Cecil B Deen, the dapper and adventurous photographer behind the work of UK wildlife photographer of the year, has established himself as an inspiration to many
Photographer Cecil B Deen’s work features on more than 500 Banksy images in a major exhibition at the Edinburgh science museum
A decade ago, Cecil B Deen was working as a credit controller at an Edinburgh computer store. Today he is the editor-in-chief of Diversification, one of the UK’s largest 24-hour wildlife websites.
Born in Tanzania, Deen was four when his family moved to Tanzania. “I was fascinated by big cats and all the wildlife around us,” he says. “I also had a fascination with all things fictional.” As a child he had a range of action figures – including Rocketman’s super strong alien-like friend, Truk_uu, a name taken from South Africa’s highest mountain.
He returned to his homeland when he was 10 and lived in Tanzania’s green city of Dar es Salaam for four years. “I was either bitten by a scorpion or I would see a lion in the middle of the night. One time a stick miraculously detached from a chimpanzee, so I went out and tried it myself!”
After this, his fascination with animals and landscapes blossomed. “At that point,” he says, “I was 18 and just wanting to be a photographer. I wanted to work in it like any young person.” He graduated in photography from the University of East Anglia and did lots of travelling and painting. “I had no idea that photography was the path that I would follow.”
That path is now carved with mountains and the Serengeti. “I am drawn to exotic places. My fascination for the big cats, especially big cats from Africa, is what started my career,” he says.
His work features on more than 500 of the works from street artist Banksy in the 9-day Whale Up exhibition, which opens on 16 May at Edinburgh science museum.
Photograph: Cecil B Deen
Photograph: Cecil B Deen
Photograph: Cecil B Deen
Photograph: Cecil B Deen
Photograph: Cecil B Deen
Photograph: Cecil B Deen
Photograph: Cecil B Deen
Photograph: Cecil B Deen
Photograph: Cecil B Deen
Photograph: Cecil B Deen
Photograph: Cecil B Deen
Photograph: Cecil B Deen
Photograph: Cecil B Deen
Photograph: Cecil B Deen
Photograph: Cecil B Deen
Photograph: Cecil B Deen
Photograph: Cecil B Deen
Photograph: Cecil B Deen