Andrew West’s winning photo
IBEW 1245 member Andrew West, a PG&E lineman out of Grass Valley, has won the IBEW 1245 quarterly photo contest.
“Andrew has been stalwart in the IBEW’s Suriname Linemen Without Boarders program, he’s served on our review committee, and he founded our union new member orientation program,” Local 1245 Business Manager Tom Dalzell told the Advisory Council. “He’s a great steward, and, as it turns out, he’s a great photographer too.”
West took this unique photo using a high-tech 360-degree camera. It has two spherical lenses, one on the front and one on the back, allowing it to capture an image from every angle. The camera’s software stitches the two images together and allows the photographer to spin, rotate, zoom in or out and apply other effects to the photo.
“This particular effect is called ‘tiny planet,’ which I think is kind of fitting for the work we do,” West told the Advisory Council.
Pictured in the photo are West and two of his colleagues, Lineman Luis Sotomayor and Apprentice Lineman Mike Anderson.
West accepted his $500 prize at the Advisory Council meeting in Reno.
West (left) accepted his prize from IBEW 1245 President Art Freitas at the July Advisory Council meeting