Category Archives: Still Life

Pufferbilly Days Parade – 2022

This year was the first year I made it to the Pufferbilly Days Parade where I wasn’t in it, since I don’t know when. At least a decade. I decided I better photograph it.

Here are some of my favorite pictures from the parade:


Pufferbilly Days Parade - 2022

Pufferbilly Days Parade - 2022

Pufferbilly Days Parade - 2022

Pufferbilly Days Parade - 2022

Pufferbilly Days Parade - 2022

Pufferbilly Days Parade - 2022

Pufferbilly Days Parade - 2022

Pufferbilly Days Parade - 2022

Pufferbilly Days Parade - 2022

Pufferbilly Days Parade - 2022

Pufferbilly Days Parade - 2022

Pufferbilly Days Parade - 2022

Pufferbilly Days Parade - 2022

Pufferbilly Days Parade - 2022

Pufferbilly Days Parade - 2022

Pufferbilly Days Parade - 2022

Pufferbilly Days Parade - 2022

Pufferbilly Days Parade - 2022

Pufferbilly Days Parade - 2022

Pufferbilly Days Parade - 2022

Pufferbilly Days Parade - 2022

Pufferbilly Days Parade - 2022

Pufferbilly Days Parade - 2022

Pufferbilly Days Parade - 2022

Pufferbilly Days Parade - 2022

Pufferbilly Days Parade - 2022

Pufferbilly Days Parade - 2022

Pufferbilly Days Parade - 2022

Pufferbilly Days Parade - 2022

Pufferbilly Days Parade - 2022

Pufferbilly Days Parade - 2022

Pufferbilly Days Parade - 2022

Pufferbilly Days Parade - 2022

Pufferbilly Days Parade - 2022

Pufferbilly Days Parade - 2022

Pufferbilly Days Parade - 2022

Pufferbilly Days Parade - 2022

Pufferbilly Days Parade - 2022

Pufferbilly Days Parade - 2022

There is generally nothing I find more boring than a parade, except for maybe fireworks. But I got enough enjoyment from going. At least from seeing the people I knew that were in it.

+++++++

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


WEEK 369 - VIOLET
VIOLET

VIOLET! What a great theme for year 9 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!

But what exactly is a VIOLET photo. It is simply any picture where the color VIOLET (or purple if you will) plays an important part of the composition. It can be a picture of something that is VIOLET. Or it can be surrounded by VIOLET. Heck, you can crack out a VIOLET filter and make everything VIOLET.

Happy photo harvesting!

Fat Mum Slim – September 2022

Another month done in the Fat Mum Slim Photo A Day Challenge. I have to confess that I spent some time on the struggle bus this month. I don’t know if I lost some steam or if I just want feeling some of the themes. Being sick for a few days in September didn’t help either. With that being said, I think there is still some good work in there.

Here are the September images:


September 1
September 1 – Something I Saw

September 2
September 2 – Plastic

September 3
September 3 – Paper

September 4
September 4 – Somewhere I Went

September 5
September 5 – Hobby

September 6
September 6 – Green + Blue

September 7
September 7 – Before Bed

September 8
September 8 – An Emotion

September 9
September 9 – Opposites

September 10
September 10 – I Can Hear…

September 11
September 11 – Paint

September 12
September 12 – Symmetry

September 13
September 13 – Tasty

September 14
September 14 – Odd One Out

September 15
September 15 – A Food Shop

September 16
September 16 – 12:34

September 17
September 17 – Lucky

September 18
September 18 – Car Park

September 19
September 19 – What’s on TV

September 20
September 20 – Texture

September 21
September 21 – Nature

September 22
September 22 – Tree Trunk

September 23
September 23 – Crunchy

September 24
September 24 – I Can Smell…

September 25
September 25 – Laneway

September 26
September 26 – The Moon

September 27
September 27 – Open Door

September 28
September 28 – My Culture

September 29
September 29 – Not My Style

September 30
September 30 – Sentimental

As you can tell, the woman who runs this challenge is Australian and there were some terms in there I had to look up, cause I had no clue what a laneway is.

