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A global photography competition has challenged people to capture the “essence of love” in a single image ahead of Valentine’s Day.
Almost 12,000 people submitted entries to the #Love2020 contest, which is organised by mobile app Agora.
The prompt was to show what love means to them.
Now, 50 finalists have been chosen, and the shortlist features a range of photographs of couples, animals and children sharing adorable and intimate moments.
One of the most striking snaps features two Australian shepherd dogs hugging one another in a wooded area in Düsseldorf, Germany.
Photographer @Mondscheinfotografie said the two pets simply embraced right in front of them.
“My two Australian shepherds happily struck the pose for me!” they said. “These two are best friends who always go paw-in-paw.”
Another image features a mother holding her child under a blanket in the middle of a rainstorm on Samosir Island, North Sumatera, Indonesia.
Created with Sketch.
Created with Sketch.
1/50 'Love bite' by @pranab_basak
'During the summer storm season in the rural area of Bengal, parakeet nests often get destroyed. This parakeet baby bird got rescued by this rural kid who takes care of it with so much love and kindness.' Location: Majhdia, West Bengal, India.
Agora / SWNS.com
2/50 'Ulos' by @georock888
'I visited the area which is quite famous for its Ulos handwoven textile fabrics. The craftswoman's grandson hugged her from behind, and she welcomed him with a happy smile.' Location: Samosir Island, North Sumatera, Indonesia.
Agora / SWNS.com
3/50 'Dogs' by @Mondscheinfotografie
'My two Australian shepherds happily struck the pose for me! These two are best friends who always go paw-in-paw.' Location: Düsseldorf, Germany.
Agora / SWNS.com
4/50 'Deltebre' by @pinapli
'Two lovers on a high swing'. Location: Bali, Indonesia.
Agora / SWNS.com
5/50 'Love is all you need' by @ksenia_zaiets
If the photo could emit sounds, then one could hear how the seagulls screamed beautifully on the ocean and with a crash, the waves broke on the shore. This photo shows how strong love can be between two people.' Location: Peniche, Portugal.
Agora / SWNS.com
6/50 'Family love' by @adeelchishti
'Sisterhood at its fullest: the pure essence of love between 3 sisters. The elder ones take great responsibility and pride in educating the youngsters.' Location: Kasur City Punjab, Pakistan.
Agora / SWNS.com
7/50 'A seat for two with a view please' by @lucacornago
'Just my wife and I enjoying a colorful, relaxing sunset. It was a very cold day and there was also a lot of wind. This photo brings back a sweet memory and makes me think of how important love is.' Location: Lake Como, Bugiallo, Italy
Agora / SWNS.com
8/50 'Innocent smile' by @myatzawhein
When I visited the primary school, I saw these two school girls laughing and having a sweet friendship moment. Feeling the love from a friend is very important at this age.' Location: Kyaukse Township, Myanmar.
Agora / SWNS.com
9/50 'Cat lady' by @nyinchan212
'I was visiting the monastery nearby when we stumbled upon the cutest stray kitten. My cat-lover girlfriend couldn't resist but adopting it and bringing it back home with us!' Location: Inle Lake, Myanmar.
Agora / SWNS.com
10/50 'Just you and the sound of waves' by @photolivestudio
.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!' Location: Nice, France.
Agora / SWNS.com
11/50 'Love my two children' by @bobinardi
'Labuan Bajo is a small village in Eastern Indonesia where most of its residents get their income from fishing. In this photo, the mother was telling traditional tales to her kids.' Location: Labuan Bajo, Indonesia.
Agora / SWNS.com
12/50 'Wholeheartedly' by @jayeshvijuda
'It started raining as I was heading home, at that moment I spotted a mother and her child trying to stay dry under a plastic blanket. They warmed my heart!' Location: Chhotaudaipur, India.
Agora / SWNS.com
13/50 'Love' by @a.rosenthal
'It was a very moving scene for me. The mother kept drawing the infant close to herself, taking care of it with all her love. 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. 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.' Location: Cologne Zoo, Germany.
Agora / SWNS.com
14/50 'Two en route' by @Ainurcy
'Love is like walking a road hand-in-hand with your beloved one! This shot was taken secretly during a travel blogger tour to Eastern Kazakhstan. Simone and Romina, Italian photographers and travel bloggers were posing for another vlogger’s video. I had my camera on hand and couldn’t afford to miss such a shot.' Location: Kazakhstan.
