JOIN USBorn in Kota, Udupi district, he learnt the nuances of camera work at the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune. He began his career with the film ‘Sankalpa’. Later, he shot images of ‘Kankana’, ‘Pallavi’, ‘Parasangada Gendethimma’, ‘Chomana Dudi’, ‘Gulabi Talkies’, ‘Grahana’, ‘Haseena’, ‘Mane’, ‘Rishya Shringa’, ‘Haaru Hakkiyaaneri’, ‘Banada Neralu’, ‘Mukhaputa’, ‘Vimukthi, etc. Ramachandra was the assistant cinematographer for the film 'Vamshavruksha'. He excelled in shooting films of the parallel cinema. P Seshadri's film Bettada Jeeva, which is based on novelist K Shivaram Karanth's novel, was his last film.
Ramachandra won the National Film Award for Best Cinematographer for Kannada film ‘Rishya Shringa’ in 1977. In 2006, he was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Karnataka State Film Awards.
Film director Girish Kasaravalli said: "Ramachandra was the founding stone of the new wave of cinema. He worked enthusiastically with new directors." Ramachandra is survived by his wife and two daughters.