Karimnagar rural photographer wins gold in international photography contest

Karimnagar-based photographer Ponaganti Raju wins a gold medal in the international ‘Our Photo World 2025’ contest for his pre-wedding shot. A self-made artist from a rural background, he has already bagged over 250 national and international photography awards

Karimnagar: A rural photographer from Karimnagar district has won a gold medal in an international-level photography competition, bringing pride to the region.

A pre-wedding photograph captured by Ponaganti Raju secured first place in the online competition ‘Our Photo World 2025’, conducted by Iceland-based NPC MPC Managua Photo Club. His entry stood out among submissions from 550 photographers representing 18 countries.

Raju participated in the competition under the ‘Open Monochrome’ category and uploaded his entry online a week ago, adhering to the competition norms. The organisers announced the results on Monday night.

Raju, who hails from an agricultural family, entered the photography profession by chance and has since earned over 250 medals in national and international competitions.

Before taking up photography, he worked as a hamali (manual labourer). He took up photography in 2011 after the untimely death of his brother-in-law Santhosh, who was an outdoor photographer. To honour his memory, Raju opened a studio named Santhosh Digitals at Mothukulaguda in Jammikunta municipality limits.

Alongside running his studio, Raju actively participates in photography competitions and festivals. He has captured hundreds of striking images during prominent events such as the Jejuri Bhandara (Yellow) Festival in Pune, Telangana Bonalu, Bathukamma, and other cultural celebrations.

Speaking to ‘Telangana Today’, Raju expressed happiness over winning the gold medal and said he was confident of winning more accolades in the future.