Perhaps renowned photojournalist W. Eugene Smith summed up the contradiction of his profession best.

“I am a journalist – a photojournalist. But I am always torn between the attitude of the journalist, who is a recorder of facts, and the artist, who is often necessarily at odds with the facts. My principle concern is for honesty, above all honesty with myself,” Smith once said.

That’s the challenge that faces the photojournalists and graphic artists of the Bangor Daily News: creating art that tells a story while under the pressure of deadlines. That they succeed an amazing percentage of the time is a testament to their dedication to the craft.

A new collection of postcards, “Images of Maine,” captures the best of their best for posterity.

In it, there are the natural wonders of the state, whether it’s Hemlock Point painted with the colors of fall, drops of dew on a blade of grass, a diving common tern or a family of Creme d’Argent rabbits.

Then there’s the hard-working (and hard-playing) people of Maine: Rick Jamieson of Dennysville raking cranberries, Craig Robinson of Jonesport digging for sandworms, Reggie Greenleaf picking apples in Winterport, or Justin Bouchard and Jordan Haines practicing baseball in Caribou.

There are also the fanciful illustrations of the seasons in Maine: the oil-delivery man coming in winter or children in the fields during strawberry season.

Represented in the set are NEWS photojournalists Gabor Degre, Kevin Bennett, Linda Coan-O’Kresik and Bob DeLong, editorial cartoonist George Danby and graphics editor Eric Zelz.

The images for the set of postcards were selected by Elizabeth Hansen, the NEWS’ director of marketing services; Shelley Sund, creative services; photo editor Scott Haskell and Zelz. The final 12 images were selected from a field of thousands from the past couple of years. Most were Pictures of the Year selections, and many had been prize- winners in various competitions. Shelley Sund designed the cover.

“We wanted to get photographs that were extraordinary images of everyday life in Maine,” Haskell said. “We wanted to find photographs that gave a really good sense of who we are as Mainers. That’s what we’re trying to do every day.”

Haskell expounded on his department’s goals: “The best images combine the moment with a good composition. Hopefully, they cause people to linger over a photo, and the more they look at it, the more it tells them about the person or place we’ve photographed.”

Hansen gave two reasons for the development of the collection.

“First, it serves to showcase some of the first-class photography and illustrations that have appeared in the Bangor Daily News over the last year or so,” she explained. “Secondly, it gives our readers an opportunity to acquire a one-of-a-kind item at a very affordable price: 12 unique images that geographically capture people, places and activities that represent the region served by the NEWS.”

If the project is successful, it’s likely to continue in future years, Hansen said.

“We see this as a unique opportunity for us to connect with our readers, while reinforcing our brand as the daily newspaper that has been covering Maine for more than 115 years,” she added.

“Images of Maine” is only available at the Bangor Daily News office, 491 Main St. in Bangor during normal business hours. The cost is $7, with an additional $2 shipping and handling fee for mail orders.

Notes from the North

What: Set of 12 postcards

Cost: $7 including tax,

additional $2 fee for shipping

Available at: Bangor Daily News, 491 Main St., use Buck Street entrance

Hours: 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday; 8 a.m.-noon Saturday

Contact: 990-8000 and

1-800-432-7964