The Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition Opening Reception takes place on Friday, February 3, 2012 along with the start of voting for the AMPC People’s Choice Award.  49 finalist images will be on display from February 3 through June 2 at the Turchin Center for the Visual arts on the Campus of Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina.

Cast your vote for the coveted People’s Choice Award via a kiosk at the exhibition or online at www.appmtnphotocomp.org.  Voting officially begins with the public reception opening at 7:00 pm, Friday, February 3 and voting will close at 5:00 pm on Friday, March 30, 2012.  The winner of the People’s Choice award receives a $350 cash award furnished by Footsloggers Outdoor and Travel Outfitter in Boone and Blowing Rock.

Winners will be announced after March 30, 2012 once votes have been tallied for the People’s Choice Award.

Visit Virtual Blue Ridge to read more about the press release for this year’s People’s Choice Award. We wish everyone the best of luck in choosing your favorite for this year’s PCA, it definitely won’t be quick and easy!

Congratulations from the organizers and sponsors of the AMPC to all the selected photographers and a sincere thank you to everyone who submitted photographs for consideration sharing their vision of the people, places and pursuits that distinguish the Southern Appalachians.

And the finalists are . . .

Remember, the exhibition at the Turchin Center on the campus of Appalachian State University opens on Friday February 3rd, 2012 and the images selected for exhibition will be posted on the High Country Photos website as soon as the People’s Choice Award voting begins on February 3rd. This night also marks the opening reception of the 9th annual Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition.

To all of this year’s participants: thank you for your support and participation. Together all of you keep raising the bar. Proceeds from the annual Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition support Student Outdoor Learning Expeditions (SOLE Trips) at Appalachian State University. Visit www.op.appstate.edu to learn more.

Chris Austin Songwriting Finalists at MerleFest 2011

Entries will be accepted from November 1, 2011 until February 18, 2012.

MerleFest 25, presented by Lowe’s Home Improvement, is proud once again to host the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest. Now in its 20th year, the contest is an extraordinary opportunity for aspiring writers to have their original songs heard and judged by a panel of Nashville music industry professionals, under the direction of this year’s volunteer contest chairperson, Grammy®-winning singer/songwriter Jim Lauderdale. MerleFest 25 takes place from April 26-29, 2012.

Contest entries for the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest (CASC) will be accepted beginning November 1 via two methods:

1. U.S. Mail (P.O. Box 121855, Nashville, TN 37212)
2. The Sonicbids website

The deadline for submissions is February 18, 2012.

“The Chris Austin Songwriting Contest is an incredible opportunity for songwriters to get their works heard publicly and by professionals in the business,” says Laurie Brintle, CASC coordinator. “We encourage all amateur songsmiths to take advantage of this contest. Don’t miss this chance to compete at MerleFest 25 and be a part of this historic event!”

The contest recognizes winners in four categories—country, bluegrass, gospel/inspirational and general. To be eligible to enter, a songwriter must not derive more than 50 percent of his or her total income from songwriting or music publishing. Details about entry fees, eligibility and other requirements are available at the Chris Austin website.

Once submitted, songs are judged by a volunteer panel of Nashville songwriters, publishers and other music industry professionals. Judging is based on a song’s originality, lyrics, melody and overall commercial potential. Twelve finalists, three from each category, will be announced during the first week of April 2012. Each of the twelve finalists will enjoy admission and lodging for three nights at MerleFest, will receive a mentoring session with Jim Lauderdale, and will compete on the Austin Stage at MerleFest 25. In addition, the first place winners will receive a performance slot on the Cabin Stage on Friday of the festival.

Previous winners of the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest include Gillian Welch, Tift Merritt, Michael Reno Harrell, Adrienne Young, Martha Scanlan, David Via and Johnny Williams.

Net proceeds from the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest support the Wilkes Community College Chris Austin Memorial Scholarship. Since its inception the scholarship has awarded over $35,000 to 73 deserving students.

For additional information about the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest, call the contest hotline at 1-800-799-3838 or email Laurie Brintle, CASC coordinator.

About Chris Austin:

Chris Austin, from Boone, North Carolina, worked as a sideman for Ricky Skaggs for three years, singing and playing guitar, banjo, mandolin and fiddle. During that time he was discovered by executives at Warner Bros. Nashville, who offered him a recording contract. While releasing singles including “Blues Stay Away From Me,” “I Know There’s a Heart in There Somewhere” and “Out of Step,” Austin also developed his songwriting skills, as evidenced in “Same Ol’ Love,” recorded by Skaggs in 1991.

On March 16, 1991, Austin’s life was cut tragically short when the private plane carrying him and six other members of Reba McEntire’s band, as well as her tour manager, crashed in the mountains near San Diego.

Pete Fisher, then of Warnersongs and currently general manager of the Grand Ole Opry, and Kari Estrin, then MerleFest consultant and Pickin’ for Merle video associate producer, initiated the songwriting contest to honor Austin’s memory.

“All of our jurors this year are passionate about the outdoors, possess a significant and varied photographic background, and have been committed to the Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition in some way over the years,” states AMPC Competition Director, Rich Campbell. “We are thrilled to have these individuals be a part of the AMPC who are dedicating their time, talent, and expertise to the competition this year.”

