Newton photographer’s image of tractor parts collector from Colfax earns Best of Show at State Fair

Amy Doerring is not just a photographer, she is an artist and a storyteller.

The story behind her photo, “Parts Collector,” is one she is happy to share. She said the man in center frame is Bennie Bucklin, owner of Colfax Tractor & Combine Parts. He stands in front of a mechanical landscape with his hands in his pockets. The man isn’t smiling or scowling. But he looks proud. Doerring thinks he should be.

The monochromatic image is flooded with dark greens and rusty browns. Even the jumpsuit Bucklin is wearing blends in perfectly with the machine parts behind him. His tan face is brilliantly lit, his chin slightly tilted upwards. Tufts of white hair stick out from the sides of his cap. His blue-gray eyes stare directly at the lens.

“You kind of see his face and you just start asking questions and want to linger longer and say, ‘What is that?’ and ‘What’s behind that?’” Doerring said.

Behind Bucklin are old parts from a combine harvester. The long, triangle-shaped pieces are called “snoots.” They help guide corn stalks into the combine. While their John Deere-green color is still relatively intact, many are coated in rust. Bucklin’s family has been shipping used parts across the globe for decades.

Passersby on Interstate 80 can get a glimpse of the family business located just north of the Colfax exit. Doerring said she felt lucky to be able to photograph Bucklin in his natural setting. The yard of tractor parts is “a photographer’s dream” and makes for a perfect old school Iowa backdrop.

“I saw the way Ben had stacked the corn snoots and I just thought they looked like mountains, and I couldn’t get enough of it,” Doerring said. “I kept going back to photograph them. I was actually taking pictures of his grandson and Ben just came out to check on us. I pulled him in and told him I had to take his picture.”

Of course, there is more to this story that Doerring feels more bashful about to share. If the image she took of Bucklin tells the story of a devoted collector and local businessman, then the image Professional Photographers of Iowa shared on its Instagram page tells the story of a photographer receiving top honors.

The photo is of “Parts Collector” on display at the Iowa State Fair, but beside it is a plaque and a purple ribbon signifying its selection for Best of Show. Doerring has had a number of her photos on display at the fair, and they, too, have been decorated with blue, red and white ribbons over the years.

But a purple ribbon? That’s a first. The photo is even on the cover of the 85th Iowa State Fair Photography Salon book. Doerring almost can’t believe it. She said it feels surreal, and it’s an “honor of a lifetime.” Doerring, 59, has been capturing stories and memories for as long as she can remember.

“I’m lucky to still be excited about photography, to still love it, to still be able to do it and, even more, to still want to learn and get better,” Doerring said.

Doerring spent every day at the fair this year. In between trips to food stands and the butter cow and the many other attractions, she made her way back to the Cultural Building to see “Parts Collector” displayed next to that big purple ribbon. It was even more fun when friends saw it and immediately knew it was her work.

When she looks at “Parts Collector,” she sees a confident Iowan who is proud of his work. She sees a businessman who provides an interesting and vital service to farmers all around the world. She sees an artist who doesn’t even realize that he is an artist and that his work is beautiful. Perhaps similar things can be said about the photo’s maker.

Doerring admits one of those snoots in the photo made it home with her. She thought its color and its shape would make for a good Christmas tree decoration.

“How fun is it to look at something one way but then look at it in a different way than you never even thought about,” she said. “I kind of think that’s art to me.”