Wendy Ellis’ image ‘Round ’em up’ won the competition’s People’s Choice award in 2016.

SHEEP Producers Australia is mustering the industry’s top photographs for 2018 stockTAKE Photography Competition.

The peak sheep meat body is seeking images showcasing the people, sustainability, innovation and best practice management of the Australian sheep industry.

The aim of the stockTAKE Photography Competition is to encourage sheep producers and industry supporters to get their cameras or smart phones out in the yards, paddocks or workplaces to capture the Australian sheep industry in action.

It is the competition’s second year, following the inaugural contest in 2016. The competition winners will be announced at the industry’s premier conference, LambEx 2018 in Perth, Western Australia, from August 5-7.

There are three categories:

• Junior category … for budding photographers aged 5-17 years. The winner of this section will receive $250 in cash and the runner-up $100.
• Open category … for photographers 18 years and over. The open category winner will receive $500 and the runner-up $250.
• People’s Choice Award … LambEx 2018 delegates will have the chance to vote and select the ‘People’s Pic’. All voters go into the draw to win an iPad. The winning People’s Choice photographer will receive $250.

The five best entries in the junior and open categories, as judged by SPA and industry representatives, will be on display at LambEx 2018. All finalists will receive a framed copy of their photo.

SPA president Allan Piggott said he is expecting some high-quality entries again in 2018.

“There is so much to celebrate about Australia’s fantastic sheep industry and we encourage those from both within and outside of the industry to get snapping and send in their best images which tell a visual story of what makes it so great.

“Part of SPA’s vision is to be trusted and respected by industry and government and to be an organisation with which producers want to connect,” he said.

“We see the stockTAKE Photography Competition as a fun and creative way for producers and other stakeholders to connect with SPA.”

Entries close on Sunday July 22 2018. A competition flyer and terms and entry conditions are available at www.sheepproducers.com.au/stocktake. Entries can be lodged online.

Source: Sheep Producers Australia.