Recently, I found myself scouring all available resources for pictures and other media I could use for presentations and videos in the upcoming convention season. It didn’t take me long to realize I had an entire arsenal of photographs featuring some of the best shots of aerial agricultural aircraft that were comprised every year from the annual Chem-Man photo contest. Before I knew it, I spent several hours scrolling between hundreds of pictures from year after year of photo contest submissions. It’s hard to imagine what could be captured in a single photograph, yet the childlike excitement I get every time I hear or see an ag plane flying through the countryside is evident in every picture I scrolled through.
Since 2015, Chem-Man has hosted an annual photo contest with social media’s aid. The contest was inspired by Chem-Man’s owner and founder, Regina Farmer, who recalls one day soliciting on one of the ag flying Facebook groups for pictures that ag pilots had taken over the years. She was in awe of some of the photos received and was struck with the idea of engaging the ag flying community in a fun way to showcase some of the often-overlooked mesmerizing shots that many of the ag pilots can capture.
Since the photo contest’s inaugural year in 2015, its reach and popularity have grown exponentially, with some photos even gaining likes and views in countries outside of the U.S. Aside from the astonishing reach, Chem-Man has given away over $150,000 in prizes for those lucky enough to land themselves each year in the top 3 photos with the most likes.
The photo contest begins on December 1st at 8:00 am CST. Anyone wishing to participate must email up to 5 photographs to “support@chem-man.com.” Contestants have until December 16th at 5:00 pm CST to complete the last of their submissions. The photos that Chem-Man receives are then individually posted from the Chem-Man Facebook page, where contestants can then share the original post onto their own Facebook account, where they can begin sharing and receiving likes. At 5:00 pm on December 27th, the three photos with the most likes on the original Facebook post will be chosen as the winners.
The First Place Winner will receive a full-year subscription to Chem-Man software ($4950), a one-year subscription to Service Life by DataSmart ($720), an Apple iPad, a $300 Amazon gift card, a two-year subscription to AgAir Update, a printed canvas of the prize-winning photo, and 10 Gallons of Wind-Fall.
Second Place Winner will receive a Chem-Man subscription up to $3450, a one-year subscription to Service Life by DataSmart ($720), a $200 gift card, a two-year subscription to AgAir Update, and a printed canvas of their prize-winning photo.
Lastly, the Third Place Winner will receive a one-year subscription to Chem-Man software for up to $3450, a one-year subscription to Service Life by DataSmart ($720), a one-year subscription to AgAir Update, and a printed canvas of their prize-winning photo.
The photo contest is a great tool to help mold a better perception of how the public views the agricultural aviation industry. I’ve mentioned before the harsh reality that our industry faces every day is the negative view from the public. Seeing so many ag pilots provide an opportunity for the public to engage in what the operators do and see daily is a relief. As we are just now entering the convention season, I will be thrilled to see so many operators recognize their photos as they are displayed at the Chem-Man booth.
We look forward to another photo contest beginning soon and hope that everyone who reads this article has something they would like to share with our followers. We appreciate those generously donating their products and services as grand prize winnings.
