Each year, ENR’s Year in Construction Photo Contest is judged by experts from the fields of construction safety, graphic design, photography and journalism. A fresh panel is convened each year for the in-person review to guarantee open minds and fresh eyes.

This year’s safety expert was Marty Leik, a regional safety director for Suffolk Construction Co. Inc., Boston. For the first round, Leik studied the high-scoring images for safety risks. Then, for the final round, he scrutinizing the images to make doubly sure that all the winning photos depict safe working conditions.

As a beautiful image filled the screen, he would say, “But … ” and begin to point out issues, such as missing or sometimes dangerously rigged fall protection or incorrect or improperly worn masks.

“It was encouraging to witness all the judges evaluating the photos based on safety and not just artistic qualities,” Leik says. “It was clear that everyone understood the importance of recognizing photographs that demonstrated the highest levels of safety protocol and awareness to send a clear message to the industry that safety must be our priority over everything else.” We are glad Leik was part of the judging team to teach us some of the nuances.

Our photography expert was Rehema Trimiew, whose construction photos have been contest winners several times. Her photo was on the cover in 2015, but she did not enter this year because she is focusing on her new freelance business, Agile Images, which does time-lapse, progress and aerial construction photos and video.

Scott Hilling, ENR’s senior art director who created the 20-page layout (p. 36), served as the graphic-design expert. Two judges brought the journalist’s eye: ENR Projects Editor Scott Lewis and Miriam Sitz, web editor for Architectural Record, ENR’s sister publication.