My Best, Sorta

I knew when I had to decide on my best photo of the year it wouldn’t be easy.

The last time I entered a photo contest was sometime in the mid-70s when each entry for the National Press Photographers Association competition was a 16x20-inch print.

I packed my choices into the shipping box and added two extra unchosen prints that would put me at my maximum number of entries and fill the fiberboard container so the prints wouldn’t bounce around.

I won.

With the two prints I’d tossed in to fill the box. The two prints not among my submissions. The two prints I’d passed over.

It was the last time I entered a photo contest unless required to do so by my employer.

I knew when I was making the photo I chose as my best for this year that I had to choose a great moment.

This isn’t it although it is a striking photo of fall tees at the Braun Farm at the soybean harvest. At the heart of the image is an island of trees, an eruption of autumn colors. These colors contrast sharply with the dark, tilled soil.

This isn’t it although it draws interest with the home’s juxtaposition downstream from Hoover Reservoir.

This isn’t it despite the unusual angle of a roofer making repairs at Church of the Messiah presenting a striking juxtaposition between the serenity of daily life and a moment of precarious action. On one hand, the town below conveys a sense of order. On the other, the roofer perched at the apex of a steep roof engaged in what seems to be a delicate balance between the calculated risk of his occupation and the casualness with which he appears to perform it.

The composition, with the diagonal lines of the roof leading our eyes directly to the subject, reinforces the sense of height and the gravity-defying nature of the task.

This isn’t it. It’s a controlled burn for training.

This isn’t it despite the absolute fortune of having the sun behind the dancers at the perfect moment of their dance, captured at the magical hour when the sun falls to the horizon. The dancers are bathed in the glow of the setting sun lending an ethereal quality to the image.

The dancers' silhouettes against the sun create a striking contrast, highlighting the fluidity of their movements and the gracefulness of their forms. The color palette is rich with deep blues and warm tones of the sunset, which accentuate the passion and energy of the performance.

And the winner is —-

This photograph is so different than the others in this newsletter. It isn’t the awesome view of ordinary subjects, not the perfect light and composition, no peak action. Not a photograph I’d use to teach someone learning the skill set of being a photographer.

Every year is an election year for somebody or something. This year it was constitutional amendments, city council, and school board. That’s where this photo came from.

Most of the comments about my photos are applied to photos like the top set of photos. Photos out of the ordinary, photos that transcend the subjects and communicate something not often seen or understood. Perhaps ethereal in their presentation.

This photo is a moment of civic engagement, a slice of democracy in action. The composition is both candid and telling, with the main subjects placed off-center, drawing our eyes towards the interaction between the two individuals. One is signing a petition, held by the other, who is attentively overseeing the process.

The environment is rich with details that tell a broader story – the casual attire of the bystanders, the car-lined street, and the quintessentially American backdrop with its red brick buildings and fluttering flags. The colors are bright yet natural, with the turquoise t-shirt of the petitioner providing a pop of color against the more subdued tones of the setting.

The emotional resonance here lies in the exchange. There is a sense of duty and purpose emanating from both individuals. We are reminded that such moments of participation are as ordinary as they are foundational to the fabric of a community.

All the other photos are moments seen in passing. My best photo of the year is a marker of who we are, what we stand for, our hopes, our dreams, and our passions. That we all participate. Participate in government. Participate in life. Participate together.

Photos that show our participation may be the best photos that can be made.