Rack 'em Up
Kanaan Desert, Namibia – 2024
Archival Pigment Print
“This somewhat dystopian image was not preconceived and came together spontaneously on the day of our shoot in the Namibian desert. The camera angle allows the viewer to explore inside our bar and the picture is all the better for that. It is a proper desert bar, two hours from anywhere of note.
I remember once looking at a book featuring telephone kiosks in unusual places around the world. It was a nice idea and there were some eye-catching visual contrasts in the collection. But telephone kiosks do not tend to play host to people of disposable moral fibre, whereas pool lounges largely do and that is why a pool table is such a good prop; it smacks of the possibility of trouble.
I think if there was a book of pool table images playing to the lore of a sketchy saloon, this photograph would stand a good chance of being front cover. Who could possibly refuse an invitation for a drink and a game of pool at this bar? It has everything you need, including that vague hint of vice.
Cara Delevingne is so much more than just a supermodel. She is a generational talent and a force of nature. In 2024 she played Sally Bowles in Cabaret for a good 10 weeks in the West End. One critic said she played the role as well as Liza Minnelli in the 1971 movie of the same name. And so it was an honour to have her along to The Desert Saloon to shoot some pool and check out the local wildlife.
This whole project was only feasible through our partnership with Rudi and Marlice Van Vuuren and the lauded Naankuse Sanctuary in Namibia.” – David Yarrow
Available sizes
Large: Edition of 20 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 53” x 103” in (134.6 cm x 261.6 cm)
- Framed Image: 68” x 118” in (172.7 cm x 299.7 cm)
Standard: Edition of 20 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 37” x 72” in (93.98 cm x 182.9 cm)
- Framed Image: 52” x 87” in (132.1 cm x 221 cm)
We ship worldwide and use a multitude of providers to safely deliver your masterpiece. Domestic delivery and installation may also be available via Hilton Asmus Contemporary’s private art shuttle. Please inquire.
Bad Asses (Colour)
Kanaan Desert, Namibia – 2024
Archival Pigment Print
“This eye grabbing photograph has been in my head for many years. We have taken our fair share of bad ass pictures of girls in cars in America, but I always wanted to extend my reach to Africa and introduce a Mad Max type narrative. Rather than working in the mountains with snow, as we often do, it was time to work in the desert with sand.
I knew my girl for the shot – Cara Delevingne – and I knew that the hugely respected Naankuse Sanctuary in Namibia often work their cheetahs with film crews, and then I also knew the Kanaan desert well. But I needed a central prop to hold the whole idea together. I needed something of substance.
I had long deliberated over building a bar marooned in the middle of the desert. Not just a two-dimensional facade of a bar, but an actual functioning bar, with lights, cooling machines and entertainment.
I confess that there was quite a bit of talking to myself about the risk reward ratio and I became all to mindful of Walt Disney’s famous advice of “stop talking and start doing”. I like to have creative courage and be bold.
So, I threw my fears away and we built our bar in the desert. It is so damn good that we are going to keep it there for tourists to visit and perhaps have a cold Namibian lager. It was not a small building job and six lorries full of wood and corrugated iron made the eight-hour trip south from Windhoek. I have never worked with a more willing bunch of people in my life than the Namibian production team and they had earned the right to be very proud of The Desert Inn.
In a tableau photograph like this, I want to be greedy and broaden the story: the barman and the bushman on the far right are the little details that help. Cara looks sensational and, of course, that split second pose from the cheetah makes the photograph what it is. It is a bad ass shot for sure and it is also a bad ass bar.” – David Yarrow
Available sizes
Large: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 49” x 103” in (124.5 cm x 261.6 cm)
- Framed Image: 64” x 118” in (162.6 cm x 299.7 cm)
Standard: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 37” x 78” in (93.98 cm x 198.1 cm)
- Framed Image: 52” x 93” in (132.1 cm x 236.2 cm)
We ship worldwide and use a multitude of providers to safely deliver your masterpiece. Domestic delivery and installation may also be available via Hilton Asmus Contemporary’s private art shuttle. Please inquire.
