Sarah Hunter Nix just sent me this info about her new photography business, Hunter Photography:

After taking an 8 week business course at Mountain Bizworks, I am open for business!  I have an in-home studio off of Clarks Chapel in Weaverville.

I specialize in timeless style portraits, mainly of children, and hand cut silhouettes. I am a very nostalgic person who loves all things vintage and decided it would be fun to combine my love for photography with my love for antiques and history.  Although, I do try to photograph in a more “timeless” style more so than vintage.  I hope that when people leave their experience with Hunter Photography, they will have something that will become a family heirloom for generations to enjoy!

I have a B.A. (focus Photography) from Guilford College and an M. F. A. (focus Photography) from the Savannah College of Art and Design. My website at hunterphotography.wordpress.com.

You can reach Sarah at (828) 484-9357 or sarahnixhunter@gmail.com.

Congrats to these teen division winners in last month’s Weekend in Weaverville Photography Contest. You can view the winning photographs here, or you can see all the entries on display at contest sponsor Art Accents (1 South Main Street).  There’s some really great shots there, so stop by and check it out if you can. It also sounds like they’re going to make this a yearly event, so keep your cameras ready for next year.

Teen winners:

• Human Interest Category: Sullivan Brady
• Architecture/Structure Category: Sullivan Brady
• Nature/Animal Category: Lauren Eddins
• All In A Days Work Category: Kayleigh Evans

Great picture of downtown Weaverville taken from Hamburg Mountain by Weaverville’s Jeff Pott. Jeff also owns the computer consulting company PC Plus.

An aerial view of the Weaverville Lowe’s (bottom right corner) and Wal-Mart, taken by Asheville photographer Zen Sutherland. I’ve always thought these stores were big, but seen from above they look downright massive.
Check out more of Zen’s great photos of Asheville and WNC from the air here.

Art Accents (1 South Main Street) is sponsoring a photography contest this month: “A Weekend in Weaverville”.  Details about the contest and how to enter:

Art Accents Frame Shop is sponsoring “A Weekend in Weaverville” photo contest to capture the “spirit” of Weaverville through photography.  Photos must be taken the weekend of October 24-25, 2009 in Weaverville and surrounding area.  There will be three age divisions–Adult, Teen, and Child (just for fun)  and four categories to enter–Human Interest, All in a Day’s Work, Nature/Animal, and Architecture/Structure.   Winners in adult and teen categories  will receive professional framing for their photograph along with a $25 Weaverville Merchant Gift Certificate.  Winners will be announced on Friday, October 30.  All photos will be on display at Art Accents through November 7.  There is a $5 entry fee for adult and teen divisions.  Proceeds from the contest will go to support the North Buncombe High School Odyssey of the Mind teams.

Entry forms are available at Art Accents, 1 South Main.
For rules, entry forms and more information, visit www.art-accents.com/photocontest

If you’re been to Art Accents (1 South Main Street ) recently, you’ve probably seen their new aerial photo of Weaverville. It was taken this year by Art Accents owner and photographer Robert Mitchell, and closely matches an aerial photo of the town taken in 1939.  One of the most striking differences between the two photos – the number of trees (it shows we haven’t been named Tree City USA 19 years in a row for nothing). Art Accents has each print available for purchase – 12×16 prints are $35 each.

If you’ve hiked any or all of the Appalachian Trail this poster of AT symbols, available locally at Curtis Wright Outfitters (24 North Main Street ), might be of interest. It’s by photographer Sarah Jones, who took the photos when she hiked the trail northbound in 2008.  A little more from Sarah about the origin of the poster, art exhibition, and her upcoming book:

A native of Winchester, VA, the trail was always close by and I used to take day hikes on it in high school. I lived in Jupiter and Asheville, NC for three years after college. I also worked in Hot Springs where the AT is the downtown street. My friend and I vowed to hike the trail together after we completed graduate school. We hiked the trail northbound from Georgia to Maine in 2008. I took pictures every single day of our six month journey and when my camera died, I used hers. I had an art exhibition, Footpath: A Photographic Journey on the AT this May in Damascus, VA and will be showing the work again in Maine in September. The book will be published in Spring 2010. The poster was something that just happened organically along with shooting for the book. It contains every AT symbol I saw on my travels and the poster is arranged in chronological order. Footpath can be viewed at thesarahjones.com.

Day in the Life of Asheville is a Citizen Photography Project open to the entire Asheville area community. Some details below from the DITLO-Asheville website, while the full rules/guidelines are available at www.flickr.com/groups/ditlo-asheville.  There’s also a meet-up tonight for anyone interested in participating. I don’t believe attendance is required, but it’s probably helpful. The meet-up takes place at 6 p.m. at the Asheville Brewing Company (77 Coxe Avenue ).

POINT
To photographically document a day in the life of Asheville through the eyes of the community. We want to see your best shots of what it’s like to live, work and play in Asheville.

CLICK
Go online to join the group, read the guidelines – contest rules at www.flickr.com/groups/ditlo-asheville
DITLOA is open to the entire community.

SHOOT
You have 36 hours to take photos anywhere in the the Greater Asheville Area.
Noon, Friday, May 22, 2009 until 11:59p.m, Saturday, May 23 is our target window (36 hours, 12 on the 22nd and 24 on the 23rd).
You can shoot as much as you want, when you want. The window allows those who work flexibility, and lets us get some “weekday” Asheville photos too.

REVIEW
Photos will be due to be posted on flickr no later than noon on June 6. this will be for film or digital submissions.
Join us at Lark Books for a Digital Photo Review Party, date and time to be announced.

