David Yarrow_Changing Lanes

FEBRUARY | MARCH 2022 MADDOX GALLERY, GSTAAD

THE BILLS II

Following great success at Maddox Gallery London in November 2021, Maddox Gallery is pleased to bring ‘Changing Lanes’, the latest solo exhibition by contemporary photographic artist, David Yarrow, to Gstaad.

Presenting a variety of works captured throughout the pandemic, ‘Changing Lanes’ is at once an anthology to the Wild West and an homage to the very best in dramatic cinema. With many of the featured images being inspired

by Hollywood hits – from American Beauty and Fargo, to Thelma & Louise and Bonnie and Clyde – ‘Changing Lanes’ takes the signature storytelling of David Yarrow to a new level with an array of icons, including Cindy Crawford, Cara Delevingne, Ciara and Russell Wilson.

Acting as a metaphor for David Yarrow’s evolution as a contemporary artist, ‘Changing Lanes’ marks a shift in focus from the art of capturing the natural world to the power of visual storytelling. With all featured images of the wild being punctuated by the narrative of the mythical cowboy or the final frontier, David Yarrow’s latest work plays with cultural iconography, transcending borders and transporting viewers beyond to a world where sublime natural beauty, history and cinematic drama collide.

FEAT U R E D A RT WO R KS

01 SUCCESSION

09 I AM BLACK PANTHER

17

25

PEBBLE BEACH

DURANGO

02

10

18

26

THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA

REMAINS OF THE DAY

THE THUNDERING HERD

THE KING & US

03

11

19

27

MARVEL

1992

THE BILLS II

ACES AND EIGHTS

04 BUT WHY IS THE RUM GONE?

05 DEAD MAN’S CHEST

06 BEACH BUMS

12

20

28

AMERICAN BEAUTY

NO CURRENCY

HOSTILES

13

21

THE DAILY NEWS

14

22

30

PARIS

THE SNOW PATROL

CHIEF

07

15

CATWALK

DJANGO

08 GET THE F*** OFF MY BOAT II

IRON HORSE II

29 ON THE ROAD AGAIN

16 PERSONS OF INTEREST

23 VANTAGE POINT

31 BUFFALO SOLDIER

24

32

BLAZING SADDLES

FRIDAY NIGHT AT THE PIONEER

FE AT U R E D A RT WO R KS

33

41

49

57

SMOOTH CRIMINALS

THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN

TWINS

THE WITNESS

34

42

THE ROOKIE

35

ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST

43

FARGO - (JOSIE)

THE WOLVES OF WALL STREET II

36

44

BONNIE

37 THE GETAWAY

38 THE FINAL FRONTIER

DEAD MAN’S HAND

45 SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST I

46 INDECENT PROPOSAL

50

58

THE MORNING SHOW

MARADONA

51 CRAIG

52 FIRST DOWN

53 HORSEPOWER

54 ICE AGE

39

47

55

DRIVE

MARS ATTACKS!

HOMELAND

40

48

56

GO WEST YOUNG MAN

LIKE FATHER LIKE SON

BRUTUS

NEW RELEASES

01

SUCCESSION, 2022 South Africa Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 180cm x 274cm Standard: 132cm x 195cm

Edition of 12 Edition of 12

It’s been quite a revelation to work with Nikon’s new flagship camera, the Z9, in Africa this week. I don’t think photography is really about cameras, but having said that, this new model is so damn good, I can’t really imagine life without it and that’s after just four days in the field.

Speaking of which, I can’t imagine life without Kevin Richardson - The Lion Whisperer. We have worked together now for eight years, and the length of that friendship has fostered both trust and understanding.

This image from last night is fairly special and is a testimony to the

relationship; well that and a camera body that performs exceptionally in the most challenging of briefs.

Kevin continues to do so much to raise awareness of the plight of the lion and I am fortunate to have him in my life. Without him, there is no picture

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THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA, 2022 Anguilla/South Africa Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 180cm x 277cm Standard: 132cm x 196cm

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“He no longer dreamed of storms, nor of women, nor of great occurrences, nor of great fish, nor fights, nor contests of strength, nor of his wife. He only dreamed of places now and of the lions on the beach” - The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway (1952). The Old Man and the Sea tells the story of Santiago, an ageing, experienced fisherman who has gone eighty-four days without catching a fish. I have long wanted to tell this story in my own way, with the lions I work with in Kevin Richardson’s sanctuary, of which I am proud to be an ambassador. When shooting a composite image like this, I prefer

to shoot almost sequentially; the longer the gap and the moment can be lost. I saw an opportunity in January 2022 to shoot the beach scene in the Caribbean and then within the week complete the job in South Africa. Early on in our Anguilla adventure, I met Tasha, an old Rastafarian fisherman and I knew immediately that he was my Santiago. Only five days later we were in South Africa shooting the final piece of the puzzle. Hemingway talked of lions - not a single lion - and I knew therefore that I needed two male lions in the frame if my interpretation of Santiago’s dream was to be pure.

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MARVEL, 2022 South Africa Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 180cm x 193cm Standard: 132cm x 140cm

Edition of 12 Edition of 12

This is the one black panther with whom I have a chance to take an immersive head on shot. He lives in a sanctuary, but remains wild and he would attack a filmmaker given half a chance. I have access through my relationship with The Lion Whisperer - Kevin Richardson.

I am was in a heavy metal cage to take this image and lying on a bed of mud. My camera was already filthy and in the seconds after this photograph was taken, it was covered in splash water. This all happened before 6.30 am and I was home and in a hot shower before breakfast.

