Mahesh Balasubramanian
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Mahesh Balasubramanian is a documentary and portrait photographer based in Chennai, India. His work focuses on people, community, and everyday life, with a human-centered approach grounded in long-term observation and field-based storytelling.
His documentary practice includes sustained work on social and cultural subjects, as well as assignments documenting child education, water access, and community-led development programmes across India.
His long-term projects include the Mayana Kollai Festival (2013–present), the Kulasai Dasara rituals, ongoing documentation of Chennai’s Marina Beach, repeated explorations of Varanasi, and stories from rural Tamil Nadu.
Mahesh’s work has been published and commissioned internationally. Adobe licensed eight of his photographs, including one featured as the Adobe Lightroom splash screen (2015). His image for TV5 Canada appeared in a nationwide rebranding campaign across billboards, bus wraps, and digital displays. He has also completed assignments for La Croix.
His photographs have appeared in National Geographic Traveler US, Digital Photo UK, BLUR Magazine, Wanderlust UK, and others. He is available for documentary, reportage, and editorial assignments, and is a member of Diversify Photo.
2019 - Sienna International Photo Award, 2014 - Honorable Mentions in ND Awards 2014, 2014 - Honorable Mentions in IPA 2014, 2014 - 2014 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest, 2014 - PRIX DE LA PHOTOGRAPHIE PARIS, 2014 - Shoottheface.com Finalist , 2013 - 1x Photo Awards 2013, 2013 - 2013 Black & White Spider Awards, 2013 - IPA 2013, 2013 - Shoottheface.com International Portrait Award
- Editorial
- Environment
- Portrait
- Reporting
