Self Portrait

I have just been having a blast with my images in Photoshop. This is a self portrait I shot back in my Bronica days, before I sold that monstrosity of a camera. I loved that camera, the Bronica GS-1. Of the medium formats; 6X4.5, 6X6, and 6X7, the GS-1 was the largest at 6X7. The optics were top shelf, and the images were crystal clear. By the time I was finished invsting in cool gadgets and add-ons to the camera, I had about $5,000 into that kit. I thought I would be buried with that camera. Heh heh. But time caught up with me. Technology too. Before the digital camera stole the show, I had sold the kit for about half of what I had invested. Not bad actually, as digital was very close to critical mass in the industry, and I was afraid no one would be willing to invest in legacy technology.

This particular image has a bit of significance for me. I was out and about in downtown San Diego with Tom Normandeau. Tom was my mentor in photography. He is pictured (to my right) here. We were just taking the cameras for a stroll. Tom is holding his Mamyia 6X6. He liked the square format for some reason. I personally don't, as it just doesn't seem right; a square image. Plus, I don't like to crop on the final print. I would much rather crop directly in the camera.

Shanghai 1989

Here are a few images from my last deployment while stationed on the USS Blue Ridge. Shanghai was the last scheduled stop for the ship. This was an historic event, as it was the first mooring of a US Navy ship in mainland China since the end of World War II.

We were there for just 3 or 4 days, if memory serves. It was very exciting to be part of that history in the making. The day before we tied our ship to the pier, we were all briefed on the cultural subtleties of Shanghai, as we did with all ports of call. Also, we were to remain in uniform during our off duty hours, due to the significance of the trip.

One of my fellow photographer's (PH2 Hanson) and I went on a walk about one day, and he captured these images of me. The first one shows a sort of unwritten tradition. Or maybe it is written somewhere. Anyway, we happened upon our Chinese Sailor counterparts during our walk, and decided to have a photo opportunity. We traded military covers (or hats, for you civilians), and smiled for the camera. The second image was taken for the purpose of our ship's publication, however I am not sure if the image ended up being used. It shows me interacting with the locals. The booklet I am referring to is a cheat sheet of common phrases in English and Chinese.

I couldn't help but notice the warm welcome we received by the vast majority of the people in Shanghai at that time. Everyone seemed very excited to approach and attempt to converse with the American Sailor in the white uniform.

The story has an unfortunate, and historically significant ending.

When we left, we were to sail for 2 days back to Yokosuka, Japan, where the Blue Ridge is forward deployed. Between the time that we left Shanghai, and the time we moored in our home port of Yokosuka, the Tiananmen Square crack down had begun. It is my humble opinion the Chinese authorities were waiting for us to leave.

Lighthouse at Tybee Island - Savannah Georgia

Thought I would share an image with you all. I shot this while attending my nephew's wedding in Savannah Georgia. I missed out on the drama, the day before the wedding. If I have the story correct, the rehearsal was to happen on the island the day before the wedding. When the wedding party arrived, they were blocked from entry onto the island. Evidently Miley Cyrus was filming a movie on the island, and the city had blocked entrance to that area without their knowledge or consent. This whole thing got the attention of the local media outlets, and the bride and groom were suddenly on the news that night. Wow!!

Operation Daniel

I have wanted to share this image with you all for a long time. I shot this picture a few years back, when I was still working in the area. When I began working in Salina, still taking up residence in the Sunflower building in Abilene, I would pass this spot on the Interstate every day, on my way to and from work. In fact, the Lion's Den was seated on the north side of the very exit off the interstate I would take to head back to the apartment building.

I had visited with a few of the locals in Abilene about the store and the sign. They told a very interesting story, and it prompted me to look up the news stories.

Evidently, in 2004, a local man by the name of Phil Cosby, was the first to protest the opening of this store, which sits a mere two miles from Abilene city limits, along the interstate I-70.

He then spoke with his church friends, who spoke with their church friends, who spoke with other church friends in other churches, and on and on, until a protest was born. It was dubbed Operation Daniel. apparently the name was derived from the pioneer protester, Cosby, who explained to a reporter that, "The Daniel is someone who would stand and make a difference in society, where he's at."

Operation Daniel had a specific battle plan, which was to rally the troops to set up a 100 day stake out of the store, and report to their employers, the patrons who would frequent the establishment. They would turn in DOT numbers to their respective corporate headquarters.

Operation Daniel did have a fair amount of success in turning customers away, but their success was short lived. This was back in 2004. The Lion's Den is still open as I type this in 2009. In fact, I believe there is another action being taken against the store. I believe it has to do with the proximity of their sign to the Interstate. Hmm ... looking at this image makes you wonder if the Lion's Den should file a counter suit.

