Sheep Industry News July 2022

The Last Word KYLE PARTAIN Sheep Industry News Editor

Photo Contest Deadline is Coming

A s you're reading this issue, you have less than a month remaining to enter the 2022 ASI Photo Contest. That's still plenty of time to grab your camera – or your smartphone – and take some award-winning shots. While production cycles vary, chanc es are you won't be taking photos of shearing or lambing this time of year. But the longer days, gorgeous summer sunsets and, in some areas, lush green grass of this time of year provide exceptional opportunities for any would-be photographer. Or maybe you've already got plenty of great shots to submit, you just need to make time to sort through them. In a digital age where many of us – myself included – take 10 shots of something we would have only taken one of back when we had to have film developed, sorting through photos can take some time. Subtle differences in those 10 shots that are nearly identical could mean the difference between an award winner and an honorable mention. Maybe you should start checking the weather forecast for a rainy day – does anyone still have those? – and plan to spend that day choosing your entries. You can find complete contest rules at SheepUSA.org/asi-annual-photo-contest. The deadline to enter is Aug. 1. While the rules stipulate 5 p.m. mountain time – closing time for the ASI office – as the deadline, I'm willing to accept any entries that show up

before midnight that day. A writer friend of mine who was particularly challenged by deadlines used to remind me that getting something in at 11:59 on deadline day still means you met the deadline. So, I opt for her theory on this issue. The five categories in this year’s contest are: • Shepherd/Shepherdess – Photographs of producers, shepherds or others working with sheep. • Scenic (East) – Photographs of sheep located east of the Mississippi River. Photos entered in this category cannot include people. • Scenic (West) – Photographs of sheep located west of the Mississippi River. Photos entered in this category cannot include people. • Working Dogs and Protection Animals – Photographs in this cat egory should show herding dogs, livestock guardian dogs or any other livestock protection animal in their natural environments. Photos must also include sheep in some fashion as proof that these truly are working animals. • Open – Photographs with subject matter that does not fall into the four above-listed categories. I'd also like to take this opportunity to encourage you to send me the photos in the largest possible photo size. This can make a difference in the judging process. Those of you who have seen our October issue with con test winners in recent years know that I like to run horizontal winners as two-page spreads. But I can't do that if you send me a file that can only be

Dusty Trails , Tara LeBaron, Nevada

used as a 3 X 5 in the magazine. Unaltered files straight from your camera or smart phone are generally fine for me to run quite large. Some email programs will also offer you the ability to – or automatically even – reduce the file sizes when sending. Please don't choose this option. If the files you are sending are large, then just send me a separate email for each photo. Generally, problems can occur if you try to send five large photos in the same email. The photographs we receive each year are wonderful representations of our industry, and I want to spotlight them in an appropriate manner, which is why I ask for the large file sizes. Thanks to all of you who either already have or will enter the photo contest this year. The association appreciates the time and energy you put into helping ASI staff portray the industry in its best light.

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