I need to start today off by wishing Jim a happy birthday!

Happy birthday Jim! I hope it is filled with all the joy that you desire!

It is the last Monday of the month, so it is a good time revisit the THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE FAQ:

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS – WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE

What skill level photographer can participate?

THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE is open to photographers of all skill levels. From award winning photographers to professionals to the highly ranked amateurs to those that are just beginning to those who don’t even know how to focus a camera. All skill levels are encouraged and welcome. You can’t be too bad and you can’t be too good! Everyone has room to learn and be challenged!

Is there a limit to the number of submissions I can have each week?

Yes. That limit is 3. If you send me more than 3, I will post the first 3 that you send.

Can I send you several pictures and have you pick the best one?

No! No! NO! If those words come out of your mouth or your keyboard, I consider that to be a non-submission.

Do you ever question whether somebody’s submission fits the theme?

Meh. Only if I think somebody is clearly confusing this week’s theme with last week or next week’s theme. Otherwise, if the submission makes sense in your head, that is good enough to me. However, I would urge you to not try to fit your favorite subject into the theme. This isn’t a challenge to share a picture every week of your kid or your business or your pet. It is a challenge to take pictures of different things every week. Which isn’t to say subjects can’t be repeated, but you shouldn’t become reliant on the same ones.

Why can’t I submit after 11 AM on Mondays if the post doesn’t publish until 12:01 PM?

I go to lunch at 11 AM. I leave my office. I’m not near a computer. At 11 AM I hit “Schedule” and then I go throw food down my throat. 167 hours is more than enough time to send a submission. Okay, 166 hours and 59 minutes. You got me.

Are there resolution requirements for submissions?

I won’t turn down submissions that are too small. I will probably ask you for a picture of greater resolution if it is really small. The typical 4 x 6 image posted to my website has a resolution of 1280 pixels x 853 pixels. While a 400 x 300 image might look okay on your phone, it looks like trash on a computer monitor. I prefer images that are at least 1000 pixels at their largest point, but don’t ban smaller pictures at this point.

What format should my submission be?

.JPG but .PNG also works.

If I write a description of my image will you include that in your post?

No. Photography is art that should stand on its own. Only exception is the SLICE OF LIFE theme.

When will you start accepting suggestions for next year’s THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE themes?

Suggestions are closed for next year’s list. It will be a minute before they open up for Year 11 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE.

It is time to break the SILENCE on whether or not SILENCE was a popular theme. For you to find out, you only have to keep scrolling.

As of 12:01 PM on Monday, January 23, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks (ignore the numbers in parentheses):

1-Suzie Brannen – 1 week (2)
2-Jen Ensley-Gorshe – 1 week
3-Sabas Hernandez – 1 week
4-Jesse Howard – 1 week
5-Becky Parmelee – 1 week
6-Nathanial Brown – 2 weeks (3)
7-Mary Green – 2 weeks (2)
8-Monica Jennings – 2 weeks
9-Sara Lockner – 2 weeks
10-Mike Vest – 3 weeks
11-Tamara Peterson – 12 weeks
12-Brandon Kahler – 23 weeks
13-Linda Bennett – 26 weeks (2)
14-Sarah Toot – 27 weeks
15-Angie DeWaard – 31 weeks
16-Dawn Krause – 35 weeks (3)
17-Kim Barker – 41 weeks
18-Joe Duff – 42 weeks
19-Logan Kahler – 44 weeks (3)
20-Teresa Kahler – 53 weeks (3)
21-Carla Stensland – 53 weeks (2)
22-Micky Augustin – 55 weeks
23-Andy Sharp – 56 weeks
24-Bill Wentworth – 57 weeks
25-Cathie Morton – 61 weeks (2)
26-Elizabeth Nordeen – 62 weeks
27-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 64 weeks
28-Kio Dettman – 66 weeks

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:

Andy Sharp (Iowa) – 57 weeks

Kim Barker (Iowa) – 42 weeks

Angie DeWaard (Iowa) – 32 weeks

Teresa Kahler (Iowa) – 54 weeks

Teresa Kahler (Iowa)

Micky Augustin (Iowa) – 56 weeks

Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa) – 63 weeks

Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa)

Kio Dettman (Iowa) – 67 weeks

Kio Dettman (Iowa)

Kio Dettman (Iowa)

Linda Bennett (Kansas) – 27 weeks

Logan Kahler (Iowa) – 45 weeks

Logan Kahler (Iowa)

Sarah Toot (Pennsylvania) – 28 weeks

Shannon Bardole-Foley (Georgia) – 65 weeks

Tamara Peterson (Iowa) – 13 weeks

Bill Wentworth (Nebraska) – 58 weeks

Christopher D. Bennett

Cathie Morton (Florida) – 62 weeks

Cathie Morton (Florida)

Carla Stensland (Iowa) – 54 weeks

Dawn Krause (Iowa) – 36 weeks

Joe Duff (Texas) – 43 weeks

Brandon Kahler (Iowa) – 24 weeks

Suzie Brannen (Iowa) – 2 weeks

Sabas Hernandez (Iowa) – 2 weeks

Jesse Howard (Iowa) – 2 weeks

Monica Jennings (Iowa) – 2 weeks

Mike Vest (Iowa) – 4 weeks

Becky Parmelee (Arkansas) – 2 weeks

Nathanial Brown (Iowa) – 3 weeks

26 participants. Not a particularly popular theme. But not bad. SILENCE only silenced creative juices of a few people.

This week we had submissions taken in:

+ Arkansas
+ Florida
+ Georgia
+ Iowa
+ Kansas
+ Nebraska
+ Pennsylvania
+ Texas

Georgia is a new addition to the map. Making this year’s list:

+ Arkansas
+ Florida
+ Georgia
+ Iowa
+ Kansas
+ Nebraska
+ Nevada
+ Missouri
+ Pennsylvania
+ Texas

That is 10 states. 20% of the map. And I haven’t even contributed to the growth of the map at all!

This week I took my pictures about 2 miles from my front door. But Shannon added Georgia to the map!

It wasn’t all good news though. 3 streaks bit the dust today. Jen couldn’t extender her streak to 2. Mary’s streak is no more at 2. As is Sara’s streak.

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:

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.

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

The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.
-Jane Austen

I look forward to seeing 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 BOOKS in this place that likes to pretend to be book smart next Monday.