The February 2024 competition theme was: Industrial. The judge was Janet Little Jeffers
Advanced Projected
First Prize
Frank Gallagher ~ Trumpets
I have become fascinated with the idea of the “intimate landscape” and find myself looking for small images within a larger scene. Going in close often brings out interesting colors and textures that are not obvious at a distance. The missing screws, curved pipes, pitted surfaces and reflected light all seemed to want to tell a story of a lifetime of work done well.
Second Prize
Kent Mason ~ Waiting for Use
“Waiting for use” are 5 spools of wool thread attached to a very old machine that makes wool blankets. I visited the circa 1860 Waterside Woolen Mill in Pennsylvania which provides many photographic opportunities. The woolen factory is powered by a water wheel fed by a rather large adjacent stream. The water wheel turns a number of large leather belts which powers a large number of factory machines. For a fee, you can spend hours in the factory with your tripod and camera. Lighting is from the windows and this image was taken for one second at F 7.1 at sixty millimeters(full frame).
Third Prize
Elizabeth Koller ~ Time To Refuel
This image of a car in an old gas station complete with gas and air pumps was taken in the Benton Springs area of California. The background was somewhat messy and the red color of the two pumps on either side of the car was distracting. No masking was needed when the scene was converted to a monochrome image. The sepia tone enhanced that vintage feel. The small puffy clouds balanced out the sky.
Honorable Mention
Ilona Linnoila ~ Trolley at Tampella Factory
Tampella was a Finnish heavy industry manufacturer from 1861 to 1991, being a merger of two factories – a linen mill and foundry by the Tammerkoski rapids. Many of its buildings have been transformed into museums and multipurpose halls for the city of Tampere. Exploring its beautiful, large ‘campus’ occasionally revealed old machinery like this trolley. I was interested exploring it as I was able to see it from many sides, including from underneath. It appeared to be in a good working order. Sony a6300; Sony G FE 1.4/24 GM lens; 24mm; 1/60 sec at f/10, ISO 640.
Honorable Mention
Maude Svensson ~ Gin machine
This is part of an abandoned cotton gin factory in the Mississippi Delta. If it could talk, it might tell us how it played a key role in industrialization and making America the richest nation in the world. It might also tell us about how it contributed to poverty during the time of slavery and sharecropping. Finally, it could tell a story of the birth of American Blues music. Having all this in mind, I pressed the shutter release button. Click!.
Renee Schafer ~ Rusty Smoke Stack
This image was taken at the old Bethlehem Steel Factory in Allentown, PA. Although the times of smelting steel at this factory are long gone, the signs of its past history live on. You can take a self-guided walking tour along the exterior walkways of this huge establishment and view the old industrial past as you can imagine it. It is as if you can almost see and smell what used to go on there. There is plenty to see and photograph and it is only 3 hours away. Well worth the trip.
Advanced Print
First Prize
Elizabth Koller ~ Valves and Catch Basin
The B&O Railroad Museum has a variety of valves, spigots, and basins on the rail cars. The light in the museum changes with the time of day and time of year. In addition, the position of the railcars is sometimes changed using the roundhouse turntable. This creates a myriad of photographic possibilities. A folding stepstool can help the height challenged obtain a wider variety of angles as well.
Second Prize
Lisa Auerbach ~ Chesapeake Seafood 2
I attended a workshop on Night Photography, held in connection with the MPA grant program which helps members attend workshops. It was taken on Hoopers Island, MD, just before sundown. While the image came out of the camera close to how I wanted it, I worked with basic sliders in Photoshop to enrich the sky.
Third Prize
Thomas Allen ~ Industry Rooftops Dublin
This shot was taken on my iPhone 12 Pro, from the rooftop bar at the Guinness Brewery at St. James’ Gate, Dublin. The many textures and colors of the rooftops in one of the oldest regions of the city, near to where the St. James’ gate kept intruders from entering, were very fascinating, and they told the story of the history of this region.
Honorable Mention
Elizabeth Koller ~ Amusement Park Ride
This image was taken in Disney World. I had been trying to take pictures of children sometimes with Alice in Wonderland in whirling tea cups. The time of day was wrong—without a neutral density filter to blur action. I looked around only to see this ride with these awesome gears. Some of the surface dirt was removed and the image was cropped slightly.
Novice Printed
First Prize
Marc Auerbach ~ Pittsburgh Steel
This image was taken in one of the industrial areas of Pittsburgh last summer. I was driving around looking for something that I could enter in the Industrial Competition that would be different from the other novice entries. I drove down this street and to my surprise the area was not fenced and did not have a guard at the entrance. I was in the right place at the right time of day.