In 2013 Elan won first prize in the Contemporary Issues category of World Press Photo with The Pink Choice[2] and was a participant in the Joop Swart masterclass in Amsterdam.
She was not sure if she wanted to continue her work collecting photographs of gay couples but decided to keep pursuing the project when she noticed the lack of representation on the subject.
"[4] The previous representation of the LGBT community in Vietnam was almost non-existent and Maika wanted to make sure they were depicted as real people.
Elan stated, "The Pink Choice is a series of photos and the love of homosexual couples which focus on living spaces, the affectionate touches, and more importantly, the synchronized rhythm of lovers sharing life together.
[citation needed] In 2013 Elan won first prize in the Contemporary Issues category of World Press Photo with The Pink Choice.