Remember, you can follow on for my daily posts on the dedicated Instagram Account.

@fmsbennett

These are the themes for October:

1. White
2. Black
3. Green
4. Red
5. Orange
6. Blue
7. Yellow
8. Purple
9. Aqua
10. Pink
11. Grey
12. Brown
13. Pop of Colour
14. Stripes
15. Floral
16. One Colour
17. Two Colours
18. Pattern
19. Black and White
20. Rainbow
21. My Fave Colour
22. Matching
23. Natural
24. Dark
25. Light
26. Pastel
27. Bright
28. Gold
29. Fresh
30. Mellow
31. Dots

Some good ones in there. Should be a good month!

WPC – WEEK 367 – SIGNS

It is our monthly time to look at the WPC FAQ:

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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

The short answer is, “no”. Some people think that there is a limit of one submission per person because I only present one submission a week, personally. I have the other 6 days to post my photography. So one is more than enough image from me.

However, the longer answer is, 3 would be a good guide to limit yourself to submit. It isn’t a rule, but much over 3 begins to start to overwhelm the submissions of the others in the community. Also, if you are submitting multiple submissions, think about your submissions. Are they unique? Are they of wholly different subjects? Is each submission saying something unique?

The long answer is, there isn’t a limit, but 3 is a good rule of thumb. If I start to average about 30 participants a week, I will consider putting a limit of 1 per participant, to help manage my workload, but we are a long ways from averaging 30 participants a week.

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?

I will accept those the last Monday of October and the first Monday of November. I only accept suggestions in the “Comments” section of the journal entries on those days. Don’t text me or email me them or call me or Snapchat me. Put them in the Comments section of the journal entries on those days. I have my reasons.

+++++++

Was SIGNS a popular theme? You’ll have to scroll down to find out.

As of 12:01 PM on Monday, September 19, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks (ignore the numbers in parentheses):

+ Suzie Brannen – 4 weeks
+ Jesse Howard – 5 weeks
+ Brandon Kahler – 5 weeks
+ Linda Bennett – 8 weeks
+ Sarah Toot – 9 weeks
+ Sabas Hernandez – 11 weeks
+ Monica Jennings – 11 weeks
+ Angie DeWaard – 13 weeks
+ Mary Green – 13 weeks (2)
+ Dawn Krause – 17 weeks
+ Kim Barker – 23 weeks
+ Joe Duff – 25 weeks
+ Logan Kahler – 26 weeks
+ Teresa Kahler – 35 weeks (3)
+ Tamara Peterson – 35 weeks
+ Carla Stensland – 35 weeks (3)
+ Michelle Haupt – 36 weeks
+ Micky Augustin – 37 weeks
+ Andy Sharp – 38 weeks
+ Bill Wentworth – 39 weeks
+ Cathie Morton – 43 weeks
+ Elizabeth Nordeen – 44 weeks
+ Shannon Bardole-Foley – 46 weeks
+ Kio Dettman – 49 weeks (4)

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:


WEEK 367 - SIGNS - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland – 36 weeks

WEEK 367 - SIGNS - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland

WEEK 367 - SIGNS - LINDA BENNETT
Linda Bennett – 9 weeks

WEEK 367 - SIGNS - LINDA BENNETT
Linda Bennett

WEEK 367 - SIGNS - MARY GREEN
Mary Green – 14 weeks

WEEK 367 - SIGNS - MARY GREEN
Mary Green

WEEK 367 -SIGNS - SHANNON BARDOLE-FOLEY
Shannon Bardole-Foley – 47 weeks

WEEK 367 -SIGNS - BILL WENTWORTH
Bill Wentworth – 40 weeks

WEEK 367 -SIGNS - TAMARA PETERSON
Tamara Peterson – 36 weeks

WEEK 367 -SIGNS - JOE DUFF
Joe Duff – 26 weeks

WEEK 367 -SIGNS - ANGIE DEWAARD
Angie DeWaard – 14 weeks

WEEK 367 -SIGNS -KIM BARKER
Kim Barker – 24 weeks

WEEK 367 - SIGNS - DAWN KRAUSE
Dawn Krause – 18 weeks

WEEK 367 - SIGNS - DAWN KRAUSE
Dawn Krause

WEEK 367 -SIGNS - ELIZABETH NORDEEN
Elizabeth Nordeen – 45 weeks

WEEK 367 -SIGNS - MICKY AUGUSTIN
Micky Augustin – 38 weeks

WEEK 367 -SIGNS - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett

WEEK 367 - SIGNS - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman – 50 weeks

