Photography is about seeing the extraordinary in ordinary and OPPO brings that vision

If you were asked to choose the best photograph from more than 23,000 entries, what would make your final pick—a striking composition, a powerful emotion, a unique perspective, or a story that stays with you?

That was the challenge faced by the judging panel of the OPPO Photography Contest 2026, as four acclaimed photographers and visual storytellers evaluated thousands of photographs submitted from across Bangladesh. And with each judge bringing a different perspective to what makes a photograph memorable, the question of which image deserves to rise above the rest became even more intriguing.

Launched as part of OPPO’s World Photography Day celebration under the theme “Every Photo Tells a Story,” the contest invited photography enthusiasts to capture the world around them using their smartphones. The OPPO Reno15 Series 5G Presents OPPO Photography Contest 2026, organized in partnership with Pathshala South Asian Media Institute, featured five categories: Portrait; Nature and Wildlife; Street and Architecture; Low Light; and Heritage and Culture.

With such a vast pool of photographs, the judges looked beyond technical perfection. Emotion, originality, perspective, subject, and storytelling all played a role in determining which photographs could leave a lasting impression.

For Khandaker Tanvir Murad, Associate Professor and Head of the Photography Department at Pathshala, the deciding factor goes beyond simply capturing something visually appealing. “Photography is about seeing the extraordinary in ordinary moments and OPPO helps bring that vision to life,” he said. His perspective highlights how an everyday scene can become remarkable when viewed through the right creative lens—making the photographer’s ability to see differently just as important as the technical execution.

For documentary photographer Shafiqul Alam Kiron, who brings more than 25 years of experience to the field, including internationally recognized work documenting acid survivors, the strongest photographs are those that communicate something deeper. “With OPPO, photography is not just about capturing a moment; it is about capturing the emotion behind it,” he said. Kiron also described smartphones as a “Third Eye” for today’s photographers—an accessible creative tool that allows them to interpret and express the world through their own perspectives. The diversity of the submissions, he observed, reflected the growing creativity and confidence of young Bangladeshi photographers.

Meanwhile, award-winning documentary photographer and photojournalist K M Asad found the sheer scale and quality of the entries made the selection process particularly demanding. Drawing on his experience documenting humanitarian, environmental, and social issues, he assessed photographs through the combined lenses of subject, perspective, technical execution, and storytelling. “OPPO gives photography a new perspective, turning everyday moments into stories worth remembering,” he noted.

With compelling submissions across all five categories, the challenge was not simply finding technically strong photographs, but identifying those capable of making viewers stop, look, and connect with the story within the frame.

For Rajoyana Chowdhury Xenia, the diversity of the entries reinforced one of photography’s most powerful qualities: the ability to show the same world in completely different ways. “The beauty of photography lies in how we see the world, and OPPO gives us the tools to express that vision,” she said. From intimate portraits and fleeting street moments to wildlife, heritage, architecture, and challenging low-light scenes, the submissions demonstrated how a familiar subject can become an entirely different story depending on who is behind the lens. Together, the judges’ perspectives reveal that there may be no single formula for the “perfect” photograph. One image may win through emotion, another through originality, while another may stand out simply because it makes the viewer see an ordinary moment differently.

And that is what makes the final selection particularly compelling: when more than 23,000 photographers’ perspectives meet four judges’ distinct visions, the top photograph ultimately becomes the one that everyone remembers.

Beyond recognizing photographic talent, the contest also aims to help emerging visual storytellers develop their craft. The Grand Winner will receive BDT 100,000, an OPPO flagship smartphone, and a photography course from Pathshala South Asian Media Institute. The Elite Winner will receive BDT 50,000, an OPPO smartphone, and a Pathshala photography course, while the Master Winner will receive BDT 30,000, an OPPO smartphone, and a Pathshala photography course. Each Category Winner will receive BDT 20,000, an OPPO smartphone, and a Pathshala photography course.

Beyond recognizing photographic talent, the contest also aims to help emerging visual storytellers develop their craft. The Grand Winner of the contest received BDT 100,000, an OPPO flagship smartphone, and a photography course from Pathshala South Asian Media Institute. The Elite Winner received BDT 50,000, an OPPO smartphone, and a Pathshala photography course, while the Master Winner received BDT 30,000, an OPPO smartphone, and a Pathshala photography course. Each Category Winner received BDT 20,000, an OPPO smartphone, and a Pathshala photography course.

Through its partnership with Pathshala, the contest brings together smartphone technology, professional photography expertise, and creative expression—reflecting OPPO’s commitment to making advanced photography tools more accessible to emerging visual storytellers across Bangladesh.