October 2014

Makoshika #16 Makoshika State Park, Montana 2014

A different angle on the same small-scale landscape as in yesterday’s photo.]]>

Makoshika #15 Makoshika State Park, Montana 2014

Another example of a small scale shot doing a good imitation of a large scale aerial photograph. This photo covers about 10′ from front to back.

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Makoshika #14 Makoshika State Park, Montana 2014

Even though I was there and know better, this looks for all the world like an aerial shot of a rugged canyon from an airplane. In reality this “canyon” is maybe 15′ long at the most. This confusion of scale or the repetition of features on both a small and large scale is something I saw in numerous features at Makoshika.]]>

Makoshika #13 Makoshika State Park, Montana 2014

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Makoshika #12 Makoshika State Park, Montana 2014

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here.  The 90%/10% comparison of legal vs art careers is, or should be, a wake-up call to anyone thinking of pursuing art as a way of supporting themselves and their family.]]>

Makoshika #11 Makoshika State Park, Montana 2014

The processing I performed on this back-lit image to bring out the front of the rock formation (which was in the shadows) makes the whole thing look perhaps a little too hyper-real. But then, maybe such treatment is to be forgiven (or at least expected) given Makoshika is kind of a hyper-real place to begin with.]]>

Makoshika #10 Makoshika State Park, Montana 2014

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Makoshika #9 Makoshika State Park, Montana 2014

Another phenomenon I don’t understand about Makoshika is how something like this can happen. This was relatively flat ground, with nothing overhanging it. It appeared relatively homogeneous in it’s make-up and consistency. (The difference between the darker and lighter halves of the soil isn’t really as distinct as it appears here.) Yet, there is a dramatic shift in the erosion pattern and depth on either side of a straight line–and not much happens in a straight line when it comes to erosion. Strange.]]>

Makoshika #8 Makoshika State Park, Montana 2014

This combination of a hard rock layer sandwiched between two soft layers of sediment is the source material for the balanced rocks and similar features in Makoshika. That a balanced rock is formed when the softer material washes away except underneath a chunk of rock is easy to understand. What determines when that happens instead of just the less interesting breaking and crumbling seen here is a mystery to me.]]>