Mountain Profile: Helen Hopper
She’d
always wanted to be a photographer, and after hearing a story on NPR
about a soldier who died before he could follow his dreams, she decided
it was time to make it happen.
Helen Hopper, 41, of Rutherfordton, NC, bought a Nikon and took her first photography course at Isothermal Community College three years ago. Now she is a working photographer, capturing slices of life as they unfold at Grandfather Mountain.
After spending 13 years as a stay-at-home mother of three, Helen plunged into her new passion by apprenticing with landscape photographer Richard Bernabe of upstate South Carolina. With his encouragement, she traveled out west to attend workshops with prominent scenic photographers like Robert Holmes and Justin Black. Then one day she got the notion to visit Grandfather Mountain.
“I came here for the first time two years ago,” recalled Hopper, “and I bought an annual pass before I left.
“I spent a lot of time on that first visit at the animal habitats,” she said. “I did not even do the trails until the second or third visit.”
Now
Helen “does the trails” quite often. And she has found that
the people she meets climbing the ladders are very enthusiastic about
having their picture taken. Sometimes she uses their cameras to take
their pictures, sometimes she uses her own with the promise that she
will send them a copy. Either way, Helen contributes to the enjoyment
of Grandfather’s guests by recording a memorable moment for their
families.
Helen has been the outdoorsy type since spending the summers of her childhood on a 300 acre-farm just north of Lake Lure. Her mother would send her off each morning with instructions to check in at lunch time and to be home for supper. Hiking and exploring the outdoors, spending time close to nature, is where she feels the most at home.
From that first visit two years ago, Helen has felt a tug in her heart toward Grandfather Mountain. She always hoped that one day she might just meet Grandfather Mountain’s legendary resident photographer, Hugh Morton, out on the property taking pictures. Unfortunately that meeting never occurred, but those who knew them both can’t imagine how Hugh and Helen missed each other -- because their hearts were clearly in the same place.
“I just love the time I get to spend here,” said Hopper. “I can’t believe that I get to be outside and hike around, not only taking landscapes but pictures of people and of the animals. I can’t think of a more beautiful place.”
About a year ago Hopper decided to take a chance and contact Grandfather Mountain President Crae Morton. She sent Morton samples of her photography and pitched him on the idea of hiring her to photograph guests as a concession. The arrangement the two arrived at is not what Helen originally proposed, but she is getting paid to take photographs at Grandfather Mountain.
“We
give Helen specific assignments when we need photographs for news releases,
brochures or ads,” explained Marketing Director Catherine Morton,
“and the rest of the time she is encouraged to look for people
enjoying themselves at Grandfather, or for those moments when the light
is special and the scenery is extraordinary.”
Hopper says her most memorable moment since joining the staff in May was the first time she was on the Mountain after closing to photograph a sunset.
"I was all alone across the bridge," she recalled. "Being up there after hours, and the color. It was just magical. Breathtaking. So very special.
"Another time I got up before four o'clock in the morning so I could be there for sunrise. When I arrived it was socked in, but after about 45 minutes it was so gorgeous I almost couldn't breathe. Usually when I am taking photos I am so busy concentrating that I don't get a chance to pay attention to what I am actually looking at, but that morning I was snapping pictures and I was still just really appreciating the beauty around me."
"We are thrilled to have Helen up here," said Grandfather Mountain President Crae Morton. "She acts as a hostess for the whole Mountain in everything she does, and that is the mark of good hospitality."
Click here to see a selection of photographs Helen has taken this summer.
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