White Mischief
South Africa – 2017
“Indigenous to the Timbavati region of South Africa, white lions are now extremely rare – they are the stuff of children’s fables rather than day to day reality in the bush. White lions need help to survive as a breed.
My friend Kevin Richardson, The Lion Whisperer, still looks after a few, although his favourite white lion in the sanctuary, Thor, was killed by a lightning strike – a perverse twist of fate given that Thor is the god of thunder and lightning. That tragic strike suggested the work of higher powers.
When I first saw this white lioness, her colouring, or indeed lack of it, had a profound and immediate visual impact on me. She was as much a mythological beast as she was a modern day cat. It struck me that we needed to build the narrative around the fact that she was so white. Nothing else really mattered – she should look haunting and ethereal.
I could be nowhere near the camera when we worked this image – these lions are dangerous and big. I operated the remote from at least 60 yards away, but I prefocused precisely on the ridge as I wanted no context other than the fluffy white clouds. This composition I felt would further enhance the sense of a fairytale.“
-David Yarrow
Available Sizes:
LARGE: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image: 56" x 58" (142 x 147 cm)
- Framed: 71" x 73" (180 x 185 cm)
STANDARD: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image: 37" x 38" (94 x 97 cm)
- Framed: 52" x 53" (132 x 135 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.
Waterworld
Dinokeng, South Africa – 2023
“I want my animal portraits to glorify through proximity. It is that proximity that offers the texture and aesthetic strength and allows a close image to transcend one taken from a more sensible distance. At the margin, it makes all the difference to be close and not magnify too much.
The riddle of proximity is one with answers, it just requires experience and collaboration. I was protected from this lion by the strongest of steel cages, so whilst there was a gap for the camera, there was nothing like the necessary gap for a lion’s head.
These set ups should never be tried in normal situations as so many things can go wrong and this occasion was only enabled by the skills of Kevin Richardson -The Lion Whisperer. Without Kevin, there is no chance of a picture and every chance of some degree of danger.
I am not sure if this picture could have been taken 10 years ago for two reasons. Firstly, my relationship with Kevin was nascent and we now trust each other implicitly. Pictures like this require mutual trust. Secondly, cameras now have so much more capability than 10 years ago and we continue to leverage this to the full. It would be folly not to.“
-David Yarrow
Available Sizes:
LARGE: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image: 56" x 84" (142 x 213 cm)
- Framed: 71" x 99" (180 x 251 cm)
STANDARD: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image: 37" x 56" (94 x 142 cm)
- Framed: 52" x 71" (132 x 180 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 Book of Daniel
Dinokeng, South Africa – 2022
“Good creative ideas are only as good as the execution and when I conceived the idea of a literal photographic depiction of Daniel in a cave with wild lions, I recognised that pulling it off in the field would be as examining a production challenge as anything we had undertaken.
The fact that we ended up with this image – a career highlight – is testimony to the skills of many South Africans with whom we collaborated on this project, none more so than Kevin Richardson, The Lion Whisperer. It was his behavioural understanding of specific lions within his famous sanctuary that gave me the confidence to even consider emotionally and financially investing in my mad idea. We have worked with each other for over eight years now and have developed a mutual trust. To build a cave and work from within that cave with wild lions is not a brief for a nascent relationship between artist and lion whisperer.
We both agreed that pivotal to the success of the final image was that
the lions we worked with should be interacting with each other and not me. If they were looking at me in the front of my heavy-duty cage, it would suggest
encroachment and the involvement of another party. There were no third party witnesses to Daniel in the cave, other than spiritual ones.
The lighting was also key and we needed time to look at various options to create the shaft of light. Without a light shaft, the sense of being in a cave would be diminished as opposed to amplified. It was this feature that would also add to the biblical vibe of the photograph which was essential; after all, we were working from the Bible. The low trajectory of the winter sun in Kevin’s conservation was in our favour and suggested that between 9 am and 10 am the light shaft could have the right angle so long as the hole in the cave’s ceiling was accurately positioned.