WEEK 367 - SIGNS - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman

WEEK 367 - SIGNS - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman

WEEK 367 - SIGNS - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman

WEEK 367 - SIGNS - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman

WEEK 367 - SIGNS - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman

WEEK 367 - SIGNS - MICHELLE HAUPT
Michelle Haupt – 37 weeks

WEEK 367 - SIGNS - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler – 36 weeks

WEEK 367 - SIGNS - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler

WEEK 367 - SIGNS - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler

WEEK 367 - SIGNS - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp – 39 weeks

WEEK 367 - SIGNS - SABAS HERNANDEZ
Sabas Hernandez – 12 weeks

WEEK 367 - SIGNS - JESSE HOWARD
Jesse Howard – 6 weeks

WEEK 367 - SIGNS - JESSE HOWARD
Jesse Howard

WEEK 367 - SIGNS - SUZIE BRANNEN
Suzie Brannen – 5 weeks

WEEK 367 - SIGNS - WILLY MCALPINE
Willy McAlpine – 1 week

WEEK 367 - SIGNS - MONICA JENNINGS
Monica Jennings – 12 weeks

WEEK 367 - SIGNS - SARA LOCKNER
Sara Lockner – 1 week

WEEK 367 - SIGNS - BRANDON KAHLER
Brandon Kahler – 6 weeks

WEEK 367 - SIGNS - CATHIE MORTON
Cathie Morton – 44 weeks

WEEK 367 - SIGNS - SARAH TOOT
Sarah Toot – 10 weeks

WEEK 367 - SIGNS - LOGAN KAHLER
Logan Kahler – 27 weeks

WEEK 367 - SIGNS - LOGAN KAHLER
Logan Kahler

WEEK 367 - SIGNS - LOGAN KAHLER
Logan Kahler

27 participants this week! That is a good week!

Recently I’ve become curious where pictures were taken that have been submitted and decided to put together a little map of what states submissions have been taken from. It might not be 100% accurate, but I think it is pretty darn accurate. It doesn’t include submissions from foreign countries like France and Spain and Mexico, off the top of my head. That would be another project. Here is that map:


WPC - Submissions Map

Obviously a heavy cluster around the midwest. But in a way, it does stretch from coast to coast. If you look closely, even D.C. is represented.

This week, I believe the states of Iowa, Alaska, California, Texas, Kansas, Illinois, and Pennsylvania are represented.

My picture was taken about 55 miles east of my front door, as the crow flies. Down US-30.

You might notice that Monica’s streak is back and magically intact. Maybe. I have no comment on the matter at this time.

There were not streaks broken, but there were a few milestones reached. Sarah reached double digits on her streak. Joe reached the Half-a-Year Club with his streak! Congratulations to you both!

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:


WEEK 368 - RUINS
RUINS

RUINS! What a great theme for Year 9 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!

But what is a RUINS photo? It is simply a picture of something that has been abandoned, forgotten. Something that is rusting. Dilapidated. No longer being properly maintained. Or improperly maintained. This is one of my Top 5 favorite themes! It can be an old building. An old car. Just for examples. But there are a lot of things out there that have been abandoned. Forgotten. That are wasting away. Waiting for you to immortalize them through the art of photography.

While considering what you want to immortalize, meditate on the following quote:

Ruin is when man-made has become a part of nature.
-Marco Casagrande

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.

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 RUINS in this place that will someday become a part of nature next Monday.

Pufferbilly Days – Saturday Afternoon

On the Saturday afternoon of Pufferbilly Days I wandered around downtown for a bit. I watched the 1st Annual Mullet and Moustache Contest. I tried to watch the Spike Driving Contest, but the weather was so blazing hot, none of the people that signed up to compete showed up to compete. So there was nothing there to photograph.

