I had a few minutes on a break from work to play with a tilt shift lens, and the most willing subjects were a series of old motels across the street with signs throwing back to the heyday of the highway system. The signs have always fascinated me for the art that once went into their designs.

At the invitation of a reenactor who I’d done a project on, I dropped by the Nature Coast Civil War Reenactment near Crystal River on Saturday. The battle didn’t quite have the feel of Olustee, which takes place in heavy woods. The battle ranged around an open field with an over-sized flag representing the South and North near their respective camps and a handful of obstacles scattered in between. An attempt at narration was made by the band who played before the battle, with general facts about the war and dry banter on the rules of battle for reenacting taking up much of their time. The soldiers for the South pushed the Union soldiers back to their line of cannon before being repulsed, a victory that would likely be in reversal to give everyone a win on the next day.

I took a few photos on a visit to the Hoggetowne Medieval Faire in Gainesville on Saturday. The artisan above is one of my favorites to watch, mostly because he has a torch shaped like a dragon.

A hawk takes off from a fence during a birds of prey demonstration at the Hoggetowne Medieval Faire.

A feathered plume sticks out from a woman’s hat at the Hoggetowne Medieval Faire.

There are some negatives to shooting with a nearly 100-year-old Kodak Junior. The light leak that I hoped to ignore last year is now kind of a giant hole. Still, it was a nice challenge to shoot with an antique, one I will look to approach again.

Jim Wilson, a supporter of Mitt Romney who has been traveling around the country ahead of campaign events, outside the Astrotech building in Cape Canaveral, Fla.

Firefighters are still mopping up the fire on Paynes Prairie that led to the multiple crashes on Interstate 75 Sunday morning.

With Gingrich’s stop in Lutz, I had the rare chance to cover a presidential candidate speaking less than 5 miles from my parent’s home in Tampa. The Idlewild church is one of the largest in the Bay area. Throughout my youth, I watched it grow and move to its current location just outside of Tampa. A snaking road leads to the church, set far enough off North Dale Mabry Highway as to hide just how large it is from the passerby. A spokesman for the church said they have never allowed a news photographer in during a service, even for events important to the greater community. So shooters covering Gingrich’s visit were left outside after he entered. The scale of the venue can be seen in the trams and parking attendants who guide parishioners into the building before services. When Gingrich arrived, he hustled amongst a scrum of reporters and security staff to the building where a large choir could be heard singing shortly later.

An attendant keeps watch over the handicapped parking area outside Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz, Fla.

A tram carries parishioners to the front door of Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz, Fla.

A television journalist reads a newspaper while waiting for Newt Gingrich to arrive at Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz, Fla.

A security guard finishes radioing the plan to move Newt Gingrich into Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz, Fla.

Newt Gingrich walks arrives at Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz, Fla.

Callista Gingrich, wife of presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich, leans in to kiss a supporter after arriving at Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz, Fla.

Parishioners watch from a second-story window as Newt Gingrich arrives at Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz, Fla.

A scrum of media move with Newt Gingrich as he walks from his campaign bus at Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz, Fla.

I shot former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s evening event at Astrotech in Cape Canaveral on Friday, a nice refresher. With time to kill before the candidate arrived, I spoke to Jim Wilson, who has been traveling ahead of Romney’s campaign stops. Wilson, with his pipe clenched between teeth, is one of those characters who have been interviewed and photographed endlessly during the campaign.

Police officers arrive to provide added security for Mitt Romney’s visit after a briefing at a station neighboring Astrotech.

An lectern awaits Mitt Romney inside Astrotech.

A woman reads a newspaper while awaiting the arrival of Mitt Romney at Astrotech.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney speaks at Astrotech in Cape Canaveral, Fla.

Children wave flags made out of campaign stickers as the lectern casts a shadow before the arrival of Mitt Romney at Astrotech.

A member of the audience photographs Mitt Romney with his phone at Astrotech.

Mitt Romney greets the crowd after speaking at Astrotech.

When my grandfather headed out West to get married, he left behind a country home to my family. We spent the other weekend cleaning it up and removing furniture that didn’t make the cut for the move.