The Department of Communication, Sarojini Naidu School of Arts and Communication, University of Hyderabad, concluded the third edition of its World Photography Day celebrations on 20 August, bringing together cinematographers, professional photographers and industry practitioners for a day of talks, screenings and discussion, followed by a panel session and a prize distribution ceremony honouring student and participant photographers.

Special Talk by Cinematographer PG Vinda

The day began with a special talk by cinematographer P.G. Vinda, President of the Telugu Cinematographers Association, Managing Director of Cinematica Expo and Director of the CINICA Creators Council, in conversation with creator-producer Anjali Devi Bellamkonda. The session opened with a screening of a reel of his cinematography, followed by welcome saplings presented by Dr. Madhavi Ravikumar, Assistant Professor, Department of Communication.

Vinda, whose credits include Grahanam, Ashta Chemma, Gentleman, Loafer, Sammohanam and V, and who made his directorial debut with the children’s film The Lotus Pond, took the audience through the evolution of cinematography — from electronic media and early digital filmmaking to contemporary motion-picture work and next-generation filmmaking technologies.

Shalini Korada on Maternity and Newborn Photography

The second session featured Shalini Korada, a corporate HR professional between 2014 and 2023 who turned to photography and launched her own studio in December 2023, having won her first award earlier that year. Korada spoke about her transition into photography as a career and the structured pathways available to aspiring photographers, covering the core techniques of composition, lighting, storytelling and post-processing alongside the practical realities of gear, budgeting, workflow and branding.

Panel Discussion

The panel brought together photographers CH Srinivas (commercial, fashion and advertising photography), Sampath Kumar (pictorial photography), Bhoopal Kumar, P. Raghuram (content creation) and Abhimanyu Reddy. Moderated by Bhoopal Kumar, the discussion ranged across advertising and commercial photography, a screening of festival photography from Bathukamma, the upskilling of photographers, and the rise of short-form video content.

Dr. Janardhan Rao Cheeli, Associate Professor, Department of Communication, and curator of the event, delivered the welcome address for the closing session, thanking the guests, Buffalo Media, Shutter Society.Hyd and all participants. Sai Thejeshwar Basuthkar, Co-founder of Shutter Society, offered the vote of thanks on behalf of the collaborating partner.

The prize distribution ceremony, judged by Bhaskar Raju and Charles Pritam, recognised Arkodeep Roy, Teppala Sahithi and Sayak Pal as the first, second and third prize winners respectively. Certificates of Merit went to Gayathri, Raayan Jain and Uday Kiran, and Consolation Prizes to Shritha Chillappagari, Jeevan Valpapuram and Jyoti Ranjan Rath. The awards were presented by Prof. E. Sathya Prakash, Head, Department of Communication, followed by an exchange of mementos between the Department, the panel guests, Shutter Society.Hyd and Buffalo Media, bringing the two-day celebration of World Photography Day 2026 to a close.

The photo exhibition of award-winning and selected entries remains open to the public at the Annex Building, Sarojini Naidu School of Arts and Communication, until 23 August 2026.

Contributed by : Eishita, M. A Communication. Muhammed Fariz Mirza M. A Communication