“I’m Kavali Chandrakanth, a photographer based in Hyderabad. I work as a Google Local Guide, contribute to Wikipedia, and spend most of my free time documenting places across Telangana, especially the ones people usually overlook. I’m also part of the Kotha Telangana Charitra Brundam. Recently, I discovered a medieval rock art site in Mahbubnagar.
Earlier this month, I put up a photo exhibition titled Mapography at the State Art Gallery in Madhapur. It brought together my photography and mapping work, showing places that hold history, memory, and emotion.
I come from Peddamunagalachedu, a peaceful village in Addakal Mandal of Mahbubnagar district. I studied there till Class 7 at the local government school. I was a topper, active in games and other activities, and always got support from teachers like Govind Sir, Krishnayya Sir, and Venkatram Reddy Sir. During library period, I loved reading Discovery magazine. The images in those pages stayed with me. I didn’t know it was photography I was drawn to. I just liked pictures that told stories.
We went on study tours every year to places like Srisailam Temple, Nagarjuna Sagar, Mahanandi, Yaganti, Jurala, and Ramanpad Dam. I’d observe everything — the architecture, surroundings, and the mood of each place.
After Class 7, we moved to Hyderabad. I studied at Sri Saraswathi Shishu Mandir in Kukatpally. I scored 537 marks in SSC and received a gold medal for being the school topper. I later completed a Diploma in Electrical and Electronics from TRR Polytechnic, Meerpet, and my B.Tech from CMR College in Medchal.
I now work as a Technical Executive (Electrical Engineer) at JLL. Alongside work, I pursued photography seriously. I started with a Samsung WB150 camera, then moved to a Mi 3s Prime, and finally a Redmi Note 8 Pro. All my photos are taken on smartphone. I don’t use a DSLR even now.
On a trip to Ananthagiri Hills, I clicked a photo that was selected in Google Local Guides’ Top 10 Photos from Hyderabad. Since 2017, I’ve added over 23,000 photos and nearly 3,900 videos to Google Maps. I’ve helped mark more than 289 new places and earned over 135,000 points. My content has received more than 409 million views. It’s not just about numbers. When someone reaches a place through one of your photos, it feels worth it.
In 2019, I was selected for the Google Local Guides Connect Live event. Around the same time, I pursued a PG in Journalism from Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Open University and completed it in 2022.
One of the most meaningful moments for me came more recently, when a new school building was constructed in my native village. The old structure was in terrible shape, so I documented its condition through photographs and shared them with local leaders. Thanks to the efforts of the Addakal ZPTC, who funded the project with their own money, a ₹35-lakh school building with seven classrooms was built.
During the inauguration, I hosted my first photo exhibition titled Pragathi Pathamlo Peddamunagalachedu, focused on the development journey of my village.
Since then, I’ve geo-tagged all 14 villages in Addakal Mandal and documented historical monuments, old temples, and places across Telangana that had no presence online. I upload them to Google Maps and Wikimedia so more people can discover them.
The idea for Mapography came when I met Dr. Mamidi Harikrishna Garu, Director of Language and Culture. I told him I wanted to exhibit my work, and he encouraged me. I selected 51 mobile photos and displayed them from June 13 to 15, 2025. The show was inaugurated by Prof. Ghanta Chakrapani. People of all ages came. Some said the photos made them feel like they had visited the places themselves.
Many couldn’t make it because of the short duration, so I’m already planning the next one. I work full-time like everyone else, but I’ve always made time for photography. I just started with what I had, and I’ve kept going.”