Tag Archives: Intersections

Intersections, Personal Vision, The Story

Through the Glass Facing 60 Part II: The Eyes have it, or so I Thought……

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Reflections on Life a week after my Birthday.  I had hoped to have my eye surgery wrapped up by my 60th birthday in May.  But the surgical consultation said that I had to wait 1 year from when the problem first started.  So I am scheduled for ‘Eye Fixin’ on August 24th.  But May 9th was My Birthday and we are going to post what I’ve been up to since the last Posting (in February) and have a final wrap up in September……Also I want to call to your attention my musings on ‘stay home’ practices.

I had not included images from my Annual Sing Along Messiah Event.  I actually felt energetic enough to sing in all three performances:

 

Zooming in on me in the Chorus:

SingAlong_Zoomed_Me1

 

For Valentine’s Day I attended the First Methodist Lafayette Valentine’s Tea.  A traditional Ladies Church Tea with a program focussed on Women’s History.  I attend annually with Claudia (blue sweater next to me) and her Family and Friends:

Valentines_Post

My Recent NoBo Art Presentation.  I’ve had a long journey getting a good print of this image.  No not the one that you see, but the final print from my Scanning Journey posting.

NoBo_March_2020

You can see that my left eye is closed.  This problem started to develop last September.  I’m being treated at the Rodgers Eye Clinic at Anschutz Medical School (University of Colorado).  The Tumor that was removed damaged my 3rd Cranial Nerve.  A common side effect.  But I have to wait one year to see if the nerve can recover somewhat on its own.  I had a botox injection in March to see if the muscles could be relaxed to minimize what needs to be done in surgery.  Surgery scheduled for August 24th.  So there will be an update soon after that.

I was supposed to have 3 major signing dates this Spring.  But the Coronavirus resulted in cancellations of all of my singing engagements.  On the up side, I am doing voice rehabilitation with a local specialist.  And she has plans for me to sing in a Wagner Chorus that she is training in the Fall.  Let’s hope the Coronavirus is under control by then.

Add 3 months of Frugal Film postings and discuss–The Virus has not stopped my photographic practices.  I am involved in the Frugal Film Project:  camera less than $50 and films that the Group have agreed upon for quarterly shooting.  Here My January through March Best of featuring Minolta 35 mm cameras and Ilford HP5:

JANUARY: Free Little Library Boxes

 

 

FEBRUARY: Valentine Roses

 

 

MARCH: Miscellaneous around the Neighborhood, Featuring the Sign…..

 

 

I’ve met an interesting group of semi-local photographers on Twitter.  We have tentatively planned to meet in the Snowy Range of Wyoming in July.  But no certainty of that right now.  But we shall hope that I visit this spot below with new photo friends sometime soon:

MirrorLake_SnowyRange

And So, for my Birthday I celebrated with Family, with my eye improving each day,

…………and preparing for my follow-up medical visit to the Mayo Clinic:

mayo_phoenix_hospital

More after that Visit………..

 

Architecture, Interior Spaces, Personal Vision, Themes

The Evans School, Denver

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#ThursdayDoors

I realized that I had no Door planned for today.  OMG!  And I had just been sorting doors yesterday.  So I’m giving you one of my Indoor Doors.  From the Denver Architecture Foundation’s Doors Open Denver, the Evans School:

Evans_School

You know that I like interior spaces.  I know that I photographed the main entrance…. when I find it I will post it!

Intersections, Portraits, Social Commentary, The Story

Armistice 1918-2018: What Have We Learned?

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I am Reposting this for Veteran’s Day 2019.  Didn’t quite get the response I had hoped for last year……

Over the past 4 years of the 100th Anniversary of World War I (The War to end all Wars, except that it didn’t).  I had hoped for some thoughtful reflection on the Root Cause of Conflict.  I am aware that some of this occurred Across Europe.  But nothing here in the USA.

WWI History is barely touched upon here.  I know much more than the average America due to an excellent AP European History class I took in High School.  It was taught by one of my most memorable teachers, Mr. Knab, from the perspective of the root cause of conflict and how it directly led to WWII.

An opportunity lost……..

Memorial_Day

So I am Honoring My Father’s WWII Service in a Segregated Army, in Italy.  1st Lt Vernon Johnson.  An Army He later helped to Integrate under orders from President Truman.  He worked in the Army Reserve, ‘helping’ white soldiers get used to taking orders from African America Officers. At the out break of The Korean War, he was like other WWII veterans, exempted from further service because he had a wife and child.  At least back them they did not want to make more Widows and Orphans.