Bad Asses
Kanaan Desert, Namibia – 2024
Archival Pigment Print
“This eye grabbing photograph has been in my head for many years. We have taken our fair share of bad ass pictures of girls in cars in America, but I always wanted to extend my reach to Africa and introduce a Mad Max type narrative. Rather than working in the mountains with snow, as we often do, it was time to work in the desert with sand.
I knew my girl for the shot – Cara Delevingne – and I knew that the hugely respected Naankuse Sanctuary in Namibia often work their cheetahs with film crews, and then I also knew the Kanaan desert well. But I needed a central prop to hold the whole idea together. I needed something of substance.
I had long deliberated over building a bar marooned in the middle of the desert. Not just a two-dimensional facade of a bar, but an actual functioning bar, with lights, cooling machines and entertainment.
I confess that there was quite a bit of talking to myself about the risk reward ratio and I became all to mindful of Walt Disney’s famous advice of “stop talking and start doing”. I like to have creative courage and be bold.
So, I threw my fears away and we built our bar in the desert. It is so damn good that we are going to keep it there for tourists to visit and perhaps have a cold Namibian lager. It was not a small building job and six lorries full of wood and corrugated iron made the eight-hour trip south from Windhoek. I have never worked with a more willing bunch of people in my life than the Namibian production team and they had earned the right to be very proud of The Desert Inn.
In a tableau photograph like this, I want to be greedy and broaden the story: the barman and the bushman on the far right are the little details that help. Cara looks sensational and, of course, that split second pose from the cheetah makes the photograph what it is. It is a bad ass shot for sure and it is also a bad ass bar.” – David Yarrow
Available sizes
Large: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 49” x 103” in (124.5 cm x 261.6 cm)
- Framed Image: 64” x 118” in (162.6 cm x 299.7 cm)
Standard: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 37” x 78” in (93.98 cm x 198.1 cm)
- Framed Image: 52” x 93” in (132.1 cm x 236.2 cm)
We ship worldwide and use a multitude of providers to safely deliver your masterpiece. Domestic delivery and installation may also be available via Hilton Asmus Contemporary’s private art shuttle. Please inquire.
For Your Eyes Only (Color)
Kanaan Desert, Namibia – 2024
Archival Pigment Print
“If we can persuade a female icon to take leave from the Paris Fashion shows, and then take three flights with a combined 16 hours flying time, only to then arrive in a Mars like desert with no accommodation other than tents, we better have a good plan when she reaches her tent.
We did have a plan, but when Cara arrived in Namibia the weather was so windy and stormy that we could not even hold a glass of water in our hands. It hadn’t properly rained in this part of the Kanaan Desert for two years, but the day we arrived for one of our most ambitious productions, it started to properly rain. You could not make this shit up.
But this poor weather created an opportunity not a threat, as it always does. Although the storm cleared through the night, it was still unseasonably cold and when we arrived at the top of the sand dunes at dawn, the distant mountains were enveloped in low cloud. This is most unusual and added a whole new element to what I already knew was a visually intoxicating location. The wind had also left new textural patterns in the sand.
The positioning of Cara and the cheetah on the ridge of the dunes lends a pleasing compositional balance to the picture. It was not all down to fortune and I could not have done this without the help of the Naankuse team in Namibia and in particular Rudi and Marlice Van Vuuren. It also helps that I know the dunes well; any filmmaker must make decisions quickly at sunrise in the desert. The light I needed to amplify the beauty of the content is only gifted for a brief period.
The real credit goes to Cara Delevingne though, what a force of nature she is and a total professional. It is not easy walking naked in those dunes with a cheetah watching your every move.
The best pictures are authentic and can never be taken again. I think this raw and elemental picture ticks those boxes. It is a glimpse of our beautiful world.” – David Yarrow
Available sizes
Large: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 49” x 103” in (124.5 cm x 261.6 cm)
- Framed Image: 64” x 118” in (162.6 cm x 299.7 cm)
Standard: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 37” x 79” in (93.98 cm x 200.7 cm)
- Framed Image: 52” x 94” in (132.1 cm x 238.8 cm)
We ship worldwide and use a multitude of providers to safely deliver your masterpiece. Domestic delivery and installation may also be available via Hilton Asmus Contemporary’s private art shuttle. Please inquire.