Woman at Market

This is another image taken from Pusan South Korea circa 1987.

Hiroshima & The Peace Park

These last two are photographs from the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum.

Photographing the Buddhist monk made me a nervous wreck, as I remember it. I felt I was in a place very different from my own, and in a sense, I was witnessing a man on a spiritual journey; though at the time, I was not consciously aware of it. My experience and knowledge of the Buddhist culture was very limited. My anxiety was enhanced as I took in the exhibits. It was a sobering experience. The building you see behind the monk is referred to as The A-Bomb Dome. It is so named because it withstood the blast and is still standing today. That fact alone does not seem so extraordinary until you consider how close it was to the center of the blast. It stood 160 meters northwest of the hypocenter.

Pusan South Korea

Just wanted to share with you all four photographs that I think are very special to me.

For as long as I live, I will never forget these two children. As I was positioning for just the right shot, they just followed the gaze of my camera through several different positions, until I had settled on just the right angle. Their expressions seemed so poignant.

Both photographs were from the same day. For the local citizens of Pusan, South Korea, it was just another day in the market place. For me, however, it was a brand new experience, as it was one of my first trips to this country. I was a young American sailor of the United States Navy, experiencing cultures which were far removed from the one I grew up in. I had made it my mission to document what I was experiencing at that time.

More Photoshop Fun

Just a little more fun in Photoshop with a few images. These two buildings have a bit of significance in my recent past. The Sunflower building is an old hotel, built in the early part of the 20th century, in Abilene, Kansas. It was a favorite stop for President Eisenhower, when he would make protocol visits to his home town. They converted the building into an apartment complex, keeping all of the original decor. It has been placed on the historical registry. The owner's run a very nice operation there. The rent is cheap, and the building is kept clean, and in excellent working order. I enjoyed very low rent there for the nearly 3 years I spent working in that area. The distortion in the image was just for fun. There is a ghost in the machine, er something like that. The other image is of the United Building in Salina, Kansas. I worked on the 6th floor for about a year and a half. The United Building was built around the same time frame as the Sunflower Building.

Photoshop Fun

Here is a throw away image that I had a little fun with in Photoshop.

Inspirational Photographer

Ok, last post for the day.

I just wanted to share with you all a photograph that, in my opinion, is one of the most inspirational still images I have ever seen. The photographer is Sebastiao Salgado. I was first introduced to this inspirational photographer when I served as a volunteer docent for the Museum of Photographic Arts in San Diego. To me, this man is an icon of still photography. The reason I believe him to be the best of the best, is because his images go beyond artistic expression. They tell a story, and at the same time, the images are truly beautiful. This image, in my opinion, epitimizes that quality.

Mark's Bio

Mark Alan Rohlf has been affectionately dubbed "The Accidental Geek." He completed his Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications with an emphasis in Public Relations in 1996. His passion for Journalism and Still Photography took root early in his career during his four year tour in the United States Navy as a Photographer's Mate.

Mark published several articles and photographs for both local as well as Navy wide publications within the Navy community. Later, Mark noticed the swelling wave of the World Wide Web in the early 90s and began to focus his attention on the technologies that allowed for digital communications. This, in turn, led Mark to an interest in computer networking, which began his right turn from Communications into the world of Information Technology.

Mark completed a Master of Science degree in Instructional Technology in the summer of 2000. His research project focused on a strategic plan in teaching non-technical workers to create, deploy, and maintain content in digital format using client/server http technologies.

Currently Mark is serving as Seward County's Information Technology Supervisor. He has logged several years as a technician in the hospital setting, and he has served a few years in the Wireless Internet Service industry.

Mark achieved his first Cisco Certified Network Associate certification in the same year he completed his Master's degree. A few years later, he served a term as FHSU's Kansas Cisco Academy Program Specialist.

As Program Specialist, Mark was responsible for managing the Cisco Academy’s quality assurance program. FHSU’s academy is a regional with several local academies subordinate to the regional. FHSU's role in the Academy Program has grown in stature since then. He also made annual quality visits to the local sites, and provided training and curriculum support.

As Mark was transitioning out of the Program Specialist role, he noticed a need for a local academy in Salina, and began communicating with the Faculty at Kansas Weslayen University. He then went on to help KWU implement the local academy under FHSU's leadership. KWU is currently stepping up their efforts to increase their presence within the Academy community, as a result of Mark's foresight.

Currently Mark is teaching two INT courses through the Virtual College.

