We have been receiving several inquiries from this year’s participants in the AMPC about whether or not finalists have been chosen. Personally, I can understand the anxious emails and phone calls since being a finalist in the Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition carries a lot of prestige and honor. The competition has grown tremendously since 2004.
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!
7th Annual AMPC Finalists
| Adventure :: Imagery depicting mountain sports such as climbing, kayaking, mountain biking, skiing, snowboarding, etc. | |
| Scott Hotaling | “Going Big” |
| Lynn Willis | “Tent Nestled Atop the Chimneys in Liville Gorge” |
| Eric Heistand | “Appalachianeering” “White Snake” |
| Bill Gozansky | “Lazy Day By the River” |
| Blue Ridge Parkway Share the Journey® – Picnicking :: A rotating category each year with a different theme. | |
| Dale King | “The Lost Table” |
| Heather Wolf Turner | “Trees in my Chardonnay” |
| Blue Ridge Parkway Vistas :: Scenic imagery capturing the natural and/or cultural beauty of the Blue Ridge Parkway that may include landmarks as well as geological highlights. | |
| Bob Peterson | “Swimming Leaves on Wilson Creek” |
| Jessica Maceda | “No End In Sight” |
| Dale King | “Leave Only Footprints” |
| Rob Travis | “Shadow Lines at Pounding Mill” |
| Eric Heistand | “Winter at Linn Cove” |
| Steven McBride | “Cowee Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway” |
| Marty Hulsebos | “Sunset from the Parkway” |
| Culture :: Imagery depicting the people, their customs, traditions, architecture, and ways of life unique to the Southern Appalachian region. | |
| Colby Rabon | “Rooftop” |
| Andi Gelsthorpe | “On the Farm” |
| Heather Wolf Turner | “Pig Pickin'” |
| Amie Jo Platt | “Porch Pickin’ in the Orchard” |
| Tommy Penick | “Pushing the Christmas Tree Bailer” |
| Logan Fields | “Cayenne Hands” |
| Toril Lavender | “Wrestle” |
| Ian Mahathey | “Untitled” |
| William Haun | “Local Color” |
| Our Ecological Footprint :: Imagery documenting environmental concerns in Central and Southern Appalachia. | |
| Lynne Townsend | “Mourning Has Broken” |
| J.K. York | “Coal Kills” |
| Lonnie Webster | “Logging with a Light Footprint” |
| Eric Heistand | “New Hope on the Doe River” |
| Jerry D. Greer | “Coal Fly Ash Sludge Disaster” |
| Dan Smith | “SiegeScalp” |
| Jeff Hallyburton | “Safety First” |
| Flora and Fauna :: Imagery of plants and animals common to the Southern Appalachians. | |
| Tommy White | “Path to Enlightenment” |
| Eric Heistand | “Flight of the Bumblebee” |
| Skip Sickler | “Orange Mushroom and Haircap Moss” |
| Bill Gozansky | “Windswept Grasses” |
| Maren Robinson | “Teeth” |
| Dana Warren | “Bickering Buntings” |
| Beth Dyer | “Oh, Deer!” |
| Landscape :: Scenic imagery capturing the rich diversity and natural beauty of the Southern Appalachian region. | |
| Scott Hotaling | “Winter Gold” “Evolution River” |
| Ian Riley | “Winter Wonderland” |
| Nicholas DAmato | “Hanging Rock Sunset” |
| Eric Heistand | “Wonder Light” |
| Jackie Evans | “Sunset on Round Bald” |
| Jack Christfield | “Estatoe Falls” |
| Jon D. Bowman | “Late September, Graveyard Fields” |
| Sharon Larson | “After the Ice Storm” |
| Kent Kessinger | “Waterfalls, Butterflys and Friends” |
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 are posted in our AMPC archives. 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.