This collection of glorious BLACK & WHITE images i took on July 6. I had a fairly lazy Saturday. I took a mini-road trip over to Jefferson for some A&W and had Jay, Willy, Monica, and Graham over for watermelon. But that was about all I did all day.
This was Shorty & Doris’ farm.
Only 1 day of alternate glorious BLACK & WHITE images left to share, but it might take several days to share them all. We’ll see.
Time to share more of the alternate BLACK & WHITE images I took on the 4th of July. This collection concludes the tiem I spent in Ames on that day. Mostly watching a parade with the Gorshes.
Still one more collection of glorious BLACK & WHITE pictures from this day left to share!
Today is Logan’s birthday, so I have to wish him a happy birthday!
I hope your day is filled with quality garage sale finds and a ton of photo opportunities!
Today is also Derrick’s birthday, so I also need to wish him a happy birthday!
I hope your birthday is filled with camping and some tasty face melting guitar solos. Probably some Pink Floyd as well.
Time to share more alternate BLACK & WHITE images for THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE. These BLACK & WHITE images I took on July 3.
3 days of glorious BLACK & WHITE images shared! 4 more days to go!
Can you believe that this is the 5,250th entry in the blog known as “An Artist’s Notebook”? Every 250 posts or so I like to take a moment to reflect on where this post has been and post a lot of meaningless stats.
As always on these posts, I like to start by quoting the very first “An Artist’s Notebook” entry that published on August 9, 2006. That first post that published 6,296 days.
That post that started with these 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”.
Since those words, I have posted 5,250 journal entries. This website is still something of an “idea box”. Sometimes I’m just working stuff out here. I don’t know why, sometimes I need to work stuff out in public. But this website is definitely more than just an “idea box”. It is a place where I post a few thoughts and a ton of pictures. I’ve gone through a few photo projects on these pages. From THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT to the 9 EMOTIONS PROJECT to THE SELFIE PROJECT to the POSTCARD RECREATION PROJECT to name just a few. This website has also created a community with THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE. Which is one of my proudest achievements. Even if it sputtered and spit and barely survived in its first few years.
On these reflective posts, I like to publish a bunch of statistics that me and Joe Duff find interesting. So I might as well get to it.
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 #5005 & INCREASE SINCE BEGINING OF 2024)
10. Carla – 632 (#10 – 39)
9. Formal Portrait – 655 (#6 – 6)
8. Teresa – 657 – (#9 – 49)
7. Road Trip – 657 (#8 – 32)
6. Macro – 662 (#7 – 26)
5. Jesse – 754 (#5 – 54)
4. Animals – 833 (#3 – 34)
3. Art – 842 – (#4 – 75)
2. Flowers – 1,010 (#2 – 40)
1. Black & White – 1,221 (#1 – 27)
No categories dropped from the Top 10. The categories with the best shot at cracking the Top 10 in the next 250 posts are Shannon, Nature, WPC-Submissions, Candid Portrait, & Still Life.
THE TOP 10 NON-HUMAN CATEGORIES
10. Candid Portrait – 504 (#9 – 16)
9. WPC-Submissions – 563 (NR – 27)
8. Nature – 568 (#8 – 26)
7. Formal Portrait – 655 (#5 – 6)
6. Road Trip – 657 (#7 – 32)
5. Macro – 662 (#9 – 26)
4. Animals – 833 (#3 – 34)
3. Art – 842 – (#4 – 75)
2. Flowers – 1,010 (#2 – 40)
1. Black & White – 1,221 (#1 – 27)
Photoshop dropped out of the Top 10.
The categories with the best shot of cracking the Top 10 in the next 250 posts are Still Life, Photoshop, Naima, History, and Self-portrait.
THE TOP 10 HUMAN CATEGORIES
10. Willy – 379 (NR – 27)
9. Vest – 388 (#10 – 29)
8. Micky – 399 (#8 – 29)
7. Logan – 428 (#7 – 37)
6. Kim – 441 (#6 – 35)
5. Mom – 473 (#5)
4. Shannon – 615 (#4 – 30)
3. Carla – 632 (#3 – 39)
2. Teresa – 657 (#2 – 49)
1. Jesse – 754 (#1 – 54)
Jay dropped out of he Top 10. The categories that have the best chance of breaking into the Top 10 in the next 250 posts are Andy, Jay, Jen, Sara, and Derrick.