Notably my Father was also a Buffalo Soldier…..And he loved the Bob Marley song.  He felt Appreciated and Respected.

 

 

My Father always talked about the Children he met in Italy………

 

 

And Training at Ft Huachuca, Arizona…….

 

 

 

We’ll end with a Photograph of my Mother.  The one that my Father carried with him through the War. I found it in his old foot locker along with many of the images above:

College_Mom3049.jpg

Mom is still with us at a Feisty 95……

Contests, Intersections, Personal Vision, The Story

The Story: Imagining the Image

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Imagining the Image:  What happens when I think before I shoot?  I’ve heard this in workshops;  see the image first.  But usually the workshop leader drifts off into concepts of composition………

And that misses the point.  I have had one particularly good workshop with Cole Thompson, where we discussed seeing what you want the final image to be, and how to capture the image towards that end.  Really Imagining the Image….First!

*(Cole’s discussion of personal vision is also excellent…take a workshop with him if you get the chance.  I don’t endorse many people like this).

Reflecting on some recent photographic success, I found that for ALL of these images, without exception, I SAW the image BEFORE I captured it!  Even without realizing.  I had pre-visualized.  Everything on my “Now Showing Page” and some not there (that I personally consider successful), were all made that way.  So I’m adding some favorites here (some blasts from the early days included), where Pre-visualization really was the key to personal satisfaction for me.  And  the stories behind the image……..

This Kiva I had visited years before.  Taken a few quick tourist images and moved on with my Road trip.  I wanted to revisit those images and they were ‘lost’ in 20+ years of disorganization.  They were also color 35 mm and I was doing B&W now.  So when I had the opportunity to revisit this site, with a photographic concept in mind, this was the result:

Johnson_KE_Illuminate_1

So inspired by Jason Avery’s #filmtober Question #27 “What do you look for when on location for a photo?”  Over the next several months, I will pursue the story behind my images.  These will all be tagged as Intersections and The Story……

The Story Image Collage #1:

 

Intersections, Personal Vision, Portraits, The Story

Through the Glass: Post Surgery

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MayoMug_2019

After 13 hours of surgery; 90% of my tumor removed (excellent for a brain tumor); and 5 days in the Hospital….All I have to show for it is my Mayo Clinic Mug!   I did get released on New Year’s Eve and had that time with my Family.  One final thing I can say about the surgery is that my brain is functioning differently and my visual and audio perceptions are different;  not reduced or degraded, just different.  I will continue to explore this issue during my recovery.  Although my traumatic brain injury was planned and controlled, there are still ramifications I’ll be dealing with further down the line.  How will this affect my Artistic Vision?

What I have also experienced is the highest level of health care service EVER IN MY LIFE!  I want everyone to have this level of care!!!!!!

On January 23rd I start my Proton Beam Radiation Treatment.  Last year a friend of mine died from Esophageal Cancer.  The Proton Beam treatment was an option for his cancer that was never offered to him, because it wasn’t covered by his insurance.  I AM PISSED that he didn’t at least  have the option.

Intersections, Personal Vision, Social Commentary, The Story

Through The Glass: Terms and Conditions

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As You read this I will be in surgery for my brain tumor; thoughts, prayers and well wishes appreciated.  And the image below will be ‘unpinned’ from my Twitter page, because hopefully after my surgery I will have clarity and not ambiguity…..

I also want to explain how my ‘medical updates’ will intertwine with my normal Photographic Posts.

And this is the ONLY time you will ever see a Biblical Quote here, but you will see the connection:

1 Corinthians Chap 13 verse 12: “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.” 

KEJohnson_Convent
The Symbol of My Journey

All of my Journey Updates will start with the heading:  “Through the Glass”  And I have added that tag to take you directly to these updates if you are interested.  I hope that you can see it refers to the Ambiguity of what I am facing.  That what made this image so timely.

Intersections, Social Commentary, The Story

When Life Throws a Curve

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From the vagaries and ups and downs of life.  I find myself recovering from surgery with time to reflect.  Another Intersection of Life and Art.

