Category Archives: Travel

Art, Christianity, Road Trip, Teresa, Travel, Vacation

08-01-08

October 13, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett

The pictures in the folder 08-01-08 are from a trip I made to Kentucky with Teresa to visit Ernie.

On the way down we stopped in Metropolis. Visited an illegal immigrant friend of mine. He’s a good chap. Maybe you’ve heard of him:

I highly endorse going to Metropolis. It is pretty cool!

By adding these images to The Photography 139 Gallery I was able to restore the following historic “An Artist’s Notebook” blog to its original glory:

The South – Day 1

Next Saturday’s walk down memory lane will continue to revolve around this 2008 trip to Kentucky.

Black & White, Boone FUMC, Jeff Daniel, Jim, Mission Trip, Ruins, Travel, Vacation, Yin

07-20-07

October 6, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

The images from the folder 07-20-07 run the gamut from pictures from the first mission trip I ever went on to pictures from the Miller Farm to pictures from a RAGBRAI stop in Ames.

The mission trip photos are from Cedar Rapids. I went with an adult group from my church.

The Miller Farm pictures were taken before June and Dean moved off the farm and into town.

The mission trip to Cedar Rapids was after a flood. After working the second day, you drove home. One the second day we worked in a house where they had to pull a Youth Group out of because they found pornography.

I still can’t describe how bad that house smelled. The family had left their cat behind. It survived the initial flood. Then it came back to the house. Then it crapped all over the house. Well, mostly behind the couch. The food was still in the fridge. You could stand on the other side of the street and still smell the house.

By adding these pictures to the Photography 139 Photography Gallery, I was able to restore the following historic “An Artist’s Notebook” entries to their original glory:

Jeff and Yin

Miller Farm

Cedar Rapids Trip Day 1

Cedar Rapids Trip Day 2

There are a ton more pictures from the Cedar Rapids Mission Trip than I posted here. You can peruse those by clicking on the link below:

Cedar Rapids Mission Trip – 2008

There are also a ton more pictures from the Miller Farm. You can peruse those by clicking the link below:

Miller Farm – 2008

Next week’s walk down memory lane will involve a vacation I made to Kentucky.

Animals, Black & White, Contests, Event, Flowers, Formal Portrait, Macro, Nature, Photoshop, Pufferbilly Days, Railroad, Ruins, Scottie D., Travel

Them Degeneffe Boys – Volume 2

September 9, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett

As Pufferbilly Days wound to a close, I would like to share the photos that were selected by popular vote and how they did in the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest:

No Love.

3rd Place – Hidden Treasures of Boone County.

1st Place – Photojournalism.

1st Place – Photoshop.

As far as I know, there wasn’t anybody else in the contest that I know. Once again, they didn’t put any names on any of the photos. In years past they had at least put a sheet of paper at the bottom of the display with a list of who finished 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. It is what it is.

I started entering the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest again 2 years ago because I was worried that the amount of entries had gotten really small. the last couple of years the numbers had ballooned. This year, the amount of entries atrophied again.

Hopefully it bounces back again next year.

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We are so close to the end of the 2016 backlog that you can probably feel it. After this post, there is only one photo shoot left to publish.

But before we get to that, we need to finish up with the pictures of Austin and Porter at a McHose Park playground.

Next Sunday, when hit the 2016 backlog, we look at a commercial photo shoot I did for a Minnesota leather company.

Black & White, Flowers, Jesse, Nature, Road Trip, Sarah Toot, Street Photography, Travel

The Great Eclipse Failure of ’17! – Uno

September 5, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett 8 Comments

You might recall that back in August of 2017 there was a solar eclipse in the United States for the first time in decades. Or at least a really long time.

It cut a swath through Iowa, but in Iowa you couldn’t see the totality. It was only something like 85%. And if you are satisfied with an 85% solar eclipse, you aren’t living life to its fullest. Let it sink in and do better.

The totality was cutting through parts of Kansas and Missouri. I have some kinfolk in the area where the totality was to happen. My big city cousin Sarah was even going to come home from New York with her beau Tim to see the totality.

We made a plan to get together and watch the eclipse together. She did some research and we determined a park on the Missouri River in Saint Joseph, Missouri would be the best place to watch it. The totality was at its longest there. Plus, Saint Joseph was considered one of the top ten places to watch the eclipse because of the length of the totality and the fact that it hardly ever rains in Saint Joseph in August. People do research on such things.

Jesse and I took a couple days off to come down to see the eclipse. Another one of my cousins, Jordan and his wife Erin graciously allowed us to stay in their tall basement for the night.

We left Boone at something like 4 in the morning because I didn’t want to miss the eclipse because we were stuck in eclipse traffic. I also didn’t want to fight other people for a spot to see the eclipse. We were going to have our spot carved out a good 4 hours before the eclipse started.

