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Downtown gallery to feature images by Herald photographer
By Lynn Hotaling
No doubt most of those who enter The Sylva Herald’s annual photo contest breathed a sigh of relief when four-time prize-winner Nick Breedlove joined the newspaper staff in 2003 and was no longer eligible to enter the popular competition.
By the same token, Herald officials were thrilled to have the Sylva photographer’s pictures available for publication more often than once each year.
Starting next week, 14 of Breedlove’s images of Jackson County will be on display on a daily basis in downtown Sylva when It’s By Nature hosts his first solo exhibit. The show, titled “Exploring Jackson County,” will open with a 7-9 p.m. artist’s reception Friday, June 30, and will be on display through July at the Main Street gallery.
“Dill Falls 1,” one of two studies of the eastern Jackson County waterfall that will be included in photographer Nick Breedlove’s first studio show, is among the images Breedlove captured during work on The Sylva Herald’s upcoming magazine special section, “Across the Mountains.” Breedlove’s exhibit, titled “Exploring Jackson County,” will open Friday, June 30, at the downtown gallery It’s By Nature. with an artist’s reception from 7 until 9 p.m. Breedlove’s photos will remain on display through July.
Breedlove’s featured work will include landscapes, waterfalls and other images he captured for The Herald’s upcoming magazine special section, “Across the Mountains,” which will debut next week with the newspaper’s June 29 edition.
“Nick’s skill with a camera has been evident for years, and we appreciate the impact his photos give the paper each week,” said Herald Publisher Steve Gray. “His work for ‘Across the Mountains’ is even more extraordinary and is certainly worthy of a gallery show.”
Breedlove, 22, is a Smoky Mountain High School graduate who attended Western Carolina University for two years. His photos have won both N.C. Press Association awards and other area contests, and he is the youngest artist It’s By Nature has featured in a solo show.
“Nick has a mature perspective that belies his years,” said gallery owner Sandi Cooper. “His photos capture the beauty that surrounds us in Jackson County, and we’re proud to host his first show.”
Breedlove’s pictures have earned high marks from area artists as well.
Cullowhee painter Craig Forrest points to the composition and perspective of Breedlove’s photos and their successful treatment of light and shadow.
“The juxtaposition of shadow and bright sunlight is hard to pull off, but these work,” Forrest said, adding that a shot of an approaching storm is “so dynamic you can almost feel the wind blowing.”
Ray Menze, president of the Jackson County Arts Council, was Breedlove’s teacher at SMHS. He’s termed his former student “the Eliot Porter of Jackson County,” a reference to the well-known nature photographer and his signature “Appalachian Wilderness,” which features stunning images of the Great Smoky Mountains.
“Nick has a good eye for color, composition and texture,” Menze said.
Another fan is photographer Larry Tucker, Jackson County’s best known nature photographer. Tucker, a retired teacher, has known Breedlove since his days at Scotts Creek Elementary School.
“Nick’s always shown a lot of talent,” Tucker said.
Tucker termed Breedlove’s photos “solid” and “technically great,” and said the It’s By Nature event will be a good show.
Pictures by Sylva Herald photographer Nick Breedlove will be on display during July at It’s By Nature gallery. The show, which will open Friday, June 30, with an artist’s reception from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Main Street gallery, features local landscapes and waterfalls captured in conjunction with The Sylva Herald’s soon-to-be-released Jackson County magazine, “Across the Mountains.”
He seemed particularly drawn to Breedlove’s water images, commenting on their excellent composition. Tucker quoted Henry David Thoreau’s famous line – “It’s not what you look at, it’s what you see” – and said Breedlove’s photos are a perfect example of how a photographer can use his camera to transform an ordinary image into an extraordinary one.
“He’s got an eye, no doubt about it,” Tucker said.
In describing his own work, Breedlove said he tries for the best angle to make his photos come alive.
“My goal is to capture nature in such a way that people viewing my photos feel like they’re actually there,” he said. “In addition, I try to use perspective to draw them into the picture.”
In addition to his work on The Herald’s upcoming magazine, Breedlove is also co-creator and photographer for the newspaper’s popular “Then and Now” features. One of the upcoming show’s photos – “Balsam Pump” – was taken in conjunction with a “Then and Now” shoot at the old Knight’s Store in Balsam. That black-and-white image also drew praise from Tucker.
“It’s funny – I’m a nature guy – but that gas pump is an extraordinarily strong image,” Tucker said. “It’s an excellent shot.”
“Exploring Jackson County” will be on display at It’s By Nature through July 31. The gallery is open Tuesday-Saturday from 10:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m.
For information, call It’s By Nature at 631-3020.
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