Generations on NSW cotton farm

THE McCutcheon family have been on their Trangie property for many generations.

Under the care of the current generation, the land has been divided among seven brothers into smaller parcels for cotton or cattle.

Mandy McCutcheon said she and her husband Simon focussed on cattle and dryland crops on their parcel, but she had wanted to capture an image of Simon and her sons Jesse and Eli, and to celebrate what had been a great year for cotton in the image that was the overall winner for Cotton Australia’s Click 2.0 photography competition.

The image was shot in her brother-in-law Ned’s cotton field.

“Everything just went right and fell into place that afternoon: the light was great, the boys were co-operative, it was just a really amazing day,” Mandy said.

Mandy is juggling day-today farm management with developing a photography business, having de-stocked down to 15 per cent in the drought.

“I’ve always loved to record in photos – people, special moments, families. I think they’re really important, and sometimes it’s all you’ve got left, those memories, and it tells a bit of a story for people down the track,” she said.

“This year I’ve been trying to launch a bit of a photography business, but that’s been difficult. Obviously with the drought our main focus has to be on our stock and keeping them alive.”

No doubt, the $4000 digiDirect voucher prize won through Click 2.0 will go a long way to helping her equip for that venture.