Photograph by David Yarrow “The Black Panther Club”. Limited edition. Available in 2 sizes
The making of this photograph has been on my mind since I saw the promotional material that accompanied Nat Geo’s Black Panther lm release of 2020. The posters leant on composite art nota photograph and whilst they were very true to the panther’s facial structure, it is not easy to achieve the highest of granularity in the face with a paint brush. Nevertheless, the PR campaign certainly grabbed the attention with the black negative space adding to the sense of the panther’s menace.
We set about building a structure in a black panther’s 4-acre sanctuary in Dinokeng, South Africa and brought in a heavy-duty cage for me to work from and then it was simply an exercise in patience as well as the unique talents of Kevin Richardson – The Lion Whisperer. Our 12-year friendship has forged exceptional trust and we both know how to get the best out of each other. There is no way we could have taken this image a few years back – we have learned and iterated. Panthers are dangerous and safety and creativity had to nd a balance. At all times I was working from the cage.
The key to me in this one off portrait is the position of the pupils in the panther’s eyes. They equate to less than 1/400th of the total photograph but they elicit a proper sense of menace. A bit lower down in the eye and his menace is lost. It is about the smallest of details and today’s cameras, in low light, are high performing enablers.
I think the cinematic format is perfect for this photograph. After all, the term Black Panther elicits heavy Hollywood vibes.
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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