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Pictured are Anna Welch, Dan Hunt, and daughters Jessie (left), 11 and Jodi (right), 9.
By Dan Hunt
CNI News Service
When Hart County’s Anna Welch was watching the sunset outside her lake home this time two years ago, she pulled out her iPhone and knew she nailed the shot. It didn’t matter that she wasn’t using an expensive camera.
“The sky was just vibrant orange that night,” Welch remembered. "We love to just watch the sunset in the evenings. It varies every night with different colors and variations. I thought the sky looked perfect with the flag in front of it. I sat there waiting forever for the flag to blow out a little bit to try to get more of the flag in there but there was no breeze that night.”
Breeze or not, Community Newspapers Inc. was impressed enough to select Welch’s photo as the 2021 Lake Living summer edition cover shot. It’s the second consecutive winner from Hart County.
Welch said it wasn’t her first time submitting the photo but remained confident in its chances. Two years removed from taking the photo, she claimed the prize, which also comes with $100.
“There was no filter on it,” Welch said. “That was just an iPhone photo. I don’t have a professional camera. Everything I do is just from my iPhone.”
Welch said she may use the $100 from CNI to go towards a new iPhone and the upgraded camera that comes with it, after two years with an iPhone 11.
Welch, along with her grade-school daughters Jessie and Jodi, came to The Hartwell Sun June 25 to collect her winnings. When talking about Anna’s passion for photography, her eldest Jessie gave her mom a hard time about how often she takes photos of her food.
Welch said she’s the type to actively seek out photos throughout the day, whether it’s scenes from her family farm (goats, chickens, dogs), her family, sunsets, the beach or her meals.
“I have kind of always just taken photos as a hobby,” she said. “I told my husband and my kids now that I’m a contest winner, they can’t pick on me any more about taking pictures. It’s time to keep going.”
Her other hobbies include exercising, boating, cooking and raising her kids and animals.
Welch’s husband Kevin owns and operates Renegade Steel Buildings in Hoschton. The family primarily lives in Commerce but has a lake home off Reed Creek Highway, where her award-winning shot was taken.