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The Winners!
   8^th Annual IBEW Photo Contest

Skill, dedication, duty, heart, humanity, and a breather. These are all elements of the working lives of IBEW members, and these are some of the qualities captured in the winners of the Eighth Annual IBEW Photo Contest.

The rules of the contest state, "Photos must have an IBEW theme of some sort, with IBEW members at work, engaged in a union activity, or still subjects conveying images of the electrical industry or the union." This year’s contest participants admirably presented the judges with yet another challenge to choose the best of the more than 125 entries taken, as stipulated in the rules, by IBEW members.

This year’s judges were C. James Spellane, director of the IBEW Journal and Media Department; Bette Doranz, assistant to the president of the Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association (MEBA), and Tim Prendergast, web coordinator in the Journal and Media Department. All have extensive backgrounds in communications.

As always, the first place winner received a prize of $200; second place won $150; third place won $100, and each honorable mention winner received $50.

The Journal thanks all members who participated in the IBEW Photo Contest this year and/or in years past.

First Place (On The Journal Cover)
Semyon Solomon

Local 332San Jose, California

Brother Solomon’s stunning shot portraying the extensive, carefully crafted conduit installed by IBEW members conveys the skill and hard work that went into this project. Beyond that, its composition and lighting captured the beauty that can be evident during the construction phase of a building--a sight that most people never see but that is familiar to many IBEW members.

Second Place
John S. Williams

Local 702 West Frankfort, Illinois

Brother Williams took this photo of journeyman wireman Bill Smith, also of Local 702, catching some fresh air while working in a manhole terminating high voltage cables at the Southern Illinois University football field lighting project. The photo gives a unique perspective of a journeyman taking a breather from hard work while also capturing enough detail in the dark space so the viewer can see some of the tools of the trade.

Third Place
Ken Titland

Local 503 Monroe, New York

Brother Titland took this shot at a five-week apprentice lineman school hosted by Orange and Rockland Utilities in Pearl River, New York, where the instructors were first class high voltage linemen with Local 503. Pictured are (left to right) apprentices Corey Sabatini, Doug Peifer, Nick Viotto and Chris Picard. The picture portrays these young men learning the skills of the trade and also captures some of the demands that line work places on those who choose it. The flag in the background provides extra emotional impact as if to say that there are still some jobs that can’t be shipped overseas.

Honorable Mentions

Jeffrey Lodge

Local 490, Dover, New Hampshire

The line of duty takes IBEW members to many places, in this case Afghanistan. This photo was taken in November 2002 after one of the many raids against suspected Taliban hideouts in and around the city of Konduz.

Before shipping out to overseas duty, Brother Lodge obtained the IBEW flag and inscribed the white border with the names of the 20 IBEW members killed in the September 11, 2001 attacks, as listed on the front cover of the October/November 2001 issue of the IBEW Journal. (It was later learned a 21^st member died of injuries sustained on that day). This was a strong personal statement on the part of a dedicated IBEW member and his brothers in arms.

Brother Lodge shot this photo with a Canon Sureshot 105, 35mm, set on MRE boxes using a timer. That allowed him to be pictured second from the right in the photo. The others are (from left) SFC Ken Knox, Local 3, New York, New York; SFC Jeff Guion, Local 320, Poughkeepsie, New York; SFC Dave Lebarge, Local 2084, Syracuse, New York; SFC Lodge, and SSG Fred Bloesch, Local 1631, Harmon, New York. Holding the flag, and hidden behind it, are C Company SGM David Biron and C Company Commander Maj. Phillip Machhi.

Kevin P. Burke

Local 110, St. Paul, Minnesota

Summer means fairs and festivals for many North Americans. This shot taken at the Minnesota State Fair, "The Great Minnesota Get Together," shows that even simple things like ice cream and pizza at the fair can’t be served without the work of electricians, another example of how IBEW members touches everyone’s lives. Pictured is Brother Dick Mitchell, a now retired member of Local 110, performing work for Kehne Electric of St. Paul.

The balance of colors, the mixture of light and shadow and the portrayal of a scene that most of us can relate to all combined to make this a stronger in the judges’ eyes.

Raymond Buckno

Local 125, Portland, Oregon

Hey, it wouldn’t be the IBEW Photo Contest without at least one winning shot of a kid. Photos of the upcoming generation remind us of what the work and sacrifice are for in the first place. This sharp, clear photo is of Kobe Craig, son of Robbie Craig (who says his son is not named after the basketball player), a journeyman lineman for Portland General Electric out of the Oregon City office. Kobe’s granddad, Bill Craig, is a foreman at the Oregon City location. Maybe the Craigs will be a three-generation IBEW family.