Salem Fireworks Photo Earns Essex Heritage Honor For Top Shot Of 2022

SALEM, MA — A young North Shore photographer earned the top honor in the 2022 Essex Heritage Photo Contest for her dazzling shot of the Salem Fourth of July fireworks.

Zoey Matthias, whose grandfather, Rick, won first place in the "Historic Essex National Heritage Area" last year, won this year's award for top youth photo for her shot "Fireworks Comet."

Jason Kennedy won the grand prize for his photo "Thacher Island Balancing Act" taken in Rockport.

The annual photo contest encourages photographers of all levels to "capture" the living landscapes, unique places, and interesting people of Essex County. All photographs were taken within the Essex National Heritage Area in 2022 with prizes awarded in the categories of "Downtown," "New Encounters," "Splash of Color," and the youth category for those ages 5 through 17.

In the "Downtown" category the winner was "Everett Mill Clock" taken in Lawrence taken by Francisco Urena, with "Ice Festival Stroll" in Salem taken by Donna Bambury second and "North Parish at Night" in North Andover taken by William Putnam third.

In the "New Encounters" category the winner was "Piping Plover Mother with Chicks Underneath" taken in Gloucester by Peter Van Demark, with "Extreme Fishing" in Gloucester by Joyce Wood second and "Resting Below a Lotus Canopy" in Groveland by Deric LePard third.

In the "Splash of Color" category the winner was "Egret in Dawn Light" taken in Gloucester by Carin Macnamara, "Got My Limit" taken in Ipswich by Judy Schneider was second with "Fire and Ice" taken in Salem by Kathy Valido third.

In the Youth category, "The Patch of Clouds" taken in Andover by Ashley Sheldon was second to Matthias with "A Peek Down the Street" taken in Lynn by Steve Hachey third.

The People's Choice Winner was "Haverhill by Night on the River" which was taken in Haverhill by Alison Colby-Campbell.

The winners will be celebrated at an in-person reception on March 2 at 6 p.m. at the Salem Armory Visitor Center on New Liberty Street.

The reception is free, and open to the public, with light refreshments served.

The 14 winning images will be on display at the Armory through the end of March.

They can all also be viewed here.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)