In a significant celebration of mobile photography, Oppo India has revealed the winners of its first-ever imagineIF Photography Awards 2024. Out of an impressive 34,000 entries from across the country, six photographers were honoured with Gold, Silver, and Bronze distinctions. The awards aimed to push the boundaries of mobile photography, encouraging participants to showcase their unique stories.
Gold: Arpan Basu Chowdhury from Kolkata was awarded the Gold for his evocative series “A Forgotten Legacy,” which documents the traditional Bahurupi art form in rural West Bengal. His work, captured on the Oppo Find X7 Ultra, earned him a cash prize of INR 5,00,000 and an invitation to the prestigious Paris Photo 2024.
Silver: The Silver awards went to Kolkata’s Madhumita Nandi and Aurangabad’s Sanket Joshi. Nandi’s series, “Tongueless Whispering,” delves into the impact of global consumption on human and non-human displacement. Joshi’s “Moments from Wari” captures the spiritual essence of the Warkari tradition in Maharashtra. Both winners received INR 2,00,000 each.
Bronze: Bronze honors were secured by Pralay Jana from Kolkata, Chiranjit Dey from Purulia, and Ajeesh Ajayakhosh from Kollam. Jana’s “Golden Horizons” captures the serene beauty of Chilika Lake at dawn and dusk, Dey’s “Faces Behind the Mask” sheds light on Jharkhand’s Chhau dance, and Ajayakhosh’s “Nature’s Palette” explores the intricate dance of insect courtship. Each Bronze winner was awarded INR 1,00,000.
All six winners will have the opportunity to attend Paris Photo 2024, the 27th edition of the world-renowned photography fair, held from November 7th to 10th at the iconic Grand Palais in Paris.
Sushant Vasishta, Head of Digital Marketing at Oppo India, expressed his enthusiasm for the competition’s success. “We are thrilled with the incredible response to the first edition of the imagineIF Photography Awards. The creativity and passion displayed in over 34,000 entries were truly impressive. Our panellists faced a tough challenge in selecting the winners due to the high level of skill and creativity. At Oppo India, we are deeply committed to nurturing this talent and are excited about the possibilities for future collaborations with these exceptionally talented photographers.”
Reflecting on his win, Gold winner Arpan Basu Chowdhury shared, “I am thrilled to receive the imagineIF Photography Award for 2024. It’s an honour to have my work recognized in the first year of these global awards in India. Capturing ‘A Forgotten Legacy’ on the Oppo Find X7 Ultra was an unforgettable experience; the phone’s advanced camera features made it possible to beautifully showcase the diversity of our country.”
The imagineIF Photography Awards 2024 invited Indian citizens over the age of 18 to submit their best smartphone photos across nine categories: Landscape, Portrait, Colours, Unfading Moment, Fashion, Snapshot, Light, Travel, and Collection. From the initial 34,000+ submissions, 50 entries advanced to the second round, where participants showcased their skills using Oppo’s flagship Find X7 Ultra device. A distinguished panel of photographers, including Celebrity Wedding and Oppo Imaging Expert Joseph Radhik, Wildlife Photographer Aarzoo Khurana, Fashion Photographer Arjun Mark, and other esteemed global jury members, evaluated the entries.4o