Hyderabad-origin photographer wins 1st place in 35Awards global photography contest

The 10th Annual 35AWARDS drew over 473,100 submissions from 112,700 photographers across 174 countries. Chavali thus became one of the very few photographers representing Canada or India to receive this top honour in the competition’s history

Hyderabad: Raghuvamsh Chavali, a Canadian photographer of Hyderabad origin, has secured top honours across multiple globally recognised photography competitions this year, including first place in the 10th Annual 35AWARDS. Known for his conceptual and urban-inspired imagery, Chavali’s series “Wings Over Concrete: Urban Birds’ Interlaced Flight Through City Streets” won first place in the photo project category for the ’35 Best Series Photos’.

The 10th Annual 35AWARDS drew over 473,100 submissions from 112,700 photographers across 174 countries. Chavali thus became one of the very few photographers representing Canada or India to receive this top honour in the competition’s history. About the Project, ‘Wings Over Concrete’, he said the photo series captures the way birds fly through our cities, “something we see every day but rarely pay close attention to”.

Moreover, in the ‘Thematic Contests’, Chavali triumphed in the Black and White Mobile Shot competition (March 2025), selected from 12,506 entries by 3,120 photographers across 104 countries, and the “Birds in the City” competition (February 2025), chosen from 9,549 submissions by 2,666 photographers from 94 countries.

The 10th edition of 35AWARDS brought together 50 jurors from 50 different countries, offering a truly international lens featuring experts from the USA, Belgium, Greece, Italy, Brazil, India and beyond. Meanwhile, Chavali was also named one of the Top 50 Winners in the 10th edition of the All About Photo Awards, “The Mind’s Eye,” for his ability to craft profound visual narratives that resonate deeply with viewers. The All About Photo Awards 2025, released on May 14, was evaluated by a panel that included acclaimed photographers Janet Delaney, Sarah Gilbert of The Guardian, and Ann Jastrab from the Centre for Photographic Art, among other prominent figures in the field.

“Photography isn’t always about capturing rare moments, rare animals, or presenting the world differently every time. It’s about finding something unique, even extraordinary, in the common things around you,” Raghuvamsh Chavali said, adding that these awards were an affirmation of his passion.

Chavali, a Canada-based photographer of Indian origin, currently living in Ontario, Canada, has a full-time role as a product management consultant in the tech industry, and at the same time, has had his work has been featured in leading international publications such as BBC Sky at Night, Space.com, Canadian Geographic (calendar cover), National Post, Smithsonian Magazine and beyond. In 2025, Chavali also earned recognition with wins in the Exposure One Awards and a ‘Highly Commended’ honour at the Belfast Photo Festival.