As a window into our union and the diverse and fascinating jobs our members do, you can’t beat the annual IBEW Photo Contest: Utility, telecom and outside construction work framed by stunning scenery; colorful and intricate details of inside construction and manufacturing; the wide array of work in our railroad, broadcasting and government sectors. The IBEW Media Department had the challenging task of narrowing down a record 1,156 entries for the 2024 contest, and thousands of brothers and sisters cast votes online for the finalists. First-place and a $1,000 prize went to the vibrant image above, a mass of serpentine rainbow-colored wires ready to be fed into a manhole on a transfer switch repair job in New York state. For other winning photos and honorable mentions, check out below. We hope they inspire your own entries in the 2025 contest, which will be open for submissions soon. Keep your eye out for announcements in The Electrical Worker and on social media.
First Place ($1,000)
Bobby Vredenburg
New City, N.Y., Local 363
Bobby Vredenburg took this picture of fellow Local 363 member John Carlstrom while the two worked underground and repaired an automatic transfer switch. All the wires shown are routed into the manhole from the bus, a conducting system that connects different parts of a circuit or power system. “I like that it shows the beginning of what we had to do and how much of a mess we had to figure out,” said Vredenburg, a journeyman wireman who used a Google Pixel 3 camera. “That’s all the wires right after they are pulled. We had to figure out what goes where and make them look nice before we passed them on for them to bolted into the bus up top.” Vredenburg was working for signatory contractor Perreca Electric.
Second Place ($1,000)
Darren Asuncion
Anchorage, Alaska, Local 1547
Using his iPhone, Darren Asuncion captured this beautiful view on Alaska’s Kodiak Island. Fellow Local 1547 member Michell Kane looks into the distance during a break installing a “hub” jump while working for the Kodiak Electric Association. Essentially, workers perform an electrical jump where the blades attach at the highest point of a wind turbine. The work is dangerous if not done safely but also offers stunning views like this. “It was a fabulous day,” said Asuncion, a foreman for Kodiak Electric. “I took out my phone and started taking some pictures.”
Third Place ($500)
Richard Cottrell
Philadelphia Local 98
A few years ago, Philadelphia Local 98 camera operator Richard Cottrell was working on a Philadelphia Eagles pregame show outside Lincoln Financial Field for Comcast SportsNet, now known as NBC Sports Philadelphia. “I’m typically the one guy on site that’s not taking any pictures” with a smartphone, said Cottrell, a 25-year-plus IBEW member who also serves as a shop steward. But this time, the sun was shining just right on the show’s open-air stage, and “I noticed the shadow with the two lights when the guys were lighting it,” he said. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and snapped the scene from several angles, deciding this one was perfect for photo contest consideration.
Honorable Mentions ($200 each)
Broadcasting
Lee Pfannerstill
Chicago Local 1220
Inside Construction
Natalie Anaya
Los Angeles Local 11
Outside Construction
Justin Mann
Chicago Local 9
Government
Carlos Contreras
Kansas City, Mo., Local 53
Manufacturing
Joseph Mezaas
Vacaville, Calif., Local 1245
Railroad
David Fuller
Little Rock, Ark., Local 807
Telecommunications
Josh Saladino
Tampa, Fla., Local 8247
