Cody Redmon - Photoblog http://www.codyredmon.com/blog A Montana-based professional photographer. Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:30:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 en 45.674463-110.538347CodyRedmonhttp://feedburner.google.com Afternoon Pond http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CodyRedmon/~3/si8hx5C2gcc/ http://www.codyredmon.com/blog/2009/09/14/afternoon-pond/#comments Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:30:48 +0000 Cody Redmon http://www.codyredmon.com/blog/?p=1201 Crouching along an alpine pond, I took this image in the Beartooth Mountains over Labor Day weekend. Though I’ve been to the area a number of times in the past, this was my first trip solely to camp and explore about on foot. Home to the highest peak in Montana, the Beartooths offer the full [...] Crouching along an alpine pond, I took this image in the Beartooth Mountains over Labor Day weekend. Though I’ve been to the area a number of times in the past, this was my first trip solely to camp and explore about on foot. Home to the highest peak in Montana, the Beartooths offer the full spectrum of wilderness geography - from technical mountaineering to languid alpine meadows. If not for the temperament of weather at 11,000 feet, one might imagine it as a peaceful place.  And it was, for about 5 minutes…

On a side note, two close friends camping just across the range from us had a large grizzly walk into their remote lakeside camp at 2 o’clock in the afternoon.  Shouting did no good, and only after discharging a firearm into the air at 25-30 yards did the critter back off.  Luckily, it was spooked enough to swim across the lake…though they were surprised by its speed and said trying to outrun one in a canoe would be futile. Gotta love the wilds.  

Afternoon Pond

Cody Redmon - Photoblog.

. Tags: ,
Related posts
]]> http://www.codyredmon.com/blog/2009/09/14/afternoon-pond/feed/ http://www.codyredmon.com/blog/2009/09/14/afternoon-pond/ Country Road - Archive Dive IV http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CodyRedmon/~3/jBIzKbglUqQ/ http://www.codyredmon.com/blog/2009/09/02/country-road-archive-dive-iv/#comments Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:30:00 +0000 Cody Redmon http://www.codyredmon.com/blog/?p=1195 I thought I had posted this previously, but upon digging around through my archives I was unable to locate any trace - but forgive me if it is a dupe!  Taken last fall while on a drive back down from Porcupine Cabin in the Crazy Mountains, I was struck by both the subtlety and starkness [...] I thought I had posted this previously, but upon digging around through my archives I was unable to locate any trace - but forgive me if it is a dupe!  Taken last fall while on a drive back down from Porcupine Cabin in the Crazy Mountains, I was struck by both the subtlety and starkness of various elements within the scene. This one might appear a bit dark but it was intentional; the full spectrum is represented.

Country Road

Cody Redmon - Photoblog.

. Tags: , ,
Related posts
]]> http://www.codyredmon.com/blog/2009/09/02/country-road-archive-dive-iv/feed/ http://www.codyredmon.com/blog/2009/09/02/country-road-archive-dive-iv/ Abandoned Grove http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CodyRedmon/~3/QdYbjKJizEY/ http://www.codyredmon.com/blog/2009/08/30/abandoned-grove/#comments Mon, 31 Aug 2009 04:59:38 +0000 Cody Redmon http://www.codyredmon.com/blog/?p=1187 The Russian-olive does very well in Montana, and though it’s not a true olive tree it lends wonderfully to the landscape.  Thick and thorny, they were planted by settlers in the region to act as windbreaks and natural fences.  An abandoned grove along the Yellowstone River made for a great stop… Cody Redmon - Photoblog.. Tags: Absaroka [...] The Russian-olive does very well in Montana, and though it’s not a true olive tree it lends wonderfully to the landscape.  Thick and thorny, they were planted by settlers in the region to act as windbreaks and natural fences.  An abandoned grove along the Yellowstone River made for a great stop…

Cody Redmon - Photoblog.

. Tags: , ,
Related posts
]]> http://www.codyredmon.com/blog/2009/08/30/abandoned-grove/feed/ http://www.codyredmon.com/blog/2009/08/30/abandoned-grove/ Sights of Escalante, II http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CodyRedmon/~3/o8KnD6-3otc/ http://www.codyredmon.com/blog/2009/07/19/sights-of-escalante-ii/#comments Sun, 19 Jul 2009 16:30:09 +0000 Cody Redmon http://www.codyredmon.com/blog/?p=1183 From roughly 400-1,350 A.D. the Fremont culture populated regions throughout Utah, growing corn and other crops, hunting game, establishing mysteries for later generations to unravel. Though not as famous for architecture as their Anasazi neighbors, they did leave behind a scattered trove of granaries, pit houses and other minor stone structures.  Rock art seems to [...] From roughly 400-1,350 A.D. the Fremont culture populated regions throughout Utah, growing corn and other crops, hunting game, establishing mysteries for later generations to unravel. Though not as famous for architecture as their Anasazi neighbors, they did leave behind a scattered trove of granaries, pit houses and other minor stone structures.  Rock art seems to have played a big part in their culture, with petroglyphs and pictographs lasting to serve as their voice.  Despite all that is known about these ancient people, many more questions have remained unanswered.  A ‘recent’ discovery, however, might change that - Range Creek (video), a particularly unique location, was acquired by the State of Utah in 2001.  It is thought to be the largest and most pristinely preserved concentration of Fremont sites in the southwest, with an estimated 6,000+ in one 15-mile canyon. The following images are not from Range Creek, but are indicative of the culture.

