Chuck Spindler Photography

2025 Iowa State Fair Photography Salon Results

I have been slow to share the results of the Iowa State Fair Photography Salon, which I learned about in early August. This year, I submitted a maximum of four photos, and I was pleased to have three selected for the Salon. Additionally, I was fortunate to receive two awards.

One of my photos, titled “Red Star Mill Fire,” won 2nd Place in the Iowa Places and Landscape class. I captured this image while on assignment with the Creston Fire Department when our ladder truck was called in for mutual aid at 3:10 a.m. on Friday, December 13, 2024. That morning, multiple fire departments, primarily composed of volunteers, arrived in 11-degree temperatures to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading to nearby structures.

Red Star Mill Fire-Iowa Places & Landscapes

I often find it awkward when someone says, “That photo is beautiful.” I know what they mean. There is a certain beauty in the destructive elements of fire, but more importantly, I view my role in fire photography as twofold: first, to chronicle the event, and second, to highlight the heroic efforts of those who respond.

On December 3, 2021, my late wife, Myra, and I visited Winterset with the intention of capturing some nighttime street scenes. As we were about to turn at the corner of the square and head home, the lighted red wall drew my attention. We stopped, and I captured a panoramic view of the businesses on the east side of the Town Square. I had this photo ready to enter for a few years, and it ultimately received an honorable mention in 2025. Personally, it holds special memories of an evening out with my wife, who was becoming more physically impaired with Parkinson’s Disease and was experiencing increasing memory loss. That loss caused her to believe there were “three Chucks” – Chuck the husband, Chuck the pastor, and Chuck the photographer. She knew which “Chuck” she was with that night.

The final photo displayed was part of a special theme class focused on Historical Buildings of Iowa (Color). It features Creston’s Restored Depot, built in 1899. The depot was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 following restoration efforts that allowed it to house Creston’s city offices. On a mid-January afternoon, I captured an image of the building with a sundog—an optical phenomenon caused by the refraction of sunlight through ice crystals in the atmosphere. After having just made a quick grocery run without my camera, I was able to use my iPhone to take the shot.

C. B. & Q. Depot, Creston -Theme – Historical Buildings of Iowa

In total, photographers submitted 2,511 photos, with 833 exhibited (33%). Of the displayed submissions, 204 ribbons were awarded, representing 24% of the total number of displayed photos. It is always tough competition and a real honor to even be displayed at the Iowa State Fair Photography Salon.

2024 Iowa State Fair Results

Out of four submissions to the Iowa State Fair Photography Salon, three were chosen for show this year. The photos were entered into the Sports, People (color), and Panoramic categories.

Statistically, 2,579 photos were entered and 833 were exhibiited or 32%. Ribbons were awared to 200 photos or 24% of exhibed photos. Coincidentally, all the categories I entered had a higher than average percentage of being displayed: 148 People (color) photos were entered with 51 exhibited (34%); 76 Sports category entries resulted in 42 exhibited (55%); and 61 Panoramic photos were entered with 28 exhibited (46%).

Interestingly, my success on entering the Theme category has dismally failed every year I’ve entered. Next year’s theme is Historic Buidings of Iowa. This will be limited to buildings that have been designated by National Register of Historic places or state or local designation. I’ll give this some consideration but will likely avoid the “Theme” category next year. BUT….you never know.

2024 Iowa State Fair Photography Salon

This Saturday and Sunday are the drop off days for the Iowa State Fair Photography Salon. It’s the only contest I enter, so some careful thought goes into my selection process. Only four photos are allowed per photographer and they must be in one of 24 categories.

Here are this year’s entries. They are in the categories of People (color), Leading Lines (color), Sports, and Panoramic.

The participants are notified by the second week in July if any photos is awarded and/or displayed. However, photographers have to wait until the Fair begins to find out what specific pictures are selected. As soon as I know, I’ll pass on the news (good or bad).