It is all about going the extra mile and doing all one can to the eyes of the cat and be in place before the sun gets too rest is down to luck and a small bit of experience working photography. I say that as black panthers move quicker athlete I have filmed.

be below high. The in sports than any

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BUT WHY IS THE RUM GONE?, 2022 Anguilla Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 180cm x 295cm Standard: 132cm x 208cm

Edition of 12 Edition of 12

Rum brings out the pirate in all of us and Disney made full use of that with the catch phrase of their Pirates of the Caribbean franchise being “But why is the rum gone?” I wanted to film pirate characters in as authentic a beach bar as I could find.

For this shoot, we were necessarily in the Caribbean and much of the beach side offerings I know are modular, stiff and banal. I wanted raw authenticity and a hint of historically bad behaviour, a place where upon arrival you hope that the walls - or what’s left of them - can talk.

Bankie Banx’s Dune Preserve in Anguilla is that bar. It is the sole reason some people come to Anguilla and yet it is hopelessly uncommercial.

At times the bar becomes an ‘“Honesty Bar”. Part of its charm is that almost everyone that works there is high. So, the Dune was where we shot - there was no Plan B. I hope all those that see this photograph, rather wish they were there that night. What could possibly go wrong with that crew? I think everyone did a great job and of course Bankie Banx steals the show. He does not play supporting actor well anywhere, let alone in his own joint

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DEAD MAN’S CHEST, 2022 Anguilla Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 180cm x 251cm Standard: 132cm x 180cm

Edition of 12 Edition of 12

I hope this image is identified as having some of my trademarks. Every inch of the frame sweats and every person within the frame firmly stakes claim to his or her presence. I was greedy in the amount of information I wanted in the picture and for it to come off. I needed luck as well as strong communication with everyone on set. It has the cinematic feel that I often strive for and I think in time I will look back very fondly on that evening. My sense is that it is a special photograph. The goal was to attain compositional harmony amidst the chaos of the beach landing, which was not that easy an objective as this landing was for real. This raw

and rocky coastline in Anguilla is no studio. In retrospect it is remarkable that not only are the faces of the six male pirates in the landing party all in view but they also show collective endeavour. They had enough to think about dealing with the boat in the tide and maybe the truth is that they weren’t in role at all. Josie Canseco is made for shots like this. The more attitude she has, the more striking her appearance, and that’s why I cast her more in bad ass roles than necessarily beauty roles. In this series I wanted women to play more of a lead than is traditional in most pirate narratives. Most pirate productions are too male led.

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BEACH BUMS, 2022 Anguilla Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 180cm x 287cm Standard: 132cm x 203cm

Edition of 12 Edition of 12

In my deliberation over the Pirates in the Caribbean project, there were two overriding personal filters. The first was to avoid being formulaic and the second was my sense that it would be commercial suicide to be too earnest. Pirates are mythological figures and whilst what they did was very serious, I was only too aware of the dangers of us taking ourselves too seriously in any revisionist portrayal. The pirates we had assembled in Anguilla looked the part. The key building blocks were in place on this set, we just needed ‘the x factor’. I played with half a dozen ideas to complete the story in the foreground and there was one

concept that seemed to stand out - the arriving pirates must have an encounter. Encounters represent a dilemma for still photographers who can’t do “over the shoulder two takes”. We have the one chance and that tends to mean that we lose one face. But I saw how we could use that to our advantage in that anonymity might work if it told a story.

Daniela Braga, the Brazilian Victoria’s Secret model, was on set with us.

She is smart, fun loving and she fully embraced the idea I had in mind. I think the photograph works well. As someone wryly said, those pirates who lost an eye must have been cursing themselves.

07

CATWALK, 2021 Dinokeng, South Africa Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 180cm x 254cm Standard: 132cm x 180cm

Edition of 20 Edition of 20

In building the story, my instincts were to play on the vibe of a Paris Catwalk - after all, we had access not just to any cat to strut down our catwalk, but the King of Africa; a magnificent adult male lion. I have been to enough fashion shows in my life to know that it’s a theatre and the attendees tend to be united in their passion and behaviour.

This prompted me to indulge with the idea that we should incorporate a tribal crowd into the set - albeit a literal tribe not a metaphorical one. We were certainly in the right part of the world, the heartland of the Zulu people. The largest ethnic group and nation in South Africa,

with an estimated population of 10-12 million, was within a morning’s drive of where we were shooting. My plan was to bring around 100 adult Zulus to the set - all dressed in traditional attire and armed with spears and shields. The word went out and we had no shortage of applicants. With every member of the cast, we discussed whether there were any cultural appropriation issues in asking them to dress traditionally. As I have found with Native Americans, they said it would be a celebration of their culture; of which they were rightly proud.

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GET THE F*** OFF MY BOAT II (B&W), 2021 Marina del Rey, LA, California Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 180cm x 239cm Standard: 132cm x 170cm

Edition of 12 Edition of 12

My first collaboration with the real Wolf of Wall Street - Jordan Belfort - in the autumn of 2019, resulted in the coveted image - The Wolves of Wall Street. That photograph has now sold out and I was honoured that both Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese signed a copy which sold for $200,000 at Art Miami at the end of that year.

It was always our intention to do a sequel, but Covid put a stop to that in 2020. However, the delay gave me time to consider various options for the story line and fine tune logistics. The unanimous choice for round two was to shoot the boat scene with the FBI

agents. For many it is the most memorable scene in the whole movie and of course there is intense competition for that top spot.

They say that the best pictures can be looked at for a long time.

Well here we go. My thanks to everyone involved but especially Jordan Belfort, Kate Bock, Josie Canseco and FBI agents Bradley Thomas and Kether Parker.

