AMPC joins Appalachian Summer

It’s summertime for the Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition.

Competition organizers have announced a partnership with An Appalachian Summer Festival for 2013.

The 10th annual Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition (AMPC) is currently open for registration and submissions, and those interested should visit http://www.appmtnphotocomp.org prior to closing of registration at 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 16, to submit images online.

The competition features winners in numerous categories, with more than $4,000 in cash and prizes.
According to organizers, “The partnership between the Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition and An Appalachian Summer is an exciting extension of what has become one of the most prestigious photography competitions in the southern Appalachians.”

The exhibition will begin its run in Appalachian State University’s Turchin Center for the Visual Arts on March 1, 2013, and run through Aug. 16, 2013.

“Another exciting new announcement for the AMPC this year, highlighting our commitment of raising awareness of the natural environment through this competition,” said Rich Campbell, competition director and director of ASU Outdoor Programs, “is the ‘Our Ecological Footprint’ category, which is intended to document environmental challenges 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 package of cash and prizes.

A panel of professional photographers will review all entries and narrow them down to approximately 46 that will be displayed in exhibition at the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts March 1, 2013, through Aug. 16, 2013.

In July, during An Appalachian Summer, there will be a free photography workshop open to the public on the afternoon of July 19, followed by a reception. The focal point of the photography workshop will be the 10th annual AMPC images that are currently being submitted to competition organizers.

“We are excited about this new opportunity and development, because for the first time in the history of this competition, we will be able to incorporate an educational component …” Campbell said. “This workshop will be of interest to casual and serious photographers alike in the festive atmosphere of the Turchin Center, during An Appalachian Summer.”

For photographers who want a more in-depth workshop environment, there will be an intensive, field-based photography workshop on July 18 and 19, 2013. Pre-registration is required for this event. Professional photographers and photography educators will lead this workshop, traveling to field locations in the area.

A partnership between ASU Outdoor Programs, the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts and the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, 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 more than 1,000 submissions last year and viewed in person by 10,000-plus people at the Turchin Center.

The AMPC is made possible through the sponsorship of Virtual Blue Ridge and the Mast General Store, as well as Appalachian Voices, Bistro Roca, Footsloggers, Peabody’s and Stick Boy Bread Company.

For more information about this photography competition, visit http://www.appmtnphotocomp.org or call ASU Outdoor Programs at (828) 262-2475.