William A. Bake

William A. Bake has photographed the South for over 35 years and has created five successful books as well as booklets, prints, and posters. Considered one of the South’s premier landscape photographers, Bake has captured many of the unique landscapes found in the southern Appalachians.

Among his published photography books are Wayfarer: A Voice from the Southern Mountains with James Dickey; The American South: Four Seasons of the Land and Towns and Cities, both with James J. Kilpatrick; and The Blue Ridge. In addition to being a well-regarded photographer, Bake is also an accomplished writer and interpreter of the natural and cultural heritage of the United States.

Ellen Gwin

Ellen Gwin grew up in a family full of artists and fell in love with photography in middle school. Having graduated from Appalachian State University with a double major in Technical Photography and Communication, Gwin has been working professionally as a photographer ever since. She enjoys shooting photography in both film and digital formats.

Passionate about her home in western North Carolina and the amazing natural and outdoor resources available, Gwin strives to promote these resources at every given chance.

Andrew Miller

Andrew Miller developed a passion for photography in the mid-nineties when he began capturing the wild and unique places he found himself working in as an outdoor educator and guide. He continues to work as a freelance photographer capturing the work of artists for print, web, and archival purposes and has had images published in fine art catalogs and WNC Magazine.

While working at Appalachian State University, Andrew developed the Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition and Exhibition and oversaw the competition through the first 8 years.

This year’s competition deadline is fast approaching! Be sure to get your photos uploaded by 5:00 pm Friday, November 18, 2011.

Rich Campbell

The AMPC has grown into one of the most prestigious regional photography competitions and we aim to strengthen that position. We have developed a very strong partnership with local entities such as the Turchin Center, the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, Virtual Blue Ridge, Appalachian Voices, the Mast General Store, Bistro Roca, Footsloggers, Peabody’s, Stick Boy Bread Company, and others.

Connections in the community create so many opportunities for us as a competition. We really want this to continue to be a true community event. We want people who visit the exhibition in the Turchin Center between February and June to feel like they have just seen the best collection of images available that depict the unique character, people, places, and pursuits that distinguish the Southern Appalachians.

I have been Associate Director at ASU Outdoor Programs for 15 years, and am thrilled to be more closely linked to the competition. I have directed the Banff Film Festival every year since its inception and I am excited to work closely with both the photography competition and film festival this year. The two events complement one another so well that it is a natural progression.

2011 Banff Film Festival Audience

We have intentionally created the AMPC to be a part of the Banff Film Festival weekend. That weekend has really turned into a celebration of mountain culture. The Banff Film Festival brings films from all over the globe highlighting mountain culture. The AMPC is a way for our community to interact, in a very personal level through photography, with our own mountain region and community. We have Banff bring us films from all corners of the globe, and we have our own community showcasing new aspects of our beloved Southern Appalachian region through the AMPC. It is a great ‘local to global festival’ on mountain culture every spring, right here in Boone.

Our Student Outdoor Learning Expeditions (SOLE) are programs and trips that are longer and they travel to more diverse locations in North America and abroad. SOLE programs emphasize discovery of self and expedition team members – as well as discovery of the landscapes and cultures of the wilderness areas and countries we explore. We travel in regions of countries that are seldom visited, remote and exceptionally beautiful. Traveling in these settings through adventure education, students learn valuable skills in leadership, perseverance, group dynamics, teamwork, responsibility, wilderness ethics and global perspectives.

[Video for New Zealand SOLE Trip]

Proceeds from the Banff Film Festival and the AMPC make these experiences, that many students share with us as life changing, more accessible to more students.

We encourage photographers to enter this competition regardless of their previous experience. We do have professional photographers who enter, but we have also had plenty of success with amateur photographers in the past, including amateurs who have captured Best in Show. Photographers who capture a unique perspective of a familiar landscape or an interesting take on a familiar subject tend to do really well in this competition.

One of the primary goals of the AMPC is to encourage photographers to grab their camera and create their own story that they want to share with our community. When hundreds of people do this, the end result is a powerful exhibition and an important archive of what is so special to our own mountain community that we call home.

Deadline for submitting entries is Friday, November 18, 2011 at 5:00 pm. Follow Virtual Blue Ridge Parkway and the Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition on Facebook for all the latest updates and news.

Professional and amateur photographers are officially invited to participate in this year’s Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition! Every year the competition gets more fierce as photographers from all over the world submit hundreds of entries for review. What will you be submitting this year?

There are a couple of new developments for this year’s comp that we’d like to make everyone aware of.

The prize for the Our Ecological Footprint category is larger than ever, totalling $450. Appalachian Voices will be furnishing $200 cash while Mast General Store will be contributing a prize package worth $250. That makes this category the 3rd largest prize! If you need inspiration on capturing imagery that shows negative impacts on the environment in Southern Appalachia please visit the Appalachian Voices website for the latest news.

The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation’s category, Blue Ridge Parkway — A Ribbon of Road, will focus on images of the Blue Ridge Parkway that incorporate some aspect of the roadway itself.

Please note that this year’s timeframe for submissions is a bit different as well. This year’s contest starts August 1, 2011 with a deadline for submissions on November 18, 2011.

As usual, please help us spread the word! We have press releases available on our Media  page, and this nifty banner that you can use on your own websites and blogs. If you’re promoting the comp on Twitter, please use the hashtag #appmtnphoto.