INT 291 - Internetworking I
INT 300 - Foundations of Information Networking & Telecommunications

Word of the Day

Well, I suppose the title of this should actually be, “Word of the Year”, as it has been about a year since I last posted to my shiny new, four year old blog. Why has it been a year since my last post, you ask? A lot has happened in the last year, but do you really care? Ok, fine – I’ll tell you. I recently changed jobs, and I am now living (temporarily) in my brother-in-law’s basement. This does not set well with me, because it does not fit my routine. I am, in some ways, still living out of a suitcase. I don’t like living out of a suitcase. Uh oh. I just took a right turn, and strayed off topic. Well, not really, as the temporary rant actually fits directly into the topic. The topic? Word of the Day. uhh …errr…I mean… Year.

The word is neophobia. The dictionary has a very concise definition. It is the fear of new things. Wow. Where do I begin? Well, I suppose the logical answer is to Google it. But that only gets you results other people have written about the word. You get results about the dysfunctional eating habits of children, among the many other results. You know, the way kids will rant, “I hate onions.” Or “I like hamburgers, but only with ketchup, and only from McDonalds.” Surely the dysfunctional eating routine of a child is a fascinating subject, but it has no impact on my life, and thus, I don’t really give a shit.

So, I suppose a better way to begin, would be to think about some of the different ways the word could be used to describe me. Hmm, self-psycho-analysis - A lovely romp into your own mind. It keeps the brain sharp.

Ah, the noise of humanity.

How can I be described as a neophobic? I suppose it would be prudent to start with my comment in the first few sentences of this write up. I don’t like living out of a suitcase. I don’t suppose that is entirely true, as I love travelling, and experiencing the world around me. I love learning about new cultures, and how they differ with the culture I grew up in. For example, I am now living and working in Liberal, Kansas. Liberal has a significant Hispanic population. In fact, it may be possible that the Hispanics outnumber the white “majority”. Please don’t quote me on that, as I am not referring to the census here, but rather, I took a comment I heard from the daughter of a friend, who is a high school student, and interpreted it as a microcosm of the general population. The comment she made was, “They outnumber us.” Of course “They” are the Hispanic population in the high school. Wait. Before I go any further, I think it’s important to note that she was not making any derogatory or racial comments about Hispanics. But rather, just pointing out some of the cultural differences between them and us whiteys.

Where was I? Oh, right – trying to describe my love of learning new things, but my hatred of learning them from a suit-case. Or maybe it could be better described as a love of learning new things, but a hatred of learning them from someone else’s basement.

Believe me; it has nothing to do with not feeling welcome, or not having enough of a buffer zone between myself, and my in-laws. They have been nothing but gracious, welcoming, accommodating, etc. I would have been in a world of hurt if I would have had to find a place on my own, and in such a short period of time between jobs. I am eternally grateful for their willingness to give up their basement, so that I would have time to look for the right place, and not just the first place. In fact, their knowledge of the town, and the people in it, helped find me the perfect place. I have nothing but kudos to Marybettie (sister-in-law) for that. But regardless, I just want my own place. I want things to be set the way I set them. I want the bathroom towel to be where I set it. I want the toaster to be on the counter beside the fridge. I want the temperature to be where I set it. I want to have silence when I am writing, and I am not getting it right now as I type this. Grrrrr!!!!!!!!

It could be argued that this is not an example of neophobia, as it is not the fear of new things. But rather, the grizzled disdain of OPRs - Other people’s routines. Maybe that’s true, and true in the sense that their routines are actually not new. But they are new to me, and I don’t like it. So I guess you could go either way on that subject.

Ah, the noise of humanity.

Maybe this is all just an exercise in control. And I’m not in it. Maybe, it’s not really a fear of new things, but rather a fear of things I am not in control of. Ouch, that hurts. Is that a bad thing? Am I a closet control freak? Sheesh, I just opened a can of worms that I don’t want to dissect. Let’s put the lid back on that one. LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA .. I … AM … NOT …. LISTENING … TO … ME!!!!!!!!!!

I think I will just wrap this up by pointing out the obvious, although it’s not really obvious to most, until someone (and I’m usually that someone) points it out.

Neophobia is the opposite of Neophilia. Those two words are used to describe the two extremes of human interest. The first used to describe the fear of new things, or novelty, and the second with the absolute glee for novelty. Balance in all things - All things in balance. The Eastern wise man is eternally the centrist, but not because he’s riding the fence, but rather because he knows that we humans cannot fit our lives into a cookie cutter. Sometimes you’re in control, sometimes not. Sometimes you live in someone’s basement, and sometimes you have a guest in yours.

Ah, the noise of humanity.