09

I AM BLACK PANTHER, 2021 Dinokeng, South Africa Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 180cm x 282cm Standard: 132cm x 198cm

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The creative concept was to build a set in South Africa that allowed for a sense of collective tribal adulation. After all, our lead would be Wakanda - the superhero. Zulus seemed the right choice of tribe; they live locally to the shoot and are excitable and energised, especially when asked to go back in time and celebrate their rich heritage. Kevin Richardson - The Lion Whisperer - looks after a handful of black leopards in his sanctuary and as with his lions, there is no possibility for anyone other than Kevin to be in an open area with them. Black leopards are part of the panther family and can give

a human a very nasty bite. They should not be underestimated, and safety is always the primary concern. It is, however, possible to work from inside a heavy cage and that was the path we chose for this set.

The Superhero movie Black Panther was a colossal success, grossing over $1.4bn and my instincts were to try to make a cinematic image fit for a wide screen. There needed to be Zulus to the left, to the right and most certainly above and behind - a visual human vortex of strength and territorialism. In this work, there is a palpable sense of trespassing into another world - a Marvel world.

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REMAINS OF THE DAY, 2021 Dinokeng, South Africa Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 180cm x 196cm Standard: 132cm x 142cm

Edition of 12 Edition of 12

Intense bushfires swept through the veldt around Dinokeng in September 2021. It’s sadly part of life these days and no continent, other than Antarctica, is immune. The charred canvas offered a conceptual opportunity, with the scorched earth littered with blackened wood. It was a bleak, apocalyptical scene. Acclaimed conservationist, Kevin Richardson, cares for a handful of black panthers very close to this area and I recognised an opportunity to do something a little different. Black on black. I took this photograph from a cage; there is no other way. The credit for it

goes to Kevin. I had the easy bit in getting the panther’s eyes sharp.

Without that crispness, there is no image.

It all came together as well as we could have possibly hoped.

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1992, 2021 Santa Clarita, USA Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 180cm x 251cm Standard: 132cm x 180cm

Edition of 20 Edition of 20

Joe Pytka’s 1992 Pepsi Ad with Cindy Crawford is iconic; indeed, it is probably one of the most celebrated commercials of all time. So much so, that there have been many retakes and parodies.

For some time, I had yearned to do my own interpretation of the advert with a still photograph and I secured Cindy’s involvement, who in turn secured Pepsi’s approval. The Halfway House has not changed at all from 1992 and neither really has Cindy. The rest of the props were easy to replicate.

The issue was the two boys who were never in the same frame as Cindy in the advert and would be even harder to incorporate into one photograph whilst maintaining the narrative. The idea I went along with was to use wolves instead - that way I could introduce a new angle without losing the integrity of the adaptation.

Why wolves? Well, it is a metaphor for all the men who have wanted to be at that gas station the next time Cindy Crawford turned up to fill up with gas, or indeed buy a soft drink.

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AMERICAN BEAUTY, 2021 Santa Clarita, USA Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 193cm x 180cm Standard: 140cm x 132cm

Edition of 20 Edition of 20

On this 1950s set - built in Santa Clarita near Los Angeles - my excellent production team gave me the chance to create something very special. American icon Cindy Crawford would be my lead, so there was a little bit of pressure to be on my game, especially as Cindy had made the location famous from the iconic 1992 Pepsi commercial. The gas station and cafe haven’t changed much and neither, in fact, has Cindy. My preconception was to use the panel lighting to showcase Cindy in an intense rainstorm. The rain would pop much more than it would do in daylight. I could see the

potential of the concept; the set, complete with 1950s LA cop cars, was authentic and all the angles worked. There was an intended nod to the wonderful movie - LA Confidential - but the problem was that her period evening glam look would be immediately vulnerable to the rain. In my creative processing beforehand, I had established in my mind that there could not be many retakes of this shoot. There are few people that would perform so professionally under such circumstances. She is as good as it gets and this picture is made by her, not me.

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THE DAILY NEWS, 2021 Santa Clarita, USA Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 180cm x 251cm Standard: 132cm x 178cm

Edition of 20 Edition of 20

Proof again that Cindy Crawford is gold dust for a photographer.

She looks quite sensational in this “film noir” piece taken at the very location made famous by her Pepsi commercial in 1992. My idea was to build a 1950s set and shoot at night; not just to add drama and contrast, but also to legitimise the period evening glam look. One I knew Cindy would excel in. In the weeks running up to the shoot, I played around with a few possible narratives and I was drawn to the concept of a film set within a film set. I had long admired Peter Lindberg’s work for the Breitling Squad campaign which also

played on this theme and I also knew how Hollywood always enjoys work showcasing itself. The nod to Peter Lindberg was apposite as he and Cindy often collaborated together to great effect. It dawned on me that those with cameras could be press men as opposed to film makers and the narrative could lean on the intense media interest Hollywood stars have long received. Since the Press tend to hang as a pack, I could play on that and throw in a wolf. The premise was that the vignette should live and breathe cinema.

14

PARIS, 2021 Montana, USA Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 180cm x 229cm Standard: 132cm x 165cm

Edition of 20 Edition of 20

I had a few ideas as to how we would photograph Paris. The camera likes her, but therein lay the problem, she is one of the world’s most photographed people. The bedrock of creative art is authenticity, and I was slightly running on empty as to how to raise the bar and be different. The juxtaposition created by photographing her next to tough outlaws from the Wild West made conceptual sense, but I needed a narrative strong enough to make the portrait work. I felt there had to be a reason why this glossy celebrity would be hanging with a bunch of troublemakers in a dodgy saloon. It was important

not just to play with contrasts, but to offer a reason as to why?

I met with Paris and Carter a couple of days before the shoot and we talked concepts. As we pondered over a few narratives, Carter, threw in the suggestion of Paris playing to a DJ role; after all it’s her comfort zone. The 100-year-old saloon I had chosen for the shoot offered a rather different vibe to a club in Ibiza, but that was the whole point. I immediately loved the idea - as did Paris - and we went to work.

