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(Additional photograph below.) Two Haverhill photographers scored big time during the recent 2023 Essex Heritage Photo Contest, winning the Grand Prize and People’s Choice Awards.
Kathy Diamontopoulos was awarded the grand prize for her “Precious Plovers,” taken in Ipswich, while Alison Colby-Campbell took home the People’s Choice Award for her “All is Calm,” taken in Haverhill. All photographs were taken within the Essex National Heritage Area in 2023 and fell into the categories of “Buildings, Blocks and Neighborhoods,” “Celebrating Our Communities,” “Four Season” and a themed youth category which asked young people to show us why they love where they live.
Essex National Heritage Commission, a nonprofit that manages programs supporting, preserving, and enhancing Essex County’s historic, natural and cultural places, said “the contest encourages photographers of all levels to ‘capture’ the living landscapes, unique places and vibrant communities of Essex County.”
Diamontopoulos’ “Precious Plovers” shows the birds huddled on the beach, while Colby-Campbell’s “All is Calm” sums up the seasonal pairing of a candle being lit on a Hanukkah menorah in front of the city Christmas tree in Haverhill’s Washington Square.
Contest partners included North Shore Bank, DeIulis Brothers Construction, Geller MicroAnalytical Labs, Groom Construction and the Merrimack Valley Planning Commission. Prize sponsorships were awarded by Hunt’s Photo & Video, Ipswich River Watershed Association, REI, SEE Shore Photography, The Trustees, Mass Audubon, Harbor Sweets, Rockafellas Restaurant and Atomic Café.
In the category “Buildings, Blocks, and Neighborhoods, first place went to “Man at the Wheel” by Jason Kennedy, taken in Gloucester; second place, “Pink House, Half Moon” by Catherine Grassello, taken in Newbury; and third place, “Lollipop Trees” by Karen Hosking, taken in Manchester-by-the-Sea.
In “Celebrating Our Communities,” first place went to “Ice Breaker” by Francisco Urena, taken in Boxford; second Place, “Jackson Cup” by Mark Katz, taken in Marblehead; and third Place, “Enjoying the Show” by Rick Matthias, taken in Salem
In “Four Seasons,” first place went to “Springtime Eaglet—It’s Your Turn to Feed” by Carin Macnamara; second place, “Cygnets Amidst Fall Hues” by Deric LePar taken in Andover; and third place, “River Snowfall” by Brian Searles, taken in Topsfield.
In the Youth Category, first place went to “Merrimack River in Lawrence” by Dante A. Cutietta, taken in Lawrence; second place, “Grasshopper” by Georgana Cauthers, taken in Gloucester; and third place, “Mushroom Meadow” by Jameson Dick, taken in Topsfield.
The public is invited to attend a free and in-person Essex Heritage Photo Contest Reception on Wednesday, March 6, at 6 p.m., at the Salem Armory Visitor Center, 2 New Liberty St., Salem, Mass. Light refreshments will be available. The 14 winning images will also be on exhibition at the Salem Armory Visitor Center through the end of March 2024.
People’s Choice Award, “All is Calm,” taken in Haverhill. (Alison Colby-Campbell photograph, Essex Heritage.)