A Photo Student's Explorations

My Photo scholarship 2010 entry

Worldwide | Monday, October 11, 2010 | 5 photos

In 1925 the Beacon Blanket Manufacturing Company relocated to the Swannanoa Valley of North Carolina from New Bedford, Massachusetts. The Beacon Mill brought in employees, grocery stores, a movie house, and built new homes in the Swannanoa Valley, which helped to create a thriving and prosperous community. By the 1940's the Beacon employed more than 2,200 people, and became the largest blanket manufacturer in the world. The Beacon Mill was eventually sold and in 2000 the Mill had reduced it's employee numbers to a mere 200. September 3rd, 2003 became an emotionally devastating day in Swannanoa history: the Beacon Mill was set on fire. The town watched as a pillar of their community burned to the ground, and this small Appalachian town became thrust into National news. These photos are original, non-manipulated 35mm prints taken with my Canon AE-1, and they show the remnants of what little remains of this Appalachian treasure, which is now currently being demolished.

During my last two years of undergraduate education I became deeply involved in photography. I made a decision that this is what I want to do, and I'm determined to achieve my goal. I'm looking into going back to school to study photography. I have so much more to learn, and I believe that this opportunity will help and encourage me on that long, yet exciting, path of knowledge. Helmut Gernsheim said that photography links the family of man. That is it Independent of political influence and it reflects truthfully life and events. It allows us to share in the hopes and despair of others, and illuminates political and social conditions. I want to learn to be an eye-witness of humanity through the lens, and I'd like the opportunity to learn from, and help a great photographer complete his work in the field.