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DJANGO, 2021 Montana, USA Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 180cm x 254cm Standard: 132cm x 180cm

Edition of 20 Edition of 20

My fear of the mundane has no immediate cure and my commitment to western revisionism probably aggravates the condition as this is a well-trodden genre with no room for being dull. As soon as I had convinced the Seattle Seahawks’ quarterback Russell Wilson and GRAMMY-Award winning singer and songwriter, Ciara, to come to Montana to participate in my unhinged madness, we got to work on narratives and storyboards. I liked the idea of building some final frontier sets but that in itself is hardly groundbreaking. Sure, we gave the saloon a name that referred to Montana’s celebrity guests, but

that did not quench my thirst. This was an opportunity to push a few boundaries. Russell and Ciara make for strong doubles for Jamie Foxx and Kerry Washington in Tarantino’s bad ass western Django Unchained. On this one occasion, I believe that I can get away with the reference, albeit Django burnt down a plantation mansion in Mississippi, not a saloon on the banks of the Madison River in Montana.

It was a powerful and authentic film, but I think this is a powerful and authentic photograph. I owe Ciara and Russell a big thank you for this picture.

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PERSONS OF INTEREST, 2021 Montana, USA Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 180cm x 292cm Standard: 132cm x 206cm

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Even those that don’t follow the NFL, or have an interest in the performing arts, know and admire Ciara and Russell Wilson for what they stand for and what they do for others. They are both legends in their respective careers, but their legacy may lie in what they have done to champion and support good causes helping others living less than ideal lives. For this shoot, I took the Seattle Seahawks quarterback and his wife to my favourite shooting location in the world - the Pioneer Bar - high up in the mountains of West Montana. I wanted to be in command of as much as possible and

with my intimate knowledge of the location, I knew I could muster together a smorgasbord of western archetypes to complement the rock star American couple. I also know the lighting and the angles inside out. It was a home fixture for me. My preconception was to build a vignette that lived and breathed cinema whilst playing on the absence of cultural refinement in the Wild West. To that end, I thought it would be playful to dress Russell and Ciara in black tie so as to accentuate the narrative. Finding the extras was easy - they are mostly drinking buddies.

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PEBBLE BEACH, 2021 Alaska, USA Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 140cm x 287cm Standard: 106cm x 206cm

Edition of 12 Edition of 12

I think two elements often need to coalesce to create a memorable bear image in Alaska; proximity to a big brute of a bear in the first place and then a transcending level of context. I have come close before, but never emphatically nailed it. We have had far more failure than success. Then in mid-August 2021 I had my moment.

These types of portraits demand a wider narrative and the snow and the mountains give a very clear nod to life in the final frontier. I still can’t quite believe our luck, but then again, we have put in the hours up here over the years.

I am crystal clear in my mind who I have to thank for this capture; our mountain guide Connor Ketchum. We had worked with him before and knew that his instinctive reaction and control of the river boat were of Olympic standard. He knows the fast-flowing river and its varying depth well and can manoeuvre his boat with speed and sensitivity to a bear’s behaviour. Without his skill we would never have had the bear in this position with the mountain range behind.

THE WILD WEST

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THE THUNDERING HERD, 2021 Texas, USA Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 160cm x 295cm Standard: 119cm x 208cm

Edition of 12 Edition of 12

Looking back at my 38 years of holding a camera, there have been a few key moments along the way. Maradona in 1986 being my initial prompt. But it was probably way later in 2014 when I took the picture Mankind in a cattle camp near Yirol in South Sudan that my life changed. To borrow from Eddie Cantor “it took me 30 years to be an overnight success”. There have been many failures along the way. Our anthology to the “Wild West” - now in its sixth month of production - had allowed us to become familiar not just with the topography of much of the west, but with many cowboys and

ranchers whom we now consider friends. The cowboy is integral to the enduring myth of the Wild West and no more so than in Texas, where the great cattle drives were first initiated. No state played a greater role in the trail drive era. West Texas and South Sudan ostensibly don’t have much in common, but from a filming perspective there are some similarities. The land is flat and arid and in both locations the cattle are special. The horns of the cattle looked after by the Dinka in South Sudan, are magnificent, but the Texas Longhorn is no poor cousin.

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THE BILLS II, 2021 The Flying D Ranch, Southwest Montana, USA Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 132cm x 292cm Standard: 102cm x 208cm

Edition of 12 Edition of 12

The concept of this photograph has been on my wish list for many years. A group of male bison charging through heavy snow, directly towards a camera is certainly a rare sight and it always seemed a bridge too far from almost every perspective. The question has always been where and how could this epic scene unfold in front of a camera? In 2020 an American artist and exceptional talent, John Banovich, suggested that I approach Ted Turner to see if I could gain access to his stunning 180 square mile ranch saddling Yellowstone and neighbouring Big Sky. This remarkable place is nine times the

size of Manhattan and showcases Montana at its most stunning best.

Flatteringly, a few months after my initial approach, the Turner team agreed to collaborate in the hope that we could raise money for Ted’s conservation initiatives. The difficulty was that bison in this vast ranch are more skittish of humans on foot than their Yellowstone cousins, who see thousands of tourists every day. I therefore needed either to be camouflaged or out of sight as they made haste in my direction.

Luckily the Turner team knew of a group of rocks behind which I would be obscured from the bison’s line of sight.