For Your Eyes Only
Kanaan Desert, Namibia – 2024
Archival Pigment Print
“If we can persuade a female icon to take leave from the Paris Fashion shows, and then take three flights with a combined 16 hours flying time, only to then arrive in a Mars like desert with no accommodation other than tents, we better have a good plan when she reaches her tent.
We did have a plan, but when Cara arrived in Namibia the weather was so windy and stormy that we could not even hold a glass of water in our hands. It hadn’t properly rained in this part of the Kanaan Desert for two years, but the day we arrived for one of our most ambitious productions, it started to properly rain. You could not make this shit up.
But this poor weather created an opportunity not a threat, as it always does. Although the storm cleared through the night, it was still unseasonably cold and when we arrived at the top of the sand dunes at dawn, the distant mountains were enveloped in low cloud. This is most unusual and added a whole new element to what I already knew was a visually intoxicating location. The wind had also left new textural patterns in the sand.
The positioning of Cara and the cheetah on the ridge of the dunes lends a pleasing compositional balance to the picture. It was not all down to fortune and I could not have done this without the help of the Naankuse team in Namibia and in particular Rudi and Marlice Van Vuuren. It also helps that I know the dunes well; any filmmaker must make decisions quickly at sunrise in the desert. The light I needed to amplify the beauty of the content is only gifted for a brief period.
The real credit goes to Cara Delevingne though, what a force of nature she is and a total professional. It is not easy walking naked in those dunes with a cheetah watching your every move.
The best pictures are authentic and can never be taken again. I think this raw and elemental picture ticks those boxes. It is a glimpse of our beautiful world.” – David Yarrow
Available sizes
Large: Edition of 20 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 49” x 103” in (124.5 cm x 261.6 cm)
- Framed Image: 64” x 118” in (162.6 cm x 299.7 cm)
Standard: Edition of 20 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 37” x 79” in (93.98 cm x 200.7 cm)
- Framed Image: 52” x 94” in (132.1 cm x 238.8 cm)
We ship worldwide and use a multitude of providers to safely deliver your masterpiece. Domestic delivery and installation may also be available via Hilton Asmus Contemporary’s private art shuttle. Please inquire.
O Captain! My Captain!
Dinokeng, South Africa – 2024
Archival Pigment Print
“The creative premise behind this photograph evolved in the full knowledge that there would be a very low percentage success rate. Sometimes I don’t even press the shutter and then the times that I do shoot, there is normally something that kills the image. But that is part of the deal: we are gambling. It’s a bit like a Hail Mary pass in American Football, so many fortunate things must align for there to be a good outcome.
The biggest issue, assuming the lion jumps over the water (which is not a given), is precise focus. I used to use remote controls in this set up, but the camera is only so smart and I prefer to be operating the camera. So now I work from a strategically positioned heavy cage with a wide-angle lens and hope that the lion jumps towards me. When any moving object is this close to the lens, the greater the need for a very fast shutter speed.
This photograph makes up for my countless failures. It is a credit to Kevin Richardson’s skills at his sanctuary in South Africa – he is not known as The Lion Whisperer for no reason. We have worked together for over 14 years now and the monies raised from our partnership have gone a long way to securing the long-term future of his lauded sanctuary. Kevin knows more about lions and lion behaviour than anyone and I totally recognize that he brings more to the party than I do. To watch him at work is quite extraordinary and it is an honour to be given such access.”- David Yarrow
Available sizes
Large: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 56” x 62” in (142.2 cm x 157.5 cm)
- Framed Image: 77” x 71” in (180.3 cm x 195.6 cm)
Standard: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 41” x 37” in (93.98 cm x 104.1 cm)
- Framed Image: 56” x 52” in (132.1 cm x 142.2 cm)
We ship worldwide and use a multitude of providers to safely deliver your masterpiece. Domestic delivery and installation may also be available via Hilton Asmus Contemporary’s private art shuttle. Please inquire.
