Award-winning photographer Rohan Shah, 15, has demonstrated why sports and photography are intertwined.
Rohan won the runner-up award in the 2022 Young Travel Photographer of the Year in the 14 years and under category on January 27.
Rohan is a ninth-grade student at the International School of Kenya (ISK), where he is also keen to keep his grades high. In addition to this year, the soft-spoken photographer has three more years to get done high school.
Out of the six portfolios he submitted, amongst 20,000 entries, two of Rohan’s portfolios made it to the finals, out of which his Bird Photographs landed him a second-place accolade.
Rohan’s submission of a heron flying off with a skink in its beak from Masai Mara earned him the coveted runners-up prize.
In his description, the budding photographer explained: “The grey heron managed to get hold of a very slim skink (a reptile) by piercing the creature’s head. The heron flew away showing off its large wingspan.”
Rohan had also submitted a night photography portfolio, that made it to the finals, featuring several animals captured at Lentorre Lodge, Magadi.
“From the ages of 11 to 13 , I wanted to try out something as fast as wild animals, whether it was in sports or photography,” he says.
Rohan also has interests in various sports disciplines including rugby, football, hockey, cricket and track and field including hurdling, javelin, shot put and discus.
“I used to play cricket and was lucky to be included in the Kenya U-19 trials although I couldn’t make the national team,” he says.
“But from the first time I held a javelin, I loved it. My progress in the sport has been consistent. I am currently training under the tutelage of coaches who have really helped me improve my technique and power in the game of javelin.”
He says he has even met trailblazing javelin thrower Julius Yego — the 2015 world champion, and 2016 Olympics silver medallist, African record holder and Commonwealth Games champion.
He says these sporting disciplines has helped in building his strength and toughness to carry his heavy photography equipment.
In return, his knack for photography has been crucial in cultivating patience, which is key in sports.
“Javelin and some field events require considerable amounts of body strength while the cameras we use for wildlife and travel photography are heavy, which perfectly complement each other,” Rohan expounded.
“I also love playing rugby since Kenyans are good at the game, with the national team (Shujaa) a regular fixture at the World Sevens Series. I would love to venture into rugby photography and even track and field some day.”
In javelin, Rohan holds the ISK under-15 record at 37.15m from October 2022. He is also the International Schools of East African champion in his category.
Rohan says his mentor, Jeffrey Wu, has always encouraged him to maintain high fitness levels and to build good strength if he is to be successful in his quest to be a top sportsperson and photgrapher.
“When I started to use cameras with bigger lenses — about 3-4 kilos — I realised the importance of building upper body strength, which made me a more tactful javelin athlete in school,” he says.
It took Rohan about 18 months to bolster his skills under Wu, an internationally renowned wildlife photographer.
And in his quest to follow in Wu’s footsteps, Rohan says: “To be a good photographer, you need to maintain very good agility, fast reaction as well as excellent eye-hand coordination.”
Rohan loves speed and nature, but also believes that patience pays in both sport and photography.
“I started going to the parks — Masai Mara, Olpejeta — at a very young age and since then, I have developed a penchant for wildlife as well as the need for conservation, which has helped grow my passion for photography,” he says.
Rohan says he was a bit nervous when he was awarded for his work, which elicited emotions he will forever remember.
“I was a bit nervous before the results came out. But when I got the award, I was overjoyed with excitement; happy that I had put Kenya on the world map as a young photographer,” he says.
Interestingly, the awards were declared through an email, now that there were no physical awards. He dedicated his success to Wu, his parents and his brother.
Meanwhile, his award-winning photos will go on display in a spectacular, free-to-view outdoor exhibition in Bristol, England this May.
“I hope to continue with photography as a hobby. I also want to venture into photojournalism or sports photography, at a very high level,” he says.
Rohan’s favourite animal is the leopard due to ‘its good-looking spotted body’.
He explains: “The leopard’s eyes are so beautiful and once I come across one in the park, my excitement levels burst through the roof — just as javelin soars at breakneck speeds,” he says.
Rohan’s mother, Bhavisha Shah, is equally enthusiastic about her son’s passion for sports and photography.
She explains: “When we saw Jeffrey and Rohan during the first meeting they had about photography, we felt that he is on the right path.
Photography is shaping how Rohan is leading his life. It’s giving him skills like patience, which come in handy in his sporting activities.” “Many boys of Rohan’s generation would be glued to the screams trying to catch a glimpse of their favourite programs and movies, but with a brilliant mentality, Rohan goes out in the parks to take photos,” she says.
Wu, who is also a Kenya Tourism Board brand partner, said: “Rohan has three advantages. He comes from a country rich in wildlife resources; from Masai Mara to Amboseli to the scenic Lake Naivasha. His family is very supportive of his passion and love for photography and the nature of conservation.”
“He is also being taught by the best in wildlife photography. Photographing story-telling wildlife images will be of great help in his future as a sports photographer.”
In conclusion, Rohan says: “In celebration of World Wildlife Day on March 3, I hope we all can play a small role in appreciating the wonders of wildlife, both in our country and elsewhere, by participating in some form of wildlife conservation.”