20

NO CURRENCY, 2021 Schmid Ranch, Colorado, USA Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 188cm x 264cm Standard: 132cm x 170cm

Edition of 12 Edition of 12

This concept excited me from the day it was conceived. The Schmid Ranch, high up in the mountains of Colorado, was Tarantino’s location for The Hateful Eight and when we visited the location in early 2021, I saw the potential of building a set around which to work. The ranch saddles a truly spectacular amphitheatre. In 2021, there is no more contemporary or talked about asset to own than Bitcoin and the majority who own it, hold on to it with great conviction. I sensed that there was room to play a little parody in a wild west setting - Red Dead Redemption was going to tackle

cryptocurrency head on. The final frontier was a tough place where the rule of law was light and valuable possessions would not be lost without an often deadly fight. The lead character in this narrative was clearly not going to give up his asset easily - his loss would be someone else’s gain. I wanted to create a palpable sense of trespass and Ty Mitchell was the perfect character to play the role of the unyielding owner. He plays menace to perfection (though in real life he is a lovely man).

21

IRON HORSE II, 2021 Durango, Colorado, USA Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 180cm x 231cm Standard: 132cm x 165cm

Edition of 12 Edition of 12

The iron horse was as vital to the push west in America as the horse itself. The railroads linked the west to the nation as a whole and steam engines added a glamorous component to the wild west visual narrative. In researching my anthology to this period in American history, I was - as a romanticist - drawn towards these railroads. The research led us to the famous Durango to Silverton steam train in Colorado, partly because the track runs through the most dramatic of landscapes, but also because the narrow gauge track service remains largely the same as it was when the railroad

opened in 1882. The iron horses themselves are authentic and in excellent working order.

We want to thank the owners of the train for collaborating with us on this project. We scouted for two days and then shot for a further two. Some of the staff were kind enough to say that this photograph is the most powerful they have ever seen of this famous train journey high in the Colorado mountains. I don’t know about that, but it is certainly my strongest image for many a month.

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THE SNOW PATROL, 2021 Norwood, Colorado, USA Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 196cm x 180cm Standard: 142cm x 132cm

Edition of 12 Edition of 12

During our travels in America, we have learnt a great deal about cowboys. The difference between someone who can ride competently and a true working cowboy may ostensibly appear marginal, but in extreme conditions a chasm appears. To work a horse in -20 degrees, in two feet of fresh snow, whilst holding a weapon in one hand and appearing totally at ease, is a bridge too far for 99% of riders. So, on this set in Norwood, Colorado we knew we had to work with the best of the best. Ty Mitchell on the left is as authentic a Texan cowboy as they come, and it is no surprise to us

that he will soon be on set for three months with Martin Scorsese.

It will not be Ty’s first rodeo, Anthony Bourdain featured him when Parts Unknown visited West Texas and Marfa.

To his right, Michael Malone is a local rancher from Colorado and he immediately impressed us with his understated confidence and ability to play to a role. I fancy he could ride a horse side-saddle whilst totally stoned and I sense such a challenge may have been put to the test once or twice.

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VANTAGE POINT, 2021 Durango, Colorado, USA Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 180cm x 231cm Standard: 132cm x 165cm

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In post-Civil War America, some saw the railroad as a symbol of modernity and national progress. For others, however, the Transcontinental Railroad undermined the sovereignty of Native nations and threatened to destroy Indigenous communities and their cultures as the railroad expanded into territories inhabited solely by Native Americans. As part of my photographic anthology on the wild west, it was always my intent to bring Native Americans and a railroad together into an image, but I had no wish to objectify either party. A photograph for instance of a hostile railroad attack by a party of Native Americans could be labelled

as stereotyping or indeed being blind to the provocation of what was effectively an invasion by American settlers, prospectors, and capitalists.

We entered this project to tell stories, not make overtly political points.

After several scouting trips, I found an ideal location 10,000 feet above sea level on the track near Silverton, Colorado. The train owners told us that this section of the track had never been shot before and that sense of ground breaking always gives me a warm glow. The high cliff face offered a vantage point and the opportunity for the camera to tell a more passive observation story, albeit with a little attitude.

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BLAZING SADDLES, 2021 Canyonlands, Utah, USA Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 180cm x 262cm Standard: 132cm x 185cm

Edition of 12 Edition of 12

This was a spontaneous photograph taken of the cowboys we had on set one early winter morning in Canyonlands National Park, Utah, which I later realised was very strong work. Thus, we decided together with our galleries to release the behind-the-scenes image to the public in America and Europe, which hasn’t happened in ten years. Though 99% of my released work is printed in monochrome, this print works better in colour. The orange tones in the flames from the fire are such a crucial component of the story that a monochrome version would dumb down the narrative, and we always want to tell the best possible story. In

general, when orange features in my work - such as in my photographs of orangutans - a colour print is often preferable. The grandeur of the American West is well known and photographed, and so these stunning landscapes should complement the shot, rather than be the shot.

Layered narratives have become the core to my style - we like to make a frame sweat, and this image certainly validates that approach. We know this photograph evokes a strong emotional connection in those people in America, who are drawn to the lore of the West.

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DURANGO, 2021 Durango, Colorado, USA Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 180cm x 292cm Standard: 132cm x 218cm

Edition of 12 Edition of 12

This is special photograph for me and my cognitive processing has rarely played a bigger role in taking a picture. This period saloon scene in Durango, Colorado was a big ask and I don’t think I could have made this a couple of years ago. I sense that I have learnt from my mistakes and my work has improved in dimly lit rooms like this one. This is so much more of a challenge than photographing an elephant in Kenya and the stakes are much higher. With the talent involved, we had at least $100,000 of daily rates on site, I guess it’s a case of “go big or go home”.

It is a high risk game, but this kind of shoot excites me more these days. There were so many moving parts and so many talented people not to let down. I was exhausted when I hit my bed, but I think we achieved what we set out to do - a character rich, wild west bar scene filling every inch of the frame. It is also not a scene in any bar, but the Diamond Belle saloon in Durango, Colorado. Perhaps the most authentic and celebrated 1890 bar left in the Wild West.

