During a journalism career that spanned three decades, photographer Peter Southwick produced images that appeared in publications around the world. As a staff photographer for the Associated Press he covered everything from political campaigns and conventions to major sports championships, as well as breaking news and feature stories. He was there for times of joy and sadness, triumph and tragedy, and the smaller “slice of life” moments that provide readers with some relief from the news. From the wedding of Caroline Kennedy to the World Series, from Nelson Mandela’s tour of the U.S. to John Wayne riding through Harvard Square, his goal was to capture the essence of each event in order to allow viewers to share his experiences.

The Opera House at Boothbay Harbor, 86 Townsend Avenue, will present a career retrospective of Peter Southwick’s work during the months of July and August in the upstairs gallery. The framed pictures will be accompanied by short stories about what it was like to cover the events and photograph the personalities.

In addition to his time with the Associated Press Southwick served as director of photography at the Boston Globe and professor of journalism at Boston University, from which he retired in 2017. He is a part-time resident of Boothbay and produced a multimedia project titled “Route 27 South” (route27south.com) comprised of photographs and recorded sound of residents of the peninsula including Clive Farrin, Bet, Danny Beal and I.J. Pinkham among others.

An Opening Reception celebrating the exhibit is planned for Tuesday, July 10, from 4:30-6:30 p.m. in the upstairs bar at the Opera House. The reception is free and open to the public.