Locked and Loaded
Dinokeng, South Africa – 2024
Archival Pigment Print
“This intense lion portrait was taken in the last moments of sunlight from a bespoke cage at Kevin Richardson’s lauded lion sanctuary, north of Pretoria in South Africa. The lions under his loving care will instinctively harm anyone, other than Kevin, in their way; they are wild lions, not pets.
His unique skill is both baffling and humbling and over our 14-year partnership we have developed a friendship as strong as any I have in the animal world. He knows as much about lions – the most endangered of Africa’s big 5 – as anyone. To see him at work has been one of the great privileges of my career.
I think the best friendships are based on trust and mutual respect and fuelled by humour. That’s where we are and meanwhile our working relationship is founded on safety and then driven by the need to transcend on a visual level. It’s not easy as we both set high standards and it is a prerequisite that we strategise long before we shoot.
I remember an interview with Matt Damon when he was asked about the process of making a movie scene. He said, “we iterate and then we iterate and then we iterate again”. That’s the way Kevin and I work. Photographs like this are made not taken. It’s very rare for me to take a photograph without prior creative processing.
I cannot conceive of the sort of human being who would point a gun at these majestic animals. But I do know that if it was a fair battle, it would all be over very quickly. Lions are the alpha hunters, not humans. The swagger in his step says it all.”- David Yarrow
Available sizes
Large: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 62” x 56” in (157.5 cm x 142.2 cm)
- Framed Image: 77” x 71” in (195.6 cm x 180.3 cm)
Standard: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 41” x 37” in (104.1 cm x 93.98 cm)
- Framed Image: 56” x 52” in (142.2 cm x 132.1 cm)
We ship worldwide and use a multitude of providers to safely deliver your masterpiece. Domestic delivery and installation may also be available via Hilton Asmus Contemporary’s private art shuttle. Please inquire.
Dune (B&W)
Kanaan Desert, Namibia – 2024
Archival Pigment Print
“As my quest to tell layered stories has evolved, I have a firmer understanding of how a weak layer can kill an image of mine. I look back at some work and wince. I have kept hunting in my creative process for clues as to what I am striving for and I guess that the journey of discovery never ends. It is the journey itself that is the purpose of all the effort and drive.
Namibia is the cheetah capital of the world. Since 1990, smart conservation efforts have resulted in the population in the country growing from 1500 to 2500 – that’s one third of the planet’s total. We have long worked with the acclaimed cheetah conservationists Rudi and Marlice van Vuuren who founded the Naankuse Sanctuary nearly 20 years ago and they partnered with us on this project in the Kanaan Desert.
This photograph in the dunes of the Namibian desert, was taken in September 2024. I first photographed in this desert over 14 years ago and I hope I have learned a great deal since then. All the layers in this image: the textural sand, the central characters, the desert mountains and the clouds coalesce as one.
My camera metadata tells me that it was taken long before most people are out of bed and yet we are a long way from the nearest building. But no one in the crew had a problem with that. There is a visual overload from these dunes at sunrise to match any location on the planet.
Shanina Shaik looks sensational and elevates a photograph of a cheetah in the desert into something a little more special. I felt that it was vital that we could see both her eyes and that dictated my camera position in the dunes and her body angle. The moment came and it was just a glimpse, but that is all you need. She is smart as well as beautiful.
I like the cinematic proportions of this photograph – it helps to tell the story.” – David Yarrow
Available sizes
Large: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 46” x 103” in (116.8 cm x 262.6 cm)
- Framed Image: 61” x 118” in (154.9 cm x 299.7 cm)
Standard: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 34” x 75” in (86.36 cm x 190.5 cm)
- Framed Image: 49” x 90” in (124.5 cm x 228.6 cm)
We ship worldwide and use a multitude of providers to safely deliver your masterpiece. Domestic delivery and installation may also be available via Hilton Asmus Contemporary’s private art shuttle. Please inquire.
Dune (Colour)
Kanaan Desert, Namibia – 2024
Archival Pigment Print
“As my quest to tell layered stories has evolved, I have a firmer understanding of how a weak layer can kill an image of mine. I look back at some work and wince. I have kept hunting in my creative process for clues as to what I am striving for and I guess that the journey of discovery never ends. It is the journey itself that is the purpose of all the effort and drive.