Agora / SWNS.com
15/50 'The strong bond' by @AsimIjaz
'The little angel was 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. It was a magical moment of pure love. Aunties have a very special place in the kids' hearts.' Location: Gujrat, Pakistan.
Agora / SWNS.com
16/50 'Family love' by @bzhyoann
Location: Saulce-sur-Rhône, France.
Agora / SWNS.com
17/50 'Love story' by @andylam
'On the first day of Lunar New Year 2020, I was going around my neighborhood with my beloved camera to capture some special moments when I spotted this beautiful couple. 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.' Location: Tay Ninh City, Vietnam
Agora / SWNS.com
18/50 'Lovers Bridge' by @leemumford
'The famous Bishops Bridge in the Gothic Quarters tends to be used for a variety of photoshoots. I planned this shot a few days prior and my view was to capture locals long shadows as they walked down the alley. After checking the weather and the position of the sun, I jumped at the opportunity when I saw a clear morning.' Location: Barcelona, Spain.
Agora / SWNS.com
19/50 'Old love' by @caokynhan
'I took this picture when I saw my father showering my mother. It was their very emotional moment. My mother had a stroke and hemiplegia so she couldn't take care of herself.' Location: Phu Yen province, Vietnam.
Agora / SWNS.com
20/50 'Kiss' by @asmodalemdedy
'I was lucky enough to photograph my cousin's wedding. The way they were looking at each other was very moving, I'm glad I captured this moment on camera. I was lucky enough to photograph my cousin's wedding. The way they were looking at each other was very moving, I'm glad I captured this moment on camera.'
Agora / SWNS.com
21/50 'Love beneath' by @dominikbrebric
'This picture was taken last summer when my girlfriend and I were exploring a beautiful cove on the island of Ugljan with a friend. 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 loveable planet.' Location: Ugljan, Croatia.
Agora / SWNS.com
22/50 'Rome, the city of Love' by @maky&matt
'Dance like nobody is watching! Rome can be a pretty busy place, but we managed to get its main tourist attraction just for ourselves simply by getting up early. We got to capture a romantic moment of two of us which we will always remember. Rome is the city of love for us. It´s such a romantic city where you can´t help yourself but dance with your significant other, give them rose and hold their hands.' Location: Rome, Italy.
Agora / SWNS.com
23/50 'Woman and dog at home' by @evablanco
'Here's a friend of mine, Alba and her beautiful golden retriever dog. A dog is part of the family, and everyone who has a pet knows this feeling.' Location: Madrid, Spain.
Agora / SWNS.com
24/50 'Love on a clifftop' by @carl_brightman
'I was positioning my drone and waiting for the light to change when the young couple walked into the shot and stood to face the sea, admiring the view. At first, I was setting for a landscape shot, but sometimes the situation or scene changes for the better as does your initial idea.' Location: Dorset, UK.
Agora / SWNS.com
25/50 'Mother love' by @jevgenij
'Mother love is the strongest link that brings humans together. Here are my wife and newborn son enjoying the love they have for each other.' Location: Riga, Lithuania.
Agora / SWNS.com
26/50 'The love of brothers' by @rynessa
'I was working in a ranch to take pictures of my client's horses. His grandchildren were very curious about photography. They were spending all their time together, but as brothers, they also fought and hugged each other. The way they expressed their love to each other was so pure and innocent.' Location: Fresno, USA.
Agora / SWNS.com
27/50 'Mother's love' by @Hedayet1000
'A Bengali mother is traveling by train with her child. They were enjoying the view from the window with absolute joy, playing and laughing together in their very own bubble.' Location: Brahmanbaria, Bangladesh.
Agora / SWNS.com
28/50 'The Kiss' by @anskar
'Two Brown fur seals "kissing" in a crowd of even more seals.' Location: Namibia
Agora / SWNS.com
29/50 'You know nothing' by @Kirill_golovan
'A tribute to Jon Snow and Ygritte' Location: Kharkiv, Ukraine.
Agora / SWNS.com
30/50 'To love' by @fdilekuyar
'When you love someone, you get rid of all the chaos that surrounds you and focus only on that special feeling. Time stops and everything else loses its importance. It was so hard to take this photo because goats don't really abide by photographers when it comes to striking a pose.' Location: KahramanMaras, Turkey.
