It’s home, sweet home

There’s no place like home, and for two inspired photographers their favourite images captured the hearts of competition judges keen to develop the subject.

Amit Ajay Kumar focused on a Pakistani expat phoning home from Bahrain and Bujoi Dela Cruz entered a super shot of a family gathering in the Philippines.

Their efforts won them prizes from Nonoo Exchange, the money exchange company, who set up an on-line contest entitled ‘my love, my country’ on the social networking site Facebook which attracted 300 entries.

Amit Ajay Kumar, left, a marketing and sales executive for ONLB Designs, from Adliya, uploaded a picture of a man sitting near the marina speaking to his family back home. It attracted more than 1,400 Facebook ‘likes’ and as a result he picked up the first prize of an HTC Wildfire S smartphone.

The 25-year-old said: “Photography is my passion and this was the first competition I had ever enterered. The picture was taken at the Muharraq sea front. It was a random shot but in my opinion well-suited to the theme.”

Amit used a Canon EOS 500D camera to capture the image and is now planning to treat himself to a professional Nikon D7000 next month. He has set up his own webpage featuring his work on www.facebook.com/amitajayphotography.

While he stole the hearts of visitors with the people’s choice award, Nonoo’s judges declared Bujoi Dela Cruz, below, a front desk officer from Hoora, as a winner too for her photograph of her nieces and nephews enjoying a swim weekend in the Philippines.

The Filipino expat, who used a Nikon D5100 for her shot, received a prize hamper filled with goodies.

She said: “I love photography but I’m usually posing for the camera!

‘I chose to post my family as I love this picture ... and them.”