Mark Cassino Photography - Mark's Blog

Wildlife Refuge, that is.... in the Allegan Forest near Swan Creek. More work my newly IR converted Pentax K01.

In the Allegan forest last week:

Ultrafine Xtreme 400 @320, DK50 stock, 5min.

From a hotel:

And in a museum:

Both shots taken in Chicago.

At the band shell in Millenium Park, Chicago:

Looking west on the Michigan Avenue Bridge as the sun sets. July 27, 2017.

 

I do a lot of my outdoor photography in the Allegan State Game Area. This is a 50,000 acre (200 SQ. KM) area set aside for hunting, fishing, tapping, logging, horseback riding, camping and other purposes. It is not exactly a wild area since most areas are consistently visited by people (the designated wildlife refuges being the main exception to this) but given the large area of undeveloped land with minimal resident humans, it is more wild than not. So maybe it should described as a feral place that shows off the undomesticated side of both the resident wildlife and also the transient human visitors.

Whatever it is, the powers that be that attempt to manage the Allegan Forest try to set some boundaries and borders, mostly to keep motor vehicles out of the savannas, fields and woods. There are a lot of two tracks that pieces into the more wild areas of the forest and from time to time those who manage the forest put up gates or drop trees across the paths to keep people out. But gates, even those well anchored with concrete footings, can be pulled out of the sandy soil. And fallen trees can also be easily pulled aside. And so the ultimate barrier consists of multiple rows of large tree stumps, ripped out of the ground. And so - the subject of these photos.

Another take on the scene that I posted a few days ago. This was taken at the same time but at the start of a new roll of film - so it took another couple of days to shoot out the new roll and develop it:

 I move the camera a little but mostly switched to a wider lens. Taken with a Pentax Mz-S, SMC F 28mm f2.8, on Arista Ultra Edu 200. I accidently exposed this at ISO 100 instead of 200, developed in Microdol X 1+1 for 9 minutes.

Yesterday (August 12) in the Allegan Forest. A heavy rain came down a hour or so before I arrived and a faint mist was rising in the heat. I have probably passed this spot a thousand times without noticing it, but this time I finally saw it.

Taken on Arista 200 rated @ 200 and developed in Microdol-X, 1+1, 9 min @ 20C.