Southeast Outdoor Press featured photographer; website winner

Country Singer Kellie Pickler holds SEOPA news,
Photo By Rob Simbek

The Southeast Outdoor Press Association is celebrating it's 50th anniversary year in 2014, and produces six bi-monthly newsletters per year. I am  grateful for the opportunity to be the featured photographer in the January / February 2014 SEOPA newsletter. My classic bird dog image is the cover shot, and the scene was created in the Lowcountry using my English Setter with a hunting friend in the background. Inside, more photos from my journey into the world of the outdoors depict dining on wild game, catching speckled trout in winter, prescribed fire, fox hunting and sporting fellowship.

Newsletter BIO - Jeff Dennis joined SEOPA in 2006 after a chance meeting with Wade Bourne during the 2005 filming of Ducks Unlimited TV in Oklahoma. Like others, Jeff’s photography skills developed along the outdoor trail. He has been the outdoor correspondent for the Charleston (S.C.) Mercury newspaper for ten years and contributes regularly as a freelancer to The Colletonian newspaper and to an array of magazines.

Having grown up on a tidal creek in Charleston, S.C., saltwater fishing is one of Jeff’s strong suits. He is grateful for the work opportunities that have taken him to fish coastal waters in Texas, Louisiana, North Carolina, Georgia and Florida. Covering tournaments along the South Carolina coast and working with numerous fishing guides has given Jeff a deep appreciation of the blessings of coastal living. He tries to convey those blessings to his audience at every opportunity.

50 years young!!

Following the SEOPA conference in Punta Gorda, Fla., Jeff’s take-away message was to start a blog in order to keep pace in the era of new media. Digital photos and editing are just a part of the blogging process; one that requires online navigation skills and the ability to produce concise content on a regular basis.

During the abbreviated winter season in the Lowcountry, Jeff keeps up a tradition of hunting on his family farm. On the cover of this issue of SEOPA News is Jeff with his beloved English setter, Chester. Jeff invites family and friends to follow along in the uplands, hunting for “Gentleman Bob.” The bond between an outdoor writer and a working canine can result in solid photographs and serve as a catalyst for real-life stories from the field.

Motivated by the desire to portray hunting and fishing as honorable pursuits, Jeff strives to bring integrity to his work. Those efforts resulted in two accolades of note in 2013. His Lowcountry Outdoors blog took third place in the Realtree Website Horizons contest at the Lake Charles SEOPA conference. He also received recognition by the South Carolina Governor’s Cup Billfish Series for media support and service during the past five years.

Jim Casada, Jeff Dennis and Wade Bourne

To view past blog entries from SEOPA click 2013, 2012 or 2009.

Thanks to Realtree for sponsoring this SEOPA web contest!

REALTREE WEBSITE HORIZONS AWARD

1st Place:  Jeff Samsel

2nd Place:  Johnny Sain

3rd Place:  Jeff Dennis