Coimbatore : Dr.Thomas Rajan of USA won the first prize in the 8th Edition of Dr Jayavarthanavelu Memorial Photography Contest 2019, organised by LMW, a leading machinery manufacturer.

Rajan won the prize for his ‘Fishing Gannetts’ photography, and Natan Vishwanath Khanolkar of India won the second prize for his ‘Royal Legacy.’

The annual International competitive event is held to identify, recognise and honour talent in photography and was instituted in memory of LMW past Chairman and Managing Director, Dr Jayavarthanavelu, and to celebrate his immense passion for photography..

The event, which started in 2012, has received very good response over the years and judging by it , this edition is an indication that this annual event has evolved into a significant calendar event in photography, a release said.

A jury panel consisting of Stevan Yee, Singapore, Dhritiman Mukherjee, West Bengal and Anup Sah, Nainital, Uttarakhand, was formed to judge the entries received, while K Maruthachalam,was the administrator of the contest.

A whopping 6,530 images from 1,402 participants from 40 countries were received, with entries on wildlife and landscape categories and total prize money of Rs 10 lakh

Besides the top two prizes, another ten participants were awarded with a certificate of merit for their efforts and prizes were distributed by LMW Chairman and Managing director, Sanjay Jayavarthanavelu Tuesday here.

A public expo of selected photographs is on till August 4.