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.
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.
Hook 'em Horns (Colour)
Austin, Texas – 2024
Archival Pigment Print
“The University of Texas (UT) is integral to the lore and image of Texas and is beloved by its alumni. If Texas was a country, it would now rank 8th in world GDP and if UT was just an athletics institution, it would also rank high in the global performance charts. This is not a normal educational establishment.
The flagship of the athletics department is, of course, the Texas Longhorns, whose fan base stretches way beyond the alumni. To be in Austin for a Saturday game day is a bucket list sporting occasion, attracting crowds of over 80,000 people, even if the result is a foregone conclusion long before the tailgating parties start.
My plan was to take a tableau photograph celebrating this venerable institution, but there was much to plan to ensure my effort as an outsider would not end up being generic or hackneyed. I needed to push a few boundaries in my creative processing.
Since 1916 a longhorn steer named Bevo has represented The University of Texas as its famed mascot. There have, of course, been a few Bevos over the years, with their orange and white colouring emblematic of the institution. There is no more revered live mascot in global sport and I recognised that without Bevo, any picture celebrating the Longhorns would be very lame.
I want to thank Ben Barnes – the former Lieutenant Governor of Texas – for helping facilitate this shoot. My idea was to photograph Bevo in front of the UT tower which is the storied epicentre of the campus and Ben, who bizarrely knew my late father in the UK, made the necessary calls.
The grass lawn between 21st Street and the Tower suited the steer, but my leaning was always to add both dynamism and symbolism by using the same smoke effects that accompany Bevo when he triumphantly enters the Darrell K Royal Memorial Stadium on game day. Smoke adds drama and focuses the eye. No wonder it is so often used in the creative entertainment industry.
I want to thank Ricky Brown Ricky Breenes, and Craig Westemeier of The University of Texas Athletics, William Reid and, of course, Governor Barnes. It was a privilege and an honour to be allowed this level of access.
This was an agreed partnership with UT, who will benefit from any sales of the commemorative photograph.” – David Yarrow
Available sizes
Large: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 56” x 77” in (142.2 cm x 195.98 cm)
- Framed Image: 71” x 92” in (180.3 cm x 233.68 cm)
Standard: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 37” x 51” in (93.98 cm x 129.54 cm)
- Framed Image: 52” x 66” in (132.1 cm x 167.64 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.
Hook 'em Horns (B&W)
Austin, Texas – 2024
Archival Pigment Print
“The University of Texas (UT) is integral to the lore and image of Texas and is beloved by its alumni. If Texas was a country, it would now rank 8th in world GDP and if UT was just an athletics institution, it would also rank high in the global performance charts. This is not a normal educational establishment.
The flagship of the athletics department is, of course, the Texas Longhorns, whose fan base stretches way beyond the alumni. To be in Austin for a Saturday game day is a bucket list sporting occasion, attracting crowds of over 80,000 people, even if the result is a foregone conclusion long before the tailgating parties start.
My plan was to take a tableau photograph celebrating this venerable institution, but there was much to plan to ensure my effort as an outsider would not end up being generic or hackneyed. I needed to push a few boundaries in my creative processing.
Since 1916 a longhorn steer named Bevo has represented The University of Texas as its famed mascot. There have, of course, been a few Bevos over the years, with their orange and white colouring emblematic of the institution. There is no more revered live mascot in global sport and I recognised that without Bevo, any picture celebrating the Longhorns would be very lame.
I want to thank Ben Barnes – the former Lieutenant Governor of Texas – for helping facilitate this shoot. My idea was to photograph Bevo in front of the UT tower which is the storied epicentre of the campus and Ben, who bizarrely knew my late father in the UK, made the necessary calls.
The grass lawn between 21st Street and the Tower suited the steer, but my leaning was always to add both dynamism and symbolism by using the same smoke effects that accompany Bevo when he triumphantly enters the Darrell K Royal Memorial Stadium on game day. Smoke adds drama and focuses the eye. No wonder it is so often used in the creative entertainment industry.
I want to thank Ricky Brown Ricky Breenes, and Craig Westemeier of The University of Texas Athletics, William Reid and, of course, Governor Barnes. It was a privilege and an honour to be allowed this level of access.
This was an agreed partnership with UT, who will benefit from any sales of the commemorative photograph.” – David Yarrow
Available sizes
Large: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 56” x 77” in (142.2 cm x 195.98 cm)
- Framed Image: 71” x 92” in (180.3 cm x 233.68 cm)
Standard: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 37” x 51” in (93.98 cm x 129.54 cm)
- Framed Image: 52” x 66” in (132.1 cm x 167.64 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.
Capri (Colour)
Capri, Italy – 2024
Archival Pigment Print
“La Fontelina is the most celebrated beach club on the most fabled holiday island in the world. On that basis, it must be a special place and indeed it is. Nestling in the rocks and sea pools in front of the Faraglioni sea stacks, it casts an immediate visual spell on any visitor. If the protagonists in Game of Thrones had a favoured place to eat, it would be located here.
I had not been to La Fontelina before 2024 because I had never been to Capri, but on my first visual exposure to the venue, I recognised that it was aesthetically without equal.
Doing a photo shoot here requires many skills in addition to those employed when operating a camera. Most crucially, I needed to win the support of the owners Gaetano and Mario Gargiulo. Their generational success story meant that they needed neither a cash backhander nor some lame pictures for their Instagram account. Every day throughout the European summer they run and own one of the hottest tickets and they rightly focus on the constancy of excellence in their service rather than catering to film makers.
I met Gaetona first as a customer and then it became my sole purpose in life to win him over and let me shoot a DY typical tableaux at his most beautiful club. Capri is to Neapolitans what the Hamptons is to New Yorkers and I hoped I had one trick – my image of Diego Maradona from Mexico 1986 – up my sleeve. Maradona is adored in Naples for bringing the local club the league title in 1987 and I figured that a gift or two of my well-known image could help my cause. I was right – and yet again I owe Diego.
And so it was, early one morning this summer, I assembled a cast in La Fontelina. I knew the deck chair formations and the movement of the sun long before that day, as this was not a shoot to make mistakes on. I had sensed some empty space in front of the southerly stack and worked with local fisherman to sort that out, but I was also conscious of the need to fully showcase the famous parasols without blocking any of the leads. The scene was choreographed for those with familiarity and I was conscious of the need to elicit rich memories.
In my mind a photographic tableaux is all about the space between the people and the props and La Fontelina certainly gives you every chance. I like this photograph a great deal, but I care more that Gaetona and Mario want to hang it on their rustic wall at La Fontelina in time for next season. That is really all the matters to me, as it may mean I have a chance of getting a table.
What a place it is”- 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 180.3 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.