The plan was that Daniel was the final piece in the jigsaw and we would only bring him in when all else was done, albeit I had a precise position for him in my mind. Kevin’s lions would not show any mercy to our modern-day Daniel and we would never suggest that this image was anything less than two pictures combined.
Good things take time and I always knew this would be a three-day project for me on location. The predictability of the winter weather in the region was a key asset; the cloudless skies gave us identical light day after day and that then gave us optionality and time.
But for others the project was a month, not three days, and I am full of gratitude for the artistic skills of those that made the cave and the attention to detail of the production team led by Theuns De Wet in Johannesburg and Tom Williams in London. From start to finish, this was a team effort and all involved will, I hope, share my pride in the final outcome. I know Kevin does, and that is always the acid test.
There is absolutely nothing in this image I would change and it is authentic for sure. I doubt the idea can ever really be copied, but good luck to anyone that gives it a go. The cave has gone.
Normally our work is in black and white, but I just can’t decide whether I prefer the colour option, so on this occasion there are editions of both.“
-David Yarrow
Available Sizes:
LARGE: Edition of 20 + 3 AP
- Image: 56" x 98" (145 x 249 cm)
- Framed: 71" x 113" (180 x 287 cm)
STANDARD: Edition of 20 + 3 AP
- Image: 37" x 65" (94 x 165 cm)
- Framed: 52" x 80" (132 x 203 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 Book of Daniel (Colour)
Dinokeng, South Africa – 2022
“Good creative ideas are only as good as the execution and when I conceived the idea of a literal photographic depiction of Daniel in a cave with wild lions, I recognised that pulling it off in the field would be as examining a production challenge as anything we had undertaken.
The fact that we ended up with this image – a career highlight – is testimony to the skills of many South Africans with whom we collaborated on this project, none more so than Kevin Richardson, The Lion Whisperer. It was his behavioural understanding of specific lions within his famous sanctuary that gave me the confidence to even consider emotionally and financially investing in my mad idea. We have worked with each other for over eight years now and have developed a mutual trust. To build a cave and work from within that cave with wild lions is not a brief for a nascent relationship between artist and lion whisperer.
We both agreed that pivotal to the success of the final image was that
the lions we worked with should be interacting with each other and not me. If they were looking at me in the front of my heavy-duty cage, it would suggest
encroachment and the involvement of another party. There were no third party witnesses to Daniel in the cave, other than spiritual ones.
The lighting was also key and we needed time to look at various options to create the shaft of light. Without a light shaft, the sense of being in a cave would be diminished as opposed to amplified. It was this feature that would also add to the biblical vibe of the photograph which was essential; after all, we were working from the Bible. The low trajectory of the winter sun in Kevin’s conservation was in our favour and suggested that between 9 am and 10 am the light shaft could have the right angle so long as the hole in the cave’s ceiling was accurately positioned.
The plan was that Daniel was the final piece in the jigsaw and we would only bring him in when all else was done, albeit I had a precise position for him in my mind. Kevin’s lions would not show any mercy to our modern-day Daniel and we would never suggest that this image was anything less than two pictures combined.
Good things take time and I always knew this would be a three-day project for me on location. The predictability of the winter weather in the region was a key asset; the cloudless skies gave us identical light day after day and that then gave us optionality and time.
But for others the project was a month, not three days, and I am full of gratitude for the artistic skills of those that made the cave and the attention to detail of the production team led by Theuns De Wet in Johannesburg and Tom Williams in London. From start to finish, this was a team effort and all involved will, I hope, share my pride in the final outcome. I know Kevin does, and that is always the acid test.
There is absolutely nothing in this image I would change and it is authentic for sure. I doubt the idea can ever really be copied, but good luck to anyone that gives it a go. The cave has gone.
Normally our work is in black and white, but I just can’t decide whether I prefer the colour option, so on this occasion there are editions of both.“
-David Yarrow
Available Sizes:
LARGE: Edition of 20 + 3 AP
- Image: 56" x 98" (145 x 249 cm)
- Framed: 71" x 113" (180 x 287 cm)
STANDARD: Edition of 20 + 3 AP
- Image: 37" x 65" (94 x 165 cm)
- Framed: 52" x 80" (132 x 203 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.
