Jan – 2026: Lakhotia College of Design and ShutterSociety.HYD Collaboration, Celebrating the Annual Photography Exhibition

January 2026 became a remarkable month in the journey of ShutterSociety.HYD. Within the same month, after our memorable collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, another exciting opportunity came our way, this time with Lakhotia College of Design. It was yet another meaningful step in our mission of bringing photography into academia and creating spaces where students, photographers, and creative minds could learn and inspire one another.

Every collaboration begins with a conversation, but only a few grow into something truly meaningful. Our journey with Lakhotia College of Design started when Ms. Jhinuk Banerji, Head of the Department of Photography, reached out to our Co Founder, Mr. Sai Tejeshwar Rao, with an invitation to deliver a guest lecture during their annual photography exhibition. After several discussions, that invitation soon evolved into an official collaboration, with ShutterSociety.HYD joining Rendered Realms 2026 as the official community partner.

Education gives knowledge. Creativity gives it purpose.

Once the collaboration was finalized, we officially announced the partnership across our community platforms and released the collaboration poster. Along with the announcement, we encouraged every member to participate in the photography competition and submit their best work across different categories.

You can see the collaboration poster post here:

The response from our community was wonderful. Many members enthusiastically prepared fresh submissions, shared their visual stories, and proudly represented ShutterSociety.HYD.

Seeing our photographers actively participate in another academic event reminded us that every university collaboration was creating new opportunities for our community to learn, compete, and grow.

As the selection process concluded, many photographs submitted by our community members were shortlisted and displayed as part of the official exhibition alongside the creative work of photography students.

Walking through the exhibition and seeing photographs captured by members of ShutterSociety.HYD displayed inside a respected design institution was a proud moment for everyone involved.

Photography has a unique way of connecting people, regardless of whether they are students, professionals, or passionate hobbyists. Inside the exhibition hall, every photograph carried a different story, yet together they celebrated the same language of creativity.

Every photograph tells a different story, but every story begins with someone who chose to observe.

The event was held on 24th January 2026 and was inaugurated by renowned Telugu film actor Mr. Duvvasi Mohan, whose presence added another memorable touch to the celebration. Throughout the day, students, photographers, artists, and photography enthusiasts from across Hyderabad came together to celebrate visual storytelling through exhibitions, discussions, and creative interactions.

As part of the collaboration, our Co Founder, Mr. Sai Tejeshwar Rao, conducted an interactive session on building photography communities, visual storytelling, and creating meaningful opportunities through collaboration.

Alongside him, our community member, Mr. Aakash Gudala shared his experience in architecture photography, composition, and developing a creative perspective through thoughtful visual design. Both sessions combined practical experiences with real-world insights, inspiring students to continue exploring photography beyond the classroom.

The celebration continued with the screening of the short film Vismayam, followed by interactive discussions between students, faculty members, photographers, and guests. Throughout the day, conversations naturally moved beyond cameras and techniques, focusing on storytelling, creativity, and finding one’s own visual identity.

Photography is not only about creating beautiful images. It is about creating meaningful conversations.

One of the highlights of the event was the photography competition, jointly organized by Lakhotia College of Design and ShutterSociety.HYD. Participants showcased their work across Street Photography, Wildlife Photography, and Fine Art Photography, making the judging process both exciting and challenging.

Finally, the much-awaited results were announced across all three competition categories. While every participant deserved appreciation for their creativity and effort, another proud moment was waiting for ShutterSociety.HYD.

Out of the six winning and runner up positions, five were secured by members of our own community, making the celebration even more special for all of us.

Nagesh secured First Place in Street Photography, while Abhishek earned the Runner Up position in the same category.

In the Wildlife Photography category, Neha Parganiha secured the Runner Up position.

Joy won First Place in Fine Art Photography, while Sariff Lakhotia earned the Runner Up position.

Seeing five members of ShutterSociety.HYD among the winners and runner ups was an incredibly proud moment for our entire community.

Their achievements beautifully reflected the passion, creativity, and continuous learning that our members bring to every opportunity.

Rendered Realms 2026 became much more than an annual photography exhibition. It strengthened another bridge between academia and the photography community while giving students and passionate photographers an opportunity to learn from one another.

Each university collaboration continues to reinforce our belief that creativity grows stronger when knowledge, experience, and community come together.

We sincerely thank Ms. Jhinuk Banerji, the faculty members, students, and the entire organizing team of Lakhotia College of Design for believing in ShutterSociety.HYD and welcoming our community with such warmth and respect. Our heartfelt thanks also go to every participant, volunteer, photography enthusiast, and community member who contributed to making this collaboration a memorable success.

A special note of appreciation goes to Mr. Nagesh Karnul and Mr. Pothireddy Siva Nagarjuna Reddy, who quietly supported the event behind the scenes by managing photography, videography, and many important responsibilities throughout the day. Their dedication helped preserve countless memories from this wonderful collaboration.

Communities become truly meaningful when they create opportunities for others to learn, grow, and inspire

As January 2026 came to a close, we looked back with immense gratitude. Within a single month, ShutterSociety.HYD had collaborated with multiple educational institutions, encouraged hundreds of students and photographers, and taken another meaningful step towards our vision of bringing photography into academia.