Kansas Department of Agriculture opens annual photo contest

The Kansas Department of Agriculture is accepting entries for its annual photo contest through Aug. 16, inviting photographers to capture images and videos that highlight agriculture across the state.

This year’s contest features four seasonal categories: Spring into the Fields, Life in the Summer, Fall on the Farm and Winter at Work. Organizers said the categories are intended to showcase agricultural activities throughout the year, from spring planting and summer fieldwork to fall harvest and winter operations.

The contest also includes a youth division for photographers age 18 and younger and a video category for clips of less than 30 seconds. Eligible video submissions include drone footage, harvest scenes and other content that highlights Kansas agriculture. Prizes will be awarded to the top two entries in each of the six categories.

According to the department, photos selected through the contest may be used throughout the year in publications, social media, websites and displays to promote Kansas agriculture. By entering the contest, photographers grant the department permission to use submitted images without payment or additional compensation.

Photo entries must be submitted in .jpg format, while videos must be submitted in .mp4 or .mov format. Entries should include a title, a brief description, the location and date the image or video was captured, the photographer’s name and age, contest category, hometown and email address.

Entries should be emailed to [email protected].

Contest guidelines, category information and prize details are available at agriculture.ks.gov/PhotoContest.

Voting to select finalists is scheduled to begin on the department’s social media platforms in mid-August. For additional information, contact Heather Lansdowne, Kansas Department of Agriculture director of communications, at [email protected] or 785-564-6706.

PHOTO: Process of taking photo of sunflowers field. (iStock-#1404719412 │ Dejan Ilic)