The Wild West Archives | Page 4 of 12

Midnight Express

Durango, Colorado – 2025

Archival Pigment Print

“Shooting a late 19th century steam engine at night, in a dimly lit Colorado depot, was a fresh challenge, but our default strategy is to be wary of comfort zones. We often fail in new ideas, but better that than never to try.

Camera capability in low light has evolved constantly since the beginning of my career but employing slow shutter speeds when filming moving subjects is still as bad a combination as it has always been. The maths has not changed and it remains a low percentage gig.

The bonus of shooting at night in a location like this is that the stark lighting not only adds drama, it allows for unwelcome distractions to be too dark for the eye to see. The rich blacks suit train stations and many of the great movie sets in such locations have been filmed at night, no more so than with Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca.

The steam and smoke emitted from an early day’s steam train are most certainly a gift to filmmakers as they offer an extra character into the narrative and allow for isolation of the protagonist. We have a fondness for anything in a picture that defies gravity and I knew that this idea had potential.

The cowboy and the iron horse were unlikely bedfellows in the push west and most of the time they enabled each other and collaborated. But in the loosely governed final frontier, there were no certainties and danger lurked at every stopping point. I wanted to evoke not only the sense of journey but also the implicit danger. To travel in this era was to engage with the random walk of luck.”

– David Yarrow

Available sizes

Large: Edition of 12 + 3 AP

Image Size: 56″ x 72″ in (142 x 183 cm)
Framed Image: 71″ x 87″ in (180 x 221 cm)

Standard: Edition of 12 + 3 AP

Image Size: 37″ x 48″ in (94 x 122 cm)
Framed Image: 52″ x 63″ in (132 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.

by deniz

The Robbers

Durango, Colorado – 2025

Archival Pigment Print

“We know this dramatic stretch of train track in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado as intimately as any stretch of railway in the world. I think I know it better than my train journey in the UK between London and our home in Devon. Over the years this familiarity has allowed us to fully commit to our craft.

Nothing is possible without the support of the owners of the steam train and the narrow-gauge railroad; the management and then the train drivers themselves. It is a team effort and each year the level of mutual trust has circled upwards and allowed us to push boundaries creatively. We choose to film here in the winter, as low temperatures help with the breadth of visuals.

When the pressured steam is trapped between the engine and the towering escarpment, it can only escape upwards and climb the cliff face. At 7000 ft in the winter, the steam will then fall back to earth as sleet or snow. There is then the possibility that at this most dramatic of settings, the train is just a bit part in a chaotic and otherworldly scene of ice, snow, steam and smoke. We have learnt how to momentarily create a little bit of hell high up in this formidable canyon and who better to bring into this narrative than a couple of uncompromising train robbers.

The wider community of Durango has been so supportive of us over the years and these projects would not be possible without the help of many locals. We feel that support every time we are in the neighbourhood and we are most flattered that my work resonates with the locals.

Our particular thanks to Al Harper, Jeff Johnson and Russell Heerdt of the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad.”

– David Yarrow

Available sizes

Large: Edition of 12 + 3 AP

Image Size: 70″ x 56″ in (178 x 142 cm)
Framed Image: 85″ x 71″ in (216 x 180 cm)

Standard: Edition of 12 + 3 AP

Image Size: 47″ x 37″ in (119 x 94 cm)
Framed Image: 62″ x 52″ in (157 x 132 cm)

by deniz

Trainspotting

Durango, Colorado – 2025

Archival Pigment Print

“In 1860, a group of prospectors ventured into the San Juan Mountains seeking riches. They discovered gold and silver deposits along the Animas River, naming the area “Baker’s Park”. Despite news of the discovery spreading, the Civil War, and the fact that the land belonged to the Ute Indians, delayed miners from returning until the early 1870s.

But in 1874, Silverton’s town site was established, quickly becoming the hub of numerous mining camps. Alongside miners, the town attracted the attention of a Denver railroad company with the ambition to build a track up this formidable canyon.

Eight years later, the inaugural train from Durango, operated by the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, arrived in Silverton. This extraordinary achievement was a testimony to the ability of 19th century engineers. By 1883, Silverton boasted a population of 2,000, featuring 400 buildings, including two banks, five laundries, 29 saloons, hotels, and the notorious red-light district, Blair Street.

