Trainspotting: the Powerhouse Museum Photo Competition 2011

15 December 2011 - 12 February 2012

Following the great success of the inaugural Trainspotting international competition, the Powerhouse Museum proudly presents Trainspotting 2011. 

The winners of Trainspotting: the Powerhouse Museum International Photo Competition 2011 have been announced and are highlighted below.

Winning the overall prize of $5,000AUD is Bernadette Murray from Sydney for her image titled Hermannplatz 4. Murray commented on her winning photo, ‘I was struck by this rare moment of quiet on one of Berlin’s busiest stations on the U-Bahn system.’

Each of the category winners will receive $2,000AUD.

Of the overall entries to the competition the judges commented: ‘The photographers’ enthusiasm for their subject matter is to be commended... There are fantastic images of various engines and railway structures but what stands out is the photojournalistic approach that so many of the photographers have taken.’

OVERALL WINNER
Hermannplatz 4 by Bernadette Murray, Sydney, Australia
‘This image has a striking tonal and graphic quality. Although it may at first appear simple there are numerous questions that it poses. We do not see the person’s face but we wonder, is she lost? What is she thinking? The composition and symmetry is very interesting.’
Judges’ comment

Stream trains category winner
Sandaoling Sunrise, by David Hill, Midhurst, England
‘A JS class loco thrashes across the desert towards the Sandaoling coal mine in the far west of China. This was a wonderful location to photograph hard working steam locomotives. The 14 km of uphill line, the early morning light, and the sub zero winter temperatures all combined to give the perfect conditions to capture a train in the clarity of the desert landscape.’

Diesel, electric and tram category winner
Sunset Silos by Michael Bjork, Seattle, USA
‘I was driving back to school during a beautiful early fall sunset when I saw the two trains meeting at West Cunningham, so I quickly cut north on a farming road where I was just able to capture the shot. My camera battery died as I took a series of shots,
so I was lucky to get to keep this one. My inspiration for every photograph is the thrill of the chase and nailing the shot.’

Railway infrastructure category winner
Fisherman’s Prayer by Agha Waseem Ahmed, Nawabshah city, Pakistan
‘It was a fine December evening, I was wondering near the bank of the river Indus when I saw this fisherman offering his evening prayers. In the backdrop are the two railway bridges that connect Sukkur and Rohri cities, offering travellers an unforgettable view.’

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Supporters
Photographer’s Choice Award and People’s Choice Award – supported by Canon
Diesel, electric or trams prize – supported by UGL
Railway infrastructure prize – supported by Train Hobby Publications

Enquiries
photocomp@phm.gov.au

Entries now open for Trainspotting 2012 photo competition. $17,000 in prizes to be won.

Enter now


Trainspotting category winner
Sandaoling Depot by David Hill, Midhurst, England
‘The smoke extractors weren’t working too well when we visited the depot at Sandaoling in China’s far western Xinjiang Province. But it was worth suffering streaming eyes and burning in the throat to photograph the effects … Working steam depots are dark, grimy, smoky places, and it’s always a bonus to see the sunlight streaming in through the limited windows.’

People in railway category winner
Journey by Train by Saud A Faisal, Dhaka, Bangladesh
‘The people of Bangladesh travel by train on a regular basis. The over populated country has a very limited number of trains and getting a seat can be hard. So people travel in a very risky way in the roof or in the foot space. These facts inspired me to take this picture to document the plight of Bangladeshi train passengers. The picture was taken from Kamlapur Station, Dhaka, Bangladesh.’