<a href=”http://www.appmtnphotocomp.org/”><img src=”http://www.appmtnphotocomp.org/images/banners/ampc-banner-9th-annual.gif” border=”0″ alt=”9th Annual Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition” width=”525″ height=”116″ /></a>

Remember that a portion of the proceeds raised from the AMPC support Outdoor Programs Student Learning Expeditions at Appalachian State University. SOLE trips take students around the world on educational journeys of discovery. Visit the Outdoor Programs website to learn more about this exciting program.

Thank you for your support this year and Happy Shooting!

Want to make sure the Blue Ridge Parkway gets that grant? Vote as many times as you can between now and September 6th, and be sure to tell your friends and family to vote too!

VOTE NOW!

This year’s theme is “Rock Your Park!” NRPA and its grassroots initiative, America’s Backyard, encourage Americans to show the country how parks and recreation make life extraordinary! NRPA will support park and recreation agencies and citizens as they plan special events and initiatives that remind local decision makers and the community of the exciting and vital role that parks and recreation play in the lives of Americans.

This year is particularly motivating as there are five weekends in July, giving citizens a record number of opportunities to get out to their local parks and recreation areas and get active. NRPA, in coordination with park and recreation agencies nationwide, is inspiring people to create a healthy weekend habit by getting out to a park, trail, playground, swimming pool, natural area or other public space every weekend this July. To make a personal commitment to get outdoors, citizens can sign the Five in July Park Pledge.

“According to recent studies, about one-third of Americans struggle with inactivity, obesity and associated health challenges,” said NRPA CEO Barbara Tulipane. “Now is time for change. Through Park and Recreation Month, we’re encouraging Americans to get out, get active and get healthy. By signing our Five in July Park Pledge, citizens can become a real part of the movement toward wellness.”

Park and recreation agencies are at the forefront in the fight against obesity and in the campaign for health and wellness; however, their services and programs are dangerously at risk due to budget cuts. National Park and Recreation Month is just one way citizens can develop healthy habits and get out locally to show their support of this vital resource.

To spread the word and demonstrate the power of parks and recreation, NRPA is hosting a national “Rock Your Park” Flash Mob Contest. Citizens are encouraged to put together a group of people and show the power of parks together in Flash Mob form. Also, NRPA is hosting its second annual July Social Media Project. Individuals are encouraged to take photos with the official “Rock Your Park” social media sign and post them on their favorite social media sites.

Through efforts by NRPA, the U.S. House of Representatives passed an official resolution for Park and Recreation Month in 2009. The association supports the national park and recreation community and the general public by advocating for federal support for park and recreation programs and legislation.

As a President’s Challenge Advocate, NRPA is also pleased to promote the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award program in support of the Let’s Move initiative. For those looking to extend their physical activity commitment, the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award, or “PALA,” can be earned by taking part in 60 minutes of physical activity for kids (30 minutes for adults), five days a week for six weeks. For additional information, please visit www.millionpalachallenge.org.

Thanks to all of the photographers this year for participating, as well as the general public at large for helping us to get the word out with press releases, blog posts, blog comments, etc. If you, or someone you know, would like to participate as a competition sponsor or supporter, please contact Andrew Miller, Competition Director, at 828-262-4954 or contact us using the VBR contact form.

AMPC is funded through the generous contributions of our partners, sponsors and supporters. You can provide needed operational support to AMPC by choosing to make a donation and/or offering us feedback on your user experience.

Below we have listed the the winners for top honors, categories, and special mentions.

Your participation this year will help to make the Student Outdoor Learning Expeditions through ASU’s Outdoor Programs an experience of a lifetime for many students. Thank you for your unwavering support and enthusiasm!

Click here for AMPC press & media resource information.

Bring a bagged lunch to the Turchin Center and we’ll provide the bottled water! We look forward to this Lunch and Learn meeting of the minds.

Sponsored by the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts.

More Details:

Date and Time: Wednesday, March 16, 2011 from noon to 1:00 pm
Contact: Visitor and Member Services
Email: turchincenter@appstate.edu
Phone: 828-262-3017
Location: Turchin Center for the Visual Arts (Google Maps)
Admission: Free

Voting for this year’s People’s Choice Award is still open! Vote here.

A public reception on Friday, March 4, 2011 at 7:00 pm for this year’s finalists chosen for the 8th Annual AMPC will also kick-off voting for the much-anticipated People’s Choice Award. A kiosk will be setup for gallery visitors, but you can also cast your vote by going to the AMPC website. Voting closes at 5:00 pm on Friday, April 1. The winner receives a $350 cash award furnished by Footsloggers Outdoor and Travel Outfitter in Boone and Blowing Rock.

March 4 also marks the time for final judging, where our 3 esteemed judges will review the finalists to select Best In Show and name seven category winners.

Winner’s will be announced April 3, 2011 once votes have been tallied for the People’s Choice Award.

Visit Virtual Blue Ridge to read more about the press release for this year’s People’s Choice Award. We wish everyone the best of luck in choosing your favorite for this year’s PCA, it definitely won’t be quick and easy!

Appalachian State University’s Outdoor Programs is seeking your help in identifying the High Country’s role models and young mountain sports stars. These young men and women will be recognized through the first ever A4 inititiative – Appalachian Adventure Achievement Award. Honors will include recognition on stage at the Banff Mountain Film Festivals, and a selection of prizes made possible by project sponsors.