Sitting proudly at 9300 ft, Silverton is hard enough to reach by car in 2025. Whenever I travel up to this gem of a town, I raise my glass to the fortitude and courage of final frontier capitalists and, of course, the railroad workers themselves. There can only be a few train journeys in the world that evoke a greater sense of 19th century human ambition.

The beauty and grandeur of the canyon up to Silverton makes the railroad one of the world’s great visual treats.

The world was introduced to it through Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid way back in 1969 and ever since I first filmed there five years ago, I have been fixated.

In this shot, we staged a robbery high up in the canyon. We know our angles and our lighting and we know the cowboys we can trust on top of that historic train.”

– David Yarrow

Available sizes

Large: Edition of 12 + 3 AP

Image Size: 56″ x 57″ in (142 x 145 cm)
Framed Image: 71″ x 72″ in (180 x 183 cm)

Standard: Edition of 12 + 3 AP

Image Size: 37″ x 38″ in (94 x 97 cm)
Framed Image: 52″ x 53″ in (132 x 135 cm)

by deniz

Stop That Train

Bryson City, North Carolina – 2024

Archival Pigment Print

“Train robbers hold a firm place in the mythological lore of the American West. Attacks on trains were a common occurrence when the rule of law was either difficult to implement or simply non-existent. Thin governance was an accepted danger on the Final Frontier.

What is perhaps surprising is that history has looked fondly on the bandits, as if their means of living was laudable and even romantic. Our affection for the underdog knows no bounds and Hollywood played to this emotion by often characterising the bandits as lovable and misunderstood rogues. The narrative was often that the bad guys were the train owners for having the wealth in the first place; maybe they had disposable moral fibre as well. It was a dog-eat-dog world.

No more was this better articulated than in the classic 1969 Western buddy film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford. The film – which was loosely based on fact – cemented both actors at the top of the Hollywood A-list, not just because of their acting, but because the public found affection for their characters and their affable, wise cracking roles. It was as if they played the good guys.

We have filmed with steam trains on many occasions, but almost always in Colorado, where the canyons do not lend themselves to telling a story at 90 degrees to the engine, and we tend to work head on. But in the Smokey Mountains of North Carolina, we found a spot where we could incorporate some carriages into the narrative and, furthermore, in the early morning, we could have a uniform backdrop to play against.

This photograph was a great team effort and we want to thank the Smokey Mountain Railroad for their partnership in the project.”

– David Yarrow

Available sizes

Large: Edition of 12 + 3 AP

Image Size: 52.5″ x 102″ in (133 x 259 cm)
Framed Image: 67.5″ x 117″ in (171 x 297 cm)

Standard: Edition of 12 + 3 AP

Image Size: 37″ x 72″ in (94 x 183 cm)
Framed Image: 52″ x 87″ in (132 x 221 cm)

by deniz

White Chicks

Telluride, Colorado – 2024

“The main street in Telluride, Colorado holds the attention of anyone with a visual sensibility; it is as good as it gets for a mountain town. There is a final frontier timelessness and then there is the grandest of mountains bossing all that happens below. Not much has changed in the last 100 years and I doubt much will change in the next 100 either.

My idea in this parody of the movie with same name, was not to disrupt the almost perfect symmetry of the view looking east. Indeed, with the right styling and the right talent, I could enforce that sense of balance in all layers of the image; the street allows for that opportunity.

The use of space is core to storytelling with a camera, but so often we do fall short, for one reason or another, in maximising the potential. That makes photographs like this more rewarding. The lines and the composition work.

There are so many people to thank for helping that cold Sunday morning in Telluride: the town and its mayor; the snow handlers and indeed the whole crew. But I want to specially thank the Josie and Holly and their respective teams who did a first-class job. It is not easy to look that hot when the temperatures are that cold.”