**UPDATE: More videos links…
Time Team America, PBS - Range Creek Episode
Time Team America, PBS - Range Creek page - video snippets and background info
Scientific American Frontiers - The Secret Canyon

Fremont Granary, Burr Trail, UT #1After first hiking up the wrong canyon, we finally located the above granary just off of the Burr Trail in what is called ‘The Gulch’.  A few pictures and some mediocre directions from Flickr were all that I had to go on, but it was definitely worth it.  Just 50 yards away were a couple of stash boxes the Fremont had dug down into the sandstone, one full of dirt, the second exposed and intact.

Fremont Granary, Burr Trail, UT #2Same granary as previous image, just closer.  Finger markings were still very evident in the clay used to mortar the stones together, sealing out rodents and weather.  Interestingly, when I tried to take an image of what was inside, the sensor on my camera started acting up and hasn’t been the same since.  Time for a new camera, I do believe…

Fremont Structure, Coyote Gulch, UT #1This structure was located high above the canyon floor near Coyote Natural Bridge, south of Escalante, UT.  Portions of the structure had fallen down the steep face it’s perched on, but the remaining walls were about four feet tall and seemed quite stable.   A sign was posted saying ‘Stay Out!’, but it was located at the exit rather than where you enter.  Ersh…

Fremont Corn, Coyote Gulch, UTA section of corn, likely 600+ years old, rests upon a piece of mortar that has fallen from the wall.  Fremont corn was much smaller than what we buy commercially today, as this piece was no more 2cm in diameter. The mortar was very interesting as well; at first I thought the grooves were similar to those used by later Native American tribes to straighten arrow shafts.  However, almost all of the mortar that had fallen from the walls looked like this.  Some had sticks forced through the clay when still wet – maybe for stability, or ventilation.  The grooves on this piece have clearly been manipulated by fingers, I’m just not sure what for. Anyone?

Fremont Structure, Coyote Gulch, UT #2An outside view of the stone structure near Coyote Natural Bridge.  The approach was difficult in that you had to haul yourself up over a chest-high lip, slick from a natural seep and with no shortage of Poison-oak and thistle all around (not visible here).

Cody Redmon - Photoblog.

. Tags: , , ,
Related posts
]]> http://www.codyredmon.com/blog/2009/07/19/sights-of-escalante-ii/feed/ http://www.codyredmon.com/blog/2009/07/19/sights-of-escalante-ii/ Sights of Escalante, I http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CodyRedmon/~3/iQOcrBQYnzA/ http://www.codyredmon.com/blog/2009/05/29/sights-of-escalante-i/#comments Sat, 30 May 2009 05:11:46 +0000 Cody Redmon http://www.codyredmon.com/blog/?p=1170 Above most things in life, I am captivated by the landscape of Utah.  The geology is often beyond description and even a camera tends to fall short of conveying scale as it keenly exists.  Time loses meaning, ‘being lost’ is suddenly idyllic and the concept of ‘necessity’ becomes stripped of vanity to expose the pure [...] Above most things in life, I am captivated by the landscape of Utah.  The geology is often beyond description and even a camera tends to fall short of conveying scale as it keenly exists.  Time loses meaning, ‘being lost’ is suddenly idyllic and the concept of ‘necessity’ becomes stripped of vanity to expose the pure roots of what it means to be alive; to eat, to drink, to want and to refrain. It paints quite starkly the illusions we pursue for emotional ‘satisfaction’ as futility in disguise and marrow for our discontent.

The desert will stop such waste, eat it for breakfast, then steal your water to watch you squirm.  It forces you to be a better person because the alternative is, quite honestly, a pile of bleached bones.  Of course, we have the conveniences of today – vehicles, cell phones, GPS, freeze-dried meals, engineered outdoor gear…and helicopters to come pick us up when all of those things fail.  But reality is still the bones, the greatest of common denominators.