There are two age categories for the A4: 17 and under, and 18-24 years old. Nominees must either reside or attend school in the High Country of NC (Watauga, Ashe, and Avery counties) to be eligible. Nominations can be submitted for individuals in successive years, but a nominee can only receive the A4 once for their age category. The April 1 screening of Banff will recognize the 17 and under A4 winner, while the April 2 screening will honor the 18-24 year-old A4 winner.

Deadline for nominations is March 18, 2011. For more information on nominations, and to actually submit a nomination, please check out the A4 Nomination Form.

Congratulations from the organizers and sponsors of the AMPC to all the selected photographers and a sincere thank you to everyone who submitted photographs for consideration sharing their vision of the people, places and pursuits that distinguish the Southern Appalachians.

And the finalists are . . .

Remember, the exhibition at the Turchin Center on the campus of Appalachian State University opens on Friday February 4th and the images selected for exhibition will be posted on the High Country Photos website as soon as the People’s Choice Award voting goes live at 5:00 pm, March 4. This night also marks the opening reception of the 8th annual Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition.

To all of this year’s participants: thank you for your support and participation. Together all of you keep raising the bar. Proceeds from the annual Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition support Student Outdoor Learning Expeditions (SOLE Trips) at Appalachian State University. Visit www.op.appstate.edu to learn more.

Hello friends of and participants in the 8th Annual Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition,

Preliminary judging for the 8th Annual Appalachian Mountain Photography has been delayed due to weather conditions and the resulting travel delay experienced by one of our judges. We anticipate completing preliminary judging by week’s end and are sending notifications by Wednesday of next week (January 19).

We will update you of any additional delays as they arise. If you are in an area effected by the current winter weather conditions, bundle up and stay safe. If you have entered photographs in the 8th Annual AMPC, good luck!

Sincerely,

Andrew Miller Coordinator, Outdoor Programs
Appalachian State University
Boone, NC 28608
828-262-4954
millra@appstate.edu
www.op.appstate.edu

(From Andrew Miller, Coordinator of Outdoor Programs)

Appalachian State University’s Outdoor Programs is one of four finalists in an online competition to win $10,000.  The finalist will be chosen by public voting on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Polartec.

Outdoor Programs will use the $10,000 to create a scholarship fund  to help more Appalachian students get outside, get leadership training, and get international study-abroad experiences of a lifetime.

Photographers are encouraged to capture images of trees along the Blue Ridge Parkway that stand out as the most beautiful, the oldest or largest, trees that tell a story or have a place in history, and those that are unique for their shape, species or character.

Trees are an integral part of the human experience providing the raw materials that shape our homes and the fuel that keeps them warm. Trees inspire us with their stately grandeur, their displays of seasonal color and their annual cycle of renewal that signifies the changing of seasons. The areas comprising the Blue Ridge Parkway boast nearly 100 tree species that contribute to ecological zones of unsurpassed diversity. The Parkway Tree Project seeks to bring greater public awareness to the rich natural resources of the Blue Ridge Parkway and to document its most outstanding trees.

In addition to capturing images of trees, photographers submitting to the Parkway Tree Project are asked to identify the tree species, document the tree’s location (e.g. GPS coordinates, Mile Post, or other identifying indicators of the tree’s location), and describe in a short story of a paragraph or more why the photographed tree is of particular significance.

Entries will be judged on impact, subject matter, center of interest, and storytelling – effectively sharing the journey by celebrating trees along the Parkway. Happy Shooting!

This year’s AMPC will be open for registration and submissions on Friday, September 17, 2010! This should give you shutterbugs a little extra time to squeeze in last minute summertime shots for this year’s comp. The competition will also be closing a little bit earlier than usual, too, so that’s something to keep in mind as you get your submissions together. For a full schedule of events, rules, FAQ and other important info, please visit the website: www.appmtnphotocomp.org.

Be sure to review the rules this year as they have been updated, and please review the comprehensive FAQ found on the main competition website. I would love to hear suggestions for adding to this section to make everyone’s experience as smooth as possible.

We look forward to this year’s competition and hope you are too!

Thanks for helping us get the word out. You can use this handy code for a banner graphic to use on your own website or blog:

<a href=”http://www.appmtnphotocomp.org/”><img src=”http://www.appmtnphotocomp.org/images/banners/ampc-banner-8th-annual.gif” border=”0″ alt=”8th Annual Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition” width=”525″ height=”116″ /></a>

Follow the Conversation on Twitter:
Use the hashtag #appmtnphoto and follow Virtual Blue Ridge.

Want to make sure the Blue Ridge Parkway gets that grant? Vote as many times as you can between now and August 31, and be sure to tell your friends and family to vote too!

VOTE NOW!

The Virtual Blue Ridge Bookstore got involved by donating an official “Parkway Guide Kit” to help Katie prepare for her amazing trip. This kit included the popular book Guide to the Blue Ridge Parkway by Victoria Louge, a laminted Parkway map and a Virtual Blue Ridge CD-ROM.

Thanks to everyone who entered! Keep your eyes peeled for more chances to win, our next giveaway will be announced within the month! Giveaway information is posted at www.virtualblueridge.com/giveaway.

Thanks to all of the photographers this year for participating, as well as the general public at large for helping us to get the word out with press releases, blog posts, blog comments, etc. If you, or someone you know, would like to participate as a competition sponsor or supporter, please contact Andrew Miller, Competition Director, at 828-262-4954 or contact us using the VBR contact form.

