- Agora, a free photography app, has revealed the top 50 finalists of its Love 2020 contest.
- More than 11,000 photos were submitted in the hopes of winning the $1,000 prize on February 18.
- Each image is meant to show what love means to the photographers through their camera lenses.
- Votes can be cast now by anyone who downloads the Agora app.
- Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Agora’s latest photo contest celebrates different kinds of love around the world.
The free photography app began the Love 2020 contest in January, encouraging photographers to capture what love means to them through their camera lenses. After more than 11,000 photos were submitted, Agora has narrowed the competition down to 50 images.
Here’s a look at some of the most heartwarming photos of love.
“A seat for two with a view please” by Luca Cornago
Cornago captured this shot of himself and his wife sitting by Lake Como in Bugiallo, Italy, during a sunset.
"It was a very cold day and there was also a lot of wind," Cornago told Agora. "This photo brings back a sweet memory and makes me think of how important love is."
"A wonderful moment never gets old" by Big Bounyalith
In Sydney, Australia, Bounyalith photographed a couple walking around what appears to be a nighttime carnival.
"Bananas love" by Febriansyah Tri Wibowo
Speaking to Agora, Tri Wibowo said the subject of their photograph is a mom who sells bananas at a market in Kendari, Indonesia, to provide for her children.
"It must be quite hard to take care of children while working at the same time, but she does it with a lot of love and patience," Tri Wibowo said.
"Birds kiss" by Dikye Ariani
"It is true what they say: love is all around us," Ariani told Agora about the two green birds she photographed in Jakarta, Indonesia.
"Brothers" by Kallyan Kundu
Kundu used a black-and-white technique to photograph a child carrying his brother through Khulna, Bangladesh.
"Cat lady" by Austin Wu
Wu's nominated image was taken at Inle Lake in Myanmar.
"I was visiting the monastery nearby when we stumbled upon the cutest stray kitten," Wu told Agora. "My cat-lover girlfriend couldn't resist but adopting it and bringing it back home with us!"
"Deltebre" by Jonatan Rius
This daring image, taken by Rius in Bali, Indonesia, shows a couple kissing as they share a swing.
"Love is all about enjoying your surroundings with the person you care about," Rius told Agora.
"Dogs" by Anne
In Düsseldorf, Germany, a photographer named Anne captured her two Australian shepherds as they embraced.
"These two are best friends who always go paw-in-paw," she told Agora.
"Falling in love" by Swann Lynn Htet
Lynn Htet took his nominated photo at the Ngwe Saung beach in Myanmar. It shows the silhouettes of a couple as they hold hands during a sunset, with the sun visible through their arms.
"Family love" by Adeel Chishti
Speaking to Agora, Chishti said his photograph shows both "the pure essence of love between three sisters," as well as their elders taking "great responsibility and pride in educating the youngsters."
The image was taken in Kasur, Pakistan.
"Family love" by Yoann Goulard
Goulard photographed two children as they blew out candles on a birthday cake in Saulce-sur-Rhône, France.
"Family time" by Alex Clifford
Clifford's black-and-white photograph was taken on the island of Jersey, UK. The image shows an infant, held in a woman's arms, who wraps their hands around a different adult's finger.
"Glory of love" by Barce Rumkabu
Rumkabu's shot shows two people holding hands amid a colorful landscape. The image was taken in Papua, Indonesia.
"Golden love" by Emmanue Quaye
Taken in Accra, Ghana, Quaye's photograph shows two people embracing as the sun sets behind them.
"Father love" by Jordi Sark
In Barcelona, Spain, Sark photographed a father hugging his daugther in black-and-white.
"Happy With You" by @eightman
A photographer who goes by @eightman online captured a couple as they looked lovingly at one another.
"I had to stand up on a chair and shoot the photo from above without knowing if I captured it well or not," the photographer told Agora. "All I knew is I had the vision, and expected it to look that way. And it did."
"Innocent smile" by Myat Zaw Hein
Zaw Hein took his nominated photograph while visiting the Kyaukse Township in Myanmar.
"When I visited the primary school, I saw these two school girls laughing and having a sweet friendship moment," Zaw Hein told Agora. "Feeling the love from a friend is very important at this age."
