OPPO India announces winners of imagineIF Photography Awards 2024

   -  Kolkata's Arpan Basu Chowdhury clinches Gold under 'Travel' category; showcases Bengal's traditional art form 'Bahurupi' through the photo series 'A Forgotten Legacy'

   -  Six winners (1 Gold, 2 Silver, 3 Bronze) to visit the Paris Photo 2024 in November

Photo Caption: Kolkata's Arpan Basu Chowdhury has taken the top spot in the 'Travel' category with his stunning photo series, "A Forgotten Legacy", which showcases Bengal's traditional art form, Bahurupi. Arpan's work, shot on the OPPO Find X7 Ultra, earned him the Gold award in OPPO India's inaugural imagineIF Photography Awards. As a result, he and five other talented photographers will be heading to Paris Photo 2024 this November.

OPPO India announced the winners of its first-ever imagineIF Photography Awards in the country. Out of over 34,000 entries, the top six were awarded Gold, Silver, and Bronze honours. This inaugural edition was all about pushing the boundaries of mobile photography and encouraging photographers to bring their unique stories to life.

The Gold award was presented to Arpan Basu Chowdhury from Kolkata for his captivating portrayal of Bahurupi in rural West Bengal. Silver awards went to Kolkata's Madhumita Nandi and Aurangabad's Sanket Joshi, while the Bronze awards were secured by Pralay Jana (Kolkata), Chiranjit Dey (Purulia), and Ajeesh Ajayakhosh (Kollam).

The six winners will be attending the Paris Photo 2024—the 27^th edition of the international photography fair—from 7^th November to 10^th November at the iconic Grand Palais. Along with the trip, Arpan will receive a cash prize of INR 5,00,000, the two Silver winners will get INR 2,00,000 each, and the three Bronze winners will take home INR 1,00,000.

"We have just wrapped up the first edition of the imagineIF Photography Awards 2024 in India, and we are thrilled with the incredible response," said Sushant Vasishta, Head of Digital Marketing at OPPO India. The level of creativity and passion that came through in over 34,000 entries from across the country was truly impressive. It wasn't easy for our panellists to choose the winners, as the general level of skills and creativity that came through was very high. At OPPO India, we are deeply passionate about nurturing this talent, and seeing how our smartphones can bring such stunning imagination to life has been truly rewarding. We are excited and looking forward to the possibilities of creating truly stunning work of photography with this exceptionally talented pool of photographers in the future."

Arpan Basu Chowdhury's winning series, "A Forgotten Legacy", highlights the traditional Bahurupi art form of West Bengal, beautifully captured on the OPPO Find X7 Ultra. Reflecting on his win, Arpan said, "I am thrilled to receive the imagineIF Photography Award for 2024. It's an honour to have my work recognised in the first year of these global awards in India. I am grateful to OPPO India for providing a platform for young photographers to share their stories through mobile photography. 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."

Madhumita Nandi's series, "Tongueless Whispering," explores the displacement of humans and non-human due to rising global consumption, while Sanket Joshi's "Moments from Wari" captures the essence of Warkari, a spiritual tradition in Maharashtra.

In Bronze, Pralay Jana's "Golden Horizons: Balugaon's Fishing Community Bathed in Warmth" presents the serene beauty of Chilika Lake in Odisha at dusk and dawn. Chiranjit Dey shines a light on Jharkhand's Chhau dance with "Faces Behind the Mask: Unveiling Chhau Outdoors," and Ajeesh Ajayakhosh captures the intricate dance of insect courtship in "Nature's Palette: A Symphony of Love."

The imagineIF competition kicked off with an invitation to Indian citizens over 18 to submit their best smartphone photos across nine categories: Landscape, Portrait, Colours, Unfading Moment, Fashion, Snapshot, Light, Travel, and Collection. From these 34,000+ nominations, 50 entries were shortlisted for Round 2, where participants showcased their skills using OPPO's flagship Find X7 Ultra device.

Entries were evaluated by 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.

The imagineIF Photography Awards 2024 has set a new benchmark in mobile photography competitions, and OPPO India looks forward to continuing its tradition of celebrating creativity and storytelling.