Herculex.

I spent many of my Sunday's this summer hanging out with a group of Jedi (and Sith) as they battled around Midland. Hands down one of the most fun things I've photographed.

 There is no chaos, there is harmony.

Eerie choral chants emanating from a cell phone drift through the still summer air of the Midland City Forest.

There is no passion, there is serenity.

Scott Comer, 21, tightens his grip around the hilt of his Ultra Saber, eyes piercing at an approaching figure.

There is no emotion, there is peace.

Carl Williams, 19, walks down the main path, his face calm. Staunch melodies, reminiscent of religious wars from ages past slip through the leaves.

 There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.

A smile grows across Comer's face as he steps out to confront Williams. Blurs of red and blue arc through the air searching for an opening. "That's one," Comer says as his red blade connects with Williams' body.

 There is no death, there is the Force.

Williams lets out a sigh. The Grand Master of the Reformed Jedi Order raises his weapon, assumes his form known as Kya'Lac and continues the duel. "Two," Comer, the Master of the Order, calls out. The orchestra continues to swell around them.

Photo by Sammy Jo Hester

After it published they bought me my own lightsaber and knighted me as an official member of the group. I joined in occasionally while I was shooting, but now, with my own weapon, I'll leave the camera in the car or at home more often. Such an awesome group of dudes.

Leukotan.

Horses, portraits and iPhone photos. That was my fair experience.

Silvadur.

 I had just gotten to my assignment, sipping coffee with Scott and Scott at a Halloween craft shop. They were making paper machete zombie heads. The coffee was a much needed jolt of caffeine, and I settled in for a fun shoot filled with monsters. Then my phone rang, the Caller ID showing "Blocked."

 I was expecting this call -- I had just hoped it would be later. Local law enforcement had arrested a lady for basically hoarding over thirty Shetland's. They had been relocated to a "Sheltie Shelter", but Animal Control had found two more. The call was them informing me they were on their way to the shelter.

 I apologized to Scott and Scott and zipped over to Beaverton just in time. Several of the thirty-some dogs had been pregnant. The number was now over sixty.

 I spent a while learning about what the previous conditions had been like. Some had physical marks to show for it, but they were all traumatized.

One of the sheltie's was giving birth while I was there. They estimated her to be probably a year old, if that. I asked her name, they said she didn't have one, and asked what I thought it should be. I looked down at her for a while, and as I left I said "Daisy."

Mor-Ad.

The weather warms up.

 People stay outside longer.

 They attend events.

 They play sports.

 They make dumpster art.

 They leap into the water (so do dogs).

 They look for ways to fill their time.

 They crash their cars (looking at another accident)

...Barely staying afloat above the dark water.

Lamal.

I spent a good amount of time in June either working on the Central project or on the desk.

However, I was able to sneak in a handful of good daily assignments too.

Here's some of my favorites, ranging from graduation, to spot news and an Anniversary Mass.

School's out and the weather is getting nice, so I'm looking forward to finding features with pretty blue skies and nice light.

But with the heat comes weird weather, causing fires and storms.

And the heat also brings lemonade stands and bake sales. This one in particular raised money for a family who lost their apartment in a fire (see the above photo.)

Oh, and shooting in the blazing high noon sun can really suck, or just make you think a bit differently.

This storm knocked over trees and dropped hail like snow.

And while this 75th Anniversary Mass was going on, the skies opened up bringing occasional thunder and lightning with it.

But that didn't stop unhappy parishioners from voicing their concerns.

(Oh, and remember that hail? It mostly melted by the time we got out there...)

Also these little guys made a ribbon cutting worthwhile (and so did the food.)

Anyway. Onto July.

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.