Red Steel & Ike Statue

This photograph seemed very dull in it's pure black and white state, so I began to mess around with it in photoshop. It took a very long and tedious process of selecting the area of the image that isolated the door from the rest. I then simply applied a color to the selected area. I think it breathed a bit of life into what otherwise would have been a throw away.

I felt the same with the Ike statue as well. The image itself was just not enough. But with a bit of time and effort in Photoshop, it gave the image a bit of charector.

Step Away From The Computer

I wrote a short piece on Internet Addiction Disorder, and submitted it to a few papers for consideration in their Op-Ed section. It didn't get published. I could have pushed a little harder, but I didn't. Anyway, I just thought I would share it here.

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Dan woke up early this morning. A full 30 minutes before his alarm was set to go off. he didn't sleep well, tossing and turning all night long. The anticipation of the next day's session was the source of his insomnia. Just yesterday, at the end of his four hour session, one of the admins promoted him to "superuser." he had been working toward this promotion for several months. Over the past year, Dan had logged 75 days, 18 hours, and 33 minutes. This was his exact time on line as he logged out last night. he knew this because he checked it, as he did every night before logging out.

Dan absolutely loved the idea of chatting with people from all over the world. The thought that he could be nothing more to them than a witty response on the computer screen gave him a lot of confidence. he could say anything. There were no negative consequences to his verbal persona as there would be if he behaved this way with his friends IRL (In Real Life). he loved the sound of the modem as it established a connection to the Internet. And he hated the fact that at some point in the early morning hours, he would have to log off and go to bed.

Dan is a fictional character (circa 1995) I created to illustrate a point.

Even though Dan now admits he was addicted to the Internet, he really wasn't. he did have a compulsive habit of chatting on line, but the Internet was only the vehicle that took him there. Dan overcame his compulsive behavior, when he woke up one day, and looked in the mirror.

Attention Cyber Geeks, Net Heads, Internet Junkies, et al. Step away from the computer. I am not a doctor. Hell, I don't even play one on TV. But please, please, please step away from your computer.

Ask yourself a few questions. here are a few to get you started.

• What is your passion in life?

• How are you using the Internet to further your passion?

• Or are you just killing time?

Your compulsive time wasting behavior is not caused by "The Internet." The Internet is nothing more than a delivery system for your compulsions and/or addictions. Much like the glass is to the alcoholic. But the glass is not to blame for the addiction.

This "Internet Addiction" thing has gotten so out of hand, it has forced the Psyche community to debate it's existence. Some Psyche professionals have even given it a name - Internet Addiction Disorder. And some are offering treatment for this psychological malady.

I do not quarrel with these professionals as to whether or not addictions involving the Internet exist. My disagreement is in the term. If we are to call it Internet Addiction Disorder, shouldn't we re-evaluate the term for alcoholism? Glass Addiction Disorder?

Proponents of the term, Internet Addiction Disorder, have a bad habit of oversimplifying "The Internet." They also tend to refer to the Internet as if it were a living, breathing, thinking, autonomous being.

The concept of the Internet began back in the 1950s with Project RAND. The main goal was information sharing. This goal was then further developed in the 60s when it was picked up by the Department of Defense. Their research efforts were less labor intensive if separate physical computing centers could be interconnected, thus reducing time and effort in traveling from one computer to another, or sharing information on the telephone.

So The Internet, in it's infancy, was a collection of computer systems, interconnected with cables, for the purpose of sharing information. Though on a much larger scale, The Internet today is very much like the Internet of yesterday.

Some will ask, "What does the Internet do?" The answer to that question strikes at the heart of my opposition to the term Internet Addiction Disorder.

What does the Internet do? It does exactly what you command it to do. Now think about that for a moment. Think about how that affects the question, “Can a person actually be addicted to The Internet?”

If you please. The Internet is not the addiction. It's the substance you pursue, which as it happens, can be found on the Internet. For some, it may be gambling. Or it could be pornography. In most cases, it's nothing more than compulsion. Similar to compulsive shopping. But no matter what the source of the compulsion, the blame lies not with the tools that get your there, but rather within your own choices. You simply must choose to not continue that pattern.

Just step away from the computer, folks. Take a close look in the mirror. The Internet can be a wonderful tool for your life's pursuits. But in the end, you must engage your fellow human being IRL.

Some New Photographs

Just thought I would share a few new photographs here. More to come later.

This particular photograph was the result of boredom. It was a weekend to be in Abilene, and my little studio in the Sunflower building can get a bit cramped. The weather was nice, so I decided to take the camera for a stroll. This was one of the photographs from that stroll.