Watch our live awards announcement where we thank all of our sponsors, introduce you to the jurors, show you the entire exhibition, and announce all the award winning images.
All posts by AMPC Staff
17th Annual AMPC Finalists Announced
This year’s panel of esteemed jurors have selected 50 finalists for this year’s Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition from over 1,000 submissions.
This year’s finalist images can be viewed online in the 17th Annual Finalists Gallery.
The exhibition of finalists may be viewed in person at the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts. Voting for the People’s Choice Award opens on Friday, March 6 at 5:00 p.m. and closes on March 20 at 5:00 p.m.
Once voting for the People’s Choice Award ends, competition organizers will announce this year’s award winners on this site and our Facebook page.
Congratulations to this year’s finalists and thanks to everyone for submitting such great images! Your entry fees not only help raise funds for Appalachian State University’s Outdoor Programs SOLE Trips for students, but also show the world the unique people, places, and pursuits that distinguish the Southern Appalachians.
For more information about this photography competition, please contact us or call ASU Outdoor Programs at 828.262.2475.
Jurors for 17th Annual AMPC Announced!
We are pleased to announce the jurors for the 17th annual competition as J. Scott Graham, Joan Brook, and Erin Durham. All of the images for this our annual competition are selected by this panel of jurors, each of which have a professional background in photography and love for the natural environment.
“We are thrilled to announce our jurors this year. They have a very broad background in photography and love for the outdoors and will provide a strong and varied perspective from which to view the images,” states AMPC competition organizer, 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.”
J. Scott Graham
It is difficult to picture the Southern Appalachians without seeing one of J. Scott Graham‘s iconic images. For three decades, his legendary photographs of the Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky Mountains National Park have helped define these beloved sites for millions of visitors.
In addition to these two locations, Scott also works with many state parks, national forests, national historic sites, tourist attractions, and resorts throughout the country to create an array of products for their gift shops and retail outlets.
Celebrated as one of America’s finest photographers, Scott has also become one of the country’s most commercially-successful artists. From calendars and coffee table books to puzzles and postcards, the J. Scott Graham brand is sold throughout the United States and in the Caribbean.
Scott resides in Johnson City, Tennessee, and has been married to his wife, Cathy, since 1990. They have two sons, Chace and Jackson, and a daughter-in-law Lainey.
Joan Brook
Joan Brook is currently employed by Appalachian State University and teaches as an Adjunct professor in the Department of Art in Commercial Photography.
A Texas certified photographer, Joan Brook is a professional documentary photographer. Her work has been accepted into several group gallery exhibitions, including the Texas Photographic Society, Austin Community College, and Black and White at A. Smith Gallery in Johnson City, Texas.
Joan lectures on the use of photography as playing a central role in forming our narratives of identity and space. These lectures focus on her photography of walls and borders specifically at the Texas/Mexico border, in Nepal, documenting the reconstruction of a Himalayan village demolished by the effects of climate change, and on the historical graffiti art in Austin Texas.
Joan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy of Interdisciplinary Studies from Miami University, an MA in Education from the University of North Texas, and an MAT in Teaching Biological Studies from Miami University.
Erin Durham
Erin Durham graduated from Appalachian State University with a degree in Commercial Photography. Throughout her life, she has spent as much time as possible traveling and working with various non-profit organizations. She hopes to use her photography to shed light on lesser known topics and inspire others to make a difference.
Durham is currently working on two ongoing projects. The first is a research and photography project working with people with albinism in East Africa and her other project is a collaborative effort with photographer/filmmaker Craig Dillenbeck, making a full-length documentary film about Black Mountain College artist Frank Hursh.
Erin is involved in the world of art and is continuously immersed in it – working in various art galleries and continually deepening her love of the installation process. She believes that the classic ideas of art and photography directly influence each other, leading to an immense amount of inspiration.
Portfolio Reviews
“We are also excited about continuing our popular initiative this year where everyone who submits an image to the AMPC will have the opportunity to register for a large number of Portfolio Review Sessions with some jurors, professional photographers, and others in the photography industry” states Campbell. “This initiative is designed to be an informative and educational opportunity made available, free of charge, for as many people as possible who have submitted images to the AMPC this year.”
17th Annual AMPC Has Begun!
It’s that time again! The 17th Annual Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition is open for registrations and submissions. Amateur and professional photographers are encouraged to submit at appmtnphotocomp.org prior to the competition’s close at 5:00 pm on Friday, November 22, 2019. The Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition offers numerous categories that will be chosen as winners with over $4,000 in cash and prizes.
