By John Bynum
CNI Regional Staff
The Northeast Georgia area is full of beautiful scenery that includes mountains, waterfalls, wildlife, waterways and more.
Dahlonega photographer Bill Perdue captured a photo that earned the right to be featured on the cover of the 2025 Summer Mountain Traveler magazine.
His photo features Lake Winfield Scott, located north of Dahlonega, near Suches. He captured the beautiful photo on a sunny day with the blue sky reflecting in the water and a colorful butterfly perched on flowers in the foreground.
Perdue, who enjoys photography as a retirement hobby, said it was his third visit to this particular lake.
“I went specifically to take photos that day,” Perdue said. He added that he took about 100 that day and that’s the one he liked best.
“There is a trail around the lake, and the butterfly just happened to come by right when I set up my tripod,” Perdue recalls. “I was hoping it would stay still long enough, and the butterfly cooperated.”
Perdue has been honing his photography skills for years.
He first began appreciating the craft when he moved out to Arizona during his working days.
Originally from Americus, Perdue is a University of Georgia graduate, retired banker and realtor.
“The bank I was working for in Atlanta had me flying out to Arizona,” he said. Perdue eventually married and lived out west for 20 years before moving back to Georgia.
But while he was there, he began to appreciate the natural beauty of the Arizona countryside.
“I view God’s creation as so exciting — I want to wrap myself up in it,” Perdue said.
He recalled that he used to get all kinds of advice about what kind of camera equipment he should be using.
But his friend Bill Zorne, who was also friends with famous black & white style photographer Ansel Adams, told him that the best camera was simply the one he had with him when inspiration came along.
“When I left Arizona, I never thought I would find anything as beautiful as the Southwest,” Perdue said.
But upon moving back to Georgia, he rediscovered that enthusiasm.
Giving Back
Perdue said he likes to get outside as much as possible, but sometimes it’s difficult with his schedule.
“I go out in nature to take photos one to two times per week,” he said.
But the retired businessman finds himself busy most days, as he has a part-time position ministering to families at Anderson Underwood Funeral Home in Dahlonega.
Perdue said he has always felt a calling to share God’s love with people who need encouragement.
He said he has been doing funerals for years, in addition to owning a ranch for at-risk kids in Arizona, as well as doing prison ministry.
“That’s where my joy is — not Bible thumping — but showing them a nicer way of living,” Perdue said.
He said that having a successful career isn’t everything in life.
“What are they going to put on your tombstone?” Perdue said. “People want to hear that you are a great bother!”
Coincidentally, his job at the funeral home is how he found out about the magazine photo contest.
“I posted my photo of Lake Winfield Scott on social media,” Perdue said. “Then Rita Outz at Anderson Underwood encouraged me to submit it for the magazine cover.”
He said this is the first time he has had a photo published.
Just a Hobby
Perdue enjoys outdoor pursuits, which recently has included gold panning in Dahlonega.
And he said any day he can go outside, he still has the same excitement for photography.
But he doesn’t necessarily have plans for turning it into a business.
Perdue said the task of trying to turn his hobby into an enterprise caused him to lose the enjoyment.
“I was attempting to sell photography online. And one person in England bought one photo,” Perdue recalled with a laugh.
Mostly, he looks forward to taking his truck or camper on the road around Georgia, visiting family members and searching for more picturesque places.
As the winner of the cover contest, Perdue won $100 for his winning entry.
The Mountain Traveler is a full-color regional travel and visitors’ guide for the Northeast Georgia area. It includes features about life and things to do in Northeast Georgia.
It is published two times per year, in the summer and fall, by Community Newspapers, Inc.
The magazine is a collaboration between the region’s newspapers: The Dahlonega Nugget, White County News, The Clayton Tribune, The Toccoa Record and The Northeast Georgian.
The Mountain Traveler is free and is available at many locations throughout the area.