We were successful. We beat the traffic and we secured a spot of real estate next to the Mighty Mo. Then it started to rain. Then rain some more. We didn’t get to “see” the totality. It was covered by clouds, for the most part. However, we did get to experience it. The temperature does drop like 10 degree. Everywhere you look in all 360 degrees looks like a sunset.

I didn’t get the picture that I wanted, but I still got an amazing experience. With some amazing people. Including my Uncle Mike and cousin Adam and his daughter Florence.

Here are some pictures from the failure:

I’m already making plans for the eclipse in 2024. It cuts across Paducah, Kentucky. I have some kinfolk that live near there!

Art, Bethany, Dae Hee, Nora, Portrait, Street Photography, Travel

Franconia: Part III

September 4, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett

Today I bring you the final collection of images from my trip to the Franconia Sculpture Garden with Bethany, Dae Hee, and Nora.

Don’t be sad. I’m sure I will return there again in the future. I’ve even been in contact with Bethany about it already.

I also think that I will plan on visiting the Minnesota State Fair next year as well.

Here is the balance of the Franconia images:

I didn’t get many pictures of the sculptures at the end of our tour because I planned poorly and ran out of battery power. My bad for underestimating the sheer awesomeness of Franconia!

Art, Bethany, Black & White, Dae Hee, Flowers, Logan, Nora, Photoshop, Travel, WPC - Submissions

Franconia: Part II

August 28, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett

One photo from last week’s WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE came in late, but I thought I would share it anyways.

The picture below was submitted by Logan. It was taken at Vinton’s fireworks competition.

I didn’t know such a thing existed, but it does. I might have to check it out next year.

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Time to answer the question I left you with in last Tuesday’s blog.

Going back to my trip to the Franconia Sculpture Garden with Bethany, Dae Hee, and Nora from back in August of 2017:

I only have 3 car payments left. While it isn’t a ton of money that I will be not have to lay out every month, I have spent it over and over and over in my head. One of those things i think about buying is a piece of art for the yard. I think that lizard would like great in my yard.

There is one more collection of photos from Franconia next Tuesday.

Jesse, Music, Night, Russell, Street Photography, Travel

Beale Street

August 16, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

This collection of Beale Street images is the last of my photos from my trip to Memphis with Jesse and Russell to watch Iowa State in the Liberty Bowl.

I didn’t have overwhelming expectations for Memphis, but it ended up being one of my favorite cities I have ever visited.

If I would have to rank my 3 favorite cities to visit it would be as follows:

1. New York City
2. Minneapolis
3. Memphis

Honorable Mentions to Nashville and San Antonio.

My least favorite cities to visit:

1. Omaha – dirty town with nothing in it, except an animal prison.
2. Las Vegas – White Trash Mecca.
3. Chicago – It isn’t that there isn’t anything in Chicago, it is that it is impossible to get anywhere in Chicago.

Understand, I haven’t been to a ton of cities in my lifetime. I’m not a city person. I’m not a patient enough person to live in a city. Plus, I need nature. I prefer cities that have great food, great music, and interesting history.

Here are a metric ton of Beale Street pictures. A street with great food. Great music. Interesting history.

In case I haven’t mentioned it lately. I’m really excited for Iowa State’s season to start. Also, I need to travel somewhere soon. I really haven’t went anywhere this summer besides the mission trip.

But where to go… Where to go…

Black & White, Event, Football, Iowa State, Jesse, Music, Russell, Street Photography, Travel

Liberty. Rally. Pep.

August 15, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

More from the 2017 backlog. These pictures are from the Iowa State Liberty Bowl Pep Rally I attended with Russell and Jesse.

It was a great event, but since I was already filled with pep, I did a lap around the Memphis Redbirds stadium taking some photos.

It was a beautiful December in Memphis. I only wish that some of that warmth could have been saved for the next day.

John Walters started the pep rally by saying, “And they said a football team couldn’t fill a baseball stadium.” I’ll give you time, if you don’t get the joke.

I’m 99% sure that I’m going to make a road trip to watch Iowa State play Kansas in early November. If anybody is interested in joining me in a Cyclone takeover of Lawrence, let me know so we can start making plans.

Hopefully Iowa State lives up to expectations and there is another bowl game to attend this year. One in Phoenix would be nice!

If not, the Final Four is in Minneapolis this season and the Iowa State basketball team is loaded with talent!

Andy, Animals, Baby Got Rack, Black & White, Boone County Fair, Candid Portrait, Contests, Derrick, Macro, Mom, Nature, Scottie D., Shorty, Travel

Boone County Fair 2018 Results

July 25, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett 5 Comments

I was involved in 2 contests at the Boone County Fair this year. Now that the fair is in the past and I’ve had adequate time for reflection, I think it is a good time to share the results from the contests I entered.