The Iowa State Fair Photography Salon Results Are In

The Iowa State Fair (ISF) opened on Thursday, August 10, and we finally got the results. I was shocked and honored to have won the “Superintendent’s Choice” Award (Adult Color). The title is “Rootin’, Shootin’ Cowgirl” and was taken at the 2022 ISF’s Cowboy Mounted Shooting event.

I was introduced to the sport of Cowboy Mounted Shooting in 2017 by a church member whose extended family participated. I was hooked on photographing this cross between barrel racing and target shooting.

In addition to the award, I had one more of my four submissions chosen for display. It is a picture of the primitive cabins at Green Valley State Park’s campgrounds. The park is often a location which I photograph in the winter months since the lake draws many waterfowl (Canada geese, snow geese, ducks, pelicans, and swans). A heavy, wet snow had just fallen, so I ventured to the park to check things out. I had driven past the cabins but turned back to see the late afternoon sun’s reflection on the windows. It was THE shot of the day.

2023 Iowa State Fair Photography Salon Submissions

Well…the judging took place this weekend for the Iowa State Fair Photography Salon. All the participants anxiously await the “golden ticket” which will let us know if all, some or none of our submissions (maximum of four) will be awarded/displayed at this year’s ISF. I submitted four photos in the following classes: People (Black and White); Sports; Planes; Trains and Automobiles; and Panoramic. I had a couple of last minute changes as I brought some alternates to the Southwest Iowa Shutterbug Club meeting for some second opinions. So, here are the four that were viewed by the judges this weekend.

Preliminarily, one of the volunteers who was around for judging said that there were a little over 800 photographers who submitted around 2400 photos. From his analysis of data since 2009, about 23% of the submitted images get exhibited. I’ll let you know if any are going forward when the “golden ticket” arrives in the next couple of weeks.

Steven Curtis Chapman Still Tour Concert Pics

I had the privilege of catching Steven Curtis Chapman’s next to last 2023 Still Concert Tour performance at the Hoyt Sherman Theater* in Des Moines, Iowa, on April 29, 2023.

*With construction completed in 1923, the 1,400 seat auditorium hosted such notables as Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan (1925), Will Rogers (1925), John Philip Sousa (1925), Amelia Earhart (1933), Edna St. Vincent Millay (1938), Grant Wood (1939), and Agnes de Mille (1940). A $4.7 million-dollar restoration project was completed to restore the spaces to their original grandeur. Additional enhancements include air conditioning, state-of-the-art lighting, 1,252 refurbished historical seats in the theater and interior upgrades in the art gallery. (More info on the Theater can be found HERE)

Iowa State Fair Photography Salon: Potential Entries in the Black and White – People Class

Here we go again. I’ve got some potential entries in the Black and White: People Category. The above pic (Four on a Bench) was displayed at the ISF Photography Salon in this class last year. Please let me know what your first preference is. (You may notice that some of these were also in color in the previous post.) If there are multiple selections, please rank them.

Please leave your comment here or if you linked here from my Facebook page, you can leave your comment there.

The Iowa State Fair Photography Salon is open to all, but limited to four submissions per person ($5 per submission). You can find all the details at the Iowa State Fair Competitions page. Scroll down to the “Select a Category” drop down (defaulted to “Fine Arts”) and select “Photography.” You will find “Required Reading” in PDFs. Here is a link to the “Photography Rules and Forms.“

Iowa State Fair Photography Salon Potential People (Color) Entry

Thanks for all who chose your favorite potential panoramic entry into the Iowa State Fair Photography Salon. The tallies are in and the “Winter Retreat” (seen above) was the overwhelming choice!

I will likely enter both the color and black and white classes for “People” this year. Here are some possible entries in the color category. Please choose your favorite and let me know in the comments (or on the Facebook post). If you choose more than one, please list in order of your ranking.

Thanks for your participation!

2023 Iowa State Fair Potential Pano Entries

I’ve been looking over potential panoramic (7 X 20) entry options for this year’s Iowa State Fair Photography Salon. I’ve entered this class twice and while not placing, last year’s submission (above) was chosen for display.

Here are the options.