Ramya Sriram is a Chennai-based Indian photographer specializing in travel and cultural photography who won the National Geographic India Worldwide Contest 2025. Her award-winning photograph of Kerala’s Kandanar Kelan Theyyam ritual secured a place in National Geographic’s 2026 calendar, marking a defining milestone in her career. She has spent over eight years as a freelance photographer documenting India’s living cultural traditions and conducting photography workshops.
Chennai Ramya Sriram Photographer Early Career and Background
Ramya Sriram is based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, where she works as a freelance photographer. She founded her photography practice under the name “RAYS PIXELOGRAPHY” in January 2017. Prior to her photography career, she worked as a social worker from January 2006 to July 2025, spanning nearly 19 years of community service.
Her photography work focuses on travel and cultural documentation, with a particular emphasis on preserving India’s traditional rituals and heritage. She operates under the professional handle @ramyasgraphy on social media platforms.
Chennai Ramya Sriram Photographer Theyyam Documentation Project
Ramya Sriram has spent four years documenting Theyyam as part of a long-term visual archive on cultural heritage. Theyyam is a centuries-old ritual performance tradition practiced in northern Kerala’s Kannur-Kasaragod region, combining devotion, fire, and elaborate costume into an immersive spiritual spectacle. Her dedicated focus on this cultural form demonstrates her commitment to preserving India’s living traditions through photography.
The multi-year project involved extensive travel, timing coordination, and navigating challenging conditions including large crowds and early-morning rituals. Her work on Theyyam has contributed to raising awareness of this important cultural tradition on both national and international platforms.
National Geographic India Worldwide Contest 2025 Win
In 2025, Ramya Sriram won the National Geographic India Worldwide Contest 2025 with her photograph of the Kandanar Kelan Theyyam ritual. The award-winning image captured a dramatic ritual moment featuring the fiery intensity of the Theyyam performance. Her photograph was selected from thousands of global submissions to be featured in National Geographic’s 2026 calendar.
Ramya described the recognition as “the Holy Grail for photographers – almost like winning an Oscar,” calling it a powerful validation of years spent documenting India’s living traditions. The honor represents a major international recognition for her work in cultural photography.
Circumstances of the Award-Winning Photograph
The winning photograph was captured under extreme and dangerous conditions. Ramya waited nearly eight hours overnight for the early-morning ritual inside a small temple packed with hundreds of photographers and devotees. As flames rose and crowds surged forward during the ritual, the scene quickly turned chaotic.
She was pushed to the ground near the fire and sustained burns on her hand, camera, and clothing during the incident. Due to the dangerous conditions, she could capture only five shots before having to stop and leave the scene. Of the five frames, three were out of focus and two were technically sound, with one becoming the globally recognized award-winning image.
Photography Education and Mentorship
Beyond fieldwork, Ramya Sriram has expanded her role as a mentor and educator in the photography community. She conducts photography workshops, including programs with Tamil Nadu’s Entrepreneurship Development Institute. Her educational initiatives aim to encourage emerging photographers to explore cultural storytelling.
Ramya is planning online sessions, offline masterclasses, and curated photo tours focused on cultural photography. Her mentorship work reflects her commitment to supporting the next generation of photographers interested in documenting cultural heritage.
Professional Recognition and Achievements
Ramya Sriram is described as a published and award-winning photographer. In addition to the National Geographic India Worldwide Contest 2025 win, she has been shortlisted for other prestigious photography competitions including HIPAE Shortlist 24/25 and Prograde 25. She has also received recognition in the Tamil Nadu Forest photography competition, securing second place.
Her work has garnered attention from major media outlets including NDTV, News9, and The Better India. The global recognition of her Theyyam photograph has brought attention to India’s cultural heritage on an international platform.
Photography Style and Approach
Ramya Sriram’s photography focuses on cultural documentation and travel, with emphasis on capturing the spiritual intensity and traditions of India. She acknowledges that “cultural photography is tough – the crowds, the travel, the timing – but the happiness it gives is on another level”. Her work aims to create a visual archive of India’s living cultural traditions for future generations.
Her approach involves long-term commitment to documenting specific cultural practices, as demonstrated by her four-year Theyyam project. She works with professional photography equipment from brands including Godox and Vanguard.
Social Media and Online Presence
Ramya Sriram maintains an active professional presence on social media under the handle @ramyasgraphy. Her Instagram account has over 22,000 followers and features more than 2,000 posts documenting her photography work. She uses these platforms to share her cultural photography projects and connect with the broader photography community.
She also maintains a professional LinkedIn profile where she describes herself as a “Travel & Cultural Photographer | Social Worker | Published & Award-Winning” . Her online presence has grown significantly following her National Geographic win in 2025 .
Professional Philosophy
Ramya Sriram views her work as both an artistic pursuit and a form of cultural preservation. She emphasizes the importance of documenting India’s rich and living cultural traditions before they are lost to time. Her dedication to cultural storytelling reflects a deep commitment to preserving heritage through visual documentation.
She describes the National Geographic recognition as validation of years of work and a platform for giving global recognition to India’s cultural traditions. Her philosophy combines artistic excellence with cultural preservation and educational outreach.