Progress is a global company with most employees working remotely this year due to COVID-19. Because we were feeling a bit separated from each other and missed that “Progress Proud” mentality in the office, we decided to host our photography contest, titled the Progress Click ’n’ Shoot Challenge.
With nearly 1,700 submissions for six categories, and close to 500 votes, the contest turned out to be a huge success. Below, we’d like to introduce you to the winners of each category. 😊
Abstract/Artsy Category Winner: Droplet by Avinash Raghuthu
This photo was taken on an island in Thailand. For the unique shot, Avinash used a lensball, which is a glass ball that captures the scene directly behind it, just upside down.
Avinash is a skilled photographer, also winning in our People category.
People Category Winner: Contemplation by Avinash Raghuthu
This photo was taken on the banks of river Ganga in Varanasi, one of the oldest cities in the world, and one of the holiest in India. Avinash timed the shot perfectly, waking up early in the morning to get the right light for the photo along with a flock of birds in flight.
Avinash Raghuthu is a senior software engineer at Progress and based in Bengaluru, India. His work was also featured in our first Progress’ Got Talent Show. Follow him on Instagram to check out more of his photography.
Action Category Winner: Flaming Swords by Dustin Grau
Dustin took this photo on the evening of a lantern parade during an art festival in Georgia, U.S. The program featured several Chinese themes, including a “Dragon Dance” and a fire artist with the enchanting routine captured above.
Dustin is a principal software engineer at Progress based in Alpharetta, Georgia, and he takes his photography as seriously as any professional. Check out his site here to learn more about him and his work or follow him on Instagram.
Architecture Category Winner: The Monastery of Varlaam at Sunrise by Boris Georgiev
Boris was on a photography trip in Greece visiting the Meteora Monastery Complex when he took this photo. There are six monasteries, and the one captured, “The Monastery of Varlaam,” is the second largest monastery.
Boris also won in our Landscape category.
Landscape Category Winner: Camping with Aurora by Boris Georgiev
Moving on to the Lofoten Islands in Norway, where Boris traveled for 11 days, touring one of the most beautiful and photogenic places in the world. He captured the Northern Lights while camping at Uttakleiv Beach and stared at the lights for at least 15 minutes before even moving to take a photo.
Boris is a principal software engineer at Progress based in Sofia, Bulgaria, and when he’s not working, you can find him traveling or taking photos. Boris decided to pursue photography, and has picked up several books on the art and even taken a course with one of the best Bulgarian photographers, Ivan Miladinov. While taking Ivan’s class, Boris met a lot of great people and they now travel the world together.
Check out some of his photos here.
Famous Re-creations Winner: Lady Lost in Thought Re-creation by Santhoshi Penagalur
Santhoshi’s re-creation was inspired by the famous painting “Lady Lost in Thought” from Raja Ravi Varma, one of the greatest painters in the history of Indian arts. Learn more about Raja here. To recreate the painting, Santhoshi used a 45-year-old Mysore silk saree that belonged to her grandmother.
Santhoshi is an IT software engineer at Progress, based in Hyderabad, India, with a true passion for her field. With multiple certifications in Salesforce and certified in Oracle Java SE 6, and a degree from the Vardhaman College of Engineering, Santhoshi is well on her way to being a force in the developer community.
There were so many amazing photos submitted from employees worldwide; who knew we had a bunch of creative artists in our midst? It was a challenging task to identify these top six winners of the Progress Click ’n’ Shoot Challenge, but we would do it all over again. It’s nice to catch a glimpse into our colleagues’ lives outside of work and we’re thrilled we can share their talent outside of Progress.
Danielle Sutherby
Danielle Sutherby is a marketing communications manager at Progress, where she supports Progress’ employer brand efforts, raises awareness of the company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) and inclusion and diversity (I&D) efforts, assists in PR activities, and strategizes employee engagement activities worldwide. Danielle is also the co-founder of the first employee resource group at Progress, Progress for Her, which aims to empower women at the company by providing leadership and networking opportunities. When she is not at work, you can find her writing, reading, or acting like a tourist in her own city.