Eternity (B&W)
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.
Enjoy The Silence
Kanaan Desert, Namibia – 2024
Archival Pigment Print
I know this tree in the Kanaan Desert intimately – which is a rather unusual admission. It may be dead, but I fancy it will be around long after all of us; this is not a place where ill-intentioned people come. There is a deafening silence to the desert which amplifies the sense of wilderness.
The tree is enormous and its scale offers the chance to use space to the advantage of the frame. When I was composing the scene, I recognised that the tail of the cheetah and the structure of the tree could align a little and lend some compositional balance.
This male cheetah is the biggest under the acclaimed care of conservationist Rudi and Marlice Van Vuuren. They now employ 500 people in Namibia and their Naankuse Wildlife Sanctuary has earned deserved acclaim. This tableau could not have been taken without their partnership.
I want also to thank Shanina Shaik. She is very much at the top of her game and I can see why she is in such demand. She was a delight to work with.
Shanina and the cheetah look like they own the place. This is their special sanctuary and intruders are not hugely welcome as they are here to Enjoy the Silence.
Thank you to Depeche Mode for the title of this picture.” – David Yarrow
Available sizes
Large: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 56” x 85” in (142.2 cm x 215.9 cm)
- Framed Image: 71” x 100” in (180.3 cm x 254 cm)
Standard: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 37” x 56” in (93.98 cm x 142.2 cm)
- Framed Image: 52” x 71” in (132.1 cm x 180.3 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.
Jurassic Park
Durban, South Africa – 2024
Archival Pigment Print
“There is something so downright terrifying about an adult crocodile that the poorer the light, the greater the sense of horror and threat. It is the most primeval of all animals and the bigger it comes, the more it elicits a sense of dropping into a Spielberg movie.
This photograph of a four-meter-long male crocodile is elevated by the lighting conditions at dusk. Three hours before, it was all too bright and any photographs would be less dramatic. He is believed to be over 110 years old and weighs more than 750 kgs.
I am not good with crocs and I do tend to suffer from camera shake more than when filming any other animal. I have a steady hand, but not so much in encounters such as this. The other problem I have, is that when the camera is head on to a subject, there is always a decision to be taken as to whether to focus on the mouth or the eyes. It’s a dilemma for me because my default position is to have the eyes in focus and make sure that the nearest feature to the camera is not so out of the focal plane as to create a tension point. In most cases, however, that is not an issue and the face is all in focus.
But with an adult crocodile, the filmmaker must make a choice, as the distance from the nose and teeth to the eyes is material. I don’t think there is a choice; the focus should be on the nose and this photograph offers some big clues as to why.
I could not have taken this image 20 years ago. Cameras and lenses work so much better in low light than they used to and I was pushing my camera to the edge of its capability. I was also pushing myself to the edge of mine.” – David Yarrow
Available sizes
Large: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 56” x 74” in (142.2 cm x 187.96 cm)
- Framed Image: 71” x 89” in (180.3 cm x 226.06 cm)
Standard: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 37” x 49” in (93.98 cm x 124.46 cm)
- Framed Image: 52” x 64” in (132.1 cm x 162.56 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.
Marshlands II
Dinokeng, South Africa
I think that this is one of my more powerful lion photographs over the last ten years. It is a tribute to the skills of Kevin Richardson – The Lion Whisperer – whose ability to work with these magnificent cats is without equal.
The night before, the thunderstorms around Dinokeng, South Africa, were so violent and relentless that sleeping was almost impossible. My restlessness was compounded by my excitement about the amount of flood water that would be building in Kevin’s famous sanctuary. Bad weather is always an opportunity, not a threat, and hopefully we practice what we preach.
I knew that it was going to be dirty work as Kevin’s heavy cage at my behest, would be positioned in the new marshland at first light. These lions are wild, and the only way of gaining proximity is by using remotes or working from a very heavy cage. Remotes were a non-runner with the water levels, so it was time for me to get very wet and suck it up.
The end result made it all worthwhile. I can’t really get more out of an adult male lion than this, and what a majestic animal he is.
AVAILABLE SIZES:
LARGE: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 56" x 73” in (142.2 cm x 185.4 cm)
- Framed Image: 71" x 88” in (180.3 cm x 223.5 cm)
STANDARD: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 37” x 48” in (93.98 cm x 121.9 cm)
- Framed Image: 52” x 63” (132.1 cm x 160 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.
Sex Panther
Dinokeng, South Africa – 2023
This is a lucky photograph – a fraction of a moment in time captured by my camera. The leading paw of the black panther is the same distance from me as his face, and as a result, they are both sharp. It is rare to see paws captured like this and I sense they add something rather special to a dynamic portrait.
