Cracking photo takes home top prize in ICE competition

A photo capturing the moment a water pipe was accidentally damaged during excavation has been named the winner of this year’s ICE photography competition.

Cracks in the Flow, by Bengisu Ateş, illustrated the connection between infrastructure and the community, which resonated with voters.

The competition invited members to share photos within the theme ‘community and infrastructure’.

The institution received more than 300 entries depicting the pivotal role infrastructure plays in shaping the world.

The ICE judging panel shortlisted 12 finalists, and the winner selected by a public vote. The competition garnered more than 4,400 votes.

The image was unveiled at the ICE Inspiring Engineering Excellence conference at One Great George Street in London on Wednesday 2 July.

ICE Senior Vice President, David Porter, said the judging panel was “hugely impressed by the creativity shown in the photographs submitted by our members, and the level of engagement in the vote”.

The winning image

Photographer Bengisu Ateş, an ICE member based in Turkey, said that winning and having her work exhibited at the ICE is a “true honour”.

“Combining my passion for photography with the perspective I’ve gained as a civil engineering student gave this image deeper meaning,” she said.

“I’m grateful for the chance to highlight not only the link between infrastructure and community, but also the responsibility we carry as engineers.

“I hope this image reminds us how essential it is to plan with care, foresight, and social awareness.”

On why she took the image, she noted that infrastructure can significantly benefit communities, but also negatively impact them, when poorly executed.

“Any failure in a city’s infrastructure is instantly noticed by the people it serves and disrupts social life,” she said.

In their judging of the shortlist, the judges said that the image “dares to illustrate when things do not go quite right with infrastructure”.

Porter praised the “subject and composition of the shot of activity on a live construction site”, noting that it's “an illustration that everyone, engineers and the public alike, can relate to”.

The photograph will hang outside Kendal's Café Bar, inside One Great George Street.

Runner-up

The runner-up image was titled ‘Urban pulse: the fusion of light trails and skyscrapers’. It was taken by Kenny Huang from the Tokyo Tower in Japan.

Huang explained why he captured this moment: “Skyscrapers symbolise a city's prosperity and quality of life, serving as economic hubs and community centres that shape social interactions. Light trails represent the transportation infrastructure that facilitates daily life in a modern metropolis.”

He wanted the photo to act as a reminder that “while developing infrastructure, we must consider its impact on people's lives, ensuring urban progress enhances overall wellbeing”.

The judges said that the “striking” photograph provided a unique perspective of the complexity of modern society, allowing the viewer to be drawn in.

They also recognised the creativity and originality of the timing of the photo, noting that a level of technical excellence is required to adjust the shutter speed to freeze the moving train while still preventing overexposure.