Photography Contest Planned

Photography Done Right, in association with Bays Mountain Park, is hosting the first-ever Bays Mountain Park Photography Competition.

PRIZES
The prizes for the event are as follows:

Best in show: $250.00 and two weekend passes to the 2009 Rhythm and Roots Reunion.

1st, 2nd, 3rd, and honorable mention in all classes will receive ribbons.

1st,2nd,and 3rd places will receive a one hour pass to Fun Expedition

In the youth class, all entrants who enter will receive a pass to Fun Expedition good for a game of mini golf or rock climbing.

Prizes for 1st,2nd,and 3rd places are a one hour pass to Fun Expedition.

ENTRIES

Entries will be accepted on March 28, between the hours of 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. at the Bays Mountain Park Nature Center.

On April 4, there will be a reception for the entrants of the competition, starting at 6 p.m. At this time, the winners will be announced and prizes will be awarded.

JUDGES

The competition is pleased to have the following four judges:

Benjamin D. Walls, of Benjamin D. Walls, LLC. A world- renowned and internationally acclaimed nature photographer, Walls has been recognized by such prestigious organizations as the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards, the Natural History Museum of London, the Natures Best Photography Awards, and the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. A sample of Walls’ work can be seen at http://www.benjaminwalls.com

Earl Neikirk is on his second tour of duty as a full-time photographer at the Bristol Herald Courier, where he returned in 2003 after several years of freelancing for the Associated Press and other local news agencies. Neikirk graduated from Virginia Tech in 1983 with a degree in communication studies and joined the Herald Courier the first time in 1984.

Chris Duncan is a life-long resident of the Mountain Empire and
currently resides in Bristol, Tenn. His passion for photography has taken him all over the world in pursuit of images, including six continents and all 50 states. Nature and sports photography are areas that Duncan specializes in. However, travel, portrait, event, architecture and wedding photography are also areas of pursuit and experience. A small sample of Duncan’s work can be viewed at http://www.naturallywildphoto.com.

Debbie Pippin is co-owner of Two Girls With Cameras Photography, who specialize in wedding and portraiture photography serving the Mountain Empire. She has requests from both coasts to capture the memories of their weddings. A small sample of their portfolio can be seen at http://www.twogirlswithcameras.com. Pippin is currently the manager of Ritz Camera in Abingdon. She holds a bachelor’s degree in photography from Virginia Intermont College and a master’s of fine art in photography from Virginia Commonwealth University.

For complete information about the competition, please visit http://www.baysmountain.com and http://www.photographydoneright.com