– David Yarrow

Available sizes

Large: Edition of 12 + 3 AP

Print Size: 56″ x 83″ in (142.25 x 210.82 cm)
Framed Size: 71″ x 98″ in (180.35 x 248.92 cm)

Standard: Edition of 12 + 3 AP

Print Size: 37″ x 55″ in (94 x 139.7 cm)
Framed Size: 52″ x 70″ in (132.1 x 177.8 cm)

by deniz

All Nighter in Cowtown

Fort Worth, Texas – 2024

“In Fort Worth, the road under the Stockyard sign rises as it moves west away from the heart of Cowtown. This allows for much deeper visuals of the historic area and, from a filmmaker’s perspective, offers the potential of a wider narrative. If the road was flat, the location would still be strong, but it is the hill that transforms the potential.

Fort Worth is a fully paid-up member of the Americana Club and the city’s rise in fortunes over the last 10 years is testimony to the role the Stockyards played in the old west. The cowboy is the most enduring symbol of America and Fort Worth is the cowboy’s spiritual home. Little wonder, therefore, that this stretch of road will host nine million visitors this year.There are few hotter areas in American real estate right now than this pocket of Texas and I sense that Taylor Sheridan has played something of a role in the growing awareness of cattle culture. The lore of the cattle markets and ranches no longer only speaks to Texans.

I wanted to shoot this tableaux at first light to amplify the neon lighting in the background and create more of a visual mood. That ambition made for greater challenges with the camera, but I just hadn’t seen a picture like this before and that always energises me. The location will always be there and that forces the cameraman to push a few boundaries in the quest to be authentic. It is just not good enough to shoot the Stockyards during normal working hours. More of the same is never an option.

I think the vignette plays to the vibe of Cowtown. This is a storied place where, over the last 160 years, there must have been many late nights of hard drinking and those on the street at dawn, will be going to bed, not getting up.

– David Yarrow

Available sizes

Large: Edition of 12 + 3 AP

Print Size: 56″ x 83″ in (142.25 x 210.82 cm)
Framed Size: 71″ x 98″ in (180.35 x 248.92 cm)

Standard: Edition of 12 + 3 AP

Print Size: 37″ x 55″ in (94 x 139.7 cm)
Framed Size: 52″ x 70″ in (132.1 x 177.8 cm)

by deniz

The Last Supper in Fort Worth

Fort Worth, Texas – 2024

Archival Pigment Print

“For a stretch of road to own a place in the visual jigsaw of Americana, it must have history as well as aesthetic power. The road to the stockyards in Fort Worth scores high in both categories, which is why 8 million visitors make the trip to cowtown every year. Judging by the explosion of high-end hotel developments within a mile or two of the old cattle market, there is no destination in America that is currently hotter than Forth Worth.

Photographing this road presented a creative dilemma not only because we wanted to tell a fresh story, but also because we needed to clear it of people and traffic and that clearly required the full support of the local police and indeed the wider community.

Once this second issue was navigated (and we thank all those involved), the next issue was what to do with the blank canvas that we secured. The idea of doing a Last Supper shot came to me late, but we executed well and the introduction of Tomahawk steaks was a cute additive.

Sometimes in these photographs there can be a weak link but everyone in that picture followed my directives and did a grand job. None have been schooled in acting, so I congratulate them all for helping me break some fresh ground. I would imagine that if this crew were about to break bread, I would have all the ingredients of an interesting dinner party” – DAVID YARROW

Available sizes

Large: Edition of 12 + 3 AP

Image Size: 56” x 89” in (142.2 cm x 226.1 cm)
Framed Image: 71” x 104” in (180.3 cm x 264.2 cm)

Standard: Edition of 12 + 3 AP

Image Size: 37” x 59” in (93.98 cm x 149.9 cm)
Framed Image: 52” x 74” in (132.1 cm x 188 cm)

by admin

The Cow Whisperer

Fort Worth, Texas – 2024

Archival Pigment Print

“Fort Worth is the most famous cowtown in the world and the historic Stockyards are an integral part of the rich legacy of the old west. The town is once again booming because the Stockyards, and the sense of Old Americana that they offer, has become a hot tourist attraction. This year the redeveloped Stockyards area will welcome an astonishing eight million visitors – 80x the population of Fort Worth when the cattle trains were in their prime. It’s the most circular of reinventions and it now looks like Fort Worth’s very best days lie ahead.

At first light the Stockyards still offer some potential to tell timeless stories. The rising sun from the east casts some shafts of light along the cobbled streets and the corridors of wooden cattle pen. There is only a small window of opportunity before the sun becomes a little too powerful.