Here are some pictures:


Pufferbilly Days - 2022

Pufferbilly Days - 2022

Pufferbilly Days - 2022

Pufferbilly Days - 2022

Pufferbilly Days - 2022

Pufferbilly Days - 2022

Pufferbilly Days - 2022

Pufferbilly Days - 2022

Pufferbilly Days - 2022

Pufferbilly Days - 2022

Pufferbilly Days - 2022

Pufferbilly Days - 2022

Pufferbilly Days - 2022

Pufferbilly Days - 2022

Pufferbilly Days - 2022

Pufferbilly Days - 2022

Pufferbilly Days - 2022

Pufferbilly Days - 2022

Pufferbilly Days - 2022

Pufferbilly Days - 2022

Pufferbilly Days - 2022

Pufferbilly Days - 2022

Pufferbilly Days - 2022

Pufferbilly Days - 2022

Still at least a couple more sets of Pufferbilly Days photos to share.

+++++++

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


WEEK 367 - SIGNS
SIGNS

SIGNS! What a great theme for Year 9 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE.

But what is a SIGNS photo? Quite simply is is a photo of a SIGN(s) or of SIGNS. SIGNS. SIGNS. There are SIGNS everywhere. Messing up the scenery. Breaking my mind. Do this, don’t do that. Can’t you read the SIGN(s)?

But one thing you should definitely do is find an interesting SIGN(s) and photograph it in an interesting manner. Of course there is more than one definition of the term SIGNS.

Happy photo harvesting!

FAT MUM SLIM – AUGUST 2022

Another month done in the Fat Mum Slim Photo A Day Challenge. Think there is some good work in there this week. Having so much going on in August certainly helped. We’ll see how September goes.

Here are the August images:


August 1
August 1 – I AM…

August 2
August 2 – I LOVE THIS COLOUR

August 3
August 3 – I WALKED HERE…

August 4
August 4 – I LIKE TO…

August 5
August 5 – I LIKE THIS TIME OF DAY…

August 6
August 6 – I LOVE…

August 7
August 7 – I MADE THIS…

August 8
August 8 – I WORK HERE…

August 9
August 9 – I HELD THIS…

August 10
August 10 – I WROTE THIS…

August 11
August 11 – I SAW…

August 12
August 12 – I LIKE TO DRINK…

August 13
August 13 – I STOOD HERE…

August 14
August 14 – I DO THIS ON SUNDAYS…

August 15
August 15 – I ONCE…

August 16
August 16 – I NEVER…

August 17
August 17 – I WENT TO…

August 18
August 18 – I READ THIS…

August 19
August 19 – I DID THIS GOOD THING…

August 20
August 20 – I LOVE THIS VIEW…

August 21
August 21 – I DON’T LIKE TO…

August 22
August 22 – ON MONDAYS I…

August 23
August 23 – I SAT HERE…

August 24
August 24 – I LIKE TO EAT…

August 25
August 25 – I HAVE TO…

August 26
August 26 – I WORE THIS…

August 27
August 27 – ON WEEKENDS I…

August 28
August 28 – I WATCHED THIS…

August 29
August 29 – I CAN…

August 30
August 30 – I CAN’T…

August 31
August 31 – I BELIEVE…

Remember you can follow these as they drop on the daily on my dedicated FatMumSlim Instagram account @FMSBENNETT.

Here are the prompts for September:

September 1: Something I Saw
September 2: Plastic
September 3: Paper
September 4: Somewhere I Went
September 5: Hobby
September 6: Green + Blue
September 7: Before Bed
September 8: An Emotion
September 9: Opposites
September 10: I Can Hear…
September 11: Paint
September 12: Symmetry
September 13: Tasty
September 14: Odd One Out
September 15: A Food Shop
September 16: 12:34
September 17: Lucky
September 18: Car Park
September 19: What’s on TV
September 20: Texture
September 21: Nature
September 22: Tree Trunk
September 23: Crunchy
September 24: I Can Smell…
September 25: Laneway
September 26: The Moon
September 27: Open Door
September 28: My Culture
September 29: Not My Style
September 30: Sentimental

Should be a good month. I think there are some good prompts in there. The woman who runs this challenge is Australian. There must be some Australian things in here cause I have no clue what a “Car Park” or a “Laneway” is, but I’ll find out.