Did you know there’s a Doors of Weaverville poster?  I didn’t until I saw one at a friend’s house.  They were created by, and are available for sale at, Karpen Steel Custom Doors and Frames (181 Reems Creek Road ).  They sent me this information about the poster, how it came about, how you can purchase one, and even how you can win one this month:

Weaverville based Karpen Steel Custom Doors & Frames is a manufacturing company with an artistic flair. Not only do they work with the creative ideas of architects manufacturing one of a kind openings for the commercial industry (visit the photo gallery at www.karpensteel.com to see) Rachel S. Smith, President of Karpen Steel, took her love of doors and the community one step further by publishing the Doors of Weaverville poster pictured above.

The idea came about after buying door posters from places where Rachel had lived and visited. Among her favorites are Doors of Vermont and Doors of Tennessee.

The Doors of Weaverville posters are available for sale for just $10 each including sales tax. They can be picked up Monday thru Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 181 Reems Creek Road. Please note: shipping and handling are not included in cost.

Rachel is also giving away a poster through MyWeaverville.  Here’s those details:

Karpen Steel Custom Doors & Frames – Doors of Weaverville Poster Giveaway
We will be giving away one of these posters to a reader of MyWeaverville.com. To enter this contest, click the Comment link and leave a comment below. You don’t need to register to do so. Abide by the Comment Policy and say what you like, you can say thanks for doing the poster contest, or simply write “enter.” A winner will be randomly chosen from all the comments received by midnight ET on April 15, 2009.

The North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources has brought the “Telling Our Stories” Photography Exhibit to the Madison County Public Library (1335 North Main Street, Marshall ) through Thursday, March 12.  The exhibit will be displayed at 33 libraries throughout the state this year, and this is the closest it will be to Weaverville.  It is not scheduled to come to any of the Buncombe County libraries.  The Madison County library is open Monday-Saturday (check here for library hours — they’re different every day).  Here’s more info about the exhibit:

A fresh look at North Carolina has arrived at the Madison County Public Library in Marshall. The “Telling Our Stories” Photography Exhibit includes 50 images from the state’s mountains to the coast that show different events and time periods.  Organized by the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, the exhibition incorporates some of the state’s best professional photographers, the top winners of Our State magazine’s 2008 photography contest, and for the first time photographs from the State Archives are on tour.  The exhibit will end in Marshall March 12, then travels to Macon County.

Area photographers also are showcased.  Our State magazine’s grand prize winner is Bonnie Short of Hendersonville, with the arresting “Blue heron in my backyard” photo.  Chris Talbot of Saluda has “At Lake Summit in Hendersonville” on display.  Among professionals, Rob Amberg of Marshall has “Blast Supervisor’s inspecting site,” in the exhibit, and Alice Sebrell of Asheville’s photo “Where do you hide your innocence” is on display.

The tour was arranged through the State Library of North Carolina, and will visit 33 libraries across the state through December 2009, on an eastern and a western route.  Each route includes 11 images from the top winners of the 2008 Our State magazine Readers Choice Photography contest, 21 images from professional photographers, and 18 pictures from the State Archives.  Other images are of a young Andy Griffith in The Lost Colony, a desert crossing, and a pleasant pig.

Weaverville Pet Pantry is hosting a Pet Photography Day Saturday, June 28. An appointment is required. Call Weaverville Pet Pantry at 484-9274 to make an appointment or for more information.

Bring your best buddies to Pet Pantry to have their mugs taken. You can bring their favorite toy, treats, dress them up, or bring them in their birthday suits. Each prepaid $45 fee will include:

• 1 photo session
• 1 8×10 photograph
• 2 5×7 photographs
• 8 wallets

Customized packages and larger prints can be ordered for your pet’s pleasure.

Your pet’s photos will be posted on the website thuyngavuphotography.com and you can choose 1 pose for the wallets and up to 3 poses for the enlargements. Then call or email your order and the mugs will be ready for pickup at Pet Pantry in 1-2 weeks.

One more thing: it is highly recommended that you exercise your pets before your photo session.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Concrete angel amidst a selection of shrubs and flowers at The Garden Station.

Photo by Metta Pry

Need an excuse to buy some ice cream? I didn’t think so, but the Weaverville Drug Company has an Ice Cream Rewards card for you anyway. Buy a cup or a cone and get your card punched. After 10 punches, you get a small ice cream cone for free.

Weaverville Pet Pantry is hosting a Pet Photo Day 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday, April 12. Photographer Thuy Nga Vu will be on hand to take the photos.  An appointment is required.  Call Weaverville Pet Pantry at 484-9274 to make an appointment or for more information.

Bring your best buddies to Pet Pantry to have their mugs taken. You can bring their favorite toy, treats, dress them up, or bring them in their birthday suits. Each prepaid $45 fee will include:

• 1 photo session
• 1 8×10 photograph
• 2 5×7 photographs
• 8 wallets

Customized packages and larger prints can be ordered for your pet’s pleasure.

Your pet’s photos will be posted on the website thuyngavuphotography.com and you can choose 1 pose for the wallets and up to 3 poses for the enlargements. Then call or email your order and the mugs will be ready for pickup at Pet Pantry in 1-2 weeks.

One more thing: it is highly recommended that you exercise your pets before your photo session.

Beautiful new orchid at Brown’s Floral Design.

Patriot Guard Riders lead the way up Main Street at the procession of Sgt. Thomas Ray, II.

Photo by Tesla Jamieson

Happy Easter!

Every Saturday Shop Around the Corner offers free samples of some of the dips, dressings, preserves, or other food items they’re now carrying in their new location.  I haven’t been able to pin them down about an exact time for these tastings, but they generally start after Noon.  If it’s a cold day, like last Saturday when I took this picture, you might score a cup of hot tea too!

Shop Around the Corner is located at 55 North Main Street.

Photography by naturegooroo