Since 2002, I have been exploring visual storytelling forms with photos, videos and text in my editorial, development and corporate work. Gender and Environment have been recurring themes of exploration in my long-form work..

 

OMEGA RESILIENCE AWARD'2023  

‘Nanda’s Last Sentinels’, is an ongoing a multimedia narrative. The Bhotiya elders of Niti valley are staging an in-situ resistance even as their lands collapse bearing the brunt of invasive development in the Himalayas, in the name of Instant Moksh, Border Security and Green Hydel. A preview was shown at an exhibit with fellow's works at Khoj Studios in October’2024. 

​

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC COVID GRANTEE'2021  

My photo-essay "Intertwined Destinies" chronicled child brides fighting to complete their education as their mothers with low literacy strive for financial independence. This was featured in the National Geographic Book 'Inside the Curve: Stories from the Pandemic' and was one of the 10 works in the photobook 'Still' by 1Shanthiroad Studio/Gallery as part of their project Pandemic as a portal made in 2022. The stories went on to publish in NPR and BBC.

​

This Intergenerational work was a natural progression to my work on women -  'Her Life' and girls.- 'A Lost Childhood' over the years. My work on adolescence was also used by UNFPA for zines and also created a series of short films. 

​​

DAYS JAPAN PHOTOJOURNALISM AWARD'2006

The award was for my first long-form work made early on in my career India’s Invisible Women explored the impact of rampant sex selection in Indian society. It was exhibited at The Daegu Photo Biennale, across Japan and India Habitat Centre, published widely in national and international media and used by UNFPA for its advocacy.

​

3rd SHORTY SOCIAL GOOD AWARDS in ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY'2018

The award was for my photo-essay The Coal Within  and Living with Coal a film series shot with my colleague Vivek Singh and shot for Purpose that exposes how a mine engulfs the bodies of the residents of Singrauli, India. It was part of the Help Delhi Breathe campaign. It was published in Caravan Magazine, Fountain Ink and Scroll. 

​

TATA TRUST's PARAG CHILDREN LITERATURE HONOUR LIST'2022 & GREEN LITERATURE FESTIVAL SHORTLIST 

My photo-book for children 'The Grass Seeker' written by Uddalak Gupta tracing the impact of climate change on the life of a Gaddi Shepherd in the Himalayas was published by Pratham Books in 2020.

.It has been translated in eight languages so far and led me to my current work in the Himalayas.

​

Other work highlights include 

• The Cost of Ideas which made with writer Gunjeet Sra employs multimedia to cover the protests against the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) through the eyes of a young Muslim woman student activist Safoora Zargar. I witness accounts of the North-east Delhi Program.

• Love Marriage and Ticket to Australia chronicles women entrepreneurs’ journey towards financial independence with 1 lakh loans from Fusion Microfinance. 

• Malsawm  is a tender photo-essay on a special needs school created by a father for his son and his village.

•  Bloomberg's story on sexual violence holding back the rise of India's economy that I photographed won the SOPA 2019 award for excellence in reporting on women's issues.​

• My work with Rohingyas was carried in Mint newspaper led me directing two short films for UNHCR. I have covered displacements after Hurricane Hudhud for UNDP, the commonwealth games beautification drive for Open Magazine and during Muzzafarnagar riots that saw rampant sexual violence for Amnesty.,

​

My editorial work has been published by The Guardian, NPR, Bloomberg, Getty Images, Gulf News, The Globe and Mail, Times London, The Wall Street Journal, Thomas Reuters Foundation, The Washington Post, The National, Trouw, Nation Thailand, Al Jazeera, The Atlantic, Paris Match, Caravan, Fountain Ink, Open Magazine, Scroll, Indian Express and Down to Earth Magazine. 

​

Before turning independent, I was a Photo Editor of a weekly news magazine Open from 2008-14. Prior to that, I was a photojournalist with a national daily The Indian Express, environmental magazine Down to Earth and writer at First City magazine. I began my career in advertising.

​

I have created wholistic multimedia stories through photo-essays, written pieces and short films for most of my development clients such as most UN agencies, Purpose, Malala Fund, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, MADRE, Girl Effect, Comic Relief, NIPI, Care, PATH and Amnesty... 

​

I also shoot for Google, Apple, Facebook, Fusion Microfinance and other commercial clients. 

​

My work has featured in many coffee table books Hum: When Women Lead in 2024, Leading from the front in 2023 and zine on the women working in the tea industry in Assam, She inspires for UN Women; Dignity, Safety, Freedom, A photo-essay zine on Menstrual Health by UNFPA 2019; Losing Faith and Nowhere to Go - The Muzaffarnagar gang-rape and riot survivors struggle for justice zines for Amnesty International 2017; Roli Book's coffee-table books for Vodafone Foundation- Women of Pure Strength, 2015 and Women of Pure Wonder, 2016 & more.

​

I was part of Transportraits: Women and mobility in the city for Jagori, group exhibition at Alliance Franchise de Delhi and book for the Third International Conference on Women's Safety organised by UNIFEM in 2010. 

When not photographing, I am either behind a pottery wheel, in a cinema hall or off traveling.

I'm always looking for new and exciting opportunities. Let's connect.
Contact me at +91-9899567449 and follow me @ruhanikaur on Instagram.