Cotton growers and their families are among those who has submitted spectacular images, and the stories behind them, in this year’s Click 24 Photography Competition, making a difficult task for judges.

With nearly 300 entries from across the country, from Kununurra in the west to Adelaide River in the north and as far south as Leeton, the competition highlighted the diverse and vibrant world of cotton growing.

The award recipients have been announced, they are

• First Place Winner: Kieran Shepherd, Narrabri, for his photo of farm supervisors Tess and Ellie overseeing picking.
• Runner Up: Belinda Dimarzio-Ryan, Warren, for her photo titled ‘Find a bale, climb the bale, chill on the bale. Kids will be kids!’
• Planet Winner: Brodie Ryan Cronau, Brookstead, for his photo of the sun setting after the first in-crop water.
• People Category Winner: Michelle Hutchinson, Moura, for ‘Performance ready cotton’.
• Paddock Category Winner: Jean-Baptiste Copin, Hillston, for ‘A busy round paddock’.
• Wildcard Winner: Annabelle Rogan, St George, who celebrated that there’s no place like home where it is all paws on deck during picking after a long-awaited trip back to the family cotton farm after being at boarding school.

The winning entries will be displayed at the Cotton Australia stand during the Australian Cotton Conference and all in attendance will have the opportunity to vote for the last category to be decided: the People's Choice Award.

The Stories Behind the Photos

The Click 24 photography competition encourage entrants to take unique photographs that showcase their experiences and dispel myths surrounding cotton production, community life, innovation, and the growers themselves. The competition aim was to empower growers and their regional communities through the lens of photography, to open a window to farming life.

Pride and hard work

One of the standout themes in this year's competition is pride and hard work. As one entrant shared, "There is always a buzz around the town and the farm watching fields of green turn to white gold. The long days may blur into one but, pulling up and taking a second to admire it ending gives me a sense of pride knowing all the hard work paid off."

Innovation and Sustainability in Action

The way cotton is grown is changing, cotton fields are frontiers of innovation and sustainability. One photo captured this with a child in an astronaut costume standing in a cotton field, inspiring awe and wonder. "This cotton field isn't just a farm—it's a frontier where we push boundaries, redefine possibilities, and embark on a journey towards a sustainable future," shared another photographer.

Family and Community Life

The competition also highlights the importance of family and community life in cotton farming. One entrant expressed their joy in raising their children on the farm. "We are so grateful to be able to raise our children on our farm. With muddy feet and a sense of adventure, our kids love nothing more than running down the farm road after school."

Annabelle Rogan, the Wildcard Winner, shared a similar sentiment: "Despite being at boarding school for the past 6 years, I was lucky enough to grow up on our family cotton farm in St George… School holidays, and the long-awaited trip back to the gum trees (and cotton bolls) never comes too soon."

Challenges of Rural Life

However, the photos and captions also shed light on the challenges faced by cotton growers, including isolation and remoteness. One poignant quote from the competition states, "Living in a cotton community in the Northern Territory means the nearest daycare is two hours away."

"No matter how pretty the landscape is, the farmer is still isolated from friends and family," another entry revealed.

Celebrate the Spirit of Cotton Growing

Through the Click 24 Photography Competition, we recognise not only the award recipients but also the resilient and innovative spirit of our cotton-growing communities. All the entries tell a story of pride, hard work, innovation, sustainability, family, and community life, capturing the essence of what it means to live and work on a cotton farm.