/5.6
Exposure: 1/320
ISO: 400

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If things go right, by the time you read these words I will be somewhere in Illinois or Missouri or maybe even Kentucky on my way back from Orlando, still high from a Cyclone victory of Notre Dame.

Therefore, when I get home from Orlando I will publish all the submissions for last week’s theme CANDID PORTRAIT.

However, just because I’m out cruising through the country, doesn’t mean you should be delayed on starting this week’s theme:


WEEK 225 - HDR
HDR!

HDR! What a great theme! Wait a second. What the Hades is an HDR image?

Okay, so this is the one that I was pretty sure would end the double digit submission streak. If the holidays didn’t end it already, but CANDID PORTRAIT is a pretty easy theme especially when, is there a better CANDID PORTRAIT opportunity then little kids opening presents on Christmas morning?

But none of that answers the question what is an HDR image? HDR stands for High Dynamic Range. Here is a great explanation from Digital Trends:

HDR stands for “high dynamic range.” For those who aren’t so acquainted with this high-tech shutterbug lingo, dynamic range is basically just the difference between the lightest light and darkest dark you can capture in a photo. Once your subject exceeds the camera’s dynamic range, the highlights tend to wash out to white, or the darks simply become big black blobs. It’s notoriously difficult to snap a photo that captures both ends of this spectrum, but with modern shooting techniques and advanced post-processing software, photographers have devised ways to make it happen. This is basically what HDR is: a specific style of photo with an unusually high dynamic range that couldn’t otherwise be achieved in a single photograph.

The best way to think of it is several pictures taken at different exposure levels, combined to create one image.

How the hades am I going to do that? Well, it isn’t as hard as you think. Pretty much every camera (including your phone camera) has a setting that will do this for you automatically. For example on my Pixel 2:



I can turn off and on HDR. Or even enhanced HDR. Look under you camera settings, you can find it there too.

You can also try to get fancy and take individual pictures yourself and try combining them yourself. You can even use an HDR toning program to create an HDR image from just one image.

As you can see, this isn’t an intimidating theme at all. You can literally take a picture of anything, as long as you change a setting on your camera before you take the picture.

It is almost too easy!

A Photo Journal – Page 123

Today we will reveal the March and April images from the 2020 Photography 139 Calendar.

March image:


2020 Calendar - March
March

The March image was taken at the Harrier Marsh near Ogden. It was taken of the not best maintained gravel road that splits the marsh into two. It is taken from a drone. This image was taken on April 13, 2019.


Details

Camera: Hasselblad L1D-20C
Focal Length: 10.3mm
Aperture: f/7.1
Exposure: 1/800
ISO: 100
Altitude: 284.6 meters above Sea Level

April Image:


2020 Calendar - April
April

The April image is a yellow bird (that I have yet to identify) enjoying the cherry blossoms of one of my cherry trees. This image was taken on May 14, 2018.


Details

Camera: Sony ILCA-77M2
Focal Length: 400mm
Aperture: f/5.6
Exposure: 1/500
ISO: 320

Tomorrow we will reveal the images for May and June.

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Here it is, the end of THE PHOTO JOURNAL PROJECT. You didn’t think I’d ever get there, did you. Wherever I am when this publishes (probably in Tennessee is my guess), I will be drinking a steaming hot cup of coffee. Cause coffee is for closers. As of today, I am a closer!

Just kidding. Coffee is gross and I won’t be touching that trash. If there is any silver lining to be taken from man made climate change, it is that coffee is one of the first things that will stop growing. Bye-bye coffee. You won’t be missed.

Back to my Trevor Hoffman moment. This is the last page from THE PHOTO JOURNAL PROJECT:


Photo Journal - Page 123
Page 123 – Don’t take any more photographs -none- until you see something that emotionally moves you. Only then pick up your camera.

Phew! Thanks to everybody that will appear on one of the pages of the physical photo journal that sits on my coffee table:

DaeHee Yoon
Nora Yoon
Kyle Sharp and some random wrestler from Perry
Saydie Howard
Micky Augustin
Naima
Elainie Hernandez
Sabas Hernandez
Willy McAlpine
Logan Kahler
Brandon Kahler
Nader Parsaei
Ernie Redd
Russell Kennerly
Greg Wever
Jason Baier
Andree Jauhari
Shannon Bardole-Foley
Mike Vest
Jesse Howard
Joe Lynch
Johnathan Stensland
Autumn Sharp, Emily Bridges, Kassidy, and Myriah Sharp (I think)
Layla Gorshe
Kalista Howard
Taylan Howard
Tiffany Bloomquist
Doris Paris
Charlotte Bennett
Jay Janson
Anders Runestad
Alexis Stensland
Kanoa Baugher

If you wish to see all 105 pictures taken for THE PHOTO JOURNAL PROJECT, click on the link below:

THE PHOTO JOURNAL PROJECT

So, what is next? I hinted that I was going to tack a new photo project next year. There is a new project. In 2020 I’m going to tackle a book called “104 Things to Photograph”. There are 52 weeks in a year, there for I plan on taking 2 pictures a week.

The themes in this book are not nearly as ambitious as the themes in THE PHOTO JOURNAL PROJECT. Here is an example of some of the themes:

Jumping Rope
A Belly Laugh
Peeking
A Neon Sign
Siblings
What’s in your Pocket

I’m sure I’ll be calling on many of the people that appeared in THE PHOTO JOURNAL PROJECT and I’m sure I’ll be calling on many other people as well. Stay tuned.

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This is your reminder that this week’s WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE theme is CANDID PORTRAIT:


WEEK 224 - CANDID PORTRAIT
CANDID PORTRAIT

A CANDID PORTRAIT is a picture of somebody that isn’t posing for a picture. They can know that you are taking their picture, but they aren’t posing for the picture.

Happy photo harvesting!

A Photo Journal – Page 66 & 67

It has been since September 20 that I published something from THE PHOTO JOURNAL PROJECT. For several months, I have been down to just a couple pages and I had the final page done, but I just couldn’t pull the trigger on that last page. Faced with my deadline of being done with this project by the end of the year, so I could pick up another project for 2020.

I finally knocked off this project on Thursday with the help of Vest. These pages call for a celebrity picture of sorts and for the longest time I was concentrating on Tiger Woods, but in the end I decided a person that was less a celebrity, but more of a historical figure.

I’m not going to reveal who this “celebrity” is supposed to be. I hope that people can deduce it from the images, although I know that they might not make sense and you might not be able to figure out what they represent. That is okay, if I can at least get people to think a little bit, that is all I ask.

Page 66 & 67 0 Make a sequence of four pictures inspired by the rise and fall of Britney Spears (or another celebrity).


Photo Journal - Page 66-67

Photo Journal - Page 66-67

Photo Journal - Page 66-67

Photo Journal - Page 66-67

If you think you know what I was trying to say, feel free to leave your guess in the Comments section of this here blog.

This leaves only one page left to reveal:

Page 123 – Don’t take any more photographs -none- until you see something that emotionally moves you. Only then pick up your camera.

That picture will be revealed next Friday, along with my new photo project.

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


WEEK 223 - LANDSCAPE
LANDSCAPE

A LANDSCAPE image is a picture of an area of land. That is it. You can poke your head out your back door (assuming you live in a house) and take a LANDSCAPE picture.

Happy photo harvesting!