Free-to-use mobile app Agora launched the #StayHome photo competition as a way to inspire photographers to keep being creative from home and document the unprecedented situation in their home countries. As a result, 15,697 photos have been participating from all corners of the planet. The 50 finalist photos will be submitted to the vote of Agora's global community in order to pick the winning image which will be awarded $1,000.
For the first time in history, the whole world is united against a common enemy: fighting COVID-19 from home. Over the past couple of months, more than 95 countries have imposed quarantine measures to protect their population from the global pandemic. Although the stay-at-home restrictions may have changed our routine by isolating us from our loved ones, the unprecedented global efforts to fight the coronavirus from home have proved themselves successful in slowing the spread.
Agora launched the #StayHome photo competition through its free-to-use mobile app on March 19th, inviting photographers from all over the world to share their unique points of view on the situation and maintain their photography habits during isolation, in order to inspire and encourage others to stay positive and move forward.
In total, 15,697 photos have been submitted to the #StayHome contest. This press release will list the 50 finalist photos as well as their inspiring stories. Now that the finalists have been revealed, the power is now in the global community's hands to cast their votes and decide which photo struck them the most and therefore should win the #StayHome competition.
The #StayHome winning photo will be revealed on Wednesday 27th May and will win the top prize of $1,000. The results will be revealed through the app but also via Agora's Instagram page.
Octavi Royo, Agora's CEO and Co-Founder said: "I’d like to thank the thousands of photographers who have participated in #StayHome to give their point of view on the confinement and to share a message of hope to Humanity through their photographs. While we are all enduring similar circumstances, these photos demonstrate that each home is different and each point of view is unique. Together we are stronger."
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#1 Wash Clothes

Location: Dandora, Nairobi, Kenya
"During this quarantine period, the family bond should grow, the emotions should flow within to strengthen the relationships at home."
@spartanphotography254 (Kenya)
101points
#2 Quédate En Tu Casa

Location: Uruguay
"I photographed this picture while documenting our quarantine at home. My daughter was playing her guitar peacefully, and I really loved the moment."
@moniru (Uruguay)
86points
#3 Spacemen

Location: Yoshkar-Olá, Russia
"Stay home and stay creative! This quarantine has been a great opportunity to have fun with the kids at home."
@katerinazefirova (Russia)
84points
#4 Survive Through The Epidemic In Poverty

Location: Akoka, Lagos
"A lot of people in our society are living in abject poverty. This lockdown made the situation even worse. The repercussions of COVID-19 could yet be more deadly than the virus itself."
@smazzi (Nigeria)
77points
#5 Singing On The Roof

Location: Barcelona, Spain
"Every day we climb to our roof to sing songs of hope and happiness to our neighbors, but also to pay tribute to all the doctors, nurses, and volunteers fighting this global pandemic. We love to share the good vibes from our home! It makes the confinement more bearable. Stay home, stay safe."
@lepetitmutant (Spain)
74points
#6 Quarantine Haircut

Location: Edmond, Oklahoma, USA
"My son was long past due for a haircut and he was so very excited to have it cut by his dad. He begged me to photograph the experience as it felt to him to be rare and he wanted to capture it forever."
@kytawillets (USA)
68points
#7 The Best Place Is Home

Location: Cape Coast, Ghana
"My friend is a top security staff who volunteered his free time to enforce law and order during the pandemic. He's widely respected among our community. I'm glad I caught this expression in his eyes which communicated exactly what I wanted. He was prepared to send a message out there."
@thedallasexperience (Ghana)
66points
#8 Stay Home, Stay Safe, Stay Healthy

Location: Pekanbaru, Riau, Indonesia
"I took this photo when my wife was teaching my daughter how to wash her hands. This photo tells how important it is to maintain cleanliness in order to preserve good health. Washing your hands is a very simple gesture, yet it can save lives."
@el_one (Indonesia)
65points
#9 Sewing Masks

Location: Mataram, Indonesia
"Tailors around the country are answering the need for more masks to fight the COVID-19 global pandemic."
@omchandra (Indonesia)
61points
#10 Enjoy The Safari At Home

Location: Modena, Italy
"The photo is obviously a joke, although it took me a whole Sunday afternoon to get it right. I wanted to represent what I really miss the most in this quarantine period: the travels. I love to travel, especially to explore nature and to meet local people. To admire. To learn. To take photos."
@superiaia (Italy)
60points
#11 Never Enough Of My Favorite Toys

Location: Köln, Germany
"Toilet paper is an everyday item and is a very popular toy for my two cats. When the corona pandemic broke out, a lot of people rushed to buy toilet paper. Soon enough you couldn't get any more in the shops. I found the whole thing so absurd that it inspired me to take this photo. So far I can not understand why people think of toilet paper first in such a difficult time. This behavior is just anti-social. The photo may seem very funny to some, but it is meant ironically to stimulate thought. The photoshoot was of course very funny for my cat. He didn't want to stop playing."
@a.rosenthal (Germany)
58points
#12 Stay Home

Location: Barcelona, Spain
"Here's what confinement looks like in my house: a lot of books to keep your mind busy, and some coffee to warm your soul."
@oscar_penelo (Spain)
58points
#13 Let's Build A House And Watch Movies

Location: Tegucigalpa, Honduras
"My three kids were eager to do something different on that day, as we'd been a month into the quarantine already. We started to play with the furniture in the living room, and my kids had the idea to build a small house from where they would watch movies the whole afternoon. I picked up my camera and started shooting while my kids took turns playing in the house they had built. My daughter felt safe, relaxed, and protected to be at home with her family. Many people are going through a very bad time because of the COVID-19 virus, I just hope and wish that every child, in Honduras and in the world, could feel safe, relax, and protected just like my daughter felt and looked at that moment."
@joalze23 (Honduras)
56points
#14 Los Más Vulnerables De Esta Enfermedad A La Vez Son Los Más Pobres De La Población

Location: Valparaíso, Chile
"Despite the fact that the Chilean government ordered its population to stay home, many elderly people take the risk to go to work in order to survive in a system that has abandoned them. I want to transmit helplessness, loneliness, fragility in this photo."
@rizada.fer (Chile)
54points
#15 Supreme Bond

Location: Gujrat, Pakistan
"I took this picture at home, after my morning prayer. I was thinking about what's happening right now in the world; I live in a country where medical facilities aren't strong enough. What if we get caught into this situation and can't get out of it? It's the right time to find hope in your prayers."
@asimijaz (Pakistan)
53points
#16 Reto De Un Foto Al Día

Location: Barcelona, Spain
"I challenged myself to take a picture every day during the lockdown, and I realized my neighbors are an important part of my life now. I’m doing this quarantine alone and I celebrated my birthday with them, so I wanted to make them part of my challenge."
@claror (Spain)
51points
#17 Se Puede Viajar Desde Casa

Location: Madrid, Spain
"My goal was to convey the possibility of traveling with your mind through literature, despite being confined at home."
@cristianbustosriera (Spain)
51points
#18 My Father

Location: Albrecht, Germany
"My father is 79 years old. He's usually a very active person. Being at higher risk left him no choice, just like other people from his generation: staying home is the way forward right now."
@wunderbilder (Germany)
49points
#19 Little Chef

Location: Odintsovo, Russia
"What better way to kill time during self-quarantine than cooking with your family?"
@kateomely (Russia)
48points
#20 Making Face Masks At Home

Location: New York City, USA
"I took this photo while making face masks for my family and friends to stay safe in this crisis."
@nodar (Georgia)
47points


