Optim.

Baldwin is Pure Michigan. Woods and water, beautiful sweeping landscapes at sunset. Farms and houses with character.

So when Cullen Finnerty, a former star quarterback at Grand Valley State University, went missing after a fishing trip, the New York Times sent me out to capture a sense of place and mystery.

The mood settled heavily through the woods throughout the day.

Retracing Finnerty's last known whereabouts.

Talking with locals about the lay of the land.

Trekking across the acres of state land as the wind whipped through the leaves.

In the back of your head, Finnerty's last phone call, where he thought he was being followed.

An unsettling feeling, even as the sun pierced the tree canopy and the woods looked beautiful.

Walking the area where he was found. The remnants of police tape. The eerie conclusion of where he lay when they found him. Strange.