Agora / SWNS.com
31/50 'Romantic morning' by @muhammadjabir
'Bali Island is one of the most beautiful places for a holiday. I saw many couples taking romantic selfies in this specific spot in front of my hotel room.' Location: Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia.
Agora / SWNS.com
32/50 'Brothers' by @kallayan
Location: Khulna, Bangladesh.
Agora / SWNS.com
33/50 'Birds kiss' by @dikyedarling
Location: Jakarta, Indonesia.
Agora / SWNS.com
34/50 'Happy With You' by @eightman
Location: Aburi Garden, Ghana.
Agora / SWNS.com
35/50 'A wonderful moment never gets old' by @bigbounyalith
Location: Sydney
Agora / SWNS.com
36/50 'Falling in love' by @swannlynnhtet
Location: Ngwe Saung beach
Agora / SWNS.com
37/50 'Family time' by @alexclifford
Location: Jersey, UK
Agora / SWNS.com
38/50 'Love' by @tatyanarafaello
Location: Irkutsk, Russia
Agora / SWNS.com
39/50 'Love' by @oscar_penelo
Location: La Fageda d'en Jordà, Spain.
Agora / SWNS.com
40/50 'Father love' by @jordisark
Location: Barcelona, Spain.
Agora / SWNS.com
41/50 'Glory of love' by @barcerumbaku
Location: Sentani, Papua, Indonesia.
Agora / SWNS.com
42/50 'Love is love' by @cvnsky
Location: Wijk bin Duurstede, Netherlands.
Agora / SWNS.com
43/50 'Love' by @damiane
Location: Tbilisi, Georgia.
Agora / SWNS.com
44/50 'Two lovebirds in a rainbow' by @florianbrioude
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Agora / SWNS.com
45/50 'Mom and son love' by @huydangpham
Location: Kon Tum Province, Vietnam.
Agora / SWNS.com
46/50 'The purest love and protection' by @zebunnisa
Location: Kasur, Pakistan.
Agora / SWNS.com
47/50 'Love is everywhere' by @danflorit
Location: Menorca, Spain.
Agora / SWNS.com
48/50 'Wedding date' by @thecrowface
Location: Venezia, Italy.
Agora / SWNS.com
49/50 'A wonderful moment never gets old' by @bigbounyalith
Location: Sydney, Australia.
Agora / SWNS.com
50/50 'Golden love' by @tripixel21
Agora / SWNS.com
1/50 'Love bite' by @pranab_basak
'During the summer storm season in the rural area of Bengal, parakeet nests often get destroyed. This parakeet baby bird got rescued by this rural kid who takes care of it with so much love and kindness.' Location: Majhdia, West Bengal, India.
Agora / SWNS.com
2/50 'Ulos' by @georock888
'I visited the area which is quite famous for its Ulos handwoven textile fabrics. The craftswoman's grandson hugged her from behind, and she welcomed him with a happy smile.' Location: Samosir Island, North Sumatera, Indonesia.
Agora / SWNS.com
3/50 'Dogs' by @Mondscheinfotografie
'My two Australian shepherds happily struck the pose for me! These two are best friends who always go paw-in-paw.' Location: Düsseldorf, Germany.
Agora / SWNS.com
4/50 'Deltebre' by @pinapli
'Two lovers on a high swing'. Location: Bali, Indonesia.
Agora / SWNS.com
5/50 'Love is all you need' by @ksenia_zaiets
If the photo could emit sounds, then one could hear how the seagulls screamed beautifully on the ocean and with a crash, the waves broke on the shore. This photo shows how strong love can be between two people.' Location: Peniche, Portugal.
Agora / SWNS.com
6/50 'Family love' by @adeelchishti
'Sisterhood at its fullest: the pure essence of love between 3 sisters. The elder ones take great responsibility and pride in educating the youngsters.' Location: Kasur City Punjab, Pakistan.
Agora / SWNS.com
7/50 'A seat for two with a view please' by @lucacornago
'Just my wife and I enjoying a colorful, relaxing sunset. It was a very cold day and there was also a lot of wind. This photo brings back a sweet memory and makes me think of how important love is.' Location: Lake Como, Bugiallo, Italy
Agora / SWNS.com
8/50 'Innocent smile' by @myatzawhein
When I visited the primary school, I saw these two school girls laughing and having a sweet friendship moment. Feeling the love from a friend is very important at this age.' Location: Kyaukse Township, Myanmar.