Thanks to the Marvel series, a Black Panther is a metaphor as much as it is a predator. They are not easy to photograph and I tend to work from inside a heavy cage. Over the years I have fine-tuned my approach and the rewards are getting stronger.
We looked at the crop for this image for some time and found the vertical format best suited the content in the frame.
AVAILABLE SIZES:
LARGE: Edition of 12
- Image Size: 60" x 56” in (152.4 cm x 142.2 cm)
- Framed Image: 75" x 71” in (190.5 cm x 180.34 cm)
STANDARD: Edition of 12
- Image Size: 40” x 37” in (101.6 cm x 93.98 cm)
- Framed Image: 55” x 52” (139.7 cm x 132.08 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.
Marshlands
Dinokeng, South Africa – 2023
Archival Pigment Print
“I think this is one of my most powerful lion photographs over the last 10 years and a tribute to the skills of Kevin Richardson – The Lion Whisperer – whose ability to work with these magnificent cats is without equal.
The previous night, the thunderstorms around Dinokeng, South Africa, were so violent and relentless that sleeping was impossible. My restlessness was compounded by my excitement about the amount of flood water that would be building in Kevin’s famous sanctuary. We often talk about bad weather being an opportunity not a threat and the torrential rain in the region offered a chance for us to practice what we preach.
I knew that it was going to be dirty work as, at my behest, Kevin’s heavy cage would be positioned in the new marshland at first light. These lions are wild, and the only way to gain proximity is to use remotes or work from a very heavy cage. Remotes were a non-runner with the water levels, so it was time for me to get very wet and suck it up.
The end result made it all worthwhile. I can’t really get more out of an adult male lion than this and what a majestic animal he is.”
Available sizes
Large: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 56” x 73” in (142.2 cm x 185.4 cm)
- Framed Image: 71” x 88” in (180.3 cm x 223.5 cm)
Standard: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 37” x 48” in (93.98 cm x 121.9 cm)
- Framed Image: 52” x 63” in (132.1 cm x 160 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.
Elmo
2023
“I have photographed Mountain Gorillas in Rwanda with varying success over the last ten years – I think our hit rate is around 20% – meaning only one out of every five treks up Volcanoes National Park has yielded anything. I think that’s about right – it’s not easy at 10,000 feet in the rainforest, and the best of my work now hangs in the Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Fund in Kinigi, Rwanda. I am glad they don’t display my average pictures, of which there are many.
I recently had the chance to work on a fundraiser with another great American conservationist – Ramona Bass – a legendary figure in Fort Worth – who has offered a sanctuary for displaced Western Lowland Gorillas for many years. The male adult Lowland gorillas have less hair than mountain gorillas and, as a result, look more human. The most famous of these under Ramona’s care is a 33-year-old silverback called Elmo, who can be photographed from a distance at certain times of the day.
He is a handsome boy that carries a look of authority. I wanted a head-on stare, and if the light could catch the eyes, then so much the better.”
AVAILABLE SIZES:
Medium: Archival Pigment Print
LARGE: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 56” x 84” in (142.24 cm x 213.4 cm)
- Framed Image: 71” x 99” in (180.34 cm x 251.5 cm)
STANDARD: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 37” x 56” in (93.98 cm x 142.2 cm)
- Framed Image: 52” x 71” (132.08 cm x 180.3 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.
Marvel
South Africa – 2022
“This is the one black panther with whom I have a chance to take an immersive head on shot. I have access through my relationship with The Lion Whisperer – Kevin Richardson.
I am was in a heavy metal cage to take this image and lying on a bed of mud. My camera was already filthy and in the seconds after this photograph was taken, it was covered in splash water. This all happened before 6.30 am and I was home and in a hot shower before breakfast.
It is all about going the extra mile and doing all one can to be below the eyes of the cat and be in place before the sun gets too high. The rest is down to luck and a small bit of experience working in sports photography. I say that as black panthers move quicker than any athlete I have filmed.”
Available Sizes
LARGE: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 56” x 61" in (142.24 cm x 154.94 cm)
- Framed Image: 71” x 76” in (180.34 cm x 193.04 cm)
STANDARD: ALL EDITIONS ALLOCATED OR SOLD. Please contact us for more details.
- Image Size: 37” x 40" in (93.98 cm x 101.6 cm)
- Framed Image: 52” x 55" in (132.08 cm x 139.7 cm)
We ship worldwide and use a multitude of providers to safely deliver your artwork. Domestic delivery and installation may also be available via Hilton Contemporary’s private art shuttle. Please inquire.
