AN IMAGE that encapsulates the joy of rain has reigned supreme in a photo competition that aims to celebrate life in the outback.
Brigitte O'Connor's photo, "Playing in the puddles", captures a delighted child running barefoot towards the camera as dark clouds hover in the background.
It was the winner of the colour open age category in this year's Life and Light in the Western Region Photo Competition.
An ethereal shot of camping in the far west by Amanda Fisk was the winner in the black and white open age category and the same photographer was the runner-up with an image of a road train being loaded with hay as the helper packs up for the day.
The competition received 388 entries across four categories and all images were also entered in the people's choice category, decided through votes via the competition's Facebook page.
All of the images that were judged were taken in the Western Local Land Services region - which stretches from Wentworth to Tibooburra and Broken Hill to Cobar - and linked to the theme "Love our outback".
The aim of the theme, according to organisers, was to help showcase the diversity of the region and the many reasons why people continue to live and visit there.
Photographers entering the competition were encouraged to capture the aspects of the region that they loved the most and organisers said they hoped submissions would include both agricultural and environmental perspectives.
Judges were looking for images taken within the region no earlier than 2019 and photographers were encouraged to portray a sense of belonging and connection to a place or landscape.
The Life and Light Photo Competition was run jointly by Western Local Land Services and Western Landcare NSW. The Royal Flying Doctor Service was also part of the competition this year to help bring a wellbeing focus.
The competition awarded $3400 in prizemoney in total across all categories, including $500 for first respectively in the open colour and black and white categories.
The winner of the secondary school age competition took home $300, while the primary school age winner was awarded $150.
Winners
- Colour open age - "Playing in the puddles" by Brigitte O'Connor.
- Black and white open age - "Camping serenity" by Amanda Fisk.
- Secondary school age - "New beginnings" by Charli Smith.
- Primary school age - "The magic faraway tree" by Zahli Finch.
- People's choice - "Got this one Dad" by Carly Smith.
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