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 208 categories used on the website. I could cover the Bottom 10, but no real reason. Some of those categories probably need to be purged. I do like to cover the Top 10 of the Bottom 100 though.
THE BOTTOME 10 OF THE TOP 100
10. Nathanial – 82 (+29)
9. Layla – 84 (+8)
8. Commercial – 84 (0)
7. House – 91 (+1)
6. Writing – 92 (0)
5. Becca – 92 (+2)
4. Pastor Sarah – 93 (+2)
3. Pufferbilly Days – 95 (+4)
2. Tenderloining – 96 (+25)
1. Faust – 96 (+4)
The following categories have either fallen out of the Bottom 10 of the Top 100 or climbed out of it:
Andree, Flat Earth Joe, Self-Portrait Project, and Sabas
The following categories have the best shot at dropping back into the Bottom 10 of the Top 10:
Russell, Nate, Jill, Blogging, Sabas, and Lowell.
The following categories have the best shot at climbing up into the Bottom 10 of the Top 10:
Andree, Photo Journal, Self-Portrait Project, Flat Earth Joe, and Mary.
I’m now starting to track what categories have had the greatest gain. These are the ones that have the greatest gain since the beginning of 2024.
THE TOP 10 CATEGORIES BY GAIN
10. Kim – 35
10. Andy – 35
10. Michelle – 35
8. Logan – 37
8. Elizabeth – 37
7. Carla – 39
6. Flowers – 40
5. Teresa – 49
4. Jesse – 54
2. Still Life – 72
2. Street Photography – 72
1. Art – 75
THE TOP 10 NON-HUMAN CATEGORIES BY GAIN
9. Nature -26
9. Nature – 26
7. Black & White – 27
7. WPC – Submissions – 27
6. Road Trip – 32
5. Animals – 34
4. Flowers – 40
2. Still Life – 72
2. Street Photography – 72
1. Art – 75
THE TOP 10 HUMAN CATEGORIES BY GAIN
9. Scottie. D. – 33
9. Linda – 33
9. Sabas – 33
6. Kim – 35
6. Andy – 35
6. Michelle – 35
4. Logan – 37
4. Elizabeth – 37
3. Carla – 39
2. Teresa – 49
1. Jesse – 54
If you are wondering what is your best way to improve your Photography 139 Score and crack the Top 10, it is simply to be active in THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE or go on trips with me or participate in various other photo projects or be related to me. Now these aren’t necessarily the 10 people that have influenced my photography the most, but these are the 10 people that have made the largest imprint on this website.
I can tell you the people that have influenced my photography the most, but that is a tale for another time. But I’m pretty sure you can guess who.
10. Naima – 72,941 views
9. Drone – 73,421 views
8. 9 Emotions Project – 98,062 views
7. Weekly Photo Challenge Year 3 – 124,533 views
6. Town Sign Project – 127,555 views
5. Tenderloining – 134,777 views
4. Town Sign Project Auxiliary Images – 172,671 views
3. Weekly Photo Challenge – Year 11 – 192,976 views
2. Instagram – 212,131 views
1. Weekly Photo Challenge – Year 11 – 289,984 views
Galleries that fell out of the Top 10 are:
Las Vegas 2023, Weekly Photo Challenge Year 9, Selfie Project – 2022,
Galleries that fell just outside of the Top 10 are:
Life, 365 Day Photo Project -2013, Memphis – 2023, New Orleans – 2024, Phot Journal Rejects.
But what are the most popular single images of the last 365 days? Don’t worry, I’m gonna feed you baby birds.
9. 2,508 views
8. 2,812 views
7. 3,774 views
6. 3,875 views
5. 3,999 views
4. 4,020 views
3. 4,305 views
2. 4,816 views
1. 20,050 views
If you are interested in checking out some of the milestone posts of the past, I got you. Click on any of the links below to check them out:
I think that is enough. We will check back in, in another 250 posts.
Time to clear out more of the proverbial backlog. These are a collection of pictures that I took back in August of 2023 but never fit any other “An Artist’s Notebook” posts. But are good enough that I think the world should see them. Some were taken on a trip to Dickcissel with Naima. Some from the drive home from watching Logan and Nathanial compete in a competitive barbecue contest. Some from my yard. And more from Dickcissel.
Panther, Iowa – Ghost Town
PANTHER
Perry, Iowa
PERRY IA
CULTURE & COMMUNITY THRIVE HERE.
