Vidhyaa is a photojournalist and National Geographic Explorer based in Abu Dhabi. She focuses her documentary work in the UAE on gender, cultural, social, and environmental challenges and issues.  As a visual storyteller, she aspires to tell compelling stories that have a beneficial impact on the community. She wants to use photography to convey a strong message.

Her work has been exhibited and published in National Geographic, Les Echos, Nat Geo Arabia, Xposure 2022, CNN Arabic, Thomson Reuters, Vogue Arabia, Siemens, The National, Wired Arabia, Getty Images-London, Social Documentary Network-Zeke Magazine for Women Work, "Capture your Freedom-United Photo Industries - FDR Park at New York, and Gallery RIVAA, Roosevelt Island Visual Art Association, Gulf Photo Plus Community Exhibition, Black Box Gallery, Blank Wall Gallery, Vision Projects, Winner Budapestfoto awards, Tokyo International Winner for Migrant Mothers in the UAE and Transgender Projects, SDN 10th Anniversary at Bronx Centre, Several IPA Honourable mentions, finalist and exhibited Julia Margaret Cameron Award at Berlin, Germany.

She has a Diploma in Documentary Photography Project from Danish Media and Journalism in collaboration with World Press Photo. Noor Images mentored her in Amsterdam.

Education

Feb 2017 to Dec 2018 - Diploma in Documentary Photography – Danish Media and Journalism, Noor Images, World Press Photo at Amsterdam
2006 - Master of Business Administration – Marketing MKU - India

Awards & Publication

    

2023
	National Geographic Society — Explorer and grant recipient  for the Project “Mangroves: Meet UAE’s Carbon Guardian”
	For National Geographic, - Where falconry is a storied sport, these women write a new chapter.
	For Business Insider Climate Action 30: 2023's Top Global Leaders, Photographed: Dr. Abdulla Al Mandous, President, World Meteorological Organization, Director General UAE, National Center of Meteorology, November 2023
	ROOTED: Sustainability an Art Perspective, Manarat Al Saadiyat, Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi, Visual arts group exhibition, 9 December 2023 to 26 April 2024
	For Les Echos: Al Dhafra Solar Panels, 2023
	National Geographic Arabia: Interim Project, Published on December 2023
	Few other works for The National UAE,  Reuters 2023
2022
	Nat Geo Arabia - UAE Women in Falconry
	Cancer Warrior Story
	Xposure International Photograph 9 to 15 February 2022 - Exhibited & Awarded
2021
	How Horse-riding has empowered a blind Emirati Student
	Foundry Photojournalism Workshop 2021 - VII Academy , Photo wings,
	An uncertain future for the carpet souk in Abu Dhabi - in pictures (thenationalnews.com)
	The National  - A community-based approach to conserving the UAE's mangroves - in pictures (thenationalnews.com)
	The Vogue Arabia - Covid-19 in UAE: Abu Dhabi Launches Free Vaccine Campaign for Nationals and Residents
2020
	The National - World Falconry Day : Meet the 7 Year Old Emirati Falconer Transforming the 4,000 year old tradition
	The National - Breaking Stereotypes in Falconry
	CNN Arabia - A Surprising Scene ….a photographer captures Emirati Women Practicing Falconry in UAE
	Vogue Arabia - Meet the Female Doctors leading the frontline in the UAE
	Vogue Arabia - UAE - Women in Falconry - commissioned and published in March Edition for Vogue Magazine
	Khaleej Times - Coronavirus: UAE - based photographer clicks masks, gloves dumped on streets.
	The National - How one Abu Dhabi Photographer is documenting her children's Lives at Home during the Pandemic
	Vogue Arabia - UAE approves emergency use Covid -19 Vaccine frontline workers
	The Wired  - On the front line the middle east medics fighting Covid -19

2018-2019

	Gold Winner - Editorial Series  Budapestfoto Awards
	Silver Winner Book Documentary – Tokyo International Award for the Story of Migrant Mothers
	Silver Winner Documentary – Tokyo International Award for the Transgenders India
	Vision Project Published Photo Story of Migrant Mothers
	Won a Community Award , Mott MacDonald Limited, cash rewarded to NGO , Edu Right Foundation , India for underprivileged children.
	Zeke Magazine, part of SDN, Transnational Mothers in UAE: Mothering from afar, two of the project photographs selected for Women's Issue of ZEKE magazine, guest-edited by J. Sybylla Smith. This special issue of ZEKE features photography and writing only by women.www.zekemagazine.com/womens-issue

Group Exhibition 2018

	Social Documentary Project Exhibition at Bronx Documentary Centre/St. Mary's, Bronx, NY
	“Capture Your Freedom” A photography re exhibition presented by Four Freedoms Park Conservancy, United Photo Industries, and Gallery RIVAA.Roosevelt Island Visual Art Association, New York City, October 6 - November 11, 2018 at Gallery RIVAA.
	“Capture Your Freedom” outdoor photo exhibit at FDR Four Freedoms Park. Selected by a panel of esteemed photo editors and human rights advocates  @Roosevelt Daily about exhibition    Juried by ·        NATHALIE APPLEWHITE managing director of the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, ·        EMMA RAYNES , Director of Programs at the Magnum Foundation ·        MAGGIE SOLADAY at the Open Society Foundations in New York ·        GEOFFREY BERLINER is co-developer and the Executive Director of the Penumbra Foundation in New York City
	Blank Wall Gallery -Portrait Category selected for exhibition at Athens, Greece Exhibition 20 April – 3 May 2018
	People and Identity Black Box Gallery, Portland Oregon -  On-Line Annex Exhibition and printed catalogue, Juror: Amy Arbus

2017

	Tokyo International Award Honourable Mention Winner- Book - Documentary for the series Women and Children Rohingya Survivors.
	F-Stop Magazine - # 82 Issue - Identity and Community, Contributor & Exhibition
	Abu Dhabi Exhibition and Culture – A touch of heritage – at Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi
	International Photography Award, Editorial Stories, Migrant Mother of UAE, Honourable Mention
	International Photography Award, Editorial Stories, "About HIV" Honourable Mention

Group Exhibition 2017

	Renaissance Photography Prize- Exhibited at Getty Images London, 2017, Identity Category-Portrait of Vanilla, Emerging and established photographers while raising funds to support young women with breast cancer and donated to The Lavender Trust at Breast Cancer Care, UK.
	Community Exhibition - Gulf Photo Plus "Beyond the Portrait", UAE September 13 to October 7, 2017.
2016	Group Exhibition
	Black Box Gallery, People and Place Category, Exhibition, Oregon, Portland
	Finalist &Exhibited photograph in The 8th Edition of the Julia Margaret Cameron awards for women Photographers, juried by Laura noble, UK, at Berlin, Germany

2016-2014

	HPA& UNESCO, Performance Award for UAE portrait series,
	International Photography Award, Editorial Stories, "Life of Hijra" Honourable Mention
	Motif Collective, Honourable mention, "Reflection" Category
	Exhibited Photo essay in Life Force Magazine about Qasr Al Hosn, UAE, April 2016
	Won first place “Oyster Opening “, Ecology and Biodiversity Mott MacDonald, UK,2016
	Photo Travel Awards - Won IUP Ribbon
	A glimpse of UAE, published in Lifeforce Magazine
	Published images of "Vision of Freedom" project for BBC
	First Place in Portrait Photography, India

You can stay up-to-date with work via social media: Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/vidhyaac/