David Yarrow
Exodus
2015

About the Item

Amboseli, Kenya 2015 Archival Pigment Print on 315gsm Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta Paper Each is signed, dated and numbered on the front. Edition Size: 12 Available sizes: 48 x 71 inches 67 x 102 inches All prints are on 315gsm Hahnemühle photo rag Baryta paper and varnished after processing to give both endurance and sheen. Each is signed, dated and numbered on the front. Price includes David Yarrow's custom black ash frame, white archival matting and protective UV acrylic. For unframed, $1,500 will be deducted from the price. David Yarrow has built an unrivaled reputation for capturing the beauty of the planet’s remote landscapes, cultures and endangered animals. Born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1966, he is an internationally acclaimed fine art photographer and Europe’s best selling wildlife photographer. "Most images of migrating wildebeest are hackneyed and offer little to excite. The river crossings during the summer months have been endlessly documented by scores of tourists who gather along the riverbanks with their telephoto lenses and shoot away on their motor drives from the first leap to the last. There is no serenity in the content here and no originality in its photographic execution. In my mind, the scores of crossing images in stock libraries have two specific aesthetic drawbacks: firstly they tend to be taken when the sun is quite high – never the best lighting conditions and secondly, the chaos that unfolds in the crossing can make the wildebeest appear ungainly, generic and rather marginal. They are not animals that tend to elicit huge emotion and I think part of the reason for this, is that they are so often photographed at these well established river crossings where their behaviour suggests fear rather than freedom. One late afternoon in Amboseli it became increasingly clear that a tremendous storm was building up above the lower slopes of the Kenyan side of Kilimanjaro. This is not that unusual and on many occasions I have worked with dark clouds in the afternoon of the dry lake. On this day, however, the sky had an almost biblical menace with its haunting deep blacks full of foreboding. The heavy rain was localised and painted downward waves in the sky – almost akin to a flock of starlings. I was conscious of the fact that the animal behaviour on the flat and elemental canvas of Amboseli appeared more skittish than normal and around 5.30pm I started to photograph panicked zebra herds charging off in all directions. But images such as the image above, misrepresent the spectacle of what was unfolding in the sky above, because on this occasion I was working with the late evening light that was bursting out from time to time, rather than against it. The big sky needed to be the picture, not excused from the picture. There was only about 20 minutes of light left and I needed to capture the mood of what appeared to be an impending apocalypse. The best plan was to leave the protection of the vehicle and lie flat on the ground shooting directly into any shafts of evening light. Of course, I needed foreground context as well as the sky – but this was largely in the hands of fate. The image above has a great deal going for it – in particular, the lone zebra having a good old roll around in the foreground. There is a palpable sense of place to this photograph. However I was searching for a more dynamic spectacle and a vignette with greater movement – in particular I wanted two storms to coalesce – the storm in the sky and a potential storm in the sand. This needed the help of the wildebeest that were increasingly spooked by the thunderclaps and I needed them between myself and the horizon. My regular Amboseli guide – Juma Wanyama – was able to use our four wheel drive as a decoy and softly coerce the herd in the right general direction. Exodus achieved my goal and more – it was the last picture I took that day and minutes later the light had gone. As I picked myself up from the ground and reunited with Juma, I had no preconception of how much information was in the sky, but the new Nikon D810 is a high performance camera body and will pick up more than my naked eye. The dead tree to the right adds to the Mad Max mood of the image and there is really nothing in Exodus that I would want to change – even the blurred blades of grass that hint at my position flat on the dustpan add to the mood of the image. What is also special is that the wildebeest – unlike at river crossings – look independent, gamely and free. There is great serenity and soul to this picture – which is surprising, given that at first glance it could appear to offer a darker message. Exodus is Africa at its incomparably evocative." -David Yarrow

Creator:
David Yarrow (1966, Scottish)
Creation Year:
2015
Dimensions:
Height: 48 in (121.92 cm)Width: 71 in (180.34 cm)
Medium:
Archival Pigment
Movement & Style:
Contemporary
Period:
21st Century
Condition:
Gallery Location:
Chicago, IL
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU38832574433
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David Yarrow

David Yarrow, born 1966 in Scotland, took up photography at an early age, as a 20-year-old he found himself working as a photographer for The London Times on the pitch at the World Cup Final in Mexico City. On that day, he took the sensationalized picture of Diego Maradona holding the World Cup and, as a result, was subsequently asked to cover the Olympics and numerous other high profile sporting events.

Many years later, Yarrow established himself as a fine art photographer by documenting the natural world from new perspectives and recent years have been career-defining for his mark on the world of contemporary fine art photography.

Yarrow’s evocative and immersive photography of life on earth is most distinctive and has earned him an ever-growing following among art collectors and celebrities. His distinct large monochrome images made in Los Angeles are on display in leading galleries and museums across Europe and North America. Yarrow is now recognized as one of the best-selling fine art photographers in the world and his limited edition works regularly sell at high prices at Sotheby’s and other auction houses.

In September 2019, Rizzoli published their second book by Yarrow, with a personal foreword written by global NFL star Tom Brady and thoughtful afterword written by American cultural icon and supermodel Cindy Crawford. All royalties from the book have been donated to conservation charities Tusk in the UK and WildAid in the US.

Yarrow's position in the industry has been rewarded with a wide range of advisory and ambassadorial roles. He is an ambassador for WildArk and The Kevin Richardson Foundation and is the European ambassador for Nikon. Yarrow has been integral to Nikon's most anticipated camera release of the last decade. In December 2017, he shot LVMH’s latest “Don’t Crack Under Pressure” campaign with Cara Delevingne. In January 2019, he was appointed as a global ambassador for UBS. In the spring of 2020, Yarrow was appointed a global ambassador for Best Buddies – one of America’s most established children’s charities.

Yarrow became an ambassador for the African Community and Conservation Foundation and presented his work in the Endangered Rangers virtual fundraiser. At the start of 2020, Yarrow was in Australia documenting the devastating bush fires that have destroyed communities, wildlife and wildlands. Using the striking images that he captured of the effects of the fire, he launched the #KoalaComeback Campaign to support the recovery efforts in Australia. The campaign raised over $1.4 million, and as Yarrow continues to work for humanitarian causes, his steadfast determination continues to make positive change for the benefit of global awareness. Currently, Yarrow continues to create stunning imagery with lasting global impact and archival quality that speaks to his reverence for the art of photography in capturing the wonders of the world.

Find a collection of original David Yarrow photography on 1stDibs.