Maine seasons turn, turn, turn Coffee-table book is a must-have for native Mainers

MAINE: THE SEASONS, photographs by Terrell S. Lester, Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 2001, 146 pages, $35.

Terrell S. Lester’s coffee-table book “Maine: The Seasons” is a must-have for Maine natives and those from away who love the state. Lester’s artful photos take the reader on a magical journey through the subtle and extreme faces of nature in Maine as witnessed in each of the four seasons.

Turning the pages, one can almost feel the snap of winter and smell the damp fall leaves.

Introducing each season are thoughtful and descriptive essays setting the mood for the visuals – Elizabeth Strout on spring, Ann Beattie on summer, Richard Russo on autumn and Richard Ford on winter.

“Spring always seems to arrive late, after a wet and muddy start. Summer days are long and filled with a warm light that starts to vanish in only a few weeks. Fall explodes in hues of red, yellow and russet that paint every leaf, twig, forest, and field in color. Winter begins sullen and moody, with gray skies and stark landscapes,” says Lester in his introduction to the book.

Lester uses his camera as an artist uses a brush, capturing the warm lights and explosions of colors, awakening memories and arousing emotions of the power and beauty of this state.

His photos evoke an ethereal setting, set apart from the rest of civilization, and allow the reader a personal encounter with the hidden treasures of Maine.

I, being a recent transplant to this state, recall the famous question, “Have you been through a winter here?” Little did I know what was to come after the last leaf fell.

Winter is a season to be dealt with – slick roads, power outages and wet wood. There is, however, a quiet beauty, a time when nature settles in for a long rest.

I took particular notice of the photo of a vacant birdhouse surrounded by snow-heavy pines and a branch encased in ice with the etched pattern of the water caught by surprise in a freeze. We all know that winter in Maine provides a true test of a person’s mettle – you just have to prepare for it and go with it.

Spring is a tease that comes in little spurts. The days grow longer and the light grows softer. Lester’s Sunrise on Cadillac Mountain and Lobster Boats on Eggemoggin Reach impart a feeling to me of an awakening surrounded in softness and a blanket of fog.

Summer in Maine is like no other, making the state a prime destination for vacationers. Those “from away” descend on the parks and towns like migratory birds. The coastal towns are all hustle and bustle with lobster pots boiling and tourists crowding into gift shops. But Lester’s photos of abandoned dories, old lobster boats, and even an old lobster pot filled to the brim with summer flowers also depict quiet island communities and the simplicity of people’s lives.

Autumn wears a dress of many colors. The Maine hills and woods look as if the great artist himself put his entire palette to work. Lester’s fall images are ablaze with brilliant reds, golds and yellows. Birches are stark white against a background filled with color.

Lester says he worked for days, weeks, sometimes years, to get just the right lighting conditions for particular photographs. For some subjects, he’s still waiting for the perfect conditions.

Maine is much too big, too varied and diverse, too different in each season to explore in a lifetime. Lester readily admits that he didn’t try to capture all of the varied landscapes in this vast state.

“Instead, I have tried to capture places that resonate with me deeply. It has not been an easy task. This is a land of tall tales and legends that are surpassed only by what you find here. It is a place to cherish, whether you spend a few days or a lifetime.”

We can only be thankful that Lester has shared his images of Maine with us to remind us of how fortunate we are to know this state.