OPPO India Announces Winners of imagineIF Photography Awards 2024

OPPO India has announced the winners of its inaugural imagineIF Photography Awards 2024. With over 34,000 submissions from across the country, the competition aimed to push the boundaries of smartphone photography and encourage photographers to tell their unique stories through the lens.

Top Honours for Bengal's Traditional Art

The Gold award was clinched by Arpan Basu Chowdhury from Kolkata for his powerful photo series titled "A Forgotten Legacy." This series beautifully captures the Bahurupi art form, a traditional performance art native to rural West Bengal. The images, taken using the OPPO Find X7 Ultra, vividly showcase the vibrancy and cultural significance of this fading tradition.

Reflecting on his achievement, Arpan expressed his excitement: "Winning the imagineIF Photography Award for 2024 is a huge honour. I'm thankful to OPPO India for giving young photographers a platform to share their stories. Capturing 'A Forgotten Legacy' with the OPPO Find X7 Ultra was a memorable experience; the phone's camera allowed me to truly highlight the diversity of our country."

Silver and Bronze Winners

The Silver awards were presented to Madhumita Nandi from Kolkata and Sanket Joshi from Aurangabad. Madhumita's series, "Tongueless Whispering," explores the impact of global consumption on human and non-human displacement. Sanket's work, "Moments from Wari," captures the spiritual essence of the Warkari tradition in Maharashtra.

In the Bronze category, three photographers were recognised: Pralay Jana from Kolkata, Chiranjit Dey from Purulia, and Ajeesh Ajayakhosh from Kollam. Pralay's series, "Golden Horizons: Balugaon's Fishing Community Bathed in Warmth," depicts the tranquil beauty of Chilika Lake in Odisha during the golden hours of dawn and dusk. Chiranjit's "Faces Behind the Mask: Unveiling Chhau Outdoors" offers a glimpse into the world of Jharkhand's Chhau dance, while Ajeesh's "Nature's Palette: A Symphony of Love" captures the intricate dance of insect courtship.

A Prestigious International Opportunity

The six winners will represent India at the Paris Photo 2024, an esteemed international photography fair, taking place from 7th to 10th November at the Grand Palais in Paris. Along with this opportunity, Arpan will receive a cash prize of ₹5,00,000, while the Silver winners will each take home ₹2,00,000, and the Bronze winners will receive ₹1,00,000 each.

The Competition and Its Legacy

The imagineIF Photography Awards 2024 opened its doors to Indian citizens over 18, inviting them to submit their best smartphone photos across nine categories: Landscape, Portrait, Colours, Unfading Moment, Fashion, Snapshot, Light, Travel, and Collection. From the vast pool of entries, 50 were shortlisted for the second round, where participants showcased their work using the OPPO Find X7 Ultra.

The entries were judged by an esteemed panel, including Celebrity Wedding and OPPO Imaging Expert Joseph Radhik, Wildlife Photographer Aarzoo Khurana, Fashion Photographer Arjun Mark, and other renowned photographers.