In answer to that burning question: Does Bob Mitchell name his cameras like musicians name their guitars? The answer is ... no. Despite this seeming lack of affection for the tools of his trade, Mitchell’s affection for the subjects of his photographs is palpable. Distinctively “Mitchell” — no matter the subject — wherever he directs his focus, the innate energy within is exposed and preserved forever.

For oh, six or seven years now, Mitchell has written a column about a photo of a place or person each week for the Boothbay Register and Wiscasset Newspaper. And, from that column, we’ve had a glimpse of his poetic soul.

And, beginning this month through the end of the year, you can see 30 of Mitchell’s images in his exhibition, “Something Simple,” at the Opera House here in old Boothbay Harbor. The show spans from 1971 to present day and includes some that are of personal significance to him. But more on that later.

I met up with Mitchell at the Opera House to find out a couple of things – beginning with how he chose the images for the show. After “shooting” for well over 40 years now, it boggles the mind to even think about how a person would go about it … he’s got tons o’ pics in boxes under his bed. I mentioned this tidbit gleaned from an interview back when he had a gallery over on Atlantic Avenue.

Laughing, he said: “And they’re still there. Well protected, well preserved … might be a little dust, some spider webs ...”

“I’ve never been particularly comfortable with the whole ‘make extraordinary, extravagant photographs’ thing. I’ve always liked the everyday kind of stuff that maybe people might attach themselves to without a lot of fanfare,” shared Mitchell.

Back to the selection process … Images that have really stuck with him over time. Most all of the scenics are of the Boothbay region. “We’ve (he and wife Susan Endicott) been here for 45 years and this place has meant a lot to us.” Among these scenics is a longtime favorite taken at the home of the late Marylouise Cowan on Southport.

“Mrs. Cowan was a very special person to the family. The photo is an exploding wave with the light coming through … it’s just beautiful. It always says Mrs. Cowan to me.” Another local person in the show is lobsterman Ernest Morton with whom Mitchell went out fishing one morning. “He had stories about everyone … and told them as he worked. It was perfect.”

Mitchell had to include two artists, now both passed, Lonnie Sisson and Allan Walton. Sisson was captured while painting in an old abandoned boathouse somewhere down Capitol Island way. “He just moved some stuff aside to make room … what I really like is if you look on the floor to the right there’s an old package of Pampers.”

He photographed a watercolor of Walton’s and decided to print that image on canvas for the show, as an homage to another friend who recently passed.

With the exception of some B&W originals shot with “The Blad” – a nickname for the Swedish Hasselblad film camera with Zeiss lenses; that are printed on fiber-based paper. Mitchell says these lenses were the best ever made; they’re so good he says that “You could count the hairs on a peach with them.” Tell me that doesn’t say it all! The images ( mostly 24” X 30”) in the show are printed on canvas for the painterly feel the fabric adds.

The image on the announcement cards for the show is of an old white door with peeling paint and a rusted doorknob. When you look at it, you can smell the age of the building (if you’ve been around those really old places) … and that doorknob – I imagine turning it and discovering it’s loose and is left hanging on the door as I walk through …

Another image in the show, a B&W of the home that used to stand on Damariscove Island, really captures the mystery of the building – layer by layer … the angle entreats the viewer to search windows for signs of life … the textures of the land, rock and wood of the house are those layers.

“The canvas draws you in. And, I guess, that’s what I’m asking … that the photos make a connection with the person who sees it,” Mitchell said. “What I photograph, I think, comes from the place of that kid (with ADHD and dyslexia) who tried to find an alternative to education … and observation was the way for me.”

All of the photographs in the “Something Simple” show are for sale. And, if the Sisson image is one of those, Mitchelll says he will donate the proceeds to a specific foundation.

Those who know this gifted photographer know he is a modest man, not one to toot his own horn. There’s a quote on the back cover of “Near Home” taken from the introduction written by Charles Kuralt that I think says it all: “The eloquence of these photographs is in their timelessness, their silence, their serenity. These are the qualities of Maine I have always valued most, and no photographer has ever captured them better.”

Don’t miss the opening reception for “Something Simple” at the Opera House Wednesday, Oct. 9 from 4 to 6 pm. Mitchell will be there – and surely with a story or two ... 

Check out “Something Simple” at the Opera House open Tuesday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and on nights there are concerts and special holiday events!