SALEM, Mass. - From rocky coasts and harbors, to rural farms, forests and historic downtowns, photographers searched out the best and most beautiful locations for their award-winning submissions to the 2011 Essex National Heritage Area Photo Contest.

The Grand Prize went to “Early Morning Marsh - Essex,” by Marion J. Bayly of Speculator, NY. The judges found her image to be the best of 140 entries.

The contest winners were announced in November. Awards were presented Dec. 13 at the National Park Service Visitor Center in Salem, where the photographs will be exhibited for one year.

All the photographs were taken in the Essex National Heritage Area and represent one of four categories: “People & Places,” “Urban Landscapes,” “Experiencing the Essex Coastal Scenic Byway” or “Green Spaces.”

Bayly has won numerous other awards including several from Adirondack Life magazine. “As you can imagine I am thrilled with this award,” Bayly wrote in an email. “To have my work appreciated and awarded brings me such pleasure.”

The Essex National Heritage Area is comprised of the 34 communities of Essex County, Mass. Congress designated it in recognition of the important role the region played in American history and its significant heritage sites still remaining.

The winning images can be viewed online at www.EssexHeritage.org.

Bayly also participated in a photography contest sponsored by the Northern New York Audubon Chapter, which invited members to submit photos for its first annual calendar. Six of her images were selected for its 2012 calendar.

“What makes this extra special is my good friend Darla Oathout also had images selected; she even made the cover! Darla started this whole ‘photography thing’ for me,” Bayly said.

The calendar is a fund-raiser for this Audubon chapter. They measure 8-1/2 by 11 inches and are printed on heavy weight stock. Each calendar costs $15.50, including shipping.

To order one mail a check made out to Northern New York Audubon, c/o Charlotte Demers, 21 Sanford Lane, Newcomb NY 12852.