Rathna Varshini Choudhry
Founder & Director, Wild Frames
Director of Ashok Travels, GD School & The Grand Regent
Rathna Varshini Choudhry is the Founder and Director of Wild Frames, a wildlife photography platform dedicated to capturing the beauty, character, and intricate details of the natural world.
With over 20 years of experience in wildlife photography, she captures the beauty, character and intricate details of wildlife. Each photograph serves as a visual story-celebrating nature while highlighting the importance of conservation.
A passionate advocate for environmental education, Varshini regularly leads educational wildlife and nature tours for students, taking young minds beyond the classroom and into natural habitats. Through firsthand experiences, she encourages students to observe, understand, and appreciate wildlife while developing a deeper sense of responsibility toward conservation.
Through her passion for wildlife, photography, education, and storytelling, she aims to inspire a lasting connection between people-especially the younger generation and the natural world.
ACHIEVEMENTS - WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY
INTERNATIONAL AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS
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May 2015: Received a FIAP Ribbon (Honourable Mention) at the International - Level competition JCM Print Circuit, Bombay.
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September 2017: Received her First Star Rating from The Photographic Society of America in the Nature Division.
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December 2020: Received a Certificate of Merit in the Universal Image Circuit, Saudi Arabia Judging, organized by India.
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April 2021: Received her Second Star Rating from The Photographic Society of America in the Nature Division.
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November 2025: Received the Special Mention Award in the Animal Behaviour Category in the Nature inFocus Contest.
NATIONAL AWARDS
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May 2014: Won First place in the Wildlife Category and was among the Top 8 photographers in Microsoft’s national-level photography contest "The Big Shot".
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October 2014: Received a Special Mention Award in the national-level photography competition, 'Click Your Pic' in the Birds category organized by the Environment Conservation Group, an NGO in Coimbatore.
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July 2025: Her image was shortlisted for the INW Awards under Collection 30.
GENERAL AWARDS
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March 2012: Received the Sri Appu Rao’s Prize for the Best photographer of the year in M.O.P Vaishnav College, Chennai.
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October 2012: Received the ECO Award for Budding Wildlife Photographer and Conservator by Nature Conservation Society, an eco NGO in Coimbatore.
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October 2013: Received the Best Alumni Achievement Award from M.O.P Vaishnav college, Chennai as part of its bicentennial celebrations.
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March 2017: Received the "Twitcher Click" Women Achievers' Award for Bird Photography, presented by Rathinam College and Lion's Club International in Coimbatore.
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March 2018: Received the "Woman Wildlife Warrior Award" for her contributions to Wildlife Photography and Conservation from the Tamilnadu Forest Deparment, Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve.
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March 2019: Recognized as a "Kovai Wonder Woman" for her contribution to Wildlife Photography by Indian Express and PSR Silks, in association with Prozone Mall, Coimbatore.
STATE AND DISTRICT AWARDS
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November 2007 and 2008: Secured the Second Place for two consecutive years in the "Spot the Bird" interschool competition organized by SACON, Coimbatore.
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September 2009: Secured the Third Place in the district level intercollegiate NBR Life photography competition conducted by PSG arts, Coimbatore.
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November 2009: Honoured by CUCKOO, an NGO, for her work in a village near Dharmapuri amidst the tribal children of that locality.
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January 2010: Secured the Third Place in the State level intercollegiate photography competition conducted by Jai Garodia Institutions, Chennai.
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August 2010: Secured the Second Place in the District level intercollegiate Flipper Fest photography contest conducted by the Tamil Nadu Forest Department in Chennai.
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October 2010: Received a Consolation Prize in the Wildlife Photography Competition by The Hindu and Savithri Photo House, Coimbatore in the open category.
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September 2011: Secured the Third Place in the Intercollegiate Wildlife photography competition organized by MCC, Chennai.
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February 2012: Secured the Third Place in the State level intercollegiate photography competition conducted by Jai Garodia Institutions, Chennai.
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March 2012: Secured the First Place in the intercollegiate photography contest held at Decimus (annual event) organized by the Department of Communication, MCC, Chennai.
EXHIBITIONS:
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Her wildlife photographs have been featured in numerous exhibitions organized by NGOs in Coimbatore, including OSAI, CUCKOO, and the Nature Conservation Society, on a regular basis since 2007.
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As a member of the Photographic Society of Madras, few of her photographs were selected and displayed in the Members’ Section of the National Salon 2011.
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The Nilgiri Biosphere Nature Park selected few of her photographs for its publications.
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In 2014, Nehru College of Arts and Sciences and Shri Sakthi Engineering College displayed her photographs as part of initiatives to create awareness about wildlife and conservation among students.
SEMINARS
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2012: Conducted a seminar on Bird Photography for approximately 200 school children as a part of a painting competition organized by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII- Hyderabad branch) in Chennai.
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October 2014: Conducted a seminar on Bird Photography for students of the Visual Communication Department at M.O.P Vaishnav College, Chennai.
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August 2024: Conducted a seminar on Birds and Wildlife Photography for students of the Visual Communication Department at Loyola College, Chennai.
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August 2024: Conducted a seminar on Birds and Wildlife Photography for students of L.V. Prasad College, Chennai.
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July 2026: Conducted a seminar on Birds and Wildlife Photography for the students of Aalam School, Coimbatore.
CONFERENCES
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November 2010: Attended the Global Birdwatchers’ Conference held in Jamnagar, Gujarat.
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November 2013: Attended the 2nd International Conference on Indian Ornithology- Ecosystems Services and Functions of Birds, organized by SACON in Coimbatore.
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January 2014: Attended the Global Birdwatchers’ Conference held in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
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2011: Completed an Intermediate-Level Certificate Course in Ornithology from the Rishi Valley Institute, Andhra Pradesh.
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Selected among the Top 20 in the national-level ‘Youth for Clicks’ contest conducted by Saevus, a premium wildlife and natural history platform in India.
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November 2014: Participated in a Wildlife Photography workshop conducted by Sudhir Shivaram and Serai. She received a Certificate of Excellence for capturing great images, with selected work subsequently displayed in a National exhibition.
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2017: Invited as a Chief Guest for the Women’s Day Celebration at Rathinam College, Coimbatore.
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Selected as a finalist and featured in the exhibition ‘Contemplate’ in Coimbatore
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Her photo was accepted and shortlisted for the finals of The Times of India’s ‘A Day in India’ Photography Competition.
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Her photograph was selected among the Top 20 shortlisted entries in the state-level intercollegiate photography competition organized by SSN College, Chennai.
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December 2024: Invited as a Special Guest for the Wildlife Calendar Launch organized by the Nature Conservation Society (NCS) at Clusters Media College, Coimbatore.
MEDIA COVERAGE
Her work and achievements in wildlife photography have been featured across several prominent print and media publications, including The Hindu-Metroplus, Deccan Chronicle, The Indian Express, The Times Of India, Dinamalar, Dinathandi, Dinakaran-Pengalukaaga, Dinamani-Kondattam, Kalki, Punnagai Ulagam magazine, Aval Vikatan, Nam Thozhi, Diwali Malar, Puthiya Thalaimurai, Akkam Pakkam and Kungumam.
These features have highlighted her journey, achievements, and contributions to wildlife photography, nature awareness, and conservation.