The Lion's Den
The Lion’s Den
South Africa – 2022
“The Wolf of Main Street – taken in 2015 – started my storytelling adventures as a photographer and in retrospect it was a pivotal moment in my career. I enjoyed the cognitive process and making a picture as opposed to taking it and the result resonated with an audience that was, perhaps, a little tired of my literal work.
I don’t think it pays to be too earnest and photographs that ask questions, rather than give answers, appeal to those who prefer to interpret rather than be taught. The wolf on the bar offered more authenticity than generic wildlife work and that served as a prompt to me.
Seven years on and it was time to raise the bar literally and metaphorically. I wondered whether we could play on the expression – The Lion’s Den – by introducing a lion into my bar series. The only place where this production would be possible was at Kevin Richardson’s lion sanctuary in South Africa; we have partnered for eight years and the collaboration has been mutually beneficial.
The Dinokeng reserve north of Pretoria is a long way from my comfort zone of the mountain bars of Montana but the premise was the same, tell a bar story offering contextuality in both decor and clientele. I wanted the vibe to be emphatically colonial sub-Saharan Africa.
However, Kevin has no bars on his property and we knew that we had no choice but to build one. The positive was that he felt one of his favourite lions under his care – BobCat – would enjoy the adventure of a new attraction in his acreage. Provided I was safely in a cage, I could try and capture Kevin enticing Bobcat along a bar like a catwalk. If we were successful, we could then introduce a cocktail of characters once BobCat – like Elvis – had left the building.
Bobcat behaved exactly as Kevin suggested and had little interest in leaving his new playground. He was having way too much fun. Shooting at night, however, gave us the luxury of time and we called in the rest of the cast when Bobcat went home.
I look at the end result of that day and ask myself – who would not want to have a drink in this “Lion’s Den”? It has absolutely everything a good bar should have and, of course, an adult male lion bossing it.”
AVAILABLE SIZES:
LARGE - Edition of Edition size: 20 + 3 AP:
- Image Size: 46” x 102" in (116.84 cm x 259.08 cm)
- Framed Image: 61” x 117” in (154.94 x 297.18 cm)
STANDARD - Edition of 20 + 3 AP:
- Image: 35” x 77" in (88.9 cm x 195.58 cm)
- Framed: 50” x 92" in (127 cm x 233.68 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.
Cheetahs
Cheetahs
Namibia – 2022
“Most artists are on journeys to unknown destinations; it is the journey itself that is important. As Robert Louis Stevenson said “I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.”
On my own journey, I am drawn not just to what is authentic but what is fun. The more fun we can have on set, the more chance that energy permeates through the work and others can have fun too engaging with the results.
I have no wish to be too earnest or pompous in my art; the holy grail is simply to produce work that holds the viewer’s attention and hopefully elicits some emotion.
The Cheetah’s Gentleman Clubs dotted around America may not be at the enlightened end of the performing arts food chain, but they retain a presence and a popularity.
Cheetah’s in Las Vegas is perhaps the most famous strip bar in America and was the inspiration for the late 90s film Showgirls directed by Paul Verhoeven, who also directed Basic Instinct.
I knew I had access to the cheetahs of the animal kingdom in Namibia and it struck me there could be an opportunity to visually marry the animal with the association. Our mixed species bar series started way back in 2015, but we had yet to find the narrative for a cheetah. My intuition was that the set should not have a glitzy Vegas vibe, but rather a rough and tumble Namibian desert aesthetic.
The desert bars I know in Namibia are basic and dusty. Some have makeshift walls of corrugated iron and wooden stick roofs that allows for dappled daylight to enter the boxed room. This was my visual prompt for the set outside Windhoek and then all we needed was a cheetah. We were in the right place, as Namibia has more cheetahs than any other country in the world.
I think everyone enjoyed their day on location in Namibia. It’s sometimes the small things that make the difference and I love the sets of white teeth that can be picked up in the distance. I can’t speak for the club in Vegas, but this bar looks like a good place to spend a few hours at the end of a hot day.”
AVAILABLE SIZES:
LARGE - Edition of 12 + 3 AP:
- Image Size: 52” x 102" in (132.08 cm x 363.22 cm)
- Framed Image: 67" x 117" in (170.18 cm x 297.18 cm)
STANDARD - Edition of 12 + 3 AP:
- Image Size: 34” x 67" in (86.36 cm x 170.18 cm)
- Framed Image: 49" x 82" in (124.46 cm x 208.28 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.