Beginners, by Miran Beškovnik (Commended)

The photo was taken in December 2010 at the Velenje coal mine, Slovenia. It shows students preparing to work in a dangerous environment of the coal mine in few years. Velenje coal mine is known as one of the most modern and safe coal mines in the world, where great attention is paid to safety. The picture captures the mining instructor preparing the students for their future duties. I’ve photographed in the mine on several occasions, where shooting can be difficult due to very poor lighting conditions.