Prize winners of the 2022 Wandoan Photo Challenge

19th April 2022

By JACINTA CUMMINS | SPONSORED

THE competition is called the Wandoan Photo Challenge but it was a photo taken by Carmen Keeffe near Condamine which won first prize in the People’s Choice Awards.

The same image also placed second in the Kids at Play category, with Judge Paula Heelan describing it as nicely composed with good light and great focus.

“It’s a lovely capture of bush kids playing with trucks in the dirt – a familiar, heart-warming sight,” she said.

“The standard of entries improves year on year, making the task of judging far from easy.

“The photos entered pull on the heart strings, make you smile and essentially, beckon you to the bush.”

Senex Energy community relations manager Trevor Robertson presented local happy snappers and professional photographers from as far away as Brisbane with $5500 of prizes on April 1.

“Senex is absolutely delighted to sponsor the Photo Challenge for the fifth year,” he said.

“It’s great to see good outcomes from unfortunate events like the Show cancellation.

*Playing by the cattle yards* by Carmen Keeffe won the *People’s Choice* category

“The Wandoan Photo Challenge went online just as it did during the height of Covid-19 and it not only survived, but thrived.”

This year was the competition’s most successful yet with 257 entries compared to just 79 when it was first held in 2017.

Taroom’s Tracee Hay won first in both the Small Town, Big Country and Adults at Play categories with action shots from the Wandoan Rodeo while David Wilson of Brisbane’s photo of kids playing rugby league near Wallumbilla took out first in Kids at Play.

It was the first time that Chinchilla’s Donna Reading entered and it paid off with her shot Dino Racers placing second in Adults at Play.

*Dino Racers* by Donna Reading placed second in *Adults at Play*.

Tomorrow’s photographers were well represented with Georgina Dahl’s aerial image overlooking a feedlot winning the Young Photographer’s category while Matthew Newton placed second with a quintessential bush image of cattle.

At just five years old, it’s clear Tessa Blackley has inherited her mother Emily’s eye with My little sister placing third in Young Photographers.

Tessa’s little sister also featured in a photo which saw Emily Blackley awarded Best Wandoan Local Photographer while James Klass was named Best Wandoan Local Young Photographer.

PRESENTATIONS | IMAGES: Jacinta Cummins

It was a family affair for Tania Banker (L) placing second in Small Town, Big Country with an image of her grandson Henry Booth (M). Henry’s mother, Jacynta Booth, (R) took home third in Kids at Play for a photo of Henry playing in the mud
Senex Community Relations Manager Trevor Robertson and Wandoan Photo Challenge Coordinator Helen Golden congratulate mother daughter duo Tania Baker and Jacynta Booth on their winning photos which both feature Jacynta’s son, Henry
Taroom’s Tracee Hay took out first prize in both open categories as well as the Best Photographer Award
Senex Community Relations Manager Trevor Robertson and Wandoan Photo Challenge Coordinator Helen Golden with Carmen Keeffe of Condamine whose photo placed second in Kids at Play and was also People’s Choice Winner
The Wandoan Photo Challenge expanded with winning entries coming from the very edges of its 100 kilometre radius. Senex Community Relations Manager Trevor Robertson and Wandoan Photo Challenge Coordinator Helen Golden with Chinchilla’s Donna Reading
Senex Community Relations Manager Trevor Robertson and Wandoan Photo Challenge Coordinator Helen Golden with James Klass who won Wandoan Local Young Photographer
Emily and Tessa Blackley
Emily Blackley won Wandoan Local Open Photographer with her five-year-old daughter Tessa Blackley who placed third in Young Photographer’s Small Town, Big Country

It was a family affair for Tania Baker and Jacynta Booth with the mother daughter duo both winning prizes for separate images of Jacynta’s son Henry at play.

The Best Photographer Award went to Tracee Hay for the second year running with the judge commending her “skilfully taken images” that are “vibrant, well composed and have the ‘wow’ factor”.

Trevor Robertson thanked everyone involved.

“This competition has gone from strength to strength,” he said.

“It’s more than just a favourite Wandoan Show competition, it attracts attention from much further afield than Wandoan with entries coming in from the very edges of the 100km radius.

“It shows how good life out here is and Senex is proud to share this with the community.”

For all results and photos, head to http://www.wandoanphotochallenge.com.

The Judge’s Top 30 photos are on display at the Wandoan Cafe.

WINNING ENTRIES:

1. Beef man won Adults at Play. Tracee Hay.
2. Dino Racers placed second in Adults at Play. Donna Reading.
3. All the fun at the rodeo by the entrants placed third in Adults at Play. David Wilson.
4. Kids enjoying their rugby league match won Kids at Play. David Wilson
5. Playing by the cattle yards placed second in Kids at Play. Carmen Keeffe
6. Mud man placed third in Kids at Play. Jacynta Booth
7. Team event won Small Town, Big Country. Tracee Hay
8. From little things, big things grow placed second in Small Town, Big Country. Tania Baker
9. A hard working man placed third in Small Town, Big Country. Diane Griffin
10. On top of the world – looking out over the feedlot won Young Photographers: Small Town, Big Country. Georgina Dahl
11. Country life placed second in Young Photographers: Small Town, Big Country. Matthew Newton
12. My little sister placed third in Young Photographers: Small Town, Big Country. Tessa Blackley
13. Playing by the cattle yards won People’s Choice. Carmen Keeffe
14. Small town, big country was voted second in People’s Choice. Margot Taylor
15. Hey Dave! was voted third in People’s Choice. Tracee Hay
16. Emily Blackley was named Best Wandoan Local Photographer for The creek is up!
17. James Klass was named Best Wandoan Local Young Photographer for Big storm at the silo.