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NATCHEZ — The silhouette of a mighty oak against the glow of a golden Natchez sunset makes the July winner of the amateur sunset photo contest a standout among the rest.

“Oak Shining on Broadway” by Helen Smith of Natchez has been named the winner of the July contest, with still plenty of time left for August entries in the monthly photo contest.

Smith has graciously requested that her prize money of $500 be donated to the Historic Natchez Foundation. Carter Burns accepted the prize on behalf of the HNF.

The 12-month contest, which began in May and ends April 30, 2025, encourages amateur photographers to submit their best photos of beautiful Natchez sunsets each month for a chance to win a $500 cash prize.

Throughout the contest, Natchez is referred to as the “Sunset Capital of the South.”

The second and third place winners for July are Brad Rivet of Marietta, Georgia with “Natchez Sunset June 2024 Number 2,” and “Oh Say Can You See” by Brittany Nicole Aube of Poplarville.

The contest is sponsored by Natchez resident Dr. Randy Tillman, who is privately furnishing the prize money each month.

The winners were chosen by a volunteer committee at “Arts Natchez,” a non-profit membership organization with the purpose of promoting the arts in Natchez.

The full gallery of photo submissions, as well as the entry form for later contests, can be found at sunsets.imcodev.com.