Our January photo challenge "farm" presented lots of room for creative interpretation with landscapes, animals, portraits, farm machinery and plenty of endless blue skies, sunrises and sunsets featuring among the 800 or so entries.
Of course, the best photos are those that tell a story, reveal character and evoke an emotional response. With that in mind, this month's guest judge, Anthony Mckee, settled on Rachel Kneubler's engaging landscape 'Engulfed in Smoke', an image that captured the atmosphere of a Queensland cane field after a burn off.
"The stark design elements, including the leading lines, are beautifully counter balanced with that ballet of birds. But it was the dramatic and eerie sky that won us over in the end." commented McKee.
McKee singled out four more images for special mentions including 'Farm Play' by Melanie Preston; 'Farm Cricket' by Mark Glancy; 'Visible Experience' by ArlieV McCumstie; and 'Back on the Ute' by Helen Whittle.
"'Farm Play' and 'Farm Cricket' remind us of the fun that be can had between all the hard work, while 'Visible Experience' reminds us that the old hands of experience are as important as ever on farms nowadays, particularly when we know it is getting difficult to keep young people on the land. 'On the Back of the Ute' by Helen Whittle is a great take on a common sight in the country, the dogs on the back of the ute," said McKee.
The full list of 25 shortlisted images is published below.
ABOUT THIS MONTH’S JUDGE: Anthony McKee is best known for his documentary style photography, a genre that relies on a quiet presence combined with strong observation skills to capture unposed moments in time. Originally from New Zealand, Anthony McKee began his career as a reportage photographer but has been freelance for over a decade. His work has been featured in magazines internationally and exhibited in art galleries in New Zealand and New York. Now residing in Melbourne, McKee has won numerous awards including 2014 Documentary Photographer of the Year in the Australian Professional Photography Awards. He has also been NZ Landscape Photographer of the Year and a finalist for NZ Professional Photographer of the Year. Nowadays he is a regular judge at the annual professional photography awards in both Australia and New Zealand. McKee is also a feature writer for a variety of editorial publications including Australian Photography + digital and Australian Flying.
WINNER: 'Engulfed in Smoke,' by Rachel Kneubuhler.
Commended: 'Farm Cricket,' by Mark Glancy.
Commended: 'Farm Play,' by Melanie Preston.
Commended: 'Visible Experience,' by ArlieV McCumstie.
Commended: 'On the Back of the Ute,' by Helen Whittle.
'After some good rain,' by Chris Burns.
'Barley in Tasmania,' by Kelly Slater.
'Beef and Burgundy,' by Ben Heide.
'Bringing the Sheep In,' by Fiona D'Alessandro.
'Canola Fields,' by Sue McArthur.
'Contemplation,' by ArlieV McCumstie.
'Farming with Nature,' by Trikkelle Flynn.
'Fields of Tuscany,' by Ian Houghton.
'First Kiss,' by Margot Hughes.
'Hoping for Rain,' by Maryanne Mooney.
'If Only These Walls Could Talk,' by Peter Humphreys.