"Just you and the sound of waves" by Olivier de Lécluse
According to Lécluse, his image shows "two lovers enjoying the view from the blue chairs located in Nice's world-famous avenue Promenade des Anglais."
"If I win the contest, I will get a surprise gift for my wife to celebrate our 20 years of love later this month," the photographer told Agora.
"Kiss" by Dedy Dhamiyanto
"I was lucky enough to photograph my cousin's wedding," Dhamiyanto told Agora. "The way they were looking at each other was very moving - I'm glad I captured this moment on camera."
Dhamiyanto took the image in the Central Java province of Indonesia.
"Love beneath" by Dominik Brebrić
Brebrić's nominated photo actually shows himself and his girlfriend as they explored "a beautiful cove" in Ugljan, Croatia.
"Through this photo, I wanted to transmit the emotion of togetherness, even in the depth of the sea, knowing that we are not alone as the red starfish is under us to tell us that we are also part of this big lovable planet," the photographer told Agora.
"Love bite" by Pranab Basak
There's a heartwarming story behind Basak's portrait, which was taken in West Bengal, India.
"During the summer storm season in the rural area of Bengal, parakeet nests often get destroyed," Basak told Agora. "This baby bird got rescued by this rural kid, who takes care of it with so much love and kindness."
"Love is all you need" by Ksenia Zaiets
Zaiets told Agora that seagulls cawed and waves crashed as she took this photo in Peniche, Portugal.
"This photo shows how strong love can be between two people," the photographer said. "Despite the fact that there is a storm, one thing remains unchanged - lovers hold each other tightly by the hand. Love always wins."
"Love is everywhere" by Dan Florit Ametller
Florit Ametller took this photo in Menorca, Spain. It shows a man embracing a woman dressed as a mermaid while underwater.
"Love is love" by Robin de Clerck
This nominated photograph, which shows two women kissing, was taken in Wijk bin Duurstede, Netherlands.
"Love my two children" by Bobi Nardi
"Labuan Bajo is a small village in Eastern Indonesia where most of its residents get their income from fishing," Nardi told Agora. "In this photo, the mother was telling traditional tales to her kids."
"Love on a clifftop" by Carl Brightman
Brightman took this image in the Dorset county of England. He told Agora that he had been positioning his drone and "waiting for the light to change" when a couple "walked into the shot."
"I wanted to convey the joy of such a great view and place, being able to share this special moment with a loved one," Brightman said.
"Love story" by Andy Lam
Lam found this couple sitting on a bike underneath a tree in Tây Ninh, Vietnam while walking around on the first day of the 2020 Lunar New Year.
"The emotion I want to transmit in this photo is the beauty of teenage love - when you fall in love for the first time and feel this special vibration in your heart," Lam told Agora. "This feeling is one of the most beautiful in our entire lives, that we will never forget. We should love more every day to make our lives happier and meaningful."
"Love" by A. Rosenthal
A. Rosenthal found her photography subjects at the Cologne Zoo in Germany. Speaking to Agora, she said she found the moment between orangutans to be "very moving."
"The mother kept drawing the infant close to herself, taking care of it with all her love," she said. "The little one was very playful and just like us, humans, it tried to free itself from the clasp of its mother again and again to explore the world alone."
"I am convinced of this monkey mother's deep love for her child," Rosenthal continued. "Just as I love my child, she loves hers. For me, there is no greater feeling, no more beautiful and pure way to love than that of the parents to their children."
"Love" by Nika Pailodze
Pailodze's photo shows a couple sitting in a dark room as light pours in from stained-glass windows, surrounding them with color. It was taken in Tbilisi, Georgia.
"Love" by Òscar Penelo
Photographed in Spain's La Fageda d'en Jordà forest, Penelo's image shows a woman holding a child in the air.
"Love" by Tatyana Aleinik
Aleinik's nominated image features a couple as they face each other in Irkutsk, Russia.
"Lovers Bridge" by Lee Mumford
Speaking to Agora, Mumford said he photographed this couple under the Bishops Bridge in the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona, Spain. He had originally planned to capture shadows as people walked through the alley, but ended up encountering a couple having their own photo shoot in the same spot.
"Instead of giving up, I took the opportunity to photograph something unique," the photographer said. "Luckily the couple didn't mind at all. Love is all around us if you know where to look!"