AMPC is funded through the generous contributions of our partners, sponsors and supporters. You can provide needed operational support to AMPC by choosing to make a donation and/or offering us feedback on your user experience.

Below we have listed the the winners for top honors, categories, and special mentions.

Your participation this year will help to make the Student Outdoor Learning Expeditions through ASU’s Outdoor Programs an experience of a lifetime for many students. Thank you for your unwavering support and enthusiasm!

For AMPC press & media resource information

Voting for this year’s People’s Choice Award will begin in conjunction with the opening of the AMPC exhibitoin at the Mezzanine Gallery in the Turchin Center March 5, 2010 at 7:00 pm.

A kiosk will be setup for gallery visitors, but you can also cast your vote by going to the AMPC website. Final judging for this year’s Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition will take place mid-March, and winners will be announced April 1, 2010. One winner will be chosen from each of the seven categories, along with one image chosen for Best In Show and one image chosen for People’s Choice.

Hope you can make it to the public reception and good luck picking a favorite photo for this year’s PCA – it won’t be an easy decision considering the fantastic group of finalists this year.

The 7th Annual Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition will be remembered as a seminal year in the competition’s history.  This is the first year that we received more than 1,000 submissions, receiving in fact 1,116.  We have also received unprecedented media attention and have been approached by various businesses and organizations that want to be a part of this growing national competition.  I wanted to share with you the two newest supporters to join the ranks of the businesses and organizations willing to put their time, money and energy into AMPC.

Smoky Mountain Living Magazine will lend support as a media representative, and will contribute to the prize packages of all winning photographers.  Dedicated to featuring the history and heritage of the Great Smoky Mountain Region and Western North Carolina, Smoky Mountain Living Magazine focuses on exciting developments important to this region, and explores the richness of the traditions of indigenous mountain people.   Winning photographers will each receive a one-year subscription to Smoky Mountain Living and a set of two, 75th Anniversary special edition issues celebrating the Great Smoky Mountain National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway.  In addition, winning images from the 7th Annual AMPC will be featured in the summer 2010 issue of Smoky Mountain Living. 

Also added to the mix in this year’s competition is Reynolda House Museum of American Art in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.  Reynolda House is currently exhibiting William Christenberry: Photographs, 1961–2005 on view through June 27.  The exhibition features 58 photographs, one sculpture, and three signs which chronicle the effects of the passage of time on the buildings, back roads, and landmarks in rural Hale County, Alabama, the artist’s former home.  The hope of this collaboration is to connect more people to the imagery of the rural south highlighted in both the AMPC and Chirstenberry exhibits.   All winning AMPC photographers will receive two visitor admission passes to the Reynolda House Museum and a William Christenberry exhibition poster.  

The Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition has no budget.   Our growth and success over the years is directly attributed to those individuals, businesses, and organizations that have lent their time, money, and energy in support of our mission to highlight diverse interpretations of the unique people, places and pursuits that characterize the Southern Appalachians.   We are excited to welcome Smoky Mountain Living and Reynolda House Museum into the mix.  We encourage you to share your enthusiasm for AMPC with our partners, sponsors and supporters and thank them for their contributions whenever you have the chance.

The judges reviewed over 1100 images, a record-setting total this year. I wonder if the judges’ eyeballs wanted to go “plop plop” at the end of the day! Below is a table listing the 47 images that make up this year’s final selections. These 47 images were submitted by 37 photographers, so you can see how talented some of the photographers were to be chosen more than once!

This year’s category finalists are:

Please join the AMPC organizers and sponsors in congratulating this year’s finalists of the Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition—all of you deserve lots of applause! Remember, the images for this year’s group will be posted on the High Country Photos website as soon as the People’s Choice Award voting goes live at 7:00 pm, March 5, 2010. This night also marks the opening of the AMPC Exhibition at the Mezzanine Gallery in the Turchin Center on the Appalachian State University campus.

To all of this year’s participants: thank you for your support and participation. Together all of you keep raising the bar.

Jamie Goodman

Jamie currently serves as Communications Coordinator for Appalachian Voices – and if you’ve been keeping up with this blog, you already know that Appalachian Voices is the sponsor for the category “Our Ecological Footprint.” A perfect sponsorship if you ask me, and will hopefully bring more awareness to this often overlooked category in the competition.

As the Communications Coordinator, Jamie oversees the organization’s communication efforts, including print and online publications. As with any non-profit organization, however, you can imagine just how many other hats Jamie wears on any given day.

I spoke with Jamie about the upcoming judging process, and how she was feeling about being a judge. She said:

I’m really excited to see all of the submissions this year. We have an amazing amount of talented photographers in the area.

I’ve been following the competition since its beginning, and I’ve noticed the disparity between the submissions for the environment category, and the true purpose of the category. With Appalachian Voice’s involvement, I feel that more attention will be brought to the environmental threats the Appalachian Mountains are currently facing.”

Jamie, I couldn’t agree more!

Troy Tuttle

As the Senior Photographer for Appalachian State University for the last 10 years, Troy has won numerous awards for his photography. His images have even been accepted into the photographic collection of the Smithsonian Museum of American History. Unfortunately, Troy doesn’t have a website to showcase his work, which is a shame really, because I’ve seen it and I gotta tell you guys, it’s amazing. (hey Troy, get a website!)

