My entries for the 2025 Iowa State Fair Photography Salon are …

And with a Priority Mail box shipped to Des Moines – with four foam-boarded and professionally-printed artworks in the container – Competition Season 2025 has commenced.

This will be fun.

Last year, three of my four submissions to the Iowa State Fair’s photography contest made the walls of the gallery, with one photo capturing a ribbon. But I want to improve on those odds. I really do. Heck, I’d even go to Des Moines to see the Iowa State Fair in person if all four of my entries made the walls of the Photography Salon building. I’d be cool with that. Hmm. Albany to Des Moines … Amtrak? Greyhound? My Chevy Volt and a six-pack of sugar free Red Bull?

Be that as it may … I went through my archive, and carefully selected the photos I thought had the best chance this year. I need to find four solid hammer pieces. I need the shots that will capture the judges’ eyes and make visitors go “wow, man.”

Do I have four images that can achieve these results?

Let’s find out.

And we’re going with the following four shots for 2025…

SOARING ON A MANHATTAN MORNING

Remember what I said about submitting this photo to as many competitions as I can? What, you thought I was joking? Silly you. Let’s see if my little Manhattan-henge shot with a with a photo-bombing birdie can get some love.

PETZVAL DANDELION

You know … I’ve tried, and I’ve tried, but I just don’t see any other shot with that Petzval-modified HELIOS 44-2 lens that will work. So I’m going with this one.

ROMANCE AT THE RAILROAD CONCERT

The Iowa State Fair has a panoramic category, where you can enter a 7 x 20 print. So … yeah … let’s give this one a spin, shall we?

And finally …

PAY ME TO KNIGHT

You know all those times I blogged about Junior the harness horse? Well here’s a picture of him, as he warms up against an infrared backdrop.

Now it’s likely that some of these photos might end up in other competitions this year, and I think this is one of the years that the Capital District Photo Regionals accept entries, so there’s some additional consideration for that project. But I want to see how these four images do at Iowa. And yeah … I’m hoping I pulled my four best for this show, and we can start Competition Season 2025 with a bang.

And hopefully … not start it with a dunk and klunk.