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THE KING & US, 2020 Montana, USA Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 226cm x 180cm Standard: 162cm x 132cm

Edition of 12 Edition of 12

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ACES AND EIGHTS, 2020 Montana, USA Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 180cm x 251cm Standard: 132cm x 178cm

Edition of 12 Edition of 12

We are always looking for wild west saloon bars with a difference and this does result in a few lost days on tour. It’s an occupational hazard of being on the road in the company we keep. But we do say that we are exhaustive in our research. We tend to look for one transcending feature in a bar and on this occasion, in the legendary cowboy town of Miles City in eastern Montana, we found a 100-year 18ft tall oak Brunswick back bar. It would not have looked out of place in the smartest dining clubs of the early days of Wall Street.

The owner of the Montana bar was more than open to a film

crew coming to his bar on a wintry Sunday, but given Covid restrictions we had to think smart in the execution. There are many parts to this vignette. All are needed as I really wanted the room to be full of characters without losing the detail of the bar. After all, that was the reason we were there. The composition therefore needed to be very precise and all the talent had to listen acutely to directions - which in a couple of cases was a big ask.

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HOSTILES, 2020 Montana, USA Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 180cm x 282cm Standard: 132cm x 198cm

Edition of 20 Edition of 20

The narrative behind this photograph was entering a bar and immediately feeling like a trespasser, greeted by an overtly territorial crew with a menacing attitude. The characters and the interior had to coalesce for this story to work. The cold adds a visceral layer and hints at an outpost on the final frontier. The frame intentionally exhausts every inch available in the camera. There were many characters I wanted to include but I was reluctant to lose the mood of the frozen saloon, amplified by the icicles on the frosty bison with the snow laden television playing True Grit.

Cindy Crawford had to have sovereignty of the joint, and she can play a badass very well. It’s difficult for all elements to come together in such a tight setting as one tension spot can ruin the whole pastiche; the wolf’s paw came very close to Cindy’s shot glass, but we got away with it. This domestic breed called Tamaskan is not 100% wolf, but that merely added to the sense of trespassing. The only reason to linger in this bar would appear to be the landlady. Perhaps she could be won over, but she certainly owns the image.

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ON THE ROAD AGAIN, 2020 Montana, USA Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 180cm x 239cm Standard: 132cm x 170cm

Edition of 20 Edition of 20

I knew that we found the canvas to continue our road series of 2018 with the caterpillar road dissecting this picture. The area is very remote with the next big event north of here being the Canadian border some 300 miles away. We doubt it has been used as a film location before, certainly not with an American icon as the lead player. Cindy undoubtedly makes the picture, with perfect styling and a great cowgirl-chic kind of energy in her manner, echoing the intent behind the photograph’s preconception - two companions enjoying the freedom of the vast American West. The sense

of place is palpable, set in the America that so many know and love, with its long roads running to the horizon, exuding a sense of calm and solitude. Such road trips are integral to the fabric of the American dream. The snowfall the previous night added another layer to the narrative both on the road itself and on the prairies. Luckily, the snow stopped and the light picked up, adding warmth to an image already glowing with joy. Willie Nelson was surely singing “On the Road Again” on the car radio with maximum volume.

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CHIEF, 2020 Wyoming, USA Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 180cm x 244cm Standard: 132cm x 175cm

Edition of 12 Edition of 12

We photographed senior Native Americans against the backdrop of emblematic American vistas in a series to be released in the run up to the Presidential Election, which isn’t a political statement from us. We did however, want to celebrate some of the tribal elders I have encountered, humbled by their pride, manners, grace and humility. For this project we worked with Chief John Spotted Tail, the great-great-grandson of the fabled Lakota chief Spotted Tail in Northern Wyoming. He chose to wear his attire and the headpiece only the most senior Native American chiefs can wear. Their heritage

is integral to their souls. The ground in front of Devils Tower - where Spielberg shot Close Encounters of a Third Kind - is sacred land for Native Americans. Before our early morning shoot, John and his wife - Tamara Stands and Looks Back, spent some time there praying.

At around 8.30 am, the clouds lifted above the iconic geographical landmark and shafts of light lit up our canvas. We had our moment.

When I showed Chief John Spotted Tail this image, both of us shed a tear. It was one of the most privileged days I have ever had in the field.

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BUFFALO SOLDIER, 2021 Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 180cm x 234cm Standard: 132cm x 168cm

Edition of 12 Edition of 12

Three variables came together in this split second to allow this winter portrait to transcend most of my work with bison in Yellowstone. The first is of course the proximity, which allowed for a standard lens and the contextual narrative that goes with it. The river detail behind lends to the power of the image as it gives an emphatic sense of place and season. This proximity came from a combination of my experience of bison movement and fluency in the use of remotecontrol cameras. The second bonus is simply the position of the bison’s head. The big males do resemble beasts from some sort of

fantasy production and the lower the camera is relative to the head, the more the sense of an encounter with a creature from another world is amplified. This looks like an animal from a different planet something “Throners” would expect to see “North of the Wall”. The third helpful variable is his front left leg suggests movement towards me and that is fortunate as bison can often be stagnant when they are feeding. This picture has the dynamism we often seek.

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FRIDAY NIGHT AT THE PIONEER, 2020 Montana, USA Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 180cm x 279cm Standard: 132cm x 198cm

Edition of 12 Edition of 12

It’s not often that famous supermodel Alessandra Ambrosio ostensibly plays an extra with a wolf getting the lead role, but for this photograph to work, that is exactly what I asked her to do. Of course she is integral to the photograph and played her role of the saloon girl with her usual excellence. She is intelligent, fun and easy to direct. This bar, high in the hills of Montana, is well known to me and the light; depth of field and angles are all familiar territory. I am in my comfort zone, but the wolf is not easy to get right. So many things are totally beyond my control. The wolf’s eyes are vital - they

simply have to be sharp and that tests me and my camera to the full. This image works and of course it is not dissimilar to The Wolf of Main Street which precipitated this series all those years ago.

