SEA ISLE CITY — Photographers who entered images of Cape May County beaches did themselves and the region proud in New Jersey’s Top 10 Beaches photo contest. Of 12 top images, Cape May County’s beaches took half the awards.
New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium and Richard Stockton College Coastal Research Center sponsored the contest. Results were announced in time for the start of the beach season.
The public had the opportunity to vote for its favorite beach photos after three volunteer photographer-judges, Paul Scharff, Dwight Hiscano and this writer culled several hundred images.
Public voting for the winning 12 photographs was from April 2-30. Winning images of the contest were featured at the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium’s annual “State of the Shore” media event on May 26.
“Heaven on Earth in Sea Isle City,” a photo of a rainbow over the ocean by Cindy Dolan earned second place.
Dolan is a graphic designer who resides in Hockessin, Del.
She and her husband grew up in Cherry Hill and have many memories of vacationing with their families at the shore.
Cindy keeps her camera at the ready when on vacation in Sea Isle City waiting such fleeting moments as the rainbow.
“Sunrise on the Beach in Sea Isle City” by Stacey Belhumer won third place.
Belhumer is a media specialist from Dumont. She has visited Sea Isle City for the last 20 years.
She likes to awaken early to walk the beach and boardwalk on summer vacation. As she enjoyed one of those walks, she captured the sun just over the eastern horizon.
“Surf” by Dino Martino won fifth place. The image, snapped in Cape May by the native city resident, shows a silhouette of a surfer heading onto the beach.
A freelance photographer, Martino enjoys taking photographs of family and friends, and has a passion for portrait photography.
“Sunrise in Wildwood Crest” earned ninth place for Joe Strunak. The father of two from Carteret became interested in photography about three decades ago.
Strunak set aside his camera for a while, but his affection for the art was reborn after the birth of his children.
“Since his whole family loves spending time at the Jersey Shore it is the ideal time to mix his love of photography with his love capturing his family’s happiest times,” according to a release.
Tenth place went to Kurt Williams for his photograph of Stone Harbor beach entitled, “Rush Hour.”
Williams, an artist-designer from Seaville, loves the ocean and wetlands. He has a background in fine art, which leads him to create prize-winning images of the Jersey Shore.
Williams and his family enjoy summers relaxing on the Strathmere beach.
“Enchanted Morning,” an image of Cape May’s beach, was snapped by Leslie Granda-Hill, an accomplished photographer from Montclair.
She enjoys taking photos of the state’s diverse places, from inner city to the shore.
She is working on “Coming Home” a photo essay the focuses on wounded veterans.
The search to find the Garden State’s top 10 beaches earned the Governor’s Tourism Award presented at the recent annual Governor’s Conference on Tourism in Atlantic City.
At that time, Kim Kosko, director of communications for the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium and Dr. Stewart Farrell, director of the Coastal Research Center at Richard Stockton College accepted the Governor’s Tourism Award for Excellence for Special Promotions. Grace Hanlon, executive director, N.J. Division of Travel and Tourism, and Joann DelVescio, president of the N.J. Travel Industry Association, presented it.
The survey, which started four years ago, aims to select the best beaches along the 127 miles of Jersey coast.
New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium is an affiliation of colleges, universities and other groups dedicated to advancing knowledge and stewardship of the state’s marine and coastal environment.
Parts of this story were first published at capemaycountyherald.com
Contact Campbell at (609) 886-8600 Ext 28 or at: al.c@cmcherald.com
Cape May – Governor Murphy says he doesn't know anything about the drones and doesn't know what they are doing but he does know that they are not dangerous. Does anyone feel better now?
