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From left to right, photo contest winner Julie Danan, photo contest winner Thomas Miller, photo contest winner Krystine Sipple, DNREC Secretary Greg Patterson, Gov. Matt Meyer and photo contest winner Matthew Trucks at the unveiling of their images during the Delaware State Fair. Not included is Eva Kay McKinley, the fifth winner, who was unable to be present for the ceremony. (Delaware DNREC/Errol Ebanks)
The sun rising over dozens of horseshoe crabs congregating on the beach, dolphins breaching the water with a lighthouse in the background and an idyllic scene of Assawoman Bay at twilight are among the five winning images out of nearly 500 entries submitted to the 2025 Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Photo Contest.
DNREC has traditionally held several different photo contests spread throughout its divisions during the course of a year, but for 2025, the Department decided to combine all competitions into one, with several different categories. Based off the number and the quality of submissions, it’s safe to say that decision was a good one.
More than 200 people from eight states plus Washington D.C. provided snapshots earlier this year for the categories of People Enjoying Nature, Watersheds: Landscapes and Waterways, Wildlife and Aquatic Life, and Hunting and Fishing. After sorting through all the images, a panel of artistically inclined DNREC employees from different divisions picked the best ones based on how well they reflected the competition criteria of visual effectiveness, originality/creativity, universal appeal and message/theme. The judges also selected the best photo taken by someone younger than 18.
The winners, who were officially unveiled on July 24 at the Delaware State Fair, each received a $500 gift card, a Delaware State Parks annual pass, a gift bag and an award certificate.
Below, the five champions explain their motivation for the gorgeous photos they captured and submitted.
People Enjoying Nature
Dolphins breach the surface of the Delaware Bay as impressed onlookers watch in this award-winning photograph from Julie Danan. (Julie Danan)
The category of People Enjoying Nature was designed to focus on individuals participating in outdoor activities, such as boating, birdwatching or hiking. Lewes resident Julie Danan captured a spectacular shot of three dolphins just breaching the surface of the Delaware Bay near the Delaware Breakwater East End Lighthouse, where several individuals watch the scene.
Danan took the image, titled “Breakwater Lighthouse with Dolphins,” during a dolphin-watching cruise held by Cape Water Tours and Taxi in September 2023. Noting the photo includes the “iconic” lighthouse less than half a mile offshore, Danan said her entry “seemed to capture the essence of our area.”
While this beach resident is accustomed to seeing dolphins frequently, being in such a picturesque setting is not something she takes for granted.
“I often pinch myself because it’s hard to believe that I get to live at the beach!” Danan said.
She’s been seriously pursuing photography for about seven years and has shared some of her work online and in shows before.
“I am in the clergy and even use nature photography in my work. Some people call me the Nature Rabbi,” she said.
Watersheds: Landscapes and Waterways
This image taken by Tom Miller framing the setting sun against the Delaware Breakwater East End Lighthouse was chosen as the best submission for the Watersheds: Landscapes and Waterways category. (Tom Miller)
This category aimed at showcasing Delaware’s natural beauty, with particular focus on light, color, composition and balance.
The winning image, “Almost Sunset” by Tom Miller of Manassas, Virginia, also features the Delaware Breakwater East End Lighthouse. In this case, the sun is being blocked by the tall building as it sets, with the lighthouse’s beacon seeming to split the heavenly body in two. A burnt orange sky contrasts with the refreshing blue of the water.
Though he doesn’t live in the First State, Miller certainly appreciates Delaware’s beauty, as he has been visiting the coastal region for decades.
“I’ve always liked sunset shots at the beach and wanted to capture the moment when the setting sun was directly behind one of landmark Delaware lighthouses. I used an app to plan the location and time of this shot and the weather cooperated, resulting in a beautiful photo” taken in October 2024, he said.
A self-described “amateur photographer for many years,” Miller decided to join the Coastal Camera Club, a group of photography enthusiasts in Sussex County and beyond. It’s been a great learning experience that has helped familiarize him further with the First State, he said.
“Delaware is a beautiful state and coastal Delaware is spectacular with a wide variety of places to experience the wonders of nature,” he said. “I’ve been coming to coastal Delaware for over 30 years and there are always new vistas and experiences to enjoy. The beaches in Delaware are the highlight of any visit and I find them very relaxing, despite the crowds, and full of nature whether it’s the wide variety of birds, mammals and ocean life abound.”
Wildlife and Aquatic Life
Krystine Sipple captured this striking photo of dozens of horseshoe crabs at Slaughter Beach in 2023. (Krystine Sipple)
As the name suggests, photos classified under this header showcase the animals that make our state home, including mammals, fish, birds and more.