That photograph achieved a record price at Sotheby’s - a day I will always remember.

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SMOOTH CRIMINALS, 2021 Montana, USA Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 168cm x 295cm Standard: 132cm x 206cm

Edition of 20 Edition of 20

The genius that was Michael Jackson “lent” me this title and I think it’s about right. The irony is that the five people in the frame are all irritatingly lovely people and to the best of my knowledge have never broken a law in their lives. As for Ciara and Russell Wilson, they spend much of their time helping people less fortunate than themselves. The only crime they have committed is to make us look a little bit more at ourselves and see what we can do better. I like working in twilight; we have to push the camera settings a little, but the reward is more edge to the lighting and in this case, a bit

more menace. I never worry about the shallow depth of field; it serves to mystify and give a degree of anonymity without losing the narrative.

This was not a normal evening for Russell Wilson - the famous NFL quarterback - but he played his role effortlessly. He clearly enjoys a stage whether it be on a football field or, in this case, on a set near Ennis, Montana. Ciara - his wife - would look good in a garbage bag.

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THE ROOKIE, 2021 Montana, USA Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 180cm x 249cm Standard: 132cm x 178cm

Edition of 20 Edition of 20

A treasure trove of characters in a dive bar saloon in Western Montana. The question is, who would you want as your partner? Do you go for perceived experience or looks? The suave gentleman on the left looks the part, but he could be a little callow and raw. It may pay to go with the menace to his left. Looks can be deceiving. The wolf carries an assertive confidence and seems to be holding court, but he is, after all, a wolf. Singer and entertainer Ciara looks too good to be playing pool and surely, she can’t have much experience hustling in pool bars?

The answer is to go with the character on the left - he is one of the best performing rookies of all time. Russell Wilson’s Rookie year at the Seattle Seahawks (the 2012 season) was the stuff of legends. He was named NFL Rookie of the Year and took the Seahawks to within one game of the Superbowl. In early 2014, Wilson led the Seahawks to their first Superbowl victory in which they trounced the marginal favourites, the Denver Broncos, 43 - 8 in New Jersey. This is still the largest ever Superbowl victory for the underdog.

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FARGO - (JOSIE), 2020 Montana, USA Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 180cm x 251cm Standard: 132cm x 180cm

Edition of 12 Edition of 12

A huge film from the wonderfully authentic Coen brothers and until I took this image, there was no photograph in my portfolio with sufficient symbolism to deserve the title. But in Eastern Montana in a winter storm, we had two components here - a long straight road splitting the frozen prairies and also the possibility that I could make a narrative of sudden joy and happiness. On the day before the shoot, I wandered around the fairly run down outpost of Forsyth, Eastern Montana, trying to find another layer to the story.

When I went to buy a drink, I found that I had run out of dollars, so

I nipped across the street to the ATM. As my dollars came out, I had one of my rare moments of inspiration. We should use flying dollars in the photograph. My new narrative was that the car passengers stumbled across a frozen cash treasure trove - as seemingly happens regularly in this part of the world. Only one frame out of many worked, but that is all you need. The smile on the Tamaskan’s face is a bonus, but the connectivity between the two seemingly fortuitous travellers makes the image.

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BONNIE, 2021 Creede, Colorado, USA Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 180cm x 196cm Standard: 132cm x 142cm

Edition of 20 Edition of 20

The old mining village of Creede sits in a tight box canyon 9,000 feet up in the Southern Rockies of Colorado. We had been throwing around ideas as to where to stage a Bonnie and Clyde story and chose Creede, not just because the high street is little changed from the 1920s, but because the locals, including the sheriff and the council, were fully supportive of our concept. To a man, the town folk of Creede were committed to helping us bring the project to fruition. Fine tuning the composition was a challenge as ideally, I wanted Bonnie - played by Cara Delevingne - to be as big a part of

the image as possible, but I also needed the buildings on both sides of the street to frame the narrative in the middle. Working with wide angle lenses risks making a loose image and I was determined not to fall into that trap.

My goal was to create one single vignette to emphatically celebrate the heavily mythologised story of Bonnie and Clyde. The final result is a great credit to all involved - Cara, her team, my production team and the many extras.

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THE GETAWAY, 2020 Montana, USA Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 180cm x 282cm Standard: 132cm x 201cm

Edition of 20 Edition of 20

This photograph, taken high in the mountains of Montana, offers strong clues as to why Cara Delevingne is a global superstar. She has the eyes and the face to steal most scenes and the intelligence to play a prescribed role. There is nothing I would change in her look in this vignette. It is a perfect combination of purpose and rather unhinged menace. She can do this as easily as some people flick a switch. Chief John Spotted Tail of the Lakota tribe was an excellent foil for Cara and they work well together. He is revered locally, and it was an honour to have him on set. He brings a further

edge to an image encapsulating my read on the old Wild West: a place of guns; trouble in hard drinking saloons; occasional bad weather and maverick characters. No wonder Westerns have a film genre to themselves - it is too rich a seam in the material to have to share a category with anything else. To go “West” was perhaps the greatest adventure story the world has ever known.

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THE FINAL FRONTIER, 2020 Montana, USA Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 180cm x 251cm Standard: 132cm x 178cm

Edition of 20 Edition of 20

The Pioneer bar in Virginia City has offered so much to us over the years and we are acutely conscious not to overplay our hand here. Equally it’s the best bar known to us for our work. It has depth and the wagon wheel on the ceiling is ideally positioned.