A partnership between Appalachian State University Outdoor Programs, the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, and Virtual Blue Ridge, the AMPC celebrates the unique people, places, and pursuits that distinguish the Southern Appalachians. Attracting entries from across the United States, the Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition has grown into one the region’s most prestigious photography competitions with almost 1,000 submissions last year and viewed in person by thousands of people at the Turchin Center for Visual Arts in Boone, North Carolmina. The AMPC is made possible through the generous sponsorship of the Mast General Store, with support from Appalachian Voices, Bistro Roca, the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, Footsloggers, Peabody’s, Nikon Professional Services, and Stick Boy Bread Company.
This year’s competition has one exciting change. In previous years, photographers were limited to 3 images per category, but due to the popular request, the limit has been increased to 15 images per category. See the rules & guidelines for more information.
Competition organizers are excited to announce this year’s Blue Ridge Parkway category theme, sponsored by the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation and Nikon Professional Services, which is “Where’s the Water?” It’s easy to be awestruck by the expansiveness of the Blue Ridge Parkway and its accompanying long-range vistas. This year we ask that photographers share photos of the world’s most precious resource within America’s Favorite Drive. Images should highlight our natural water resources that can be accessed from the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Check out Blue Ridge Parkway Daily’s waterfall and lakes & rivers galleries for some great inspiration materials.
The winning image in this category will receive a $250 cash award, provided by the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation and a camera from Nikon Professional Services.
Another exciting category for the AMPC this year, highlighting our commitment of raising awareness of the natural environment through this competition is the Our Ecological Footprint category, which is intended to document environmental concerns in the Southern Appalachians. Photographers are encouraged to capture an image that represents our ecological footprint in a creative and poignant way. Appalachian Voices and the Mast General Store are partnering to present this award which will go to the photographer who best captures the spirit of this category with a $500 cash prize package.
Additional competition categories this year include Best in Show, which wins a $1,000 cash prize, the People’s Choice Award presented by Footsloggers which will receive a $350 gift certificate, and the following categories of Culture, Adventure, Flora and Fauna, and Landscape, will each win $250 prize packages from the Mast General Store.
A panel of professional photographers will review all entries and narrow them down to approximately 50 images that will be displayed in exhibition at the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, March 6 – June 1, 2020. From those images, the judges will select the final winners which will be showcased during the exhibition.
For the fourth year in a row, the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts (TCVA) is bringing back a popular program open to all photographers who submit their artwork to the annual competition. In-person portfolio reviews will be available on a lottery system, which will give photographers a chance to have a one on one portfolio review with one of our professional photographers who are leading the reviews this year.
The AMPC website, designed and maintained by Virtual Blue Ridge, features the competition’s archives of finalist images. The Galleries section of the site offers one-click access to every finalist image from the past 15 years, making the AMPC archives one of the most comprehensive juried galleries of the Southern Appalachians.
Thank you for your support this year and Happy Shooting!
About Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition:
The AMPC is a partnership between Appalachian State University’s Outdoor Programs and The Turchin Center for the Visual Arts. AMPC is made possible through the sponsorship of Virtual Blue Ridge, the premier online resource for the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Mast General Store. AMPC receives generous support from Appalachian Voices; Bistro Roca, Inventive American Cuisine; the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation; Footsloggers Outdoor and Travel Outfitters; Peabody’s Wine and Beer Merchants; Nikon Professional Services: and Stick Boy Bread Company. For more information about this photography competition, please visit appmtnphotocomp.org, or call Outdoor Programs at 828.262.2475.
16th Annual AMPC Winners Announced
Organizers of the Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition have announced the winners of the 16th annual competition.
Tom Moors and the image Swimming Hole (below) took top honors, receiving the designation of Best in Show. Tom will take home a cash award of $1,000 furnished through competition proceeds.
Cole Siemasko’s image A Horse’s Snowday (below) is the public’s pick in this year’s Footsloggers’ People’s Choice Award and will receive $350 cash award furnished by Footsloggers Outdoor and Travel Outfitters.