Fat Mum Slim – July 2022

A quick heads up. If you were thinking of going to or entering an animal into the Pufferbilly Days Dog and Exotic Animal Show, because of the extreme heat of today it was postponed. It is now tomorrow at noon at the park on 9th and Story.

+++++++

I have another month done in the Fat Mum Slim Photo a Day Challenge. This month wasn’t as difficult as last month because they were just standard themes. I think the images I took are a fair record of my experiences in July.


July 1
July 1 – Reflection

July 2
July 2 – Letters

July 3
July 3 – Human

July 4
July 4 – I’m Working On This…

July 5
July 5 – Wall

July 6
July 6 – Bright Colours

July 7
July 7 – A Fave Place

July 8
July 8 – Out of Focus

July 9
July 9 – A Boomerang

July 10
July 10 – Behind Someone

July 11
July 11 – Interior

July 12
July 12 – Exterior

July 13
July 13 – Life

July 14
July 14 – Create A Postcard

July 15
July 15 – Where I Stood

July 16
July 16 – Pattern

July 17
July 17 – Water

July 18
July 18 – Street Photography

July 19
July 19 – A Cylinder

July 20
July 20 – Hug

July 21
July 21 – A Church

July 22
July 22 – Current Interest

July 23
July 23 – Still Life

July 24
July 24 – A Metaphor

July 25
July 25 – Beauty

July 26
July 26 – Beauty

July 27
July 27 – Countryside

July 28
July 28 – An Old Car

JULY 29
July 29 – Black and White

July 30
July 30 – Happy Days


July 31 – Sunday Morning

I think there was some pretty good work in July. Hopefully some good work to be done in August.

Here are the August prompts:

August 1 – I Am…
August 2 – I Love This Colour…
August 3 – I Walked Here…
August 4 – I Like To…
August 5 – I Love This Time of Day…
August 6 – I Love…
August 7 – I Made This…
August 8 – I Work Here…
August 9 – I Held This…
August 10 – I Wrote This…
August 11 – I Saw…
August 12 – I Like To Drink…
August 13 – I Stood Here…
August 14 – I Do This On Sundays…
August 15 – I Once…
August 16 – I Never…
August 17 – I Went To…
August 18 – I Read This…
August 19 – I Did This Good Thing…
August 20 – I Love This View…
August 21 – I Don’t Life To…
August 22 – On Mondays I…
August 23 – I Sat Here…
August 24 – I Like To Eat…
August 25 – I Have To…
August 26 – I Wore This…
August 27 – On Weekends I…
August 28 – I Watched This…
August 29 – I Can…
August 30 – I Can’t…
August 31 – I Believe…

I guess people will get to know me better this month… unless I can help it.

If you want to follow this project on the daily, they are posted on my Fat Mum Slim Instagram account.

@fmsbennett

Otherwise, we’ll check in on this next month.

WPC – WEEK 359 – ODD CAMERA ANGLE

Was ODD CAMERA ANGLE oddly popular? I guess you will have to scroll down to find out.

As of 12:01 PM on Monday, July 25, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks (ignore the numbers in parentheses):

+ Sarah Toot – 1 week (3)
+ Willy McAlpine – 2 weeks
+ Suzie Brannen – 3 weeks
+ Sabas Hernandez – 3 weeks
+ Monica Jennings – 3 weeks
+ Sara Lockner – 4 weeks
+ Mary Green – 5 weeks (3)
+ Angie DeWaard – 7 weeks
+ Dawn Krause – 10 weeks
+ Kim Barker – 16 weeks
+ Joe Duff – 17 weeks
+ Logan Kahler – 19 weeks (2)
+ Teresa Kahler – 27 weeks (2)
+ Tamara Peterson – 27 weeks (2)
+ Carla Stensland – 27 weeks
+ Michelle Haupt – 28 weeks
+ Micky Augustin – 29 weeks
+ Andy Sharp – 30 weeks
+ Bill Wentworth – 31 weeks
+ Cathie Morton – 35 weeks
+ Elizabeth Nordeen – 36 weeks
+ Shannon Bardole-Foley – 38 weeks
+ Kio Dettman – 41 weeks (4)

