It’s been 26 years since photographer Robert Mitchell selected a dozen favorite photos and created his first Around Boothbay Harbor calendar, and now the 2027 edition is here. While this is an eminently practical wall calendar with plenty of room to keep track of dates and appointments, the pleasure comes from turning the pages and living each month with a stunning photo of our much-loved region.

Devotees of Mitchell’s work, and they are numerous, will be delighted by his choices for 2027. They may also sense a slight shift in his subject matter: a close-up here, an interior there. The letter that begins each calendar with a glimpse into his life, family, and work feels richer and even more personal this year. For one thing, the accompanying photo is of babies! Yes, the Mitchells’ daughters now have daughters, and reading about all three generations brings the kind of joy that can’t be found in your usual calendar.

As always, each page perfectly evokes its season. January starts off snowy, though the bright kayak attached to the forest-green wall of the Granary Way business contrasts with the blizzard going on around it. On a bright February day, snow and the water sparkle when viewed beyond the superstructure and outbuildings of the shipyard in Boothbay Harbor. Surf crashing over ledge, with a backdrop of pine forest on Southport, bring a crisp Maine feel to the March photo, which Mitchell took on the island he calls home.

Freshly painted blue-and-orange pot buoys and piles of yellow lobster traps are a colorful pairing to welcome spring on the April page. May’s photo, captioned “Shore Pebbles,” focuses on dozens of small and smaller rocks in a glistening patchwork of colors – an unusual subject for Mitchell, and yet it has the familiar feel of a local tidepool. A field full of lupines leads to a tranquil, forest-edged cove in the next image, which is of course for June.

July offers boats of all sizes and shapes, colorful flags, and a sweeping view of a busy waterfront that could only be Boothbay Harbor as seen from the East Side. August instead gives us the view towards the more-tranquil part of the East Side and Sprucewold, beyond a bevy of moored sailboats and a couple of sleek yachts. Uncanny how the harbor master gets all the boats to point in the same direction. Oh, wait!

September brings us a pine-bathed interior shot of what Mitchell calls “The Cottage.” This inviting space full of wood tones and comfy furnishings is just the spot for savoring the view of yellow birch leaves and a cove. On the October page, a “sunning” of cormorants perch and stretch their wings on a crusty, mossy float, offering a detailed close-in look at local fauna. Massive trees at the Boothbay Region Land Trust’s Oak Point are awash in russet foliage in the November image.

The bonus for bringing another year to a close comes when we turn the December page to find a photo of the Boothbay Harbor Opera House in full holiday regalia. From our vantage point on the balcony, we’re looking at a full audience, upstairs and down, enjoying a concert on stage. Though it may be winter, you can just feel the warmth and history that fill this iconic setting.

But there’s still one more surprise – a page to get us started on January 2028. In his letter, Mitchell explains how he’s embracing the comeback of film photography. When asked about this bonus black-and-white photo of a pair of fishing boats, he explains he took it nearly 50 years ago in East Boothbay. He knows who owned the boats and exactly where he took the photo and says, “It’s vintage indeed!”

The Around Boothbay Harbor calendar is available throughout the Boothbay region and at mitchellphoto.com and 207-633-3136. As always, a portion of sales goes toward Teens to Trails, enabling young people to enjoy Maine. That’s now more than a quarter century of life-changing experiences.