By David Yarrow
Located in Chicago, IL
Zambezi, 2018
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 82 inches
63 x 111 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.
"This image was close to the preconception of what I envisioned when I arrived on the Zambezi (just a little better than I dared hope). My goal was a full on “face off” portrait of a hippopotamus, which emphatically conveyed both the enormity of a bull and also the primeval bone structure of his face. This animal, more than any other remaining on our planet, would have walked onto Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park set, had they ceased to exist. They are half contemporary African wildlife, half dinosaur, and 100% lethal when compromised.
The problem I had was that I wanted to get close and low and with thousands of hippos on the Zambezi, this requires either a large dose of bravery or a momentarily compliant animal. In most cases, they will drop their heads and go underwater if approached - they are mammal submarines with little tolerance for humans. Working on the Zambezi can be extremely frustrating and the world does not need any more long distance banal hippo shots from a boat - in which there is neither intensity nor immersion.
I had one card in my hand - the help and support of the best guide on the lower Zambezi - Ryan from Port Elizabeth in South Africa. To him, each hippo on his stretch has a personality and - in a few cases - even a name. Over the years, he has become familiar with many individual male hippos that to the rest of us look identical. There was one hippo who showboated and was not intimidated by boats or humans which was ideal.
I trusted Ryan and I am still here - so it was the right judgment call. The hippo was an enormous male called Dexter and he owns the entrance of a creek on the Zambian side of the Zambezi and can often be found sunbathing on the banks. Ryan recommended I lie on the other bank 30 yards...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Black and White Photography
MaterialsArchival Pigment