  Event-by-event fluctuations of initial QCD-matter density produced in
heavy-ion collisions at RHIC enhance the production of thermal photons
significantly in the region $2 \le p_T \le 4$ GeV/$c$ compared to a smooth
initial-state averaged profile in the ideal hydrodynamic calculation. This
enhancement is a an early time effect due to the presence of hotspots or
over-dense regions in the fluctuating initial state. The effect of fluctuations
is found to be stronger in peripheral than in central collisions.
