It’s said that the eyes are the window to the soul, and in Patrisha McLean’s new book, “My Island: Portraits of Maine Island Children,” she focused her camera lens on the eyes of children to craft a tale about three Maine islands.
The book is filled with more than 125 black-and-white photographs. McLean, a children’s photographer from Camden, spent “a little more than five years,” photographing children on the islands of Isleboro, Vinalhaven and North Haven and gathering stories for the book.
Initially, McLean thought she’d focus only on those who lived all year on the islands. But after spending time on the islands, she noticed a commonality among the kids, regardless of whether they were summer residents or year-round ones.
“I realized [summer kids] loved their island every bit as much as the year-round kids. … They go back many, many generations, also,” McLean said.
She also noticed the kids were busy but in different ways. While summer kids filled their days with swimming, sailing, tennis and golf at the yacht club, year-round kids were busy with jobs.
“They have multiple jobs sometimes, like mowing lawns, they are working at the Dark Harbor Shop scooping ice cream,” McLean said.
Inspired by a chance meeting with an older woman who once was photographed as a child for “Here on the Island,” by Charles Pratt, a 1974 book about Isle au Haut, McLean started with the photos and eventually decided to transform the photos into a book. Then she returned to the island to gather stories.
“Over the five years, I wasn’t really sure where I was going with [the project]. I just felt compelled to document the kids on the island in that time,” McLean said. “When I was first photographing the kids, I didn’t think to really interview them.”
She partially was inspired by the work of photographer Jim Goldberg.
“Many years ago, he photographed people and in their own handwriting they wrote something about themselves,” McLean said. “When I decided it was going to be a book, I went back and found the kids and asked them for these stories.”
The stunning black-and-white photographs were shot on film, which McLean develops in her own dark room.
“I still love film. I still love the idea of taking the pictures and not really knowing until I get into my dark room. There’s something bittersweet,” McLean said. “I really love the permanence of it.”
McLean’s photos are on display at the Isleboro Community Center and the Islesboro Historical Society, as well as the North Haven Community Center. She also has several book signings coming up. She’ll be signing “My Island,” at Artisan Books in Islesboro at 2 p.m. Thursday, July 23, and at Five Elements Gallery in Vinalhaven at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 25. She also will be signing the book at Ralston Gallery in Rockport at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, July 30, and at Witherle Library in Castine at 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 10.
“My Island” is available at bookstores throughout the state, including at Sherman’s in Camden, Artisan Books in Islesboro and at The Briar Patch in Bangor.