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:


WEEK 359 - ODD CAMERA ANGLE - LINDA BENNETT
Linda Bennett – 1 week

WEEK 359 - ODD CAMERA ANGLE - LINDA BENNETT
Linda Bennett

WEEK 359 - ODD CAMERA ANGLE - JEN ENSLEY-GORSHE
Jen Ensley-Gorshe – 1 week

WEEK 359 - ODD CAMERA ANGLE - MIKE VEST
Mike Vest – 1 week

WEEK 359 - ODD CAMERA ANGLE - BRANDON KAHLER
Brandon Kahler – 2 weeks

WEEK 359 - ODD CAMERA ANGLE - SARAH TOOT
Sarah Toot – 2 weeks

WEEK 359 - ODD CAMERA ANGLE - SARAH TOOT
Sarah Toot

WEEK 359 - ODD CAMERA ANGLE - SUZIE BRANNEN
Suzie Brannen – 4 weeks

WEEK 359 - ODD CAMERA ANGLE - SABAS HERNANDEZ
Sabas Hernandez – 4 weeks

WEEK 359 - ODD CAMERA ANGLE - MONICA JENNINGS
Monica Jennings – 4 weeks

WEEK 359 - ODD CAMERA ANGLE - MARY GREEN
Mary Green – 6 weeks

WEEK 359 - ODD CAMERA ANGLE - MARY GREEN
Mary Green

WEEK 359 - ODD CAMERA ANGLE - MARY GREEN
Mary Green

WEEK 359 - ODD CAMERA ANGLE - ANGIE DEWAARD
Angie DeWaard – 8 weeks

WEEK 359 - ODD CAMERA ANGLE - ANGIE DEWAARD
Angie DeWaard

WEEK 359 - ODD CAMERA ANGLE - DAWN KRAUSE
Dawn Krause – 11 weeks

WEEK 359 - ODD CAMERA ANGLE - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker – 17 weeks

WEEK 359 - ODD CAMERA ANGLE - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker

WEEK 359 - ODD CAMERA ANGLE - JOE DUFF
Joe Duff – 18 weeks

WEEK 359 - ODD CAMERA ANGLE - LOGAN KAHLER
Logan Kahler 20 weeks

WEEK 359 - ODD CAMERA ANGLE - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler – 28 weeks

WEEK 359 - ODD CAMERA ANGLE - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler

WEEK 359 - ODD CAMERA ANGLE - TAMARA PETERSON
Tamara Peterson – 28 weeks

WEEK 359 - ODD CAMERA ANGLE - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland – 28 weeks

WEEK 359 - ODD CAMERA ANGLE - MICHELLE HAUPT
Michelle Haupt – 29 weeks

WEEK 359 - ODD CAMERA ANGLE - MICKY AUGUSTIN
Micky Augustin – 30 weeks

WEEK 359 - ODD CAMERA ANGLE - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp – 31 weeks

WEEK 359 - ODD CAMERA ANGLE - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp

WEEK 359 - ODD CAMERA ANGLE - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp

WEEK 359 - ODD CAMERA ANGLE - BILL WENTWORTH
Bill Wentworth – 32 weeks

WEEK 359 - ODD CAMERA ANGLE - CATHIE MORTON
Cathie Morton – 36 weeks

WEEK 359 - ODD CAMERA ANGLE - ELIZABETH NORDEEN
Elizabeth Nordeen – 37 weeks

WEEK 359 - ODD CAMERA ANGLE - SHANNON BARDOLE-FOLEY
Shannon Bardole-Foley – 39 weeks

WEEK 359 - ODD CAMERA ANGLE - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman – 42 weeks

WEEK 359 - ODD CAMERA ANGLE - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman

WEEK 359 - ODD CAMERA ANGLE - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman

WEEK 359 - ODD CAMERA ANGLE - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett – 463 weeks


26 participants! That is a pretty good week! We had submissions from Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Texas, California, Kansas, Colorado, Michigan and even Iowa this week!