As you read this I am on my way to the Mayo Clinic, Phoenix Arizona for a Consultation.  But here is where The Story Begins:

On October 3, 2018, I was diagnosed with a “brain mass”.  Vision problems had sent me to the Ophthalmologist.  His testing and measurements of my left eye indicated something bad was going on behind that eye.  He sent me to the emergency room, calling ahead to discuss with the Dr. what tests would be appropriate.

The Symbol of My Journey

(The Ambiguity of the Mirror from “The Artist’s Studio” symbolizes my Journey.  So it will be the featured Image for these medical update posts…….)

When I arrived, they were ready for me and ordered an MRI with contrast dye, no questions asked.  The diagnosis:  Brain tumor of unknown type growing behind my left eye; referral the the Neurosurgeons.

But, there is also a back story:  I am an 8-year breast cancer survivor.  So I also (and for the rest of my life)  have an Oncologist. He now enters the mix. His fear is a metastatic spread of my previous cancer, which would be a sure death sentence.

Weeks of testing:  Bone Scans, PET Scans, CT Scans…………All showing no breast cancer;  Dodged that bullet!  But I still have an unidentified tumor in my head that needs to be identified so the best treatment can be determined.  All non-invasive procedures exhausted, now it is time the the Neurosurgeons to perform a biopsy.

So how do they access that area behind the Eye?  By drilling holes through you sinuses.  The ENT Surgeon does that. I didn’t even get a black eye from this; but I do have a puffy face.  My worst bruise was from the arterial blood pressure tap-in.  Apparently when you have brain surgery, they tap an artery to have the most accurate blood pressure.

WatingForBiopsy
Waiting for my Biopsy

Biopsy Results:  I have a rare but treatable/survivable brain tumor (Which I will name and discuss later).  It is in effect a birth defect.  It was supposed to be reabsorbed as my little fetus grew, but it wasn’t.  And when that happens you have a little guy in your head that probably won’t be a problem unless you are 1 in a million me.

My Neurosurgeon removed what was safe to remove without doing harm.  It was affecting my optic nerve (first symptom), my Pituitary Gland and Carotid Artery (the brain’s source of blood).

Follow-up will require a unique radiation treatment only available in a few places.  So I have been referred to The Mayo Clinic in Phoenix AZ.

POSTSCRIPT: Ongoing, I will be taking a road trip to Phoenix (Dates TBD); loading up the 4Runner with my camera gear and film (bought for a cancelled trip to the Everglades).  Radiation I know will be 5 days a week for 8-10 weeks.  So I will be doing photography as I feel up to it and posting as I go.  Exploring Arizona for that time and keeping OldSchoolPhotoLabs very busy.

Ciao Baby!

Intersections, Portraits, Social Commentary, The Story

Armistice 1918-2018: What Have We Learned?

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Over the past 4 years of the 100th Anniversary of World War I (The War to end all Wars, except that it didn’t).  I had hoped for some thoughtful reflection on the Root Cause of Conflict.  I am aware that some of this occurred Across Europe.  But nothing here in the USA.

WWI History is barely touched upon here.  I know much more than the average America due to an excellent AP European History class I took in High School.  It was taught by one of my most memorable teachers, Mr. Knab, from the perspective of the root cause of conflict and how it directly led to WWII.

An opportunity lost……..

Memorial_Day

So I am Honoring My Father’s WWII Service in a Segregated Army, in Italy.  1st Lt Vernon Johnson.  An Army He later helped to Integrate under orders from President Truman.  He worked in the Army Reserve, ‘helping’ white soldiers get used to taking orders from African America Officers. At the out break of The Korean War, he was like other WWII veterans, exempted from further service because he had a wife and child.  At least back them they did not want to make more Widows and Orphans.

Notably my Father was also a Buffalo Soldier…..And he loved the Bob Marley song.  He felt Appreciated and Respected.

 

 

My Father always talked about the Children he met in Italy………

 

 

And Training at Ft Huachuca, Arizona…….

 

 

 

We’ll end with a Photograph of my Mother.  The one that my Father carried with him through the War. I found it in his old foot locker along with many of the images above:

College_Mom3049.jpg

Mom is still with us at a Feisty 95……

Intersections, Social Commentary

Let’s Take A Break………

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Let’s take a break from all of the Artistic Seriousness.  Sometimes photography should just be FUN!  So I’ll share with you A tasty morsel from our Team Building Garden at work: Courtesy of Team Plantform….

Tomato1

And it was VERY YUMMY!

Tomato2

I’ve also tagged this as an ‘Intersection’, because Gardening is its own Art Form……