I asked Troy about what he looks forward to the most as being a judge this year:

I was a judge the first year of the competition, and I’m really impressed by how far the competition has come, from the participation to the increasing quality of the photography.

I’m looking forward to seeing what the community is doing, and how they see the area. I’m not a nature photographer – more of a studio photographer – but I appreciate it a lot. It’s the idea of waiting for that perfect moment.”

Katie Langley

Katie brings a journalistic style of photography to the world, and she has found success in the highly competitive world of portraiture photography. Katie stands out as an artistic wedding photographer, who’s not afraid to bring a special and unique perspective to a person’s special day.

I had a good time laughing with her about how you couldn’t pay me a million dollars to be a wedding photographer. Too much stress and all. She just laughed and said she gets that a lot.

When I asked her about what she looks forward to the most with being a judge this year, she said:

Seeing all the talent. There are so many talented photographers in this area, professional and amateur, and that’s just based on seeing last year’s winners.

I’m really looking forward to seeing all of the creative submissions this year. It’s so interesting to me to see how people can see the same things so differently. As a first time judge, I am anxious to see the High Country and surrounding Appalachian Mountains through the eyes of other artists.”

Every year the quality of the photography increases, so my heart goes out to the judges this year as they take on a very daunting task of narrowing down nearly a thousand entries to a few dozen.

Good luck to everyone this year and don’t forget, the deadline is right around the corner: 5:00 pm Friday, January 29, 2010.

Helpful AMPC Resources

• Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition website
• Gallery for past AMPC Finalists and Winners
• Virtual Blue Ridge on Twitter (don’t forget, AMPC hashtag #appmtnphoto)
• Appalachian Outdoor Programs
• Turchin Center for the Visual Arts

The time is upon us once again to gear up for the 7th Annual Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition. Each year we see a tremendous amount of growth in participation and interest, and the competition gets tougher and tougher with each click of the lens.

Our rotating Share the Journey® category this year will be Picnicking on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Definitely a favorite pastime of Parkway travelers, the AMPC staff is anxious to see what kind of submissions this category will bring to the table.

We’re also really excited about a new sponsor for this year’s comp – Appalachian Voices. This group organizes people to solve environmental problems affecting the central and southern Appalachian Mountains. With this new sponsorship comes a change to what was formerly known as the “Environment” category.

As a category, Our Ecological Footprint will be about imagery documenting environmental concerns in Central and Southern Appalachia. The threats to this region are real folks, so if you’re feeling inspired by this category, check out the Appalachian Voices website for more information on ecological concerns in the area. We really look forward to seeing the statements made with these images.

A comprehensive FAQ has been created as a way to help registrants with the registration and upload process, as well as other generic questions. Questions related to technical and registration issues should be covered, but we are always open to your ideas and suggestions. Please leave a comment on the blog, or submit a support ticket with your suggestion.

I have a feeling that this year will once again top the previous, and I encourage all of you to break out of your shell, take risks and leave fear at the door. This may be a “regional” competition, but the photographers entering are not all from this area. Last year we saw the first international submissions! The greatest thing about this competition is seeing how all of you push each other to reach the next level – amateurs and professionals alike. Make us proud!

Don’t forget to promote the competition on your own websites and blogs, too. We have code conveniently placed for you below featuring the same banner as the one seen here on this post. Thanks again for your encouragement, suggestions, and overall participation in this competition and we look forward to being awed once again with your submissions!

AMPC Banner Graphic:

<a href=”https://www.appmtnphotocomp.org/”><img src=”http://www.appmtnphotocomp.org/images/banners/ampc-banner-7th-annual.gif” border=”0″ alt=”7th Annual Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition” width=”525″ height=”116″ /></a>

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The organizers, sponsors and supporters of the 6th Annual Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition would like to congratulate this year’s winning photographers. Entries to this year’s competition were from across the United States and for the first time included international submissions. Photographers of all levels from novices to professionals are represented among the 47 finalists on exhibition at the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts through June 6, 2009.

Planning for next year started before this year’s competition was wrapped up and we are looking for your feedback to help us continue to grow and innovate. AMPC is funded through the generous contributions of our partners, sponsors and supporters. You can provide needed operational support to AMPC by choosing to make a donation and/or offering us feedback on your user experience. Your input will be crucial in helping us to prioritize our limited resources as we plan upgrades for next year’s competition.

This year’s competition saw many “firsts” — the most impressive being an image in the Adventure category for the first time taking Best In Show. Eric Heistand’s Best In Show winner “Splash or Trash” was also selected as the People’s Choice Award winner, the first time a single image has received both of these prestigious awards. Congratulations Eric!

Below we have listed the the winners for top honors and categories.

Judges were also asked to identify images of distinction and merit to receive Special Mention honors and an additional eight photographers have been recognized.

Thank you photographers for submitting to this year’s competition, and for sharing your vision and interpretation of the people, places and pursuits that distinguish Southern Appalachia. In doing so, you have made outstanding contributions in support of Student Outdoor Learning Expeditions at Appalachian State University. We hope to see your submissions in 2010!

For press & media resource information, please visit:

http://www.virtualblueridge.com/contests/app-mtn-2008/media-and-press/

The selected images from this year’s competition are currently on display at the Mezzanine Gallery in the Turchin Center of the Visual Arts. This year’s exhibition opens to the public on Friday, March 6 from 7:00 to 9:00 pm. The gallery opening coincides with the launch of this year’s PCA which also opens March 6 at 7:00 pm.