There were 4 weeks that sadly were snapped though. Sarah Karber’s couldn’t extend her streak this week. Willy’s streak snapped at 2. Looks like that guy just can’t keep streaks going… Sara Lockner’s streak was snapped at 4 weeks. Just not a good week for Saras. Sarah Toot kept the pride in the name going though.

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:


WEEK 360 - PEOPLE
PEOPLE

PEOPLE! What a great theme for Year 9 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!

But what is a PEOPLE picture? Well, it is simply a picture that has a PEOPLE or multiple PEOPLE in it. (Somewhere an English teacher is hanging their head so low right now.) I know. PEOPLE are vile and disgusting subjects. They are a failed species that are responsible for 99.999999999999999999999999999999999999% of the evil on this planet. Completely susceptible to propaganda. Responsible for the complete and utter raping of our planet. Avarice. Greed. War. Genocide. Racism. Homophobia. Transphobia. Misogyny. All unique products of PEOPLE. What I’m trying to say is that in the coming war between monkeys and humans, I am hard core #TeamMonkey*. I’d like to say we’ve had a good run, but all the evidence is to the contrary.

But as bad as PEOPLE are, even they aren’t on the list of things I hate most in this world. Well they aren’t the only thing on that list. That Top 5 list goes like this:

#1. People who say “hate” is a strong word. Yeah, I know, that is why I used it.
#2. Powerlines in front of pretty churches or murals. I mean it is 2022? Why aren’t all powerlines buried?
#3. People who park in front of murals. I know there are parking spots there, doesn’t mean you have to use them.
#4. People who are living their own life and getting in my shots, like their world doesn’t revolve around me.
#5. The open faced sandwich. Makes no sense. Shouldn’t exist.

But even I have PEOPLE I like. If you are reading this, you are one of my PEOPLE. Or dare I say, one of my peeps? I will put in a good word for you with our soon to be monkey overlords.

While considering possible subjects for your PEOPLE image meditate on the following quote:

I love mankind… it’s people I can’t stand!!!
-Charles M. Schulz

I look forward to the interpretations.

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.

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 PEOPLE in this place that is made for humans by humans next Monday.

* The war has already started. Look into the Japanese monkeys that are already out there stealing babies.

Cherokee and O’Brien County Aux – Vol. 3

Back in February I cruised around Cherokee and O’Brien County harvesting their town signs. Here is the final collection of auxiliary images from that trip.


Cherokee County
Granville

Cherokee County
Paullina

Cherokee County

Cherokee County

Cherokee County

Cherokee County

Cherokee County

Cherokee County
Calumet

O'Brien County - Sutherland
Sutherland

O'Brien County - Sutherland

O'Brien County - Sutherland

O'Brien County - Sutherland

O'Brien County - Sutherland

O'Brien County - Primghar
Primghar – Look closely and you will see how Primghar got its name.

O'Brien County - Sheldon
Sheldon

O'Brien County - Sheldon

O'Brien County - Sheldon

O'Brien County - Sanborn
Sanborn

O'Brien County - Sanborn

O'Brien County - Sanborn

O'Brien County - Sanborn

O'Brien County - Sanborn

O'Brien County - Sanborn

O'Brien County - Hartley
Hartley

O'Brien County - Hartley

The next time we look at some aux, it will be from Osceola County. Some from Lyon County too. It was a trip I stopped short on because I ran into a hail storm.

