The 2016 ENR Photo Contest drew nearly 1,100 entries. For inclusion in this year’s winners gallery, our panel of judges pored over them for hours to select the best shots, all showing safe working conditions.

ENR has conducted the contest annually since 2003, and we have seen a continuous improvement in the technical quality of the shots—a testament, at least in part, to the excellence of today’s cameras. But the standout images continue to be those touched by artfulness, which often requires considerable skill, planning and attention to detail.

Each year, our editors ask the photographers to tell us how they took their winning images. We look for the story behind the pictures. We often are struck by how passionate the shooters are about their work and how much pleasure they get from capturing the magic of the industry. As always, we thank the submitters and photographers for sharing them.