In the Beginning (B&W)

Yellowstone National Park – 2026

“Bison have roamed in Yellowstone National Park since Prehistoric times; indeed they thrived in an Ice Age that claimed both the mammoth and the horse. That is why I am drawn to Yellowstone in the winter as it is their stoicism in extreme weather that defines them.

This photograph is certainly up there for me, so many variables came together at 25 degrees below zero in the Flood Geyser section of the Park. Finding a large frost caked bull bison early in the morning is always a good start, but then to find him close to geysers is a bonus.

These geysers normally omit a steady flow of gentle steam – a bit like an outdoor hot tub in a luxury ski resort – and when I gingerly approached the bull, that was my contextual background. Nothing too dramatic, but the steam evoked a sense of occasional geological activity and gave an emphatic nod to the location. There is a restlessness to the mood.

But then after three minutes lying on the frozen ground, the geyser in front of me erupted, spewing water and steam 100 meters into the air. To give this context, the spectacle doesn’t happen every day and, on this occasion, the early sun was offering a generous level of backlight and the bison and I had front row seats. It was my very own Field of Dreams, albeit a little troubling as I had no prior knowledge of the radius of the thermal water. I relied on the bison as he had better info and seemed quite calm.

I care so much about the background layer in my work; it is pivotal to the art of storytelling. Sometimes it is entirely in our control, but on this occasion, it was a pure stroke of luck. Arguably, I have never worked with a more spectacular backdrop in my career. It was akin to a Game of Thrones mood board.

We are left with a timeless freak of a photograph that pays homage to the raw wonders of this planet. It is primeval to its core and a celebration of one of the most untamed parts of the world. It was an honour to see it all unfold on my own at 8.15am that January morning. I am reminded again that “the early bird catches the worm”.

-David Yarrow

Road Rage (B&W)

Yellowstone National Park – 2026

“Yellowstone is the only place in the United States where bison have lived continuously since prehistoric times. By 1902, poachers had reduced Yellowstone’s herd to about two dozen animals but the recent estimates suggest this has grown to around 5,000-5,400. It is America’s largest and oldest wild, free-roaming herd.

We only film bison in Yellowstone in the depths of winter. There are two reasons for this: one of course is that the traffic is bearable in the winter and we are very often on our own and out of the park by 10 am; the second more important factor is that the presence of snow plays to the animal’s fortitude. I would not film the Amalfi coast in the winter, as it is a summer holiday destination, and in the same way I have no interest in filming in Yellowstone in July.

I tend to focus on the male bison which can weigh up to 2,000 pounds and stand 6 feet tall. From the right angle, their enormous heads and curved horns elicit imagery of mythological beasts; they are part cow and part fantasy. The bison are a revered part of the tapestry of Americana.

This immersive photograph was shot on a remote camera with a wide-angle lens on the road between West Yellowstone and Madison Junction. It’s an iterative process and I often fail simply because I am not in charge of the bison’s movement. But a pattern can develop and then we must be patient. Yellowstone is very accessible these days and there are many photographers up there every day. I think the important thing is to be true to oneself and do what you do.”

-David Yarrow

A Walk in the Woods

Yellowstone National Park – 2026

“I am not a big believer in rules in photography because if it is an art form, it is good to remember that art should be without rules. A prescriptive process pushes against the notion of freedom of expression. Warhol is often credited with the line “art is whatever you can get away with” and whether he actually said that is secondary to the power of the message. Authenticity is everything and it should be a personal crusade.

I do think, however, that visual harmony within an image is something to strive for if it is available. If there is some stability in the weightings, or even better, a symmetry, the photograph – whatever the subject – can be more pleasing on the viewer’s eye. Chaos works for photojournalists capturing decisive moments, but what I try to do is make pictures as opposed to take them. It is a less relevant and a less noble genre of photography than working on the Foreign News desk and the goals are entirely different.

These thoughts were very much on my mind in Yellowstone National Park when working with this lone bison. The only shot that could work had to have symmetry as well as detail. If the bison was a meter either side of this position then there would be no image.

Of course, the truth was that most of the photographs that morning were lopsided and aesthetically awkward. The bison would not be at right angles to my camera and not starring down my lens or the head would clash with the trees and create a nasty tension point. It’s a low percentage gig. Luckily all a photographer needs to show is one shot.”

-David Yarrow