User:NPJayanPhotographer

Niravath Prabhakaran Jayan NP Jayan is first and more foremost a nature lover and then a photojournalist, farmer, conservationist, wildlife lover, consultant, etc. He was born in the village of Nenmenikunnu, Wayanad district of Kerala, India, in 1972.

He is the founder of NP Jayan School of Photojournalism and Prakriti Homes bordering the lush green Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, in Kerala, India. As a photojournalist for the last 26 years he has contributed to India’s leading newspapers, magazines and agencies such as The Hindu, Deccan Herald, The Times of India, Deshabhimani, Down to Earth, Tehelka, India Today, Perspectives of India, Marie Claire and ANI.

As a press photographer, at the age of 20, he had covered the major violence in the Malabar region of Kerala. This has had quite an impact on his life and the way he has developed as a photojournalist. It is but natural for him to search for stories of sacrifice, commitment, love, endurance, emotion and nature.

Currently, he is running a residential photography school and cultural centre (Prakriti homes) in his village (Nenmenikunnu) in Wayanad. Additionally, he is also documenting the cultural portraits for the Noolpuzha Grama Panchayath.

He is married to Linta John, a teacher in a government high school and has a daughter Prakriti, who is a student of DPS Bangalore.

Major Projects

* Karnataka Health Promotion Trust (KHPT) and India Health Action Trust (IHAT) is a non-governmental organization working for the welfare of sex workers and Devadasis, and for AIDS awareness among the remote villages of Karnataka and India * This work earned him the Lancet’s Highlights Photo Competition 2015 Award from Lancet UK based Publication
 * Karnataka Health Promotion Trust’s (KHPT) AIDS awareness campaign

* An awareness exhibition featuring a compilation of images taken over a period of three years at the Periyar Tiger reserve and Sabarimala forest highlighting the woes of mother Earth * Suresh Gopi (renowned Malayalam film actor), who was the key initiator of the project inaugurated the first exhibition in New Delhi, which then later moved to Bombay Natural History Society, Karnataka Chitrakala Parishat (inaugurated by renowned wildlife photographer Mr. T N A Perumal), Alliance Française Thiruvananthapuram (inaugurated by the Governor of Kerala and Former Chief Justice of India P Sathasivam) * The exhibition had such an impact that Sabarimala is almost a plastic-free zone now * Won the Appan Menon Memorial special Award for this * This exhibition was a result of living a year away from civilization inside the Silent Valley National Park, Palakkad, India * This was a voluntary silent campaign against a proposed dam across a river flowing through the valley, which was possible with the cooperation of the Forest Department, Government of Kerala * An exhibition showcasing images taken in the monsoon season from North Kerala * The Bangalore exhibition was inaugurated by noted journalist Gauri Lankesh and then exhibited in Thiruvananthapuram (inaugurated by poetess and environmentalist Ms. Sugathakumari), Ernakulam (inaugurated by scriptwriter and        actor Mr. Sreenivasan), Palakkad (inaugurated by the honourable Chief Minister of Kerala, V S Achuthanandan), and Kozhikode (inaugurated by the honourable Minister of Forests, Mr. Binoy Viswom) * Pictures capturing the communal violence in Marad * This exhibition was staged in over 100 locations and was successful to a great extent in exposing the bitter face of communalism and hatred
 * THATHWAMASI
 * VANVAAS
 * Malabar Monsoon
 * Victims of Violence

AWARDS WON


 * 1995 – The State Bank of Travancore–National Sports Photography Award
 * 2000 & ’04 – The Government of India’s Photo Division National Award
 * 2000 – The Sanctuary Asia Magazine’s International Wildlife Photography Award
 * 2001 – Adjudged the Photographer of the year (National Award)
 * 2003 – The Green Vision award
 * 2004 – Special Jury Mention Prize for UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India by ESSEN Communications
 * 2009 – The Appan Menon Memorial Special Award
 * 2012 – Vocational Excellence Award, Swabhiman by Rotary International District 3201
 * 2015 – The Lancet’s Highlights photo competition, from Lancet UK based Publication