The cover of the 2027 Sutter Buttes Region Calendar features Royce Fonseca’s photograph, “A Golden Evening in Sutter County,” capturing a field of sunflowers at sunset with the Sutter Buttes rising in the background. Photo Courtesy of the Sutter Buttes Regional Land Trust

YUBA CITY, CA (MPG) - “Every year I tell myself I’m going to submit something, and then I forget!”

It was a familiar sentiment among guests Friday evening as the Sutter Buttes Regional Land Trust unveiled the photography selected for its 2027 Sutter Buttes Region Calendar.

The annual photo competition and calendar serve as a key fundraiser for the Sutter Buttes Regional Land Trust, a nonprofit organization working to protect and maintain the natural and agricultural resources of the Sutter Buttes and surrounding region for present and future generations. Each year, photographers submit images capturing the Buttes and the landscapes, wildlife, agriculture and communities that make the surrounding Sacramento Valley unique.

This year’s calendar reception, held Aug. 28 at the Sutter County Museum, offered visitors a chance to meet the photographers and see the selected photographs enlarged and on display before flipping through them month by month.

“It took about two hours to pick a subset, like two or three for each month,” said Curt Aikens, board secretary for the Sutter Buttes Regional Land Trust. “Our goal is to show the local area. We want to show the beauty of the wildlife, something unique.”

Before guests arrived, museum Director and Curator Molly Bloom were busy adjusting lights to make sure each photograph was properly illuminated.

“They always seem to have a good variety,” Bloom said. “Different views, different moods, different feelings. I was really excited to see the pictures this year.”

Photographs selected for the 2027 Sutter Buttes Region Calendar hang on display at the Sutter County Museum during the calendar reception Friday, Aug. 28. The exhibit showcases scenes from throughout the region and will remain on display through Sept. 17. Photo by Shamaya Sutton

That variety is evident throughout the calendar. The featured photographs range from sweeping landscapes and mist-covered Buttes to sunsets, rural landmarks and wildlife. The Sutter Buttes themselves appear through dramatically different perspectives and seasons — emerging from a sea of fog, catching the morning light or silhouetted beneath colorful skies.

For long-time residents, many of the photographs depict places that are immediately recognizable while offering a perspective they may not have noticed before.

“I've been in the area my whole life, and when I see these, I think, ‘Oh, we drove by that on the highway,’ or ‘Oh, Gray Lodge, we go down there,’” said Abbe Adams, a volunteer at the museum. “So it’s hard to pick a favorite.”

Fourteen photographers and contributors are represented in the 2027 calendar: Daisy Aguilar, Jonathan Beth, Alexandra Craig, Easter Seals of Yuba City, Royce Fonseca, Leah Hutton, Jill Leff, Rae Lerche, Robert Lowe, Alan Paschal, Patricia Ransdell, Kathy Triolo, Melanie Truan and Meghan Worrell.

Taking the coveted cover spot is Royce Fonseca’s photograph, “A Golden Evening in Sutter County.” Fonseca is a professional photographer, videographer and FAA-certified drone pilot whose work ranges from landscapes and aerial imagery to portraits, weddings and commercial photography. Her golden-toned image was selected to introduce the collection of regional scenes featured inside the calendar.

Among this year’s winners is also a young local photographer. Leah Hutton, a junior at CORE Charter School in Marysville, earned the May spot with her photograph “Sunset Solace.” Hutton has studied digital photography for three years and hopes to eventually combine photography with another longtime passion — dance. She has taken dance classes for nine years and is interested in specializing in dance and portrait photography.

Those who missed Friday’s reception can still see the photographs on display at the Sutter County Museum through Sept. 17.

The Land Trust has changed how it distributes the calendar this year. Rather than offering copies through traditional retail sales, the 2027 calendar is being offered as a benefit of membership in the organization while supplies last, with proceeds supporting the Land Trust’s conservation work. And for those local photographers who find themselves saying, once again, that they meant to enter this year, the calendar can serve as a daily reminder: Next time, don’t forget to shoot your shot!