Southern Delaware Tourism names 2025 photo contest winners

Southern Delaware Tourism recently announced the winners of its ninth annual Southern Delaware Photography Contest.

Contest organizers are grateful to professional photographers Pam Aquilani and Tony Pratt, who served as judges again this year.

Grand-prize winner was Matt Trucks of  Long Neck, for his time lapse shot of the Charles W. Cullen Bridge (Indian River Inlet Bridge) at night.

For her shot of sunset Cape Henlopen State Park, Beth Baker of Greenwood won the Southern Delaware Big Picture category.

For “Lewes Lighthouses at Night,’ Baker also won the Southern Delaware After Dark category.

For her photo of a paddleboarder on Bethany Beach, Marian Dowling of Ocean View won the Southern Delaware Nitty Gritty category.

“This contest was established to celebrate Southern Delaware and to keep our destination top of mind for visitors and potential visitors year-round,” said Scott Thomas, SDT executive director. “We received entries from all over the Mid-Atlantic and beyond. The entries clearly demonstrate the variety and richness of experiences available in Sussex County, and the incredible enjoyment people get from visiting and living here.”

“The submissions for this year’s contest well exceeded the number of entries in last year’s contest,” said Aquilani.

“We were happy to see so many great photographs because it demonstrates how popular, beautiful and interesting Sussex County is, and reflects how so many people enjoy the sights, sounds and adventures here. Discovery is an apt word to describe the vibe that the body of photographs in this year’s contest evoked,” said Pratt.

The 2026 photo contest will open for entries Thursday, Jan. 1.

To learn more, go to visitsoutherndelaware.com.