Flickr group: http://www.flickr.com/groups/diloashvegas/.

In the dark of winter in 2007, a few Asheville-based fotogs gathered to drink beer and plan a “Day in the Life of Asheville” photography project. We created a Flickr page for the group and invited a bunch of Asheville-area Flickrites to join. Then we drank some more beer. Feeling loose and pining for spring, we set the first day of shooting for DILOA on April 24, 2007.

April 24 dawned cloudy and gray, but bunches of fotogs hit the streets, woods, and by-ways of our town (often running into each other and good-naturedly competing for the same shot of that street juggler). We shot from midnight to midnight, and some of us (Bill) never slept.

Ultimately, 26 of us submitted photos to the Flickr site. We each picked our one “best shot,” which automatically made the final cut. Then we each picked our top 23 shots. This pool of photos was submitted to three local judges. The judges’ choices (about 120 of them) were printed and displayed in a show at the downtown Asheville Library. We also donated digital copies of these photos to the librarians for their North Carolina photo collection. Then we celebrated with more beer.

We tried to replicate the event during the week of October 1, 2007, this time giving fotogs a full week to shoot their 24 hours. Some momentum was lost. Fewer folks participated. And we never got the judges to follow through on judging. Even so, we learned and we came away with some rocking shots.

Now, with renewed vim and vigor and more beer in our bellies, we approach DITLO Asheville Spring 2008. Join us from noon on April 18 until midnight on April 19 and shoot up our lovely town (just outside the city limits works too).

Give us quintessential Ashvegas. Give us joy, hope, and sadness. Give us vivid technical masterpieces and quick surprising snapshots. Give us your vision.