Five and a Half Decades of Photographic Excellence Earn Global Recognition
Lucknow: Senior Lucknow-based photographer Anil Risal Singh, former president of the Federation of Indian Photography and president of the Lucknow Camera Club, has been selected for the prestigious Associate of the Photographic Society of America (APSA) honour in recognition of his long-standing contribution, artistic achievements and sustained involvement in the field of international photography.
The honour has been announced by the Honours Committee of the Photographic Society of America (PSA), one of the world’s leading photography organisations. The announcement was published in the August 2026 issue of PSA Journal. Singh will formally receive the distinction during the PSA Photo Festival in Las Vegas, USA, in September 2026.
The honour marks another significant milestone in Singh’s photographic journey spanning more than five and a half decades. Since beginning his journey with a small camera in 1967, he has built a distinguished career encompassing artistic photography, research, teaching, exhibitions, judging, cultural documentation and institutional development.
Singh has established a distinctive identity in Indian and international photography through an approach that views photography not merely as a means of recording a scene, but as an artistic process of transforming light, shadow, colour, architecture, nature, time and cultural memory into visual expression.
His international recognition began in 1991, when The Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain conferred on him the prestigious Associate of the Royal Photographic Society (ARPS) distinction. In 2009, he was awarded the Master of the Fédération Internationale de l’Art Photographique (MFIAP) by the international photographic organisation based in France. His national achievements include the National Award of Photography, conferred by the Government of India in 2011.
His long list of honours includes the Nikon-BP Photographer of the Year Award 2005, Sony World Photography Award 2007, Venice International Photography Award 2008, UNESCO Award 2009, SAARC Award 2014 and AIFACS Award 2018. The Uttar Pradesh State Lalit Kala Akademi has also honoured him with its All India Art Photography Award four times, in 2003, 2005, 2013 and 2023.
Singh’s contribution to photography extends well beyond his individual artistic practice. He served as president of the Federation of Indian Photography from 2013 to 2016, playing an important role in strengthening the institutional framework for photography in India. In 2015, he served as chairman of the jury for the National Photography Awards and Lifetime Achievement Award. He has also served as a judge at numerous national and international photography competitions.
As president of the Lucknow Camera Club, Singh has continued to promote photography and nurture photographic activities in the city. His work has helped create greater opportunities for photographers, enthusiasts and students to engage with the medium.
Another important dimension of his career has been the preservation and visual documentation of India’s cultural heritage. Singh served as head of the Photo Division at the National Research Laboratory for Conservation of Cultural Property, Lucknow, under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, from where he retired.
In this role, he contributed to the use of photography as an important tool for preserving the visual memory of India’s historical and cultural heritage. His professional journey also included a Charles Wallace Professional Grant in 1999, which enabled him to study photographic collections preserved in museums across the United Kingdom.
Singh has made a significant contribution to photographic education as well. For more than 35 years, he taught photography and worked as a guest lecturer, examiner and paper setter at various institutions and universities. His teaching emphasised not only technical knowledge of the camera, but also the importance of developing sensitivity, observation and an artistic understanding of the visual world.
His research papers on photography have been presented and published at international conferences, while his articles have appeared in various newspapers, magazines and journals. From 2011 to 2016, he served as editor of Viewfinder, contributing to the development of discourse around photography in India.
His artistic work has also reached audiences through numerous exhibitions. He has held around 20 solo exhibitions in different Indian cities, along with two solo exhibitions in Atlanta, USA. His work was also featured in a group exhibition at the Place de Festival in Cannes, France.
Singh’s extensive body of work and contribution have earned him several prestigious distinctions, including MFIAP and ARPS, as well as around 30 honorary fellowships. Together, these recognitions reflect a career marked by artistic achievement, professional excellence, teaching, research and sustained engagement with the photographic community.
The APSA honour is therefore more than another addition to his long list of distinctions. It represents international recognition of a photographic journey that has continued for more than five decades. For Lucknow and the wider Indian photography community, the honour is also a moment of pride.
From a small camera in 1967 to recognition on one of the world’s most respected photographic platforms, Anil Risal Singh’s journey demonstrates how sustained creativity, study, experimentation and dedication can carry an artist beyond the boundaries of time.
His latest international distinction is expected to further strengthen the visibility of Indian photography on the global stage while inspiring a new generation of photographers to pursue the medium with curiosity, discipline and artistic sensitivity.