"Mom and son love" by Huy Đằng Phạm
Đằng Phạm took this black-and-white image in Kon Tum Province, Vietnam, shortly after this child's bath.
"I was very moved by the way they were staring at each other," the photographer told Agora. "If I get to win the $1,000, I will use it to fund a photo-book project about ethnic groups in Vietnam so that future generations shall never forget about traditions."
"Mother love" by Jevgenijs Scolokovs
Scolokovs photographed his wife and newborn son to show that a mother's love is "the strongest link that brings humans together," according to Agora.
"Mother's love" by Mohammad Hedayet Sarker
"They were enjoying the view from the window with absolute joy, playing and laughing together in their very own bubble," Sarker told Agora about the woman and child seen in his photograph.
"Romantic morning" by Muhammad Jabir
Jabir found this picturesque spot in Bali, Indonesia, which he described to Agora as "one of the most beautiful places for a holiday."
"Rome, the city of Love" by Maky & Matt
As the photo's name suggests, Maky & Matt captured this shot in Rome, Italy.
"Rome can be a pretty busy place, but we managed to get its main tourist attraction just for ourselves simply by getting up early," they told Agora. "Rome is the city of love for us. It's such a romantic city where you can't help but dance with your significant other, give them a rose, and hold their hands."
"The Kiss" by Anskar Lenzen
Like some other nominated images, Lenzen's photograph focuses on love shared between wildlife. He captured the brown fur seals "kissing" in Namibia.
"The love of brothers" by Rynessa
While working on a ranch to photograph horses, Rynessa came across two children.
"They were spending all their time together, but as brothers, they also fought and hugged each other," the photographer told Agora. "The way they expressed their love to each other was so pure and innocent. If I win, I would split the $1,000 prize with these two and use my part to pay for my school tuition."
"The purest love and protection" by Zeb Un Nisa
Photographed in black and white, Un Nisa captured a person holding an infant's feet in the palms of their hands. The photo was taken in Kasur, Pakistan.
"The strong bond" by Asim Ljaz
In Gujrat, Pakistan, Ljaz photographed a child "seeing her aunty for the first time in months."
"I just came out of my car and heard her shouting for her aunty, then she just ran towards her for hugs and kisses," Ljaz told Agora. "It was a magical moment of pure love. Aunties have a very special place in kids' hearts."
"To love" by F. Dilek Uyar
Dilek Uyar told Agora that this photograph was taken to show how you can "get rid of all the chaos that surrounds you" by focusing on the "special feeling" of love.
"Time stops and everything else loses its importance," the photographer said. "It was so hard to take this photo because goats don't really abide by photographers when it comes to striking a pose."
"Two en route" by Ainura Niyazova
According to Niyazova, this shot of an Italian couple was taken "secretly" in Kazakhstan. She told Agora that she "couldn't afford to miss such a shot."
And if the image wins the Love 2020 contest, the photographer plans to spend the money on a "good full-frame camera," which she says has been her dream purchase for years.
"Two lovebirds in a rainbow" by Florian Brioude
Upon first glance, this image appears to show people walking down colorful stairs in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. By taking a closer look, however, you'll realize that Brioude actually captured a couple kissing across one of the handrails.
"Ulos" by Korchnoi Pasaribu
To capture this shot, Pasaribu visited an area known for its handwoven textiles, according to Agora.
"The craftswoman's grandson hugged her from behind, and she welcomed him with a happy smile," he said. "This is what true love looks [like] to me."
"Wedding date" by Sam Seguso
Seguso's shot is the only wedding-related image to make it as a finalist in Agora's Love 2020 contest. The picture was taken in Venice, Italy.
"Wholeheartedly" by Jayesh Vijuda
"It started raining as I was heading home," Vijuda told Agora. "At that moment, I spotted a mother and her child trying to stay dry under a plastic blanket. They warmed my heart."
Vijuda captured the moment while in North Sumatra, Indonesia.
"Woman and dog at home" by Eva Blanco
Blanco's nominated image features his friend Alba and her golden retriever.
"A dog is part of the family, and everyone who has a pet knows this feeling," he said about the photo.
"You know nothing" by Kirill Golovan
Golovan's image was inspired by Jon Snow and Ygritte's relationship on "Game of Thrones."