1000 x 90

12th Annual Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition Winners Announced

By Jesse Wood

Organizers of the Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition today announced the winners of the 12th annual competition.

Kelly Clampitt and the image Dawg with Plotts (below) took top honors receiving the designation of Best in Show. Kelly will take home a cash award of $1,000 furnished through competition proceeds.

William Mauney’s image The Table Rock Fire Star Trails  (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. Over 2,300 votes were cast in this year’s People’s Choice Award.

See the winning images below. To view all of the 42 finalists in person, the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, located in downtown Boone, hosts an AMPC exhibition in the Mezzanine Gallery through June 6. Also, you can view all the images of the finalists here.

As one of the most prestigious photography competitions in the region, the Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition, now in its 12th year, continues to grow.

Now in its 12th year, the competition – based on entries alone – has grown 10 fold. In the first year, AMPC attracted 100 entries. This is compared to 700 submissions in 2011 and more than 1,000 images for this year’s competition, which is a program of ASU’s Outdoor Programs in partnership with the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts.

Categories include “Adventure,” “Blue Ridge Parkway,” “Culture,” “Our Ecological Footprint,” “Flora/Fauna” and “Landscape.” In addition to the individual categories, the judges will select a “Best in Show,” and the public will select the “People’s Choice Award” in March. The winners will be announced during the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour screening that comes to Appalachian State University every spring.

AMPC, which features $4,000 in cash prizes, is made possible through the sponsorship of Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, the Mast General Store, Footsloggers Outdoor and Travel Outfitters and Appalachian Voices.

A portion of the proceeds from the competition support ASU’s Outdoor Programs Student Outdoor Learning Expedition. SOLE trips are educational journeys of discovery that take students around the world.

For more information, click to www.appmtnphotocomp.org.

"Dawg with Plotts" by Kelly Clampitt
“Dawg with Plotts” by Kelly Clampitt / Winner for Best in Show
"The Table Rock Fire Star Trails" by William Mauney
“The Table Rock Fire Star Trails” by William Mauney / Winner for People’s Choice Award

12th Annual Winners List

Other winners for top honors, categories, and special mentions.

"Snows Best Friends" by Kristian Jackson
“Powder Hounds” by Kristian Jackson – Adventure ($250 Gift Certificate from Mast General Store
"Taking in the View near Moses Cone Manor" by Charles Johnson
“The View near Moses Cone Manor” by Charles Johnson – Blue Ridge Parkway – Beyond the Black Top ($250 award from the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation and a $250 gift certificate from Mast General Store)
"Man of Steel" by Chuck Almarez
“Man of Steel” by Chuck Almarez – Culture ($250 gift certificate from Mast General Store)
"Lethal and Leveled" by Lynn Willis
“Lethal and Leveled” by Lynn Willis, Environment -Our Ecological Footprint ($250 award from Appalachian Voices and a $250 gift certificate from Mast General Store)
"Gotta Goat" by Frederica Georgia
“Gotta Goat” by Frederica Georgia, Flora & Fauna ($250 gift certificate from Mast General Store)
"Thru the Mist" by Kathryn Greven
“Thru the Mist” by Kathryn Greven, Landscape ($250 gift certificate from Mast General Store)

Honorable Mentions: Three additional photographers have been recognized as having images of distinction and merit and received Special Mention Honors from the judges.

"The Table Rock Fire Star Trails" by William Mauney
“The Table Rock Fire Star Trails” by William Mauney – 12th Annual AMPC Finalist – Environment / Winner for People’s Choice Award & Honorable Mention
"Searching For Love" by Spencer Black
“Searching For Love” by Spencer Black – Honorable Mention
"Merging Seasons" by Daniel Burleson
“Merging Seasons” by Daniel Burleson – Honorable Mention