If I were truly honest with myself, I would just move there.  This last trip was a sure sign, as I hardly even photographed.  Instead, I wandered around in utter contentment at just being there, not having to ‘capture’ anything, not having to think to ‘capture’ anything.  What began as my 4th photography trip to the region in 3 years soon became the most therapeutic vacation I’ve ever had, something I hadn’t anticipated.  With another photographer, a painter and a third, close friend along, there was no shortage of artistic appreciation going on, I guess I was just appreciating it more internally than externally on this go…

Devil's Playground, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument

Cody Redmon - Photoblog.

. Tags: , ,
Related posts
]]> http://www.codyredmon.com/blog/2009/05/29/sights-of-escalante-i/feed/ http://www.codyredmon.com/blog/2009/05/29/sights-of-escalante-i/ post-Earth Day Post http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CodyRedmon/~3/hP_GTdkVtrg/ http://www.codyredmon.com/blog/2009/04/23/post-earth-day-post/#comments Thu, 23 Apr 2009 16:30:31 +0000 Cody Redmon http://www.codyredmon.com/blog/?p=1164 I think this is the longest I’ve gone without posting since I started my blog.  I also think it’s the busiest I’ve been with other projects!  After starting a web development company recently, things are off to a fantastic start and I’m grateful for both the work and the opportunity to help others with their [...] I think this is the longest I’ve gone without posting since I started my blog.  I also think it’s the busiest I’ve been with other projects!  After starting a web development company recently, things are off to a fantastic start and I’m grateful for both the work and the opportunity to help others with their online presence.

Though today I am posting a winter scene, I promise to make this my last ‘cold’ endeavor until October or November.  In part…I’m finally heading back to the deserts of Utah for about 8 or so days here the first part of May.  Exactly two years since having been there last, not a day has gone by that I haven’t wished to sneak away unseen, camera in-hand, sleeping bag in the back seat, more lost than found and intentionally so.

Until that colorful landscape with all of its trappings, I present the softest of winter dawns as an appreciative welcome to spring. You’ll notice a strong yellow cast over portions of the frame, achieved by stacking circular polarizer filters…quite an interesting experiment.

**Update - Compared to other recent posts, this image is dark…but that was my intent. Also, my hope of not posting anymore cold weather images might not actually stand…yesterday it was 77 degrees, today it’s 26 with driving snow. Ersh…spring in MT.

The Softest Light

Cody Redmon - Photoblog.

. Tags: , ,
Related posts
]]> http://www.codyredmon.com/blog/2009/04/23/post-earth-day-post/feed/ http://www.codyredmon.com/blog/2009/04/23/post-earth-day-post/ Spring Veil http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CodyRedmon/~3/XgF2SjOcEN0/ http://www.codyredmon.com/blog/2009/04/02/spring-veil/#comments Thu, 02 Apr 2009 16:30:00 +0000 Cody Redmon http://www.codyredmon.com/blog/?p=1154 Taken on the first day of spring, I thought this would be an apt title.  There are a number of images I made this day that I’ll be posting in the future, but displaying more than one at a time takes away from the minimalist feel of each.  I could have spent a day lost [...] Taken on the first day of spring, I thought this would be an apt title.  There are a number of images I made this day that I’ll be posting in the future, but displaying more than one at a time takes away from the minimalist feel of each.  I could have spent a day lost in this fog…

Spring Veil

Cody Redmon - Photoblog.

. Tags: ,
Related posts
]]> http://www.codyredmon.com/blog/2009/04/02/spring-veil/feed/ http://www.codyredmon.com/blog/2009/04/02/spring-veil/ The Play of Bales http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CodyRedmon/~3/bl4KGdUyJZY/ http://www.codyredmon.com/blog/2009/03/26/the-play-of-bales/#comments Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:30:00 +0000 Cody Redmon http://www.codyredmon.com/blog/?p=1148 Today’s image comes from a recent drive to northern Montana, near the small town of Fairfield.  Only miles from the day’s final destination, I drove past the scene and almost didn’t stop…but ultimately turned around to capture what I had visualized in my mind.  What might not be apparent from the photo is that the [...] Today’s image comes from a recent drive to northern Montana, near the small town of Fairfield.  Only miles from the day’s final destination, I drove past the scene and almost didn’t stop…but ultimately turned around to capture what I had visualized in my mind.  What might not be apparent from the photo is that the bales of hay are sitting on top of a small frozen lake.  Their insulative properties have resulted in small pedestals of snow and ice for them to rest upon, several inches above the surrounding surface as it melts away.  I’m not sure what purpose they serve out on the ice like this, but it was quite fun to compose.  The title comes from my impression of the trees as people, waiting at the shore’s edge to snatch up the elusive, remaining few.  Sadly, power lines run through the image near the horizon, and though I can’t say they’re discernible in this low resolution file, I would never produce or sell a print of the scene…pleasant as it is.