Everyone will have the opportunity to vote for three of their favorite images. The image with the most votes will be declared the winner after voting closes at 5:00 pm on Friday, March 27.

Final judging for this year’s AMPC will take place mid-March, and a public announcement will be made April 1. Of the seven categories, each will have one winner, and one image will be selected for Best in Show, and one will be selected for the People’s Choice Award.

For your chance to vote, or more information on the competition, please visit the Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition site and get your mouse hand ready!

Below we have listed the forty-seven images that have been selected for exhibition at the Mezzanine Gallery of the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts on the campus of Appalachian State University in Boone, NC.

This year’s category winners are:

A huge round of applause and congratulations for this year’s winners of the Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition!  High Country Photos will be posting a gallery of this year’s winners as soon as the People’s Choice Award voting goes live March 6, 2009.  Thanks again to all of you for participating in this year’s competition.  Each year the level of competition gets raised with more and more entries and quality of images submitted.

I can barely wait for next year!

The web site support staff would like to thank all of you for your patience as we implemented an alternate method of submitting photos and responded to your support tickets. Situations like that provide learning opportunities for everyone, and we are meeting soon to discuss improvements for upcoming competitions.

Please feel free to make a comment on improvements you would like to see for next year. Your feedback is invaluable and our number one goal is to make this process as smooth as possible. What did you find confusing? What worked well? What kind of features would you like to see? All comments will be weighed and considered with all seriousness.

Regardless of the technical issues, we had another record breaking year for number of photographs submitted – over 900!. We applaud all of you for submitting images that represent the Southern Appalachian region so well.

Today the finalists chosen for exhibition will be notified and we should be sending out an announcement with a list of the finalists early next week. We will also be posting an exhibition gallery online at HighCountryPhotos.com.

Thanks again for participating in this year’s competition and as I like to say, Happy Shooting!

The AMPC is open to amateur and professional photographers 13 years of age or older. Entries may include traditional 35mm film, digital photography, color, black and white and alternative processes, and must be digitally submitted. Images must have been taken within the past 5 years. Up to three images can be submitted per category with a $5 per image entry fee. For full competition details, entry procedures and guidelines visit www.appmtnphotocomp.org, or www.VirtualBlueRidge.com, or call Appalachian’s Outdoor Programs at 828.262.4954.

Approximately 46 images will be selected for exhibition and awards will be given in 9 separate categories. A single image will be chosen as “Best in Show” and winning images will be selected from each of the seven categories.

Proceeds from the Annual Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition are used to subsidize Student Outdoor Learning Expeditions at Appalachian State University.

Student Outdoor Learning Expeditions (SOLE Trips) are 21-55 day active educational adventures of discovery. Outdoor Programs partners with various academic departments across campus and the Office of International Programs to provide students with unique and intense international and domestic adventure travel opportunities that are life changing experiences. Students spend extended time exploring rugged and remote wilderness and become immersed within new and different cultures. Academic credit is offered for all SOLE Trips. Previous destinations include New Zealand, Fiji, Wale, Alaska, and Wyoming.

AMPC is a Partnership between Appalachian State University’s Outdoor Programs, the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts and the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation.

AMPC is sponsored by Virtual Blue Ridge, the premier Blue Ridge Parkway resource with support from Bistro Roca Inventive American Cuisine, Footsloggers Outdoor and Travel Outfitters, Mast General Stores, and Peabody’s Beer and Wine Merchants.

Virtual Blue Ridge began sponsorship in 2008 for the 5th annual competition, and was instrumental in moving the competition to the digital age by offering online submissions for photographs. After last year’s overwhelming response in digital entries, this year’s competition features only digital submissions instead of a combination of digital and print submissions.

The Turchin Center for the Visual Arts has partnered with Outdoor Programs to offer the AMPC since its inception. The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation became a partner for the 2nd Annual competition in 2005, and sponsors the Blue Ridge Parkway Vistas and Blue Ridge Parkway Share the Journey ® category prizes.

In 2006 Peabody’s and Bistro Roca joined the list of supporters for the 3rd annual competition, while Footsloggers and Mast General Store joined in 2007 for the 4th annual competition.

The public will have the opportunity to view all images selected for exhibition online beginning March 6, 2009 and vote for their pick for the Footsloggers People’s Choice Award. A public reception will be held on Friday, March 6th at the Turchin Center and a photographer’s invitation reception will follow.

It’s the moment everyone has been waiting for. Trails will be trampled, new roads will be driven, new treasures will be discovered, and dogs will have a chance to pose on the Blue Ridge Parkway? Yep, even dogs will have their day for this year’s competition!

One of the newest features for the 6th Annual AMPC is that the Share the Journey® category will rotate and feature a new theme every year. This year’s theme of course is Dogs on the Parkway. Stock up on your flea shampoo and practice your brushing skills!

Another important change is that the competition will only accept digital submissions for the first time ever. More importantly, the competition now has it’s own permanent home in cyberspace at www.appmtnphotocomp.org.

Still here? What are you waiting for? Get registered already!

