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AustralianFarmers

Picture this! How to take an award-winning farm photo

There’s still time to throw your hat in the ring for the National AgDay photo and video competition.

But if you’re not feeling confident behind the camera, we’ve got some tips to make sure you can still snap a ripper rural pic! There’s some great cash up for grabs (the prize pool is $5000, thanks to Syngenta), so it’s well worth your time to get out and get snapping!

The comp closes on National Agriculture Day, 15 November 2024.

Sharon Woods took this stunning photo at golden hour.

Good composition, good competition

An easy way to turn a good photo into a great photo is by re-arranging the subject matter to reflect the ‘rule of thirds’.

The rule of thirds is a fail-safe way to make sure your pic looks a million bucks.

When taking a photo, see if you can shuffle things around so that the subject lines up with a ‘third’ of the frame.

Here’s an example from the 2023 AgDay photo comp where the artist, Tarnya Fraser, has used the rule of thirds to space out her photo:

Tarnya Fraser’s twilight harvest photo is well-composed.

Tarnya’s image Fraser features a field bin during harvest under a beautiful Wheatbelt sky. It’s a fantastic photo.

One of the elements that makes it so striking is its framing. Check out how the subject, a tractor and field bin, lines up perfectly with the ‘rule of thirds’ grid below.

We’ve drawn grids over Tarnya’s photo below to better demonstrate the rule of thirds concept.

Putting a grid over Tarnya Fraser’s harvest photo shows how you can frame a scene. Original image: Tarnya Fraser. Edited by Australian Farmers.

If you’re unsure how to frame a scene when you’re sizing up a paddock, give the rule of thirds a go.

The image subject can line up with a horizontal or vertical third, or both.

Here are some more examples of well framed photos submitted to the 2023 AgDay competition.

Country road, let me roam

You don’t have to be a farmer or own a patch of land to snap a roaring rural photo.

There are so many amazing country towns waiting to be captured; even driving 30 minutes from a city can put you in sight of cute cows, photogenic fences and charming shopfronts.

Take a trip to the edge of town, pack your camera or phone and make sure to check out a famous country bakery while you’re on the road! (You’ll need some sugar-sourced energy to fuel your photographic adventure, of course.)

There’s also hundreds of farms open to the public that are well-worth checking out.

You never know the pots of gold you’ll find!

Just remember to stay out of private property, even if there are no fences. For more tips on farm photography etiquette, check out this guide.

Anastasia McFarlane snapped this pic after a storm passed over a barley paddock.

Golden Hour

Getting the light right can sometimes be tricky. The Australian sun is so strong that taking photos in the middle of the day can result in little more than squinted faces, sunburn and harsh contrast.

You’re better off trying for an award-winning photo at dusk or dawn. Sunset is an especially beautiful time to take a photo. Colloquially known as golden hour, the orange hues turn any photo into a warm, glowy artwork. Silhouettes are a fantastic idea against a huge country sky.

Taking photos on an overcast day can also help combat harsh light and dark shadows.

Kellie Craft took this sunset silhouette of two boys talking shop after a big day fishing.

Snap to it!

We hope you now feel more confident to head bush and start snapping.

There is no age limit in the AgDay photo comp, and it’s designed to attract all skill levels too; so don’t miss your chance to be in the running!

Submit your entry below and get involved in the celebration of everything that makes Aussie agriculture great.

Enter here!

Thanks to all our past participants for their fantastic 2023 entries seen above.

Ash Whittaker

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