16th Annual Winners List
In the table below, we have listed all the winners for top honors, categories, and special mentions.
| 16th Annual Best In Show | Swimming Hole by Tom Moors |
| 16th Annual People’s Choice Award | A Horse’s Snowday by Cole Siemasko |
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| Adventure $250 gift certificate from Mast General Store |
Gliding Through Morning by Mary Presson Roberts |
| Blue Ridge Parkway – It’s in the Details $250 award from the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation and a $250 gift certificate from Mast General Store |
Lone Hiker at Lump Overlook by Kevin Balling |
| Culture $250 gift certificate from Mast General Store |
Three Top Mountain Buckaroo by Kelly Clampitt |
| Our Ecological Footprint $250 award from Appalachian Voices and a $250 gift certificate from Mast General Store |
Large Scale Graffiti by Jim Magruder |
| Flora & Fauna $250 gift certificate from Mast General Store |
Lena & Grace by Frederica Georgie |
| Landscape $250 gift certificate from Mast General Store |
A Glowing Poinsett Bridge by Tom Moors |
16th Annual Winners Gallery
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!
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.
If you, or someone you know, would like to participate as a competition sponsor or supporter, please contact Rich Campbell, Competition Director, at 828-262-2475.
Click here for AMPC press & media resource information.
16th Annual AMPC Finalists Announced
This year’s panel of esteemed jurors have selected 51 finalists for this year’s Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition, from nearly 1,000 submissions.
This year’s finalist images can be viewed online in the 16th Annual Finalists Gallery.
The exhibition of finalists may be viewed in person at the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts and voting for the People’s Choice Award opened on Friday, March 1 at 5:00 p.m. and closes on March 22, 2019 at 5:00 p.m.
Once voting for the People’s Choice Award ends, competition organizers will announce this year’s award winners on this site and our Facebook page.
Congratulations to this year’s finalists and thanks to everyone for submitting such great images! Your entry fees not only help raise funds for Appalachian State University’s Outdoor Programs SOLE Trips for students, but also show the world the unique people, places, and pursuits that distinguish the Southern Appalachians.
For more information about this photography competition, please contact us or call ASU Outdoor Programs at 828.262.2475.
16th Annual AMPC Jurors Announced
The Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition offers numerous categories that will be chosen as winners with over $4,000 in cash and prizes.
This year, jurors Katie Langley, Beverly Poppe, and Martin Church will review all entries and narrow them down to approximately fifty images that will be displayed in exhibition at the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, March 1 to June 1, 2019.
From those images, the judges will select the final winners which will be showcased during the exhibition and at the 23rd annual Banff Film Festival March 22 and 23, 2019.
This panel of jurors have a professional background in photography and love for the natural environment.
Katie Langley
Katie Langley majored in Technical Photography at Appalachian State University when the program was film-based and she registered for classes from a landline telephone.
When she isn’t working as a professional photographer, she can be found driving the Blue Ridge Parkway in her convertible electric blue PT Cruiser with her furbesties Monster Kitty and Jimmy Cat.
Her future plans include investigative journalism and being an unwashed up athlete.
Beverly Poppe
Beverly Poppe grew up in a small town in rural Nebraska and received her BFA at the Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, CA. She made a career move to Las Vegas in 2006, first as a staff photographer for Greenspun Media Group, and then, in 2010, went out on her own as a freelance photographer. In late 2013, she moved to Grand Forks, ND with her significant other to raise their two children.
She continues to work in Las Vegas and grow her commercial clientele nationwide. In May 2018, Beverly earned her MFA in Mixed Media with an emphasis in fine art photography from the University of North Dakota. During her graduate program, she taught classes such as color photography, black and white photography, and advanced technical photography.
Within the last two years Beverly has had her fine art work shown in galleries in New York, Colorado, Illinois, Rhode Island, and Cagliari, Italy. Her 2017 solo exhibition, “TransNodak”, was shown at the Rourke Gallery in Minnesota. Her commercial or fine art work has appeared in The New York Times, Bon Appétit, Mental Floss, Food Network, The Hand Magazine, and others.
Currently, Beverly teaches photography courses at Appalachian State University and continues to work as a freelance photographer in both commercial and fine art photography.
Martin Church
Martin Church is a native of Watauga County, North Carolina and was first taught darkroom based photography by the librarian at Mabel Elementary School in Zionville. Martin has a BA in Photography from Virginia Intermont College and an MFA from Radford University.
Exploring the mountains around Boone in his youth, he first developed an appreciation for the land. The Appalachian mountains became his first inspiration for photography where he began, not only to document the landscape, but the people, the shadows of this ancient place and the highlights of personal experience.
He has taught photography at James Madison University, Radford University and Virginia Western Community College. He currently teaches in the Art Department at Appalachian State University.
