In photos: Look back on the total solar eclipse in Maine

The chances of pristine weather during the rainy April season were slim. But locals, tourists and chasers of celestial events who took a risk on Maine enjoyed the payoff.

Here’s some of the best work from our photographers across the state and the path of totality.

In like a lion, out like a lion: Best of March photography

On March 1, the temperature in the Portland area got down to 13 degrees. Two days later, it jumped up to 55 degrees. It was a month with every kind of weather – rain, wind, snow, a vernal equinox, springlike warmth. Here’s some of our best work by Portland Press Herald photographers from a chaotic month.

In photos: The best of February

If you were planning to visit Maine for the first time, February wouldn’t be the best month – unless you were a high school sports fanatic. Then you’d be in heaven. But after the destruction of January’s two major storm surges, we welcomed a quieter, milder February. Here are some of the Portland Press Herald photographers’ favorite photos from the month.

In photos: See the action from Friday’s high school postseason games

Take a look at some of our favorite images from the basketball Class B state championships and hockey Class A quarterfinals.

In photos: See the action from Saturday’s high school postseason games

Take a look at some of our favorite images from Saturday’s girls’ and boys’ basketball regional finals.

In photos: See the action from Friday’s high school postseason games

Take a look at some of our favorite images from the girls’ and boys’ basketball regional finals.

In photos: See the action from Thursday’s high school postseason games

Take a look at some of our favorite images from the girls’ and boys’ basketball regional semifinals.

In photos: Willard Beach’s fishing shacks

Take a look at the three historic fishing shacks that stood for over a century on Fisherman’s Point at Willard Beach and were washed away in Saturday’s storm.

2023 Photos of the Year

Beauty comes in many forms. A diver suspended in midair. A flock of pigeons rising in the snow. The stillness of a lobster boat and a man and dog on a paddleboard in calm ocean waters at sunset. Portland Press Herald photographers uncover unexpected beauty every day. They show us the profound beauty of connection. The tenderness of a loving husband and his wife, who is in hospice, celebrating their anniversary. The resilience of families who have traveled from a world away trying to make a new home in a strange land together. The collective grief of a community experiencing enormous loss after an act of previously unimaginable violence. It is a great privilege to photograph the people and stories of Maine. Here is some of our best work from 2023.

One of Us: His birdhouses have golf ball eyes and bottle cap ears

Claude ‘Frenchy’ Ouellet makes birdhouses for fun, with what’s lying around. “Whatever I got, that’s what I use,” he says.