Agora / SWNS.com
9/50 'Cat lady' by @nyinchan212
'I was visiting the monastery nearby when we stumbled upon the cutest stray kitten. My cat-lover girlfriend couldn't resist but adopting it and bringing it back home with us!' Location: Inle Lake, Myanmar.
Agora / SWNS.com
10/50 'Just you and the sound of waves' by @photolivestudio
.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!' Location: Nice, France.
Agora / SWNS.com
11/50 'Love my two children' by @bobinardi
'Labuan Bajo is a small village in Eastern Indonesia where most of its residents get their income from fishing. In this photo, the mother was telling traditional tales to her kids.' Location: Labuan Bajo, Indonesia.
Agora / SWNS.com
12/50 'Wholeheartedly' by @jayeshvijuda
'It started raining as I was heading home, at that moment I spotted a mother and her child trying to stay dry under a plastic blanket. They warmed my heart!' Location: Chhotaudaipur, India.
Agora / SWNS.com
13/50 'Love' by @a.rosenthal
'It was a very moving scene for me. The mother kept drawing the infant close to herself, taking care of it with all her love. 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. 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.' Location: Cologne Zoo, Germany.
Agora / SWNS.com
14/50 'Two en route' by @Ainurcy
'Love is like walking a road hand-in-hand with your beloved one! This shot was taken secretly during a travel blogger tour to Eastern Kazakhstan. Simone and Romina, Italian photographers and travel bloggers were posing for another vlogger’s video. I had my camera on hand and couldn’t afford to miss such a shot.' Location: Kazakhstan.
Agora / SWNS.com
15/50 'The strong bond' by @AsimIjaz
'The little angel was 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. It was a magical moment of pure love. Aunties have a very special place in the kids' hearts.' Location: Gujrat, Pakistan.
Agora / SWNS.com
16/50 'Family love' by @bzhyoann
Location: Saulce-sur-Rhône, France.
Agora / SWNS.com
17/50 'Love story' by @andylam
'On the first day of Lunar New Year 2020, I was going around my neighborhood with my beloved camera to capture some special moments when I spotted this beautiful couple. 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.' Location: Tay Ninh City, Vietnam
Agora / SWNS.com
18/50 'Lovers Bridge' by @leemumford
'The famous Bishops Bridge in the Gothic Quarters tends to be used for a variety of photoshoots. I planned this shot a few days prior and my view was to capture locals long shadows as they walked down the alley. After checking the weather and the position of the sun, I jumped at the opportunity when I saw a clear morning.' Location: Barcelona, Spain.
Agora / SWNS.com
19/50 'Old love' by @caokynhan
'I took this picture when I saw my father showering my mother. It was their very emotional moment. My mother had a stroke and hemiplegia so she couldn't take care of herself.' Location: Phu Yen province, Vietnam.
Agora / SWNS.com
20/50 'Kiss' by @asmodalemdedy
'I was lucky enough to photograph my cousin's wedding. The way they were looking at each other was very moving, I'm glad I captured this moment on camera. I was lucky enough to photograph my cousin's wedding. The way they were looking at each other was very moving, I'm glad I captured this moment on camera.'
Agora / SWNS.com
21/50 'Love beneath' by @dominikbrebric
'This picture was taken last summer when my girlfriend and I were exploring a beautiful cove on the island of Ugljan with a friend. 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 loveable planet.' Location: Ugljan, Croatia.
Agora / SWNS.com
22/50 'Rome, the city of Love' by @maky&matt
'Dance like nobody is watching! Rome can be a pretty busy place, but we managed to get its main tourist attraction just for ourselves simply by getting up early. We got to capture a romantic moment of two of us which we will always remember. Rome is the city of love for us. It´s such a romantic city where you can´t help yourself but dance with your significant other, give them rose and hold their hands.' Location: Rome, Italy.
Agora / SWNS.com
23/50 'Woman and dog at home' by @evablanco
'Here's a friend of mine, Alba and her beautiful golden retriever dog. A dog is part of the family, and everyone who has a pet knows this feeling.' Location: Madrid, Spain.
