By: Joni Boyd
If you’ve ever seen a cotton farm, you’ll know how beautiful they are.
Fluffy white balls, sitting atop scraggly branches – it can almost seem like a dream – a photographer’s dream at that.
Cotton Australia’s ‘Telling the Stories of Cotton: Click 24 Photography Competition‘ winners have been announced.
“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,” Cotton Australia said.
The unique photographs dispel myths surrounding cotton production.
“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.”
Encouraging entrants to take unique photographs showcasing their experiences, the images 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.
A standout themes in this year’s competition is pride and hard work. As an 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.”
“The way cotton is grown is changing, cotton fields are frontiers of innovation and sustainability,” the release said.
“This cotton field isn’t just a farm—it’s a frontier,” an entrant said.
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 one photographer.
The competition highlights the importance of family and community life in cotton farming. An 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.”
The photos and captions shed light on the challenges faced by cotton growers, including isolation and remoteness.
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, “Living in a cotton community in the Northern Territory means the nearest daycare is 2 hours away.”
“No matter how pretty the landscape is, the farmer is still isolated from friends and family,” another entry revealed.
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.
Dylan Dwyer, Wee Waa shared ‘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.’
All images supplied Cotton Australia and used with permission.
Article supplied with thanks to Hope Media.
Feature image: Kieran Shepherd from Narrabri won first place with his photo of ‘farm supervisors’ Tess and Ellie overseeing cotton picking.
About the Author: Joni Boyd is a writer, based in the Hawkesbury Region of NSW. She is passionate about the power of stories shared, to transform lives.