Vernon Bachelder Hometown Photo Show at the Murrysville Community Day
2004
The Westmoreland Conservancy is proud to announce the results of the 2nd annual hometown photo show, this year named in memory of Vernon Bachelder. Hundreds of votes were cast by attendees of the Murrysville Community Day on Sept. 18th. The Conservancy would like to thank all of the members of Murrysville and surrounding communities who visited the Westmoreland Conservancy exhibit and photo show. A special thanks goes to those photographers who contributed prints for the show. They were all great and deserving of special credit for their beauty, wonder and as examples of snapshots of life in our community.Category for Community, Family, Pets and Sports:
1st place- Truby A Buccille "Honest Mom, they just followed us home. Please can we keep them?"
2nd place- Joan Kearns (untitled) Young boy, spoon trick
3rd place- Jorge Valdes "Murrysville Cycling Classic, Pro/elite race"
Category for Nature, Wildlife and Gardens:
1st place- Dorothy Benevento "Peaceful Awakening"
2nd place- Mark McConaughy "Red Fox"
3rd place- Dev Bucciero "I See You"
The intent of this show was to celebrate what is unique and special within our hometown. It was named after Vernon Bachelder, who was a dear friend of the Westmoreland Conservancy and who encouraged others to try photography for the pure enjoyment of it. Vernon encouraged photographers to share their work, not in the context of competition, but rather in the spirit of allowing others to experience what that photographer saw when he captured a moment of beauty, an interesting subject, or amusing snapshot of life.
His images of nature are reminders of what is worth preserving in a community. The images in the show at Community Day likewise reflected this theme.
Vernon saw photography as a wonderful tool to exercise imagination, and to experience fun, adventure and personal discovery. He used his camera's lens to isolate and record the beauty he found everywhere in the nature. Many of his striking images helped others to see and appreciate this beauty too, and were instrumental in communicating the mission of the Conservancy in its early years.
Vernon gained inspiration from poetry, the music of Aaron Copland, and the writings of John Muir and Henry David Thoreau. He encouraged others to do the same. In his book, Let's Go for Adventure in Retirement he says, "Becoming a writer, poet, composer- anything is possible if you do if just for fun. Don't compete, don't ask for critiques- just do if for yourself."
Thank you to all who visited the Westmoreland Conservancy exhibit to view the photos, find out about the activities of the Conservancy, and to take an up close and personal view of the reptiles of Frank Peters.
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