Agora / SWNS.com
24/50 'Love on a clifftop' by @carl_brightman
'I was positioning my drone and waiting for the light to change when the young couple walked into the shot and stood to face the sea, admiring the view. At first, I was setting for a landscape shot, but sometimes the situation or scene changes for the better as does your initial idea.' Location: Dorset, UK.
Agora / SWNS.com
25/50 'Mother love' by @jevgenij
'Mother love is the strongest link that brings humans together. Here are my wife and newborn son enjoying the love they have for each other.' Location: Riga, Lithuania.
Agora / SWNS.com
26/50 'The love of brothers' by @rynessa
'I was working in a ranch to take pictures of my client's horses. His grandchildren were very curious about photography. They were spending all their time together, but as brothers, they also fought and hugged each other. The way they expressed their love to each other was so pure and innocent.' Location: Fresno, USA.
Agora / SWNS.com
27/50 'Mother's love' by @Hedayet1000
'A Bengali mother is traveling by train with her child. They were enjoying the view from the window with absolute joy, playing and laughing together in their very own bubble.' Location: Brahmanbaria, Bangladesh.
Agora / SWNS.com
28/50 'The Kiss' by @anskar
'Two Brown fur seals "kissing" in a crowd of even more seals.' Location: Namibia
Agora / SWNS.com
29/50 'You know nothing' by @Kirill_golovan
'A tribute to Jon Snow and Ygritte' Location: Kharkiv, Ukraine.
Agora / SWNS.com
30/50 'To love' by @fdilekuyar
'When you love someone, you get rid of all the chaos that surrounds you and focus only on that special feeling. Time stops and everything else loses its importance. It was so hard to take this photo because goats don't really abide by photographers when it comes to striking a pose.' Location: KahramanMaras, Turkey.
Agora / SWNS.com
31/50 'Romantic morning' by @muhammadjabir
'Bali Island is one of the most beautiful places for a holiday. I saw many couples taking romantic selfies in this specific spot in front of my hotel room.' Location: Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia.
Agora / SWNS.com
32/50 'Brothers' by @kallayan
Location: Khulna, Bangladesh.
Agora / SWNS.com
33/50 'Birds kiss' by @dikyedarling
Location: Jakarta, Indonesia.
Agora / SWNS.com
34/50 'Happy With You' by @eightman
Location: Aburi Garden, Ghana.
Agora / SWNS.com
35/50 'A wonderful moment never gets old' by @bigbounyalith
Location: Sydney
Agora / SWNS.com
36/50 'Falling in love' by @swannlynnhtet
Location: Ngwe Saung beach
Agora / SWNS.com
37/50 'Family time' by @alexclifford
Location: Jersey, UK
Agora / SWNS.com
38/50 'Love' by @tatyanarafaello
Location: Irkutsk, Russia
Agora / SWNS.com
39/50 'Love' by @oscar_penelo
Location: La Fageda d'en Jordà, Spain.
Agora / SWNS.com
40/50 'Father love' by @jordisark
Location: Barcelona, Spain.
Agora / SWNS.com
41/50 'Glory of love' by @barcerumbaku
Location: Sentani, Papua, Indonesia.
Agora / SWNS.com
42/50 'Love is love' by @cvnsky
Location: Wijk bin Duurstede, Netherlands.
Agora / SWNS.com
43/50 'Love' by @damiane
Location: Tbilisi, Georgia.
Agora / SWNS.com
44/50 'Two lovebirds in a rainbow' by @florianbrioude
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Agora / SWNS.com
45/50 'Mom and son love' by @huydangpham
Location: Kon Tum Province, Vietnam.
Agora / SWNS.com
46/50 'The purest love and protection' by @zebunnisa
Location: Kasur, Pakistan.
Agora / SWNS.com
47/50 'Love is everywhere' by @danflorit
Location: Menorca, Spain.
Agora / SWNS.com
48/50 'Wedding date' by @thecrowface
Location: Venezia, Italy.
Agora / SWNS.com
49/50 'A wonderful moment never gets old' by @bigbounyalith
Location: Sydney, Australia.
Agora / SWNS.com
50/50 'Golden love' by @tripixel21
Agora / SWNS.com
”It started raining as I was heading home,” said photographer @jayeshvijuda. “At that moment I spotted a mother and her child trying to stay dry under a plastic blanket. They warmed my heart!”
The #Love2020 competition is now open to public voting. The winner will receive a cash prize of $25,000 (£19,100).
The winner will be revealed on 18 February.