Martin seeks to create images exploring the cycle of life, of subjects in flux, the process of change, and moments of spiritual awakening. Chances are you can find him just out back or perhaps taking a long walk a short way from here.
16th Annual AMPC Has Begun!
It’s that time again! The 16th Annual Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition is open for registrations and submissions. Amateur and professional photographers are encouraged to submit at appmtnphotocomp.org prior to the competition’s close at 5:00 pm on Friday, November 16, 2018. The Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition offers numerous categories that will be chosen as winners with over $4,000 in cash and prizes.
A partnership between Appalachian State University Outdoor Programs, the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, and Virtual Blue Ridge, the AMPC celebrates the unique people, places, and pursuits that distinguish the Southern Appalachians. Attracting entries from across the United States, the Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition has grown into one the region’s most prestigious photography competitions with almost 1,000 submissions last year and viewed in person by thousands of people at the Turchin Center for Visual Arts in Boone, North Carolina. The AMPC is made possible through the generous sponsorship of the Mast General Store, with support from Appalachian Voices, Bistro Roca, the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, Footsloggers, Peabody’s, Nikon Professional Services, and Stick Boy Bread Company.
This year’s competition has one exciting change. In previous years, photographers were limited to 3 images per category, but due to the popular request, the limit has been increased to 15 images per category. See the rules & guidelines for more information.
Competition organizers are excited to announce this year’s Blue Ridge Parkway category theme, sponsored by the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation and Nikon Professional Services, which is “It’s in the Details.” It’s easy to be awestruck by the expansiveness of the Blue Ridge Parkway and its accompanying long-range vistas. This year we ask that photographers share photos of the smaller details that often go unnoticed. The winning image in this category will receive a $250 cash award, provided by the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation and a camera from Nikon Professional Services.
Another exciting category for the AMPC this year, highlighting our commitment of raising awareness of the natural environment through this competition is the Our Ecological Footprint category, which is intended to document environmental concerns in the Southern Appalachians. Photographers are encouraged to capture an image that represents our ecological footprint in a creative and poignant way. Appalachian Voices and the Mast General Store are partnering to present this award which will go to the photographer who best captures the spirit of this category with a $500 cash prize package.
Additional competition categories this year include Best in Show, which wins a $1,000 cash prize, the People’s Choice Award presented by Footsloggers which will receive a $350 gift certificate, and the following categories of Culture, Adventure, Flora and Fauna, and Landscape, will each win $250 prize packages from the Mast General Store.
A panel of professional photographers will review all entries and narrow them down to approximately 50 images that will be displayed in exhibition at the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, March 1 – June 1, 2019. From those images, the judges will select the final winners which will be showcased during the exhibition.
For the fourth year in a row, the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts (TCVA) is bringing back a popular program open to all photographers who submit their artwork to the annual competition. In-person portfolio reviews will be available on a lottery system, which will give photographers a chance to have a one on one portfolio review with one of our professional photographers who are leading the reviews this year.
The AMPC website, designed and maintained by Virtual Blue Ridge, features the competition’s archives of finalist images. The Galleries section of the site offers one-click access to every finalist image from the past 15 years, making the AMPC archives one of the most comprehensive juried galleries of the Southern Appalachians.
Thank you for your support this year and Happy Shooting!
About Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition:
The AMPC is a partnership between Appalachian State University’s Outdoor Programs and The Turchin Center for the Visual Arts. AMPC is made possible through the sponsorship of Virtual Blue Ridge, the premier online resource for the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Mast General Store. AMPC receives generous support from Appalachian Voices; Bistro Roca, Inventive American Cuisine; the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation; Footsloggers Outdoor and Travel Outfitters; Peabody’s Wine and Beer Merchants; Nikon Professional Services: and Stick Boy Bread Company. For more information about this photography competition, please visit appmtnphotocomp.org, or call Outdoor Programs at 828.262.2475.
15th Annual AMPC Jurors Announced
(Boone, NC) ‐ The 15th Annual Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition (AMPC) received over 1,000 submissions this year, a near record of images submitted. “We were thrilled with the number of submissions this year,” states AMPC organizer Rich Campbell. “We had fantastic participation, and now the fun part begins. Jurors will begin the process of going through every image and narrowing the number of images to approximately 50, which will be selected for the exhibition this year. The exhibition runs from March 2 to June 2, 2018 in the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts.” The Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition will showcase images in numerous categories including winning images with over $4,000 in cash and prizes.
