Biography

Seyan Hirani is an 18 year old wildlife photographer born in Kenya, the only home he's ever known. Having spent a huge amount of his childhood in the African bush, he inevitably fell under its irresistible spell, and as soon as he got his hands on a camera more than 8 years ago, he fell in love with wildlife photography. From spending weeks out in the endless plains of the Masai Mara, to losing himself amidst the herds of the elephants of Amboseli, being out in the wild with his camera is truly his happy place.

As COVID sent us all into lockdown, he saw this as an opportunity to spend more and more time out in the bush, soon turning what was just an occasional park visit into a weekly ritual. It is during this time that he really began honing his craft, learning the fundamentals of photography out in the field. It wasn’t long before this newfound hobby turned into a full on obsession that proceeded to take over his life, and park visits became even more regular, sometimes even an after school affair.

Captivated by their enigmatic charm and elegant coat, he fell in love with leopards from the moment he locked eyes with one, and they quickly became his favourite animal to photograph. In fact, he fell for them so hard that he would drag the nearest person to him that could drive to Nairobi National Park, where he would direct them round and round the leopard hotspots of the park, hoping to just catch even a glimpse of these mysterious creatures.

After spending a few years photographing animals and landscapes in and around Kenya, he soon realised that the wild spaces he had come to love so much were quickly falling victim to the ever-growing human population and the issues that came with it. It was at this point that he saw his photography as a way to foster positive change for these places. A firm believer of the idea that for there to be positive change in the world people must care enough, he quickly realised that he needed to not just capture animals, but their emotions and feelings too.

This idea led him down the path of self-discovery, where he explored different styles of photography and even began printing and selling his work, the first few steps in the lifelong process of building himself a name in the ever-growing world of wildlife photography. Supporting conservation organisations like Lion Lights, he was able to move one step closer to his goal, using this medium of visual storytelling to make a positive impact on the wild spaces he had by now completely fallen in love with.

Although still young, he has already dedicated a huge part of his life to wildlife photography and conservation, hoping to not only continue practicing and continually perfecting his craft, but ultimately be a part of the positive change in the field of wildlife conservation.