“Dog owners love their dogs,” states Houck Medford, executive director of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation. ‘’It is part of the Parkway journey!” It seemed only fitting that we make this the theme for the Share the Journey® category. Entries will be judged on impact, lighting, composition, and effectively conveying the idea of traveling, hiking, motorcycling or whatever Parkway activity with your dog. Posed or studio photographs will be disqualified. Also make sure that your favorite photo shows your “dog on a leash” if out of the vehicle . . . ahem, newly enforced regulations! Ouch, the fines hurt!

Registration for the 2009 Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition is scheduled to begin toward the end of September of 2008. Start gathering your camera gear and get those ideas churning!

Dale King and his image Solitary Cloud entered in the Blue Ridge Parkway Vistas Category took top honors receiving Best In Show.  Category Winners acknowledge the top image in each of the seven competition categories and will receive Mast General Store prize packages with a retail value of $275.

This year marked the largest participation in the People’s Choice Award sponsored by Footsloggers Outdoor and Travel Outfitters with more than 1,100 individually registered voters casting nearly 2,400 total votes.  In the end Scott Hotaling and his image Mountain Calm will take home the $350 cash prize.

Judges were also asked to identify images of distinction and merit to receive Special Mention honors and an additional ten photographers have been recognized.

All forty-six images selected for the 2008 exhibition will remain on display in the Mezzanine Gallery of the Turchin Center for the visual arts through June 7 and images can be viewed at HighCountryPhotos.com.   This summer the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation will take select images on the road to community and art centers along the Blue Ridge Parkway corridor.

The Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition is a partnership between Outdoor Programs and the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts at Appalachian State University and the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation.  Support for AMPC is provided by Footsloggers Outdoor and Travel Outfitters, Bistro Roca Inventive American Cuisine, Peabody’s Merchants of Fine Beer and Wine, Mast General Store, and VirtualBlueRidge.com.

For press & media resource information, please visit:

http://www.virtualblueridge.com/contests/app-mtn-2008/media-and-press/

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The selected images from the 2008 Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition are now on display at the Mezzanine Gallery of the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts on the ASU campus. The public will be able to view the prints from March 7 through June 7, 2008. These finalists are also eligible for the Footsloggers People’s Choice Award, which kicked off on March 7. To vote for your favorite image, please visit the Virtual Blue Ridge voting gallery.

The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation for six years has been a part of this contest and this year has created a new category to represent the brand and trademark, Share the Journey.

Remember! Your vote counts!

Final judging for this year’s Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition will take place in late March and awards will be publicly announced on April 14. A winning image will be selected from each of the seven categories, one image will be selected as People’s Choice and one image will be chosen as Best In Show.

Thank you to all the photographers who submitted images to this year’s competition. A portion of your entry fee goes to support Outdoor Programs Student Outdoor Learning Expeditions (SOLE) at Appalachian State University. SOLE trips are 21 to 55-day, active educational adventures of discovery that immerse ASU students in unique and rugged landscapes. To learn more about Outdoor Programs and Student Outdoor Learning Expeditions visit www.op.appstate.edu.

This year’s category winners are:

A huge round of applause and congratulations for this year’s winners of the Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition!  Virtual Blue Ridge will be posting a gallery of this year’s winners soon.  Thanks again to all of you for participating in this year’s competition.  After seeing the stiff competition from this year, we look forward to next year more and more.

Beginning with a public reception on Friday, March 7, 2008 and running through June 7, 2008, this year’s selected images will be available for viewing in the Mezzanine Gallery of the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts on the campus of Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. Images selected for exhibition will also be available for viewing via the Internet and the public is invited to vote for their favorite images as part of the People’s Choice Award sponsored by Footsloggers Outdoor and Travel Outfitters. We will make an announcement in this blog when the voting procedures are posted.

The 2008 Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition is a service of Outdoor Programs at Appalachian State University and serves to subsidize students participating in Student Outdoor Learning Expeditions (SOLE trips). SOLE trips are 21 to 55 day educational journeys of discovery to remote and exciting destinations including New Zealand, Fiji, Wales, and Alaska. Outdoor Programs has been offering human-powered, adventure-based programs to the students, faculty and staff of ASU for more than thirty-five years.

The 2008 Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition is Appalachian State University’s Outdoor Programs and the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation’s 5th annual contest. Virtual Blue Ridge will be sponsoring the competition by offering online registration and submission forms for entrants, as well as hosting a gallery for this year’s finalists and previous year’s winners.

Banister Pope

Describing himself as “an extra-large, middle-aged, bearded-american studio artist and photographer,” he brings a lot of experience and creative eye to the table for this year’s contest. His imagery captures the whimsy of our most ordinary surroundings.
www.banisterpope.com

Heather McClintock

“Acknowledging a growing discontent with her studio pursuits and seeking a deeper connection to documenting the commonalities of our existence, along with a deepening desire to pursue humanitarian work and simply to get a little dirty again . . . .” Heather McClintock has had work exhibited all over the globe and is sure to bring a worldly view to the AMPC.
www.heathermcclintock.com

Pac McLaurin

“I learned a little bit about photography in my career which related to medical imaging, and then by my own self teaching and going to workshops. I have learned the most from the students I teach and I thank each of them.” Pac currently teaches photography at Appalachian State University where he has lead several student workshops overseas for “endless photographic opportunity.” Pac is an inspiration to the amateur, and proof positive that practice really can go a long way.
www.pacmclaurin.com