A partnership between Appalachian State University Outdoor Programs, the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, and Virtual Blue Ridge, AMPC celebrates the unique people, places, and pursuits that distinguish the Southern Appalachians and attracts entries from across the United States. The AMPC is made possible through the generous sponsorship of the Mast General Store, who are providing gift certificates for all category award winners this year. The Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition has grown into one the region’s most prestigious photography competitions with 1,082 submissions this year and will be viewed in person by an estimated 8,000 people at the Turchin Center for Visual Arts. Supporters of the AMPC include: Appalachian Voices, Bistro Roca, Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, Footsloggers, Nikon, Peabody’s, Smoky Mountain Living, and Stick Boy Bread Company.
The Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition will culminate in a professionally curated exhibition, which will be available to the public from March 2 to June 2, 2018 in the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts. All of the images are selected by a panel of jurors who have a professional background in photography and love for the natural environment. The Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition is pleased to announce the jurors for the 15th annual competition as Garner Dewey, Craig Dillenbeck, and Cheryl Zibisky.
Dr. Garner Dewey
Dr. Garner Dewey has been at Appalachian State University since 2003 when he was hired as a faculty member in the Industrial Drafting and Design program (now Industrial Design). Prior to his arrival at ASU, he was at the University of Georgia where he completed his PhD. In addition to being an accomplished photographer and 3D modeler here in Boone, Dr. Dewey has taught photography courses on photography, art and design in his home country of Costa Rica, as well as in Austria, Cuba and Spain. Since 2013 he has served as the QEP (Quality Enhancement Plan) Director on Global Learning and this October he is also serving as the Interim Associate Dean for the College of Fine and Applied Arts. His two most recent exhibitions took place at the Blowing Rock and History Museum where he displayed photographs from Spain, Cuba, Mexico and Washington DC. He is married and has two sons.
Craig Dillenbeck
Craig joined the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts in 2015 as Lead Installer and Preparator. He works closely with curator, Mary Anne Redding, and often works directly with artists represented at the Turchin Center and brings his special talents to insure all artwork is exhibited beautifully and effectively. Craig received his B.S. in Industrial Technology with a concentration in Technical Photography from Appalachian State University in 2005. He continues to make photographs, primarily in the outdoor lifestyle arena — and also having the pleasure of working as a cameraman for a segment of Flatlander Films’ documentary Frost, telling the story of legendary rock-climber, photographer and environmental activist, Tom Frost. The film is in post-production and will premiere in 2018.
Cheryl Zibisky
Born in Detroit, but raised in the south, Cheryl had 10 great years in Brooklyn, New York. While in New York she enjoyed capturing the colorful urban life that surrounded her. She discovered the love of food while photographing new restaurants for New York Magazine. Her escapes from the city included train rides to Montauk or up the Hudson Valley to fly fish. Now, back in the south, she finds inspiration while hiking the Blue Ridge Mountains. Zibisky earned her MFA in Photography in January 2017 from New Hampshire Institute of Art. She has been teaching photography in the Commercial Photography Program at Appalachian State University for past six years while also working as a commercial photographer in addition to her artistic practice. Her work has been exhibited in approximately 15 group shows and one solo show. Recent work has been shown in “Art Through the Lens International Juried Photography Exhibition”, “Center Forward” at The Center for Fine Art Photography and “New River Art Biennial 2017” at the Floyd Center for the Arts. Her commercial work has been published in over 20 different national magazines, as well as a handful of local and regional publications. In October 2016, her work was featured on the cover of Southern Living. Her fine art work can be found here: www.cherylzibisky.wixsite.com/artist and her commercial work may be viewed at www.cherylzibisky.com
“We are thrilled to announce our jurors this year. They have a very broad background in photography and love for the outdoors and will provide a strong and varied perspective from which to view the images,” states AMPC competition organizer, 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.”
“We are also excited about continuing our popular initiative this year where everyone who submits an image to the AMPC will have the opportunity to register for a large number of Portfolio Review Sessions with jurors, professional photographers, and others in the photography industry” states Campbell. “This initiative is designed to be an informative and educational opportunity made available, free of charge, for as many people as possible who have submitted images to the AMPC 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 Garner Dewey, Craig Dillenbeck, and Cheryl Zibisky will review all entries and narrow them down to approximately fifty images that will be displayed in exhibition at the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, March 2 to June 2, 2018. From those images, the judges will select the final winners which will be showcased during the exhibition and at the 22nd annual Banff Film Festival March 23 and 24, 2018.
