Alexandra photographer Susan Church’s photo of a cowboy at the Outram Rodeo in July, won the Australian Photographic Prize International Photographer of the Year in the Single Capture Life Events category.
The photograph was a matter of the right conditions, Church said.
"Because it had been so dry, the dust was just billowing up under their feet perfectly . . . you didn’t have trees casting big shadows. There were trees over the sun, so you didn’t have harsh light . . . just perfect conditions."
Church has dabbled in photography throughout her life and, while recovering from a broken ankle, decided to do a correspondence course in freelance photography — "a pretty awesome journey".
With her photos from the Outram rodeo, Church also was a finalist in the Student Photographer of the Year at the NZ Iris awards where she received two silver distinctions and a silver award
Also at the Iris awards, Janyne Fletcher, of Ranfurly, won Professional Landscape Open Photographer of the Year and Bernie Shore, of Wanaka, was a finalist for Professional Nature Photographer of the Year.
