Casey exhibit opens at Manley Art Center

Calvin Casey has been interested in photography ever since his dad gave him a Kodak Instamatic when he was in the 6th grade, but it wasn’t until his 40s that he discovered it was his passion.

The transformational moment came soon after Casey posted a photo he took on his phone of an antique wagon wheel in a grassy field. What followed was an outpouring of positive feedback from the community about his photo, and friends and family encouraged him to pursue photography full-time.

The support he received from wagon wheel photo, in conjunction with a multiple sclerosis diagnosis and an early retirement from law enforcement, meant Casey was all-in.

“Photography really helped me out and saved me in a lot of ways because it gave me more of a purpose,” said Casey.

At first, Casey was reluctant to change his new camera from automatic to manual mode — which allows a photographer more user control — but when he did, new doors opened up, and he noticed a significant improvement in his work.

Casey said he doesn’t classify himself as one type of photographer because he likes to shoot everything from rusty, old farm equipment to people. However, no matter what he is photographing, he tries to capture his subject in an unusual perspective — an interesting light or an unexpected angle.

Now, thousands of photos later, he still remembers those first few he took with the Kodak Instamatic his dad gave him.

“I remember getting down on my hands and knees and taking pictures of rocks and stuff like that, and right then I knew about taking different perspectives,” said Casey.

Calvin Casey’s work will be on display at the Manley Art Center located at 433 Oak St. from April 4 to May 1.