Always feels good when the backlog gets just a little bit more cleaned up.
Today is Bethany’s birthday so I have to wish her a happy birthday.
I hope it is an amazing birthday filled with tons of super deep questions from Nora!
Time to share the balance of pictures I took on that trip around Greene County with Teresa.
Now I’m suddenly itching to hit an orchard.
Here is the final collection of images from the day I spent with Bill. This collection begins as we left Union Station and then concludes at a collection of murals.
It was a good trip. I’ll have to get out and visit Bill again this year. Besides when Jesse and I had dinner with him back in March.
Today is my mother-in-law Colleen’s birthday, so I need to wish her a happy birthday.
I hope your birthday is magical!
I didn’t take many phone pictures on Day 2 and Day 3 in New Orleans, so I’m combining them into one post. Day 2 is when the work begins on setting up for The Big Meeting. Day 3 involves a “training” session and then finishing off setup. But I had sometime to explore on those days.
Here are the pictures:
Then I took a walk up to Jackson Square to see if it was open. It wasn’t.
But got a nice view of the Saint Louis Cathedral.
Then I walked down the river walk and found this cool collection of love locks.
I would love to know this story.
Preach.
Tony and I got to the Convention Center while they were still putting the booth together.
This is by far and I mean by FAR the fastest internet we’ve ever had in a booth.
These snacks were delicious!
The booth put together.
Back at the hotel. I’m kind of a connoisseur of southern mayonnaise. This one has ALL the yolks.
One of my goals was to ride the trolley.
They stopped the trolley so this girl could take a graduation photo with it.
Inside trolley.
Pralines!
That night I had supper with Kim, Michelle, Diane and Gina. Afterwards I ended back up at Jackson Square.
This is the New Orleans Holocaust Memorial.
Final picture I took before going back to the hotel.
Day 3 starts with a 4 hour training session that feels like 8 hours.
Back to the Convention Center.
Got done early enough that I could see the inside of the Saint Louis Cathedral.
They took credit cards.
It is pretty in there.
The altar.
I didn’t take a horse and carriage ride. But I wish I had.
Best name for a restaurant. Ever!
The Rolling Stones played the Jazz Festival the night before.
Taking the trolley to the Garden District.
This guy openly boozed on the trolley. Was super friendly.
Nood Fountain in Audubon Park.
Back on Canal Street. Maybe my favorite graffiti ever.
Last cell phone picture of Day 3.
Still 4 more days of cell phone pictures left to share.
When we last checked in on Day 1 of my trip to New Orleans for work I was just about to get on the plane in Saint Louis to finish the trip to New Orleans.
Thanks Southwest! I’m sure I won’t hate you by the end of this trip.
Southwest! The last of the great romantics!
Well, what is yours?
Getting close!
On the ground!
And they didn’t even lose my luggage!
We have to find our own transportation from the airport to the hotel now. Like commoners!
View from our room. Not bad!
So this is Bourbon Street.
My church is getting new shirts. I’ll just say this idea was shot down.
“So I lay prostrate before the LORD for these forty days and forty nights, because the LORD had said he would destroy you.”
I don’t get why this is such a popular combination in New Orleans, but it is.
Kim!
I wish I would have had some Fat Boy’s Pizza on this trip.
I know a few.
Seems like the kind of church that has credit card swipers in the sanctuary.
Never had any ice cream on this trip either.
Best shirt I saw in New Orleans.
Trolley!
3rd best shirt I saw in New Orleans.
Most of Day 1 was spent resting in the hotel and wandering around Bourbon Street and the Jackson Square area. This was by far the day I took the most cell phone pictures. However, there are plenty more pictures to share from the rest of the trip.
Today is a very important day. It is the birthday of somebody very awesome! One of the most awesome people out there!
I hope your birthday is as amazing as you want it to be!
Since my trip to New Orleans, not feeling great since I got back, and adding Bokeh to my house, I’ve missed a ton of birthday wishes, just trying to keep this blog current and everything else. So happy belated birthday wishes to Kelly, Saydie, Becca, and Michelle. Sorry I didn’t get the job done on time!
Last August I went out to Omaha to see Brandi Carlile in concert. On the way there I stopped in Stuart and Walnut to take a few pictures. Including a new town sign to add to THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT:
But I also took a few more pictures:
Walnut is known for its large collection of antique stores. Unfortunately I was there on a Monday and they were pretty much all closed. I need to go back this year and get into some of those stores!