First, the Open Class Photography Contest. You may recall that I had people vote to decide what pictures I entered. These are the five that were voted in and what they received:

Blue Ribbon

Purple Ribbon

Red Ribbon

Purple is the best. Red is the second worst, I guess. You can also get a white ribbon. I figured the reflection picture would resonate well with the Boone County Fair “judges”, because there is no obvious photographic technique. The subject is debatable. It doesn’t follow any rules for composition. To some degree, it is hard to tell what is in focus. It is a terrible photo contest photo. But it is a cool looking photo. You could print that up (perhaps on metal) and put that on your wall.

I reiterate, that I don’t enter photo contest to win ribbons. I just like to have pictures be seen. Whatever prize comes or doesn’t come, so be it.

I will run a similar program to pick out the pictures to be entered in the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest. It will be slightly different because people struggled to figure out how to use the website, so I will try to make it as not tech savvy as I can. None of these pictures, nor the pictures from the Iowa State Fair Photography Salon will be eligible to be in the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest.

That is my rule, not theirs. I never enter a photo in more than one photo contest. I will be bagging these photos up and be putting them in the Photo Contest trunk in the next couple of days. The trunk is running low on space, so I will be needing to upgrade or get another trunk in the near future.

Look for your chance to vote at the beginning of August.

The other contest I entered during the Boone County Fair was the Farm Bureau Cookoff. Technically Scottie D.’s name is the name on the entry, but this was a Baby Got Rack entry. Although, let us face it. Scott is the talent of Baby Got Rack.

There was a bit of confusion with the contest as the rules had changed quite a bit from previous years and also, were not well written. At our team meeting on the Thursday before the competition, there was much discussion about not even entering the contest.

According to the new rules, set up was at 1 PM and judging was at 4 PM. That is not enough time to smoke a piece of meat. It takes a minimum of 1 hour to get the fire going and the air circulation to where you want it. Then the quickest meat to smoke is pork loin. It needs to smoke for 2 hours. 1 hour 45 minutes at the least. Then it needs to rest for at least half an hour, otherwise all the juices will be lost when you cut into it.

There just isn’t time!

We thought about just showing up and winging it. We had once made a Chili Cheese Dog Pizza on a whim. It was delectable. It was delicious. We have never made it since.

On Friday, Scott talked to the people running the contest and they told him that we were allowed to show up and set up at 8 AM. That is enough time to do a rack of ribs right.

The other major change was the limitation of only being able to enter 2 categories.

At the Thursday meeting we must have went around in circles for hours about what 2 categories to enter. When the 1 PM rule disappeared, the answer became clear:

+Combination
+Pork

Here are a few pictures from Baby Got Rack’s day at the Boone County Fair:

Photo Cred: Dawn Krause

We took 1st Place in Combination.
We took 2nd Place in Pork.

That means that we will be going to the Iowa State Fair to compete on Tuesday, August 14th. If you are at the Fair that day, I would encourage you to come by and root us on. Judging will be at 10 AM.

After that, your next chance to try Baby Got Rack Barbecue will be at Pufferbilly Days. After that, you will have to wait until my birthday. Incidentally, the theme of my 2019 birthday party is going to be cargo shorts. It was going to be cargo shorts and jorts, but I have been told that jorts are considered stylish now. I don’t believe it, but I can’t take the risk!

Andy, Animals, Baby Got Rack, Contests, Flowers, Football, Holidays, Iowa State, Kio, Linda, Macro, Michelle, Micky, Mom, Nature, Pastor Sarah, Photoshop, Shannon, Teresa, Travel, Vest

Freedom and Flowers

July 4, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

With freedom, books, flowers, and the moon, who could not be happy?
-Oscar Wilde

Before we get into the meat of today’s blog, we need to start with…

Happy 4th of July!

I hope you had an continue to have an enjoyable 4th of July!

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Time to hit up the back log and publish more pictures from Donna Jones’s flower bed!

There are more of Donna Jones’ flowers in the hopper. For those of you that are fans of “flower porn” as Micky likes to call it.

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The votes have been tabulated and these are the photos that I will be entering in the Boone County Fair:

Technically there was a frog picture that got more votes than the picture of Shorty, but I’m not going a photo contest without entering a black & white image.

Thanks to the people that voted: Sarah Karber, Michelle, Micky, Vest, Mom, Teresa, Shannon, Kio, Aunt Linda, Jordan, Andy, and all of the fellow SmugMuggers that voted.

If you want to see the photos in the flesh (so to speak) they will be on display at the Community Building at the Boone County Fairgrounds. on July 21 and 22.

Baby Got Rack will also probably be competing on July 21. So mark your calendar!

We will do something similar when it comes to the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest.