“I am Raghuvamsh Chavali, a Canadian photographer of Indian origin, but the way I see the world was shaped much earlier, back home in Hyderabad. I have travelled across many states in India, and wherever I go, I am drawn to nature, wildlife, and street life, observing how stories unfold across different landscapes.
My journey with photography began around Ameenpur Lake and Osman Sagar, where I spent quiet mornings watching birds, light, and stillness. One experience that stayed with me was photographing a grey heron. I spent nearly five to six hours lying near the lake with a Nikon D610 and a Sigma 150–500mm lens, watching the bird move back and forth without landing. Instead of rushing, I observed its patterns and waited. Eventually it landed, and that moment of patience aligned perfectly with timing.
Later, the streets of the countryside and the Old City of Hyderabad taught me how much emotion exists in everyday life. Those early lessons stayed with me as I travelled through cities like Mumbai, Mussoorie, Kolkata, Bangalore, and Chennai. Even after moving to Canada, my work continues to explore patience, observation, and the relationship between people, nature, and urban spaces.
Over the years, my work has received international recognition and has been showcased by global platforms including The Guardian and BBC Sky at Night.
One of my long-term projects is called Wings Over Concrete, where I document bird formations moving through urban architecture across different cities. After completing a chapter of this project in the UAE, I returned to Hyderabad and went on a solo photo walk around Charminar.
Above the chaos of the Old City, flocks of birds moved across the sky Rock Doves, Black Kites, Common Mynas, swifts, and bulbuls — forming lines and curves that lasted only seconds before disappearing.
To capture these patterns, I used burst shots, timelapse, and video recordings, interlacing frames to freeze those brief moments when the birds shaped the sky above the monument.
If generations of people have grown up seeing Charminar, these birds have quietly made it their home.”