It’s once again time to enter your great photos in the ASI Photo Contest. But pay attention when entering, as the categories have changed for 2025. Farmers, ranchers and photographers have five categories available this year: Scenic, White Wool Sheep, Naturally Colored Sheep, Hair Sheep and Open.
The deadline to enter is 5 p.m. mountain time on Aug. 1.
“We’re shaking things up a bit this year,” said Sheep Industry News Editor Kyle Partain, who oversees the contest. “We wanted to find a way to show off the diversity of the industry, and we believe the changes we’ve made will do that. In addition, entries in the photo contest have been down the past couple of years, so we felt like it was time to try something different.
“While hair sheep continue to grow among the overall American sheep population, they’ve been underrepresented in the ASI Photo Contest through the years. So, we’re giving them their own category this year. Running Katahdins on the farm or Dorpers in a solar field? Send us your photos.”
The categories for this year’s contest are:
- Scenic: Photos entered in this category must include sheep, but no people. We’re looking for just sheep and the scenic places where they hang out. This category is open to all sheep.
- White Wool Sheep: Photos in this category should include white-faced sheep. They can be hanging out with their shepherds, lambing, getting sheared, etc. Maybe they’re hanging out with their favorite guard dog (or donkey), or being herded by their least favorite Border Collie.
- Naturally Colored Sheep: Same as the White Wool Sheep category, except we want to see your true colors in all their natural glory.
- Hair Sheep: Got Katahdins, Dorpers, St. Croix, Barbados Blackbelly or other hair sheep breeds? This is your category.
- Open: Anything that doesn’t quite fit into the first four categories can be entered here.
In addition, ASI will offer online voting for a People’s Choice winner.
“There’s no monetary award for the People’s Choice category, but the bragging rights will be huge,” said Partain. “ASI staff will select 10 to 15 of the top photos – some of which will be winners in the individual categories – to post online in late August to be voted on by its social media followers. Stay tuned for more details after all the 2025 entries have been received.”
Only the categories have changed. Otherwise, the rules of the contest remain the same as in past years. The winner in each category will receive $125. Second-place finishers will take home $75 and the third-place award is $50.
CONTEST RULES
- ASI can use or reproduce all entries at the discretion of ASI. In addition, entries will not be returned.
- ASI is not required to notify photographers when photos are used in materials.
- Photographs can only be submitted electronically.
- All entries should be submitted in the largest file sizes possible in jpg, tif or png formats.
- Entries must be submitted in the name of the person who took the photograph.
- Entries are limited to two per category, per person.
- Only photographs that have been taken in the past six years can be entered.
- Photographs submitted in previous years cannot be re-entered.
- The following needs to be included with each submission: title of photo; category (from the five listed above) into which it is being entered; photographer’s name; mailing address; phone number; email address; and approximate location/date of photo.
- If there is a particular story that goes with the photo, please include that, as well, with the entry.
Entries should be emailed to [email protected] with the subject line of ASI Photo Contest.