Shutterbugs, prepare for some fun! The University of Delaware Sea Grant College Program and the Graduate College of Marine Studies are sponsoring an amateur photography contest — “Delaware and the Sea” — to help celebrate the 25th anniversary of Coast Day. This year’s educational festival will be held Sunday, October 7, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the UD Hugh R. Sharp Campus in Lewes.
The photo contest will focus on Delaware’s marine and coastal water bodies, including the Delaware Bay and estuary, Delaware’s Atlantic Ocean coast, and the state’s Inland Bays. Amateur photographers are encouraged to submit entries featuring any aspect of Delaware’s relationship to the sea, from the natural beauty of its beaches and tidal marshes, to the uses of its waters and shorelines for recreation, transportation, business, and industry, to the plants and animals that rely on it for their home.
"The field is wide open, the subjects endless," says Jim Falk, director of the Sea Grant Marine Advisory Service. "Our aim is to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Coast Day by encouraging amateur photographers to share their images of Delaware and its relationship to the marine environment. The photographs can focus solely on the natural environment or the many ways Delaware’s coastal water bodies affect the lives of the millions of people who live in or visit the area."
Each contestant may submit no more than three 8-by-10-inch color or black-and-white prints in one of two categories: 18 years of age and older, OR under 18 years of age. Each entry must be accompanied by the official entry form, with photographer’s name and address noted, as well as the date and location of the photo.
Judges will select first-, second-, and third-place winners, as well as three honorable mentions in each category. The three winners will receive $50, $30, and $20, respectively. The winners and honorable mentions also will receive an autographed copy of photographer Kevin Fleming’s book, The Beaches of Delaware.
Entries must be postmarked no later than October 1, 2001, and should be mailed or dropped off during regular business hours to Rita Baty, University of Delaware Sea Grant College Program, College of Marine Studies, 700 Pilottown Road, Lewes, DE 19958.
Winners will be notified by Friday, October 5. The winning entries and other selected photographs will be displayed at Coast Day on Sunday, October 7.
For an official entry form and a copy of the contest rules, please contact Rita Baty at (302) 645-4346 or by e-mail at rbaty@udel.edu. You may also download the entry form at the Coast Day Web site at www.ocean.udel.edu/CoastDay.