Krystine Sipple won with “Slaughter Beach Sunrise,” an eye-grabbing image of horseshoe crabs on a beach in the early morning. Roughly 50 of the invertebrates gather at the edge of the beach, where the tide from the Delaware Bay breaks, as a golden sun in the horizon begins its climb.
It’s a subject that Sipple, who has taken part in DNREC horseshoe crab spawning surveys for years, knows well and treasures.
“The colors of the sky that morning were striking, and these incredible creatures (older than the dinosaurs!) were silhouetted against the rising sun. I feel like the image evokes a sense of awe and respect for the natural rhythms that continue year after year, right here on these shores,” the Slaughter Beach resident said.
She captured the image on her iPhone, focusing not so much on the visuals but on the emotions and letting her instincts take the lead. Upon learning of DNREC’s contest, this image immediately jumped to mind for her.
“I entered because I wanted to share a moment that felt both ancient and alive,” she said.
To Sipple, being in nature brings a sense of calm that helps her stay grounded and continue to appreciate her home.
The state is full of hidden gems, she opined — fitting given Delaware is sometimes known as the Diamond State in reference to Founding Father Thomas Jefferson describing it as a jewel among the states due to its fortuitous location.
Hunting and Fishing
Matthew Trucks took the top spot in the Hunting and Fishing category for his early-morning snapshot of an angler at the Indian River Inlet. (Matthew Trucks)
Matthew Trucks earned the top spot in this category centered on people showcasing game they shot, trapped or reeled in. Trucks submitted a very early morning photo titled “Morning Tide” of an angler walking down a breakwater at the Indian River Inlet, rod in hand as orange and yellow hues peak over the horizon.
Trucks has been taking photos for most of his life, but it was about a decade ago that his passion really erupted.
“It all began with my love for kayak fishing and the countless hours I spent out on the water. Being immersed in nature, witnessing its raw and untouched beauty, stirred something in me. It felt like nature was calling out to be captured each moment begging to be frozen in time,” he said.
His photo, he said, tells a story, with the gentle light revealing the scene and even making it seem like viewers are there firsthand. It was taken in spring 2024.
The Long Neck resident finds being out in nature revitalizing, describing downstate Delaware as heavenlike.
Being recognized as one of the winners of the photo contest is very fulfilling, Trucks said: “It’s a tremendous honor! I’m truly grateful that others enjoy this hobby of mine and find meaning in my compositions. Knowing that my work resonates with people inspires me to keep going and fuels my passion for capturing and sharing stories through each image.”
Youth
Teen artist Eva Kay McKinley was named the winner of the Youth category for this image of a sunset over Assawoman Bay she took while on vacation in Delaware. (Eva Kay McKinley)
The last category is for entries that fit any of the previous four categories but were submitted by individuals no older than 17. The image chosen by the judges here belongs to 16-year-old Eva Kay McKinley, from Purcellville, Virginia. Her photograph of a sunset at Assawoman Bay, appropriately named “Sunsetting at Assawoman Bay,” was captured while kayaking. It has a pleasing mix of green, blue and red-orange, with a canopy of trees dividing the sky and water and clouds reflected in the bay.
An artist who has dreams of painting professionally, Eva Kay planned to use the photo as inspiration for a watercolor painting, which ended up being one of her most popular works. But, while still in Bethany Beach visiting her grandparents in April, she happened to notice a sign in a local library for the DNREC Photo Contest and decided to enter.
Fortunately, she not only had a selection of nature photos taken in Sussex earlier in her family’s vacation but saw the sign just in time — it was the final day the contest was open, meaning her entry was one of the very last ones submitted.
Though Eva Kay’s artistic background is primarily in painting, she can often be found by the side of a road taking photos of nature, and she aspires to learn more about photography to help improve her paintings.
“For a young person, it’s the encouragement that matters the most,” she said of being named a winner. “I have won some art contests in middle school but never thought about entering a photography contest. I am so grateful and so encouraged to keep learning and taking photographs of our beautiful surroundings and to also share them with others. I also think it’s wonderful that this contest awarded such generous prizes to even the youth winner.”
Although her family lives more than 100 miles from Delaware, Eva Kay cherishes opportunities to be outdoors in the First State.
“For me, there is so much beauty and peace that can be found in nature, as well as a ton of experiential learning. When I am in Delaware, I am drawn to the bay behind my grandparents’ home and I always look forward to kayaking, observing the birds, painting and reflecting on the beautiful surroundings,” she said.
DNREC expects to open its next photo contest in January.