Nkosi Sikelel' Lafrica
Dinokeng, South Africa – 2014
“This lion is well known locally as ‘Bob Cat’. He is held in great affection in part because of the regality of his black mane and also because of his eighteen years. I was drawn to his mane and also the wisdom elicited by his eyes – there is so much detail in the eye that I could have been his optician.“
-David Yarrow
Available Sizes:
LARGE: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image: 58" x 56" (147 x 142 cm)
- Framed: 74" x 71" (188 x 180 cm)
STANDARD: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image: 39" x 37" (99 x 94 cm)
- Framed: 54" x 52" (137 x 132 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.
Fully Engaged
Dinokeng, South Africa – 2022
“Over the years, I have marginally tweaked my approach to filming lions at Kevin Richardson’s sanctuary in South Africa. Lying flat in my cage in the grasses, I now accept that in their winter, at first light, I am going to get dirty and cold. I want to shoot 20 degrees either side of the rising sun to get some backlight without too much flair. The key variable for me, however, is for there to be a real sense of engagement and that does mean that we need to work close and put full faith in both Kevin and the sturdiness of his cages.
Immersive photography of big cats is not a high percentage game, and we accept that we fail more often than we succeed. The upside is, when everything does work, especially with a handsome male lion like Yame, the rewards are high.
I would be the first to say that in photographs such as this, the credits go to Kevin, the lion and the high- performance camera. I come in equal fourth with the laundry service.“
-David Yarrow
Available Sizes:
LARGE: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image: 56" x 79" (142 x 201 cm)
- Framed: 71" x 94" (180 x 239 cm)
STANDARD: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image: 37" x 52" (94 x 132 cm)
- Framed: 52" x 67" (132 x 170 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.
Dawn Run
Dinokeng, South Africa – 2017
“I have been working with Kevin Richardson’s lions in South Africa with remote-control units for about six years now. We have had some good moments, and the front cover of my last book featured this lioness—Meg— coming through the grass with the first rays of sunlight. It was exactly the same recipe with this image, which was taken as part of Nikon’s media promotion for its new D850.
I am often asked two questions about my collaboration with Kevin: How can I monitor what the camera has taken given that I can’t be outside a jeep with these big cats wandering around? And how can our collaboration help the plight of the African lion?
Clearly the second question is far more important than the first. However, with regard to the first question, I tend to work in manual focus and prejudge the focal plane where ideally I want to take the picture. I will never know until the camera is back in my hands whether I have an image. About 98 percent of the time, for one reason or another, there is no picture. That’s what makes immersive images like this one special. Meg’s facial features are so sharp.
The answer to the second question is twofold. First, Kevin has a big say in the future of the African lion through his sanctuary and charitable activities and we hope to continue supporting him. Second, I hope my photographs of the lions at his sanctuary are sufficiently emotive that they remind us all of the big cat’s beauty and intelligence. The lion needs help, and I hope my work raises awareness and encourages action.”
-David Yarrow
Available Sizes:
LARGE: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image: 56" x 79" (142 x 201 cm)
- Framed: 71" x 94" (180 x 239 cm)
STANDARD: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image: 37" x 52" (94 x 132 cm)
- Framed: 52" x 67" (132 x 170 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 Black Panther Club
Dinokeng, South Africa – 2025
Archival Pigment Print
“The making of this photograph has been on my mind since I saw the promotional material that accompanied Nat Geo’s Black Panther film release of 2020. The posters leant on composite art not a photograph and whilst they were very true to the panther’s facial structure, it is not easy to achieve the highest of granularity in the face with a paint brush. Nevertheless, the PR campaign certainly grabbed the attention with the black negative space adding to the sense of the panther’s menace.
We set about building a structure in a black panther’s 4-acre sanctuary in Dinokeng, South Africa and brought in a heavy-duty cage for me to work from and then it was simply an exercise in patience as well as the unique talents of Kevin Richardson – The Lion Whisperer. Our 12-year friendship has forged exceptional trust and we both know how to get the best out of each other. There is no way we could have taken this image a few years back – we have learned and iterated. Panthers are dangerous and safety and creativity had to find a balance. At all times I was working from the cage.