Namibia is the cheetah capital of the world. Since 1990, smart conservation efforts have resulted in the population in the country growing from 1500 to 2500 – that’s one third of the planet’s total. We have long worked with the acclaimed cheetah conservationists Rudi and Marlice van Vuuren who founded the Naankuse Sanctuary nearly 20 years ago and they partnered with us on this project in the Kanaan Desert.
This photograph in the dunes of the Namibian desert, was taken in September 2024. I first photographed in this desert over 14 years ago and I hope I have learned a great deal since then. All the layers in this image: the textural sand, the central characters, the desert mountains and the clouds coalesce as one.
My camera metadata tells me that it was taken long before most people are out of bed and yet we are a long way from the nearest building. But no one in the crew had a problem with that. There is a visual overload from these dunes at sunrise to match any location on the planet.
Shanina Shaik looks sensational and elevates a photograph of a cheetah in the desert into something a little more special. I felt that it was vital that we could see both her eyes and that dictated my camera position in the dunes and her body angle. The moment came and it was just a glimpse, but that is all you need. She is smart as well as beautiful.
I like the cinematic proportions of this photograph – it helps to tell the story.” – David Yarrow
Available sizes
Large: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 46” x 103” in (116.8 cm x 262.6 cm)
- Framed Image: 61” x 118” in (154.9 cm x 299.7 cm)
Standard: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 34” x 75” in (86.36 cm x 190.5 cm)
- Framed Image: 49” x 90” in (124.5 cm x 228.6 cm)
We ship worldwide and use a multitude of providers to safely deliver your masterpiece. Domestic delivery and installation may also be available via Hilton Asmus Contemporary’s private art shuttle. Please inquire.
Eternity (Color)
Kanaan Desert, Namibia – 2024
Archival Pigment Print
“John Ford said that the elemental grandeur of Monument Valley gave him an extra character for free in his movies and that was why it was his preferred filming location. If he was right, and he surely was, then the deserts of Namibia in Africa lend you at least a couple more.
The problem is that filming in the Namibian Desert is logistically a little more challenging than Arizona. The population density is 10 people per square mile – a tenth of America’s density – and in the desert, there is a palpable sense of solitude. Outside of the capital Windhoek the infrastructure is rather basic and to film ambitious projects demands resolve and a passion for adventure.
Namibia is, however, the cheetah capital of the world. Since 1990, smart conservation efforts have resulted in the population in the country growing from 1500 to 2500 – that’s one third of the planet’s total. We have long worked with the acclaimed cheetah conservationists Rudi and Marlice van Vuuren who founded the Naankuse Wildlife Sanctuary nearly 20 years ago and they partnered with us on this project in the Kanaan Desert.
I had this picture in my head since Covid days but I was only able to capture it in September 2024 – good things take time. Sunrise is a dangerous time to film; there are so many traps to fall into and the optimum light is ephemeral.
Shooting towards the sun, which would be my default position, becomes challenging if the photograph like this is contextual as I don’t like to have the sun itself in an image; it can be a little gaudy in colour and look extremely odd in black and white. To avoid the cliches and the tonal tension points, I prefer to film before the sun appears and this desert offers a chance as there are mountains for it to overcome. From my elevated position high in the sand dunes, the sun only arrives on stage a good 30 minutes after daylight.
There is a sense of timeless eternity to this photograph. I look at it and smile – what a wonderful planet we rent. Huge credit to Shanina Shaik, she was brilliant to work with, and cared not one bit about the 3 am wake up calls. I guess it’s not a bad place for a morning walk with a big cat.” – David Yarrow
Available sizes
Large: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 42” x 103” in (106.7 cm x 262.6 cm)
- Framed Image: 57” x 118” in (144.8 cm x 299.7 cm)
Standard: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 32” x 77” in (81.28 cm x 195.6 cm)
- Framed Image: 47” x 92” in (119.4 cm x 233.7 cm)
We ship worldwide and use a multitude of providers to safely deliver your masterpiece. Domestic delivery and installation may also be available via Hilton Asmus Contemporary’s private art shuttle. Please inquire.