Bill Hubbell writes in his preface that entering Maine is not like crossing into other states: "A few miles after having passed the border, a subtle awareness sneaks in. The woods seem deeper, the sky higher, the air fresher, the spaces wider, the distances longer. Maine is an expansive place--for the spirit, for the body, for the soul."

Here, in more than a hundred and forty wonderful color images, lifetime professional photographer Hubbell has captured the very essence of his home state in all four seasons. This is not an "art" book but a tribute to the diverse places and ever-changing character that make Maine special. Accomplishing this goal involved an exhaustive crisscrossing of the state, requiring fourteen months, thirty-two thousand miles, and six hundred and forty rolls of film.

The result is a feast for the eyes. Anyone who has visited or lived in Maine will cherish these photographs and marvel at the skill of the man who took them. Here are Portland's Old Port, resplendent in its Christmas finery; Penobscot Bay, plied by graceful windjammers; the Machias Blueberry Festival and its hands-off pie-eating contest; isolated Eastern Egg Rock and its colorful puffins; Baxter State Park, crowned by majestic Katahdin; and much, much more.

Whether you delight in sights that you've never had a chance to see, or relive the memory of places that instantly became favorites, Bill Hubbell's vision of Maine is sure to please for years to come.

Notes by: Jean Hubbell