Outdoor Programs, the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation and the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts present the forth annual Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition. This competition provides both amateur and professional photographers the opportunity to showcase their interpretation of the unique character, people, places, and pursuits that distinguish the Southern Appalachians.
Categories for the competition include:
- Adventure – Imagery depicting mountain sports such as climbing, kayaking, mountain biking, skiing, snowboarding, etc.
- Blue Ridge Parkway – Imagery that communicates aspects of history, culture, environment, landscape, flora/fauna, or adventure found along the Blue Ridge Parkway.
- Culture – Imagery with a cultural theme focusing on people, their customs, traditions, and ways of life as related to the Southern Appalachian region.
- Environment – Imagery that communicates an important message about the Southern Appalachian environment and ecosystem.
- Flora/Fauna – Imagery of plants and animals found in the Southern Appalachian environment.
- Landscape – Imagery of landscapes found within the Southern Appalachian region.
Generous prize packages and more than $1000 in cash prizes will be awarded and are made possible in part by the contributions of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation.
A portion of the proceeds from the 2007 Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition will support the Student Outdoor Learning Expedition (SOLE) Scholarship Fund. SOLE trips are educational journeys of discovery that take Appalachian State University students around the world. For more information on Student Outdoor Learning Expeditions, visit www.op.appstate.edu and follow the Expeditions link.
Entry Guidelines
The Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition is open to all photographers – amateur and professional. Each photographer may submit up to three (3) entries in each of the six (6) categories listed above, for a maximum of eighteen (18) entries per photographer. All images must have been taken within the past five (5) years. Entry fees are $5 per entry, and may be paid by check, money order, cash, VISA, or MasterCard.
Entries will be judged by a panel of photography experts on the basis of composition, technique, content, originality, and effectiveness in conveying the character of the Southern Appalachian region. A total of 36 entries will be chosen for exhibition at the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts. A total of seventeen (17) awards will be given. One winning photograph and one special mention will be selected from each of the six categories. One photograph will be chosen as “Best in Show”. Three images will be chosen for the “Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation” award, and one image will receive the “People’s Choice” award.
The calendar for the 2007 competition is as follows:
- February 3, 2007, 6pm: Submission deadline for entries.
- February 8 – 9, 2007: Notifications mailed. (Winners will be notified by telephone.)
- February 9, 2007: All entries returned to participants or available for pick-up.
- February 28, 2007: Submission deadline for photographs included in exhibition. (Photographers whose work has been chosen for exhibition will be asked to submit a framed 8″ x 10″ or 11″ x 14″ print of their winning image(s).)
- March 2 – June 2, 2007: Exhibition dates.
- March 2, 2007: Public reception. “People’s Choice” voting begins.
Andrew Tau, Lynn Cove Viaduct #1, 2006. Voted Best in Show 2006. Image courtesy of the artist.
How to enter
To enter the 4th Annual Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition, download the Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition Prospectus & Entry Form (PDF 41K). The prospectus contains definitive entry guidelines and procedures. Completion of the entry process constitutes the participant’s understanding of the conditions set forth in this document. After completing the Entry Form, return it with images and payment to:
Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition
c/o The Turchin Center for the Visual Arts
PO Box 32139
Boone, NC 28608
Attn: Brook Bower Greene
Completed entry forms and images may also be dropped off in person at the Turchin Center at 423 West King Street in downtown Boone.