*Note - I’ve been rightly corrected; the bales are of straw, not hay. Thanks pa! :-)

The Play of Bales

Cody Redmon - Photoblog.

. Tags: ,
Related posts
]]> http://www.codyredmon.com/blog/2009/03/26/the-play-of-bales/feed/ http://www.codyredmon.com/blog/2009/03/26/the-play-of-bales/ Gamma Check II http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CodyRedmon/~3/4KjgA4JYEDQ/ http://www.codyredmon.com/blog/2009/03/22/gamma-check-ii/#comments Sun, 22 Mar 2009 16:30:53 +0000 Cody Redmon http://www.codyredmon.com/blog/?p=1141 My thanks to everyone who participated in the poll or left a comment, the results have found me thinking on the matter for several weeks - as my absence has likely conveyed.  Many drafts of this post were started during that time, one of which reached nearly 1,200 words in length and was somehow both [...] My thanks to everyone who participated in the poll or left a comment, the results have found me thinking on the matter for several weeks - as my absence has likely conveyed.  Many drafts of this post were started during that time, one of which reached nearly 1,200 words in length and was somehow both painfully technical and unnecessarily idealistic.  After hours of writing and re-writing I finally came to the conclusion that I’m a photographer and should stick to my talents.

Of 31 votes, 19 feel my images are too dark; either slightly, recently or otherwise.  Right at one-third, however, did feel the images look agreeable to them, which is encouraging.  I was also pleased to see two votes for “Lighter as of late” because I adjusted things slightly a few months back and it seems some folks did notice.  I haven’t made any further changes to my monitor or workflow since posting the poll, but I did decide to go ahead and purchase a screen calibration device in the near future.  If anyone has input regarding such hardware, I invite you to leave a comment…I need some convincing on these gadgets.

My plan is to post a number of images over the coming weeks, then offer up another poll to see what the consensus is.  For what it’s worth, I appreciate minute details in the darks and often employ pure black to convey mood or visual weight. At the other end of the spectrum…I have yet to post an image which contains pure white, or zero color information.  I underexpose every shot intentionally to retain details in even the most subtle highlights.  It is not my intention for every image I make to have ‘perfect’ light values across the entirety of the frame.  On the slightly technical front, all of my work is produced in a medium-lit room and is intended to be viewed on a dark background.  If you are viewing my images in a bright room, chances are that they’ll appear too dark and I’d recommend checking out the site in the evening sometime.  If you’re only viewing my work via my RSS feed, I encourage you to visit my site directly and view the enlargements on a darker background.  I can guarantee that you’ll find subtleties in the work which escaped prior scrutiny.  As a general rule, I would even go so far as to say RSS subscribers should click the post title vs. the image in the feed itself…

The Mood of Mountains

Cody Redmon - Photoblog.

. Tags: , , ,
Related posts
]]> http://www.codyredmon.com/blog/2009/03/22/gamma-check-ii/feed/ http://www.codyredmon.com/blog/2009/03/22/gamma-check-ii/ Gamma Check http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CodyRedmon/~3/0sJ4tQJNh0Q/ http://www.codyredmon.com/blog/2009/03/04/gamma-check/#comments Thu, 05 Mar 2009 04:32:39 +0000 Cody Redmon http://www.codyredmon.com/blog/?p=969 The truth about computer monitors and color/tone/brightness/contrast is that they are all quite different…all of them.  Brand to brand, model to model, there are very few standards in the way of keeping what we see on-screen consistent from user to user, and it just gets more involved when you take it from the screen [...] The truth about computer monitors and color/tone/brightness/contrast is that they are all quite different…all of them.  Brand to brand, model to model, there are very few standards in the way of keeping what we see on-screen consistent from user to user, and it just gets more involved when you take it from the screen to ink.  I spent years in the printing industry repeatedly explaining to people that what they see on their monitor (illuminated color) is different than how it will appear on paper (reflected color). I recently fell victim to this myself, sending a file off to my printer only to receive it back appearing about 20% too dark.  Although the process I choose for my photographs uses traditional light sensitive paper, the same principles apply.  I went about calibrating my monitor as a result and am now quite curious what my general readership thinks about the brightness of work I’ve been posting.  I’d ask that you take a moment to answer the poll question below so that I can continue in my efforts to make your visits here as enjoyable as possible.  If you have additional feedback beyond the options provided, please feel free to leave a comment on the post page.  Thank you!

Which of the following best describes my images as they appear on your monitor?
  • Add an Answer
View Results

Cody Redmon - Photoblog.

. Tags: ,
Related posts
]]> http://www.codyredmon.com/blog/2009/03/04/gamma-check/feed/ http://www.codyredmon.com/blog/2009/03/04/gamma-check/