NATCHEZ — Nicole Hester has joined The Natchez Democrat as photographer.

A native of Illinois, Hester attended Southern Illinois University — Carbondale, where she graduated in 2013 with a bachelor’s in communication.

After college, she worked as a photography intern at The Hays Daily News in Hays, Kan. Hester has also worked in sales and in the service industry, including as a florist.

Before locating to Natchez, Hester was working as a photography intern for the MLive Media Group in Michigan.

“I have never lived in the South before, but I am excited to become a part of the community here and tell its story through photographs,” she said.