By capturing an iconic image of the Brotherhood, Huntington, W.Va., Local 317 member Danny Doss is the winner of the 2009 IBEW Photo Contest. His shot of an apprentice climbing a pole—against a backdrop of velvet sky and radiant sunshine—wowed members who participated in the second annual online voting contest.

From an initial crop of more than 300 submissions, nearly 4,000 votes were cast for the 15 finalists whose work appeared at www.ibew.org near the end of last year.

Minneapolis Local 160 member Dave Gable nabbed second place with his colorful shot of windmills at sunrise on the Minnesota-South Dakota border.

Voters awarded third place to Vacaville, Calif., Local 1245 member
Don Porter for his photo of the Fort Churchill power plant at dusk.

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Facing dizzying heights is part of the job for linemen, and Doss' image of Louisville, Ky., Local 369 member Sam Simms earning his OSHA wood pole qualification proves it. “I was in the right place at the right time," said Doss, who trains new workers through the American Line Builders Apprenticeship and quickly captured the moment with his iPhone camera. Co-workers praised the image, and Doss' director urged him to submit the photo to the contest. “I never expected to win," Doss added. “I'm in awe."

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Modern wind turbines are a sign of the dawning age of clean energy production, as Gable's early morning photo perfectly shows. Taken just after sunrise near Minnesota's Buffalo Ridge, the shot is one of many that Gable has collected while on the job as a lineman for Xcel Energy. “I take a lot of photos at work for the company," he said. “Having a digital camera on hand is a tool of the trade."

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Porter captured this shot of the switchyard at the Fort Churchill power plant in Mason Valley, Nev., one evening at sunset. The image is a composite of five separate shots, but Porter emphasizes the authenticity of the sky's coloring. “The red wasn't exaggerated," he said. “That's what you see out here for a few minutes. I wanted to capture the feeling of being on something of an alien world." The 15-year photographer is an employee of NV Energy.

Daum documented four fellow members of the local waiting atop poles for a helicopter crossarm delivery after fires roared through the Los Angeles National Forest last year.

Clever use of composition is on display in Pytka's arty shot of members ascending a 150-foot wind turbine.