I never want to be too earnest in our storytelling, I prefer to have some creative courage and entertain. In our Wild West series, we recognise that we are in the confines of an old genre and we want to break new ground. It’s good to be playful from time to time.

In this exchange, the cowboy’s line of sight is to be expected, but the lead steer seems to be much more focused than normally observed. She has his full attention.” – DAVID YARROW

Available sizes

Large: Edition of 12 + 3 AP

Image Size: 58” x 56” in (142.2 cm x 210.8 cm)
Framed Image: 73” x 71” in (180.3 cm x 248.9 cm)

Standard: Edition of 12 + 3 AP

Image Size: 39” x 37” in (99.06 cm x 93.98 cm)
Framed Image: 54” x 52” in (137.2 cm x 132.1 cm)

by admin

The White Elephant Saloon

Fort Worth, Texas – 2024

Archival Pigment Print

“It’s a tough one, as there are so many contenders in Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and Texas. From a filming perspective, we are drawn to bars with depth and then it helps if the walls and ceilings are elaborately embroidered with authentic props that emphatically play to a western vibe. They need to have history and a lore.

But these are not really demanding qualification rules, and we need some stronger filters. For a start, we think that the saloon must have hard liquor available at breakfast and the bar staff should greet early customers with a smile that suggests a sense of partnership throughout the day.

The door policy should be accommodating to men with no cultural refinement and women with no moral compass and allow cowboy capitalists to mingle freely with outlaws, cattle wranglers and enthusiastic pole dancers. The only real restriction, is that entry is conditional on wearing a decent and well worn cowboy hat.

I think, however, the best cowboy bars must be in towns that are fabled cattle towns. If there is not a hint of manure in the air, at the very least, there should be some steers within a rope’s throw of the entrance. It would also help these days if Taylor Sheridan is a regular.

These new criteria materially narrow down the candidates and all roads now lead to Fort Worth, Texas. Our favourite cowboy bar is, of course, The White Elephant in the heart of the famous old stock yards.

We want to thank Tim Love and his excellent team for partnering with us on this project, and we look forward to visiting next time as customers. My team will all pass the door policy.” – David Yarrow

Available sizes

Large: Edition of 12 + 3 AP

Image Size: 56” x 83” in (142.2 cm x 210.8 cm)
Framed Image: 71” x 98” in (180.3 cm x 248.9 cm)

Standard: Edition of 12 + 3 AP

Image Size: 37” x 55” in (93.98 cm x 139.7 cm)
Framed Image: 52” x 70” in (132.1 cm x 200.7 cm)

by admin

The Outlaws

Telluride, Colorado – 2023

Archival Pigment Print

“This photograph has a palpable sense of place, and the heavy overnight snowfall lends a mood to the story. We know this train track and the dramatic cutting well, and film scholars will also be familiar with the location from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

My idea was to have a wide enough frame to include outlaws on the slopes which grandly saddle the train track below. However, this was no easy ride for the cowboys as the heavy snow also covers big boulders and rocks that are impossible to detect until it is too late. There in lay the riddle of this photograph, in that the more virginal the snow, the stronger the likely visual, but also the harder the execution. It always tends to be that way, and we would prefer tough execution and good conditions than the other way around.

The Iron horse played an integral role in the mythological lore of the Wild West, and in this instance, I wanted my camera to dive into the pages of a Western storybook. This was an untamed and loosely governed wilderness occupied by tough men with merciless traits. That was my story – the beauty of frontier landscapes was often coupled with trouble and danger.

I would like to thank all those who helped that cold morning in Colorado, especially Al Harper and his team in Durango. Without the full partnership of the train company, this idea would have been fanciful at best. As it was, everyone did their job, and we left town with a special image.” – David Yarrow

Available sizes

Large: Edition of 12 + 3 AP

Image Size: 56” x 88” in (142.2 cm x 223.5 cm)
Framed Image: 71” x 103” in (180.3 cm x 261.6 cm)

Standard: Edition of 12 + 3 AP

Image Size: 37” x 58” in (93.98 cm x 147.3 cm)
Framed Image: 52” x 73” in (132.1 cm x 185.4 cm)

by admin