Four Thousand Five Hundred

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:


Groundhog Steve

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:

TOP 10 PHOTOGRAPHY 139 PHOTOGRAPHY GALLERIES (LAST 365 DAYS)

To View the Gallery, Click on its Representative Image
Loess Hills Road Trip
10. Iowa – 35,595 Views

9 Emotions Project - Nader Parsaei
9. 9 Emotions Project – 69,259 Views

WEEK 311 - PEOPLE - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
8. WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – YEAR 8 – 74,730 Views

WEEK 343 - GRATITUDE - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
7. WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – YEAR 9 – 77,929 Views

Day 134 - May 14, 2022
6. SELFIE PROJECT – 2022 – 84,763 Views

Alexis Pregnant with Anela
5. Alexis Pregnancy Photo Shoot – 2020 – 95,358 Views

Abandoned Photomosaic
4. Christopher D. Bennett – 104,433 Views

Shelby County - Elk Horn
3. Town Sign Project – Auxiliary Images – 108,873 Views

Day 282 - October 9, 2021
2. Selfie Project – 2021 – 120,185 Views

Bradgate, Iowa
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.

Top 10 Photography 139 Images

Coon Rapids, Iowa
10. Coon Rapids, Iowa – 2,319 Views

Pufferbilly Days
9. Carla and Teresa – 2,379 Views

Dexter, Iowa
8. Dexter, Iowa – 2,426 Views

Scranton, Iowa
7. Scranton, Iowa – 2,484 Views

Moingona, Iowa
6. Moingona, Iowa – 2,770 Views

Howards - 2021
5. The Howards – 2,842 Views

Miami Beach Work Trip - May 2022
4. Miami – 2,920 Views

Alexis Pregnant with Anela
3. Alexis Pregnant – 3,458 Views

Day 73 - March 13, 2021
2. Me and Mom – 4,134 Views

Day 30 - January 30, 2022
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!

Fat Mum Slim – May 2022

On Tuesday I completed another month of the Fat Mum Slim Photo A Day Challenge. It was month of random prompts and I think for the most part, there is some good work mixed in with mediocre work. The kind of thing you get with a Photo A Day Challenge. This month I took pictures in 3 different states. Iowa, Florida, and Minnesota. I’m not sure how many different towns I took pictures in, but for sure it was Boone, Miami, Miami Beach, Des Moines, Ames, Nevada, Alta Vista, and Minneapolis. A few in rural areas as well.

Here are May’s pictures:


May 1
May 1 – This is Me

May 2
May 2 – Good Morning

May 3
May 3 – Free Choice

May 4
May 4 – Trees

May 5
May 5 – Mirrors

May 6
May 6 – Leaf

May 7
May 7 – View from Here

May 8
May 8 – Love

May 9
May 9 – A Seat

May 10
May 10 – Where I Stood

May 11
May 11 – Something Small

May 12
May 12 – In Nature – See the turtle?

May 13
May 13 – Green

May 14
May 14 – Sunshine

May 15
May 15 – Upside Down

May 16
May 16 – This Season

May 17
May 17 – A Shape

May 18
May 18 – A Door

May 19
May 19 – Creative

May 20
May 20 – I Read This…

May 21
May 21 – Waves

May 22
May 22 – Flying

May 23
May 23 – Stairs

May 24
May 24 – A Pair

May 25
May 25 – Something Warm

May 26
May 26 – Pink

May 27
May 27 – Lucky

May 28
May 28 – Horizon

May 29
May 29 – A Car

May 30
May 30 – Sky

May 31
May 31 – This is Also Me

The plant that is in the picture for May 6 is also the plant in the picture for May 17.

There is only one prompt for the month of June. That is Grateful. The instructions are simply take a photo each day of something you’re grateful for.

This could be a very difficult month or a very easy one. I have a ton of things in my life to be grateful for, so in theory it should be pretty easy. But on the other hand, it is actually coming in to contact with those things (or more directly people) to get the pictures that I want in my head. I’ll at least try to make it happen. Or maybe my Instagram feed will just be filled with 30 pictures of nonsense. It could break either way.

Remember, you can follow along with this project on the daily at the Instagram account I’ve created just for this project at @fmsbennett.

Here’s hoping June goes well and that you are grateful you get to see those pictures.

+++++++

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


WEEK 351 - FLOWER
FLOWER

FLOWER! What a great theme for Year 9 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!

But what is a FLOWER picture? Simply put, a FLOWER picture is any picture where a FLOWER is a major compositional element of the picture. The FLOWER can be real. The FLOWER can be fake. The FLOWER can be a artistic rendering. There are so many options!

Happy photo harvesting!