Photograph by David Yarrow “Telluride”. Limited edition
Norman Parkinson’s photographs of his soon-to-be wife at an airfield in Nairobi, Kenya, in 1951 have stood the test of time and are undoubtedly part of the history of fashion photography. He was one of the most original storytellers of his profession.
We brought this 1943 airplane to Telluride, Colorado, to tell new stories, and like Parkinson some 70 years ago, I wanted to play with the alchemy of metallic beauty and feminine beauty.
The plane, which took part in D Day in 1944 before being converted to a DC3, looked impressive at 9,000 feet and the cold winter light really brought out its beauty. The pilot positioned the plane at an angle to give me an accurate orientation of the site. There are few airfields in the world as breathtaking as Telluride, which of course was the reason we were there. There is a grandeur to the San Juan Mountains that has long fascinated me.
Glamor came late to Telluride: it wasn’t developed as a ski resort until the 1970s, and even then it prided itself on being Colorado’s best-kept secret. But a hipster counterculture took hold and Telluride transformed from a tough mining town into a resort town whose very name conjured up images of sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. It was quite a transition and Telluride became fashionable for Angelenos. The bond is now solidified and the town’s annual film festival highlights Hollywood’s 50-year love affair with the community.
Josie Canseco, my model for this cold morning, was tailor-made for the role of bohemian Telluride party girl. I’m not sure what’s in her suitcase, but I’m sure she was ready for some fun in the mountains.
Yarrow's evocative and haunting photography is highly distinctive and has earned him a growing following among art collectors. His large monochrome images, created in Los Angeles, are exhibited in leading galleries and museums throughout Europe and North America. He is now considered one of the best-selling photographers in the world and his limited edition works regularly sell for high prices at Sotheby's and other auction houses.
David Yarrow was born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1966. He took up photography at an early age and at the age of 20 worked as a photographer for the London Times on the pitch of the World Cup final in Mexico City. On that day, David took the famous photograph of Diego Maradona at the World Cup and was subsequently asked to cover the Olympics and numerous other sporting events. Many years later, David established himself as a photographer, documenting the natural world from new perspectives, and the last nine years have been formative in his career.
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