For more information about this photography competition, please visit appmtnphotocomp.org, or call Outdoor Programs at 828.262.2475.
About Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition:
The AMPC is a partnership between Appalachian State University’s Outdoor Programs, The Turchin Center for the Visual Arts and Virtual Blue Ridge. AMPC is made possible through the sponsorship of Mast General Store. AMPC receives generous support from Appalachian Voices; Bistro Roca, Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, Inventive American Cuisine; Footsloggers Outdoor and Travel Outfitters; Nikon; Peabody’s Wine and Beer Merchants; Smoky Mountain Living; and Stick Boy Bread Company. For more information about this photography competition, please visit appmtnphotocomp.org, or call Outdoor Programs at 828.262.2475.
15th Annual AMPC Has Begun!
It’s that time again! The 15th Annual Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition is open for registrations and submissions. Amateur and professional photographers are encouraged to submit at appmtnphotocomp.org prior to the competition’s close at 5:00 pm on Friday, November 17, 2017. The Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition offers numerous categories that will be chosen as winners with over $4,000 in cash and prizes.
A partnership between Appalachian State University Outdoor Programs, the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, and Virtual Blue Ridge, the AMPC celebrates the unique people, places, and pursuits that distinguish the Southern Appalachians. Attracting entries from across the United States, the Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition has grown into one the region’s most prestigious photography competitions with almost 1,000 submissions last year and viewed in person by thousands of people at the Turchin Center for Visual Arts in Boone, North Carolina. The AMPC is made possible through the generous sponsorship of the Mast General Store, with support from Appalachian Voices, Bistro Roca, the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, Footsloggers, Peabody’s, Nikon Professional Services, and Stick Boy Bread Company.
This year’s competition has one exciting change. In previous years, photographers were limited to 3 images per category, but due to the popular request, the limit has been increased to 15 images per category. See the rules & guidelines for more information.
Competition organizers are excited to announce this year’s Blue Ridge Parkway category theme, sponsored by the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation and Nikon Professional Services, which is “The Parkway in Color – Capturing the Changing Seasons.” Photographers are encouraged to document the multitude of colors that come and go every year along the Parkway, marking the passing of time through each of the four seasons in the Parkway’s natural habitats. The winning image in this category will receive a $250 cash award, provided by the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation and a camera from Nikon Professional Services.
Another exciting category for the AMPC this year, highlighting our commitment of raising awareness of the natural environment through this competition is the Our Ecological Footprint category, which is intended to document environmental concerns in the Southern Appalachians. Photographers are encouraged to capture an image that represents our ecological footprint in a creative and poignant way. Appalachian Voices and the Mast General Store are partnering to present this award which will go to the photographer who best captures the spirit of this category with a $500 cash prize package.
Additional competition categories this year include Best in Show, which wins a $1,000 cash prize, the People’s Choice Award presented by Footsloggers which will receive a $350 gift certificate, and the following categories of Culture, Adventure, Flora and Fauna, and Landscape, will each win $250 prize packages from the Mast General Store.
A panel of professional photographers will review all entries and narrow them down to approximately 50 images that will be displayed in exhibition at the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, March 2 – June 2, 2018. From those images, the judges will select the final winners which will be showcased during the exhibition.
For the third year in a row, the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts (TCVA) is bringing back a popular program open to all photographers who submit their artwork to the annual competition. In-person portfolio reviews will be available on a lottery system, which will give photographers a chance to have a one on one portfolio review with one of our professional photographers who are leading the reviews this year.
The AMPC website, designed and maintained by Virtual Blue Ridge, features the competition’s archives of finalist images. The Galleries section of the site offers one-click access to every finalist image from the past 14 years, making the AMPC archives one of the most comprehensive juried galleries of the Southern Appalachians.
Thank you for your support this year and Happy Shooting!
About Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition:
The AMPC is a partnership between Appalachian State University’s Outdoor Programs and The Turchin Center for the Visual Arts. AMPC is made possible through the sponsorship of Virtual Blue Ridge, the premier online resource for the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Mast General Store. AMPC receives generous support from Appalachian Voices; Bistro Roca, Inventive American Cuisine; the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation; Footsloggers Outdoor and Travel Outfitters; Peabody’s Wine and Beer Merchants; Nikon Professional Services: and Stick Boy Bread Company. For more information about this photography competition, please visit appmtnphotocomp.org, or call Outdoor Programs at 828.262.2475.