This is a recurring column by Daily Item Creative Director Spenser Hasak, featuring and discussing his favorite photos of the month.

I’m not gonna lie, it was hard to choose this month’s photos. There were a lot of interesting stories to cover, feature photos to be made, and plenty of sports action. But after going back and forth for a while, I’m happy with this selection.

Here are my pics of the month:

1) The one slot has to go to this shot of Marblehead’s Colin Hart taking the lead in the 400m hurdles during the NEC Track & Field Championship and going on to win the event. I was positioned a few yards in front of the finish because I wanted to catch any action coming over the final hurdle. I picked up the leaders as they rounded the final corner and headed for the straight. It was at that moment that the Gloucester runner, who had been in the lead, clipped his hurdle, and Hart closed the gap. Coming over the final hurdle, off his stride, the Gloucester runner hit his final hurdle and somersaulted. I captured the whole sequence, but ultimately settled on submitting this frame because you could see the look on Hart’s face as he realized he was now about to win.

2) Second place goes to the incredibly talented Maxine Harrison. It had been a long day of shooting, and Peabody’s Drag Bingo was the last thing on my to-do list. Maxine did not disappoint. The room was full of joy and laughter throughout the night, culminating, at least for this photographer, when Maxine broke out into a choreographed dance and performance of a number from “Pitch Perfect.” I was so glad to be there to capture the joy in the room so I could share it with our readership.

3) Number three goes to a photo that almost wasn’t taken. I knew the Haitian Flag Day celebration was happening, but I had been tied up with another assignment that morning. I had parked near City Hall in the hopes that I’d be able to catch the closing of the ceremony on my way back to the office. As I hustled down the street, I began to hear singing echoing, and I picked up my pace even more. I wasn’t going to miss this! I rounded the corner of Essex Street and saw the crowd gathered below the half-raised flag, and I was able to dial in my settings right as the Haitian national anthem finished and just as Bedel Ernst Pierre broke into an impassioned speech.

4) There’s no shortage of heartfelt ceremonies across the North Shore on Memorial Day. On Monday, I found myself in Marblehead, Swampscott, Peabody, and finally Lynn. One thing I always look forward to during these ceremonies are the performances by the Lynn English Marine Corps JROTC Drill Team. The cadets never cease to amaze me. The rifle team flipping their rifles in unison, never missing a beat, usually takes the spot of my favorite shot. This year, however, the girls stole the show for me. Marching, clapping, stomping, and saluting while weaving amongst themselves was really impressive. I felt this frame of them, each standing in the exact same position as the next, summed up their performance quite nicely.

5) I started with a track and field photo, so I figured I’d end with one. This frame comes from the Lynn All-City Track & Field Championship. This frame is a perfect example of how even the best-laid plans can run astray. I had positioned myself a ways away from the high-jump bar with my 300mm lens, capturing the athletes as they cleared (or didn’t clear) the bar. Everything was going great until St. Mary’s Jason Perry made his attempt. He had a completely different approach from his other competitors, which caught me completely off guard and resulted in the “failed” photo I also included. I repositioned to properly capture him and ended up with this frame in the fifth slot. I was glad I made that second shot of Perry, because he went on to win the event with a final height cleared of 6’2”, which, for the record, means he would have brushed the hair on the top of this photographer’s head if I had been standing there.