The key to me in this one off portrait is the position of the pupils in the panther’s eyes. They equate to less than 1/400th of the total photograph but they elicit a proper sense of menace. A bit lower down in the eye and his menace is lost. It is about the smallest of details and today’s cameras, in low light, are high performing enablers.
I think the cinematic format is perfect for this photograph. After all, the term Black Panther elicits heavy Hollywood vibes. It is an animal that has created many metaphors.“
-David Yarrow
Available sizes
Large: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 49″ x 103″ in (124 x 262 cm)
- Framed Image: 64″ x 118″ in (163 x 300 cm)
Standard: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 37″ x 78″ in (94 x 198 cm)
- Framed Image: 52″ x 93″ in (132 x 236 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.
The Black Panther Club (Colour)
Dinokeng, South Africa – 2025
Archival Pigment Print
“The making of this photograph has been on my mind since I saw the promotional material that accompanied Nat Geo’s Black Panther film release of 2020. The posters leant on composite art not a photograph and whilst they were very true to the panther’s facial structure, it is not easy to achieve the highest of granularity in the face with a paint brush. Nevertheless, the PR campaign certainly grabbed the attention with the black negative space adding to the sense of the panther’s menace.
We set about building a structure in a black panther’s 4-acre sanctuary in Dinokeng, South Africa and brought in a heavy-duty cage for me to work from and then it was simply an exercise in patience as well as the unique talents of Kevin Richardson – The Lion Whisperer. Our 12-year friendship has forged exceptional trust and we both know how to get the best out of each other. There is no way we could have taken this image a few years back – we have learned and iterated. Panthers are dangerous and safety and creativity had to find a balance. At all times I was working from the cage.
The key to me in this one off portrait is the position of the pupils in the panther’s eyes. They equate to less than 1/400th of the total photograph but they elicit a proper sense of menace. A bit lower down in the eye and his menace is lost. It is about the smallest of details and today’s cameras, in low light, are high performing enablers.
I think the cinematic format is perfect for this photograph. After all, the term Black Panther elicits heavy Hollywood vibes. It is an animal that has created many metaphors.“
-David Yarrow
Available sizes
Large: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 49″ x 103″ in (124 x 262 cm)
- Framed Image: 64″ x 118″ in (163 x 300 cm)
Standard: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 37″ x 78″ in (94 x 198 cm)
- Framed Image: 52″ x 93″ in (132 x 236 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.
The Lion
Dinokeng, South Africa – 2025
Archival Pigment Print
“I had a peculiar dream recently in which I was having a drink in an isolated, but unidentifiable, members only bar. It was a cold and rainy evening and the bar represented a place of relative warmth and comfort. There were a handful of customers in the club and I have no idea why my unconscious mind was taking me here – it was certainly not a place known to me. I have had the odd drink alone in a bar when the weather has been awful outside, but it’s not an obvious lifestyle trait.
Anyhow, at some stage there was some noise outside and the barman asked me to open the door to the club and check out what was going on. I did as requested and there, in the doorway, in the pouring rain, was an enormous male lion.
I woke up immediately in a panic and remembered the dream more vividly than normal. The imagery of the wet lion standing in the rain stayed with me and as time passed, I started to muse as to how we could create such a photograph. The idea was certainly authentic and I knew with the help of my dear friend Kevin Richardson – The Lion Whisperer – that anything was possible.
Kevin and I spitballed over the phone as to how we could make this happen. It was not an easy premise to convert as lions do not like to get wet and will either seek shelter or shake off any surplus water immediately. But we worked out an approach with the rain and coupled that with a cage set up that would keep me safe. The key was then to convey a sense of nighttime even though we would be working at dawn.
I haven’t seen a picture like this before and even better, I have never had the dream again. They are both hopefully one-offs.“
-David Yarrow
Available sizes
Large: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 49″ x 103″ in (124 x 262 cm)
- Framed Image: 64″ x 118″ in (163 x 300 cm)
Standard: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 37″ x 78″ in (94 x 198 cm)
- Framed Image: 52″ x 93″ in (132 x 236 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.