Mark Cassino Photography - Mark's Blog

Pam and I took the Hidden Kalamazoo tour today, peering into some seldom seen aspects of Kalamazoo’s architectural past. It was a fun afternoon… Here is a grab shot of the interior of the State Theater, a “palace theater” built in 1927, originally hosting silent movies and vaudeville acts. (Click on he image for a larger view.)

The theater still brings in a great mix of live performances. It was designed to simulate a Mediterranean villa where you are sitting under the open sky, and the ceiling is adored with stars in an dark blue sky like you’d see at late twilight. I recall going to shows there in the mid 1980’s and they used a cloud projector to create the image of high overcast clouds gently rolling by.

Pentax K-3, DA 17-70 f4 zoom. Hand held 1/8th of a second at ISO 3200.

Spring 2014 is advancing ever so slowly… Here it is, late May, and there are still many trees just starting to push out leaves. At long last, a few days of warm temperatures have finally brought out some spring dragonflies.

Dot-tailed Whitefaces (Leucorrhinia intacta) are usually the first to appear around here, and this season is no exception. Here are a few from the Allegan Forest (click on the images for larger files):

A Frosted Whiteface (Leucorrhinia frigida):

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These Clubtail Dragonflies (Gomphidae) are usually abundant in May - I have never gotten a positive identification on them. Today I only say this one - hopefully more are on the way:

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Lastly - an unidentified Bluet Damselfly:

All images were made with a Pentax K-3, SMC A* 200mm macro lens and AF360FGZ flash. Come to think of it… this was my first excursion into insect photography since purchasing the K-3 last November. I think it passes muster!

Here are few more wildflower photos from April, 2014. Click on the images for larger files.

Dutchman’s Britches has emerged as the spring progresses:

Hepatica seems to have come and gone very quickly - one last straggler:

Marsh Marigold is out in the wetlands:

Lastly - a stack focused composite of leaves emerging in early spring - from early in April:

All images taken with Pentax K-3 DSLR and A* 200mm macro lens.

I visited some old haunts in the Allegan Forest today. This late spring… no leaves on the trees and here it is, almost May.

Here is an infrared photo of a some twisted little trees that always seem appealing to me (click on the image for a larger view):

And here is a nearby group of walnut trees, a place where I have whiled away many an afternoon:

Both photos were taken with an infrared converted Pentax K-10 and Pentax DA 17-70 f4 lens.

I’m repeating myself a little bit here - the twisted little trees were the subject of another IR post in 2008, “Trees in October.” In that case the image was taken with Kodak HIE. And one of the walnut trees was the test subject for a comparison of the IR properties of RM90 and R72 IR filters, in 2007. So I’m repeating myself a little bit here.

A few snaps of hepatica and a lone blood root - first spring wildflowers of 2014 (click on a file for a larger file):

All photos taken with Pentax K-3 and A*200mm f4 macro.

I hate to let a month go by without a single post, so here are some found still lifes of beech leaves in the snow, shot this afternoon while scouting out the status of the spring wildflowers. Click on the image for a larger view:

All taken with Pentax K-3 and DA 17-70 f4.

Yea! The snow has melted a bit! Here’s a snapshot taken on the sidewalk in front of my house:

Click on the image for a larger file. Taken with a Pentax K-3 and DA 17-70 F4 ALIFSDM.

I am currently exhibiting several prints in the gallery space at the Transformations Spirituality Center in Nazareth, Michigan. Here are a few highlights of the exhibit (click on the images for a larger file):

Hidey Hole Chipmunk


Forest Floor Still Life


Wild Columbine


Halloween Pennant


Snow Crystal

If you are around or near Kalamazoo, stop by and see the images - they will be up till late March, 2014.