Roger May
When it came time to decide who would headline the inaugural festival, Roger May was the first storyteller we contacted. We have long been impressed by his reputation for telling authentic Appalachian stories through photography, which was magnified when he started the crowdsourced the Seeing Appalachia (formerly Looking at Appalachia) project back in 2014. The project invites people from all over Appalachia to send in photos that represent their own true Appalachia and spans the entire region.
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During his keynote, May took us on a journey through the various projects he has spearheaded during his time as a photographer and took some questions from the audience, all the while maintaining his trademark spirit of humility and gratitude towards the subjects of the photos he makes.
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It was an honor to present Roger May with the first-ever DENI Photography Award. We look forward to future photographers that will follow May’s storytelling through photography.
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**Visit seeingappalachia.org to learn more about how to share your story through photography.