The 10th Annual Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition (AMPC) has announced this year’s jurors. This panel of jurors has a varied background in photography and a love for the natural environment.
Chip Williams
Chip Williams is Assistant Professor of Technical Photography at Appalachian State University and has worked as a corporate and editorial freelance photographer for over 18 years in Chicago. He shot for national magazines such as Smithsonian, US News & World Report, ESPN the Magazine, Kiplinger’s, Money and Parade to name a few. Previous to his move to the Blue Ridge Mountains, Chip was active with prairie restoration in Lake County, IL and worked extensively with the Lake County Forest Preserve District as a client to help them document their work in this area, as well as wildlife monitoring and naturalist education.
Jamey Fletcher
Jamey Fletcher is a professional photographer based in the North Carolina High Country specializing in event, wedding, and portrait photography in the southeastern United States. Jamey is the son of recently retired Appalachian State University Professor Jeff Fletcher who introduced Jamey to the world of photography at a very early age. From the time Jamey was old enough stand on a stool and reach an enlarger, he was in the darkroom learning the art of making images. Jamey’s photography career began at the age of 14 working as a stringer and a Staff Photographer for the Watauga Democrat newspaper in Boone, NC. Jamey’s love of the outdoors and photography create his intrinsic passion of nature photography.
Marie Freeman
Marie Freeman is a seasoned photojournalist who has worked for both the Watauga Democrat and Mountain Times newspapers for nearly fourteen years. In 2008, she joined the Appalachian State Advancement team as the University’s photographer and works in the Department of Marketing and Creative Design. Recognized professional accomplishments include: 15 North Carolina Press Association photography awards; First place award in the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education for her body of Snowflake microphotography work; and being published in numerous state and national newspapers and magazines including the Washington Post, USA Today, the New York Times, Detroit Free Press and Our State magazine.
“We are thrilled to announce our jurors this year. Our jurors range from veterans in the photography world to up and coming professionals. It is a diverse group of jurors, and will provide a strong and varied perspective from which to view the images,” states AMPC Competition Director, Rich Campbell. “We are excited to have these individuals be a part of the AMPC who will dedicate their time, talent, and expertise to the competition this year.”
The Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition offers numerous categories that will be chosen as winners with over $4,000 in cash and prizes. Jurors Chip Williams, Jamey Fletcher, and Marie Freeman will review all entries and narrow them down to approximately forty-six images that will be displayed in exhibition at the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, March 1 to August 16, 2013. From those images, the judges will select the final winners which will be showcased during the exhibition and at the 17th annual Banff Film Festival September 20 and 21, 2013.
For more information about this photography competition, please visit appmtnphotocomp.org, or call Outdoor Programs at 828.262.2475.