Last year I was honoured to receive “The Freedom of the City” and having the keys in my briefcase makes a material difference. It’s important to bring a new variable each time we go back, to create a transcendental image. This time, it was Cara Delevingne. To bring such a celebrated woman to Montana is fresh ground. My directives

for her stylists were: bad ass; sexy; sovereign; 1920s but still very much Cara, which they absolutely nailed it, and as did she. The hat made a huge difference. With such limited light, the depth of field and shutter speeds were compromised in this photograph. Cara would always be sharp, but the rest was down to luck - you are pushing the camera right to the edge of its capability. I can’t think of any other woman in the world I would prefer to play this role.

Cara owns this shot.

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DRIVE, 2021 Arches National Park, Utah, USA Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 180cm x 254cm Standard: 132cm x 180cm

Edition of 20 Edition of 20

Sir Ridley Scott is up there for me as a filmmaker; the Apple Mac ad for the Superbowl in 1984; Alien; Blade Runner and, of course, Gladiator, which won five Oscars in 2001. I must have watched Gladiator at least 20 times, but there is one Ridley Scott movie that has prompted me in my work more than any other and that, of course, is Thelma & Louise, which inspired the location to tell our own road trip story. Ridley’s camera dived into the pages of a road trip storybook and coupled vivid cinematography with a character rich narrative. At all times he showed that he was fully

in command of his medium and in so doing reminded us of the grandeur and majesty of the American West. Cara Delevingne and I work together regularly these days, and I knew there could be no more powerful lead in this story. The rest was up to good fortune and in particular the light. We shot in early March when we could secure road permits by the iconic organ rock which features in the film. Cara smashed it - but always does.

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GO WEST YOUNG MAN, 2021 Telluride, Colorado, USA Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 180cm x 251cm Standard: 132cm x 180cm

Edition of 12 Edition of 12

As we search the length and breadth of America for shooting locations, we are drawn to roads that lead the eye but are then halted by something monumental. This formula offers a closed end theatre from which to tell stories. Perhaps my favourite setting for this effect is the mining town of Telluride resting at 9,000ft in the mountains of southwestern Colorado. My instincts were to shoot here in the winter; the mountain pops with the snow. The problem for film makers is that the main street of Telluride can only be shut off from the public on a Sunday morning and only then for a couple

of hours. We arrived on set a few days before and the weather got warmer and warmer. The snow in Main Street became slush and then disappeared totally. However, by 8 pm, there was a full-on blizzard. We were overjoyed, but also concerned that if the storm continued until the morning, the mountain would be hidden and the moment lost. Without the mountain, there is no picture. At 6.45 am, with the team in position, some breaks appeared in the cloud and then around 7.15 am, I had my moment. We could not have wished for more.

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THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN, 2020 Montana, USA Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 180cm x 251cm Standard: 132cm x 178cm

Edition of 20 Edition of 20

This old railway carriage, was built in Montana in 1902 and operated until 1968. It now lies abandoned in the ghost town of Nevada City and serves as a reminder of the busier days in the mountains.

anything that is creative and authentic. The camera loves her and the styling - in an old buffalo skin coat - deliberately plays to a timeless story. She pings out of the train.

Taking the female icon Cara Delevingne to a unique site like this, so far from anywhere vaguely on the map, was an opportunity not to be wasted. This is not a job for the precious, the carriage is fragile and getting on board was not easy. But Cara, as I know from working with her previously, is not precious, she is game for

Sometimes an artist creates something that can’t be copied and I think this is one such work. We would like to thank the Nevada City Outdoor Historic Museum for collaborating on this project.

STORYTELLING

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ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST, 2019 Montana, USA Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 180cm x 277cm Standard: 132cm x 196cm

Edition of 12 Edition of 12

When I am asked for my medal podium of the most visually spoilt countries in the world, the gold medal will always go to America.

There is just so much of it and such variety. The problem, however, is that America is also very well photographed. We are saturated with content. The country shouts out for creative courage and originality from filmmakers. This was the genesis of the thinking behind my Road Trip series. We could leverage the jaw dropping scenery as a backdrop by all means, but then frame it with a car’s windscreen and a narrative in the front seats. The first image in

the iconic Monument Valley with Josie Canseco proved a big hit and so we deliberated on round two. Hours were spent looking for a new story and in December we decided to go for a mountain range called “The Crazies” in Montana. We thought it appropriate as most of us are certifiably nuts by now. We scouted the location at sunrise and sunset after which we knew it had to be sunrise. We also needed The Crazies to be free of cloud, dictating very cold conditions at dawn. I booked Josie again as she is striking, playful and on good terms with the wolf.

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THE WOLVES OF WALL STREET II, 2019 Los Angeles, USA Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 180cm x 300cm Standard: 132cm x 211cm

Edition of 12 Edition of 12

‘We prepared for many months for this photograph as it was clear to me that if we were to pay homage to The Wolf of Wall Street, we had to do it well.

The location of the abandoned office in Simi Valley was ideal for most of the cast - including Jordan Belfort - the real Wolf of Wall Street, but not so ideal for the wolves, as there was no working air conditioning inside. This meant importing huge AC units to keep the animals cool. Someone once said that the best pictures can be

looked at for a very long time. On that level, this image wins. The final image is one of the most satisfying of my career.’

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DEAD MAN’S HAND, 2020 Montana, USA Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 165cm x 297cm Standard: 132cm x 231cm

Edition of 12 Edition of 12

In 1920 prohibition came into force in America and with it the advent of Speakeasy bars. In cities and town across America these establishments can still be visited, but precious few remain unchanged. In the old copper mining town of Butte, Western Montana, our team found a real gem. In its heyday of copper production, Butte was home to 100,000 people and the town sat on what was then called “The richest hill in the world”. Now just 30,000 folks remain and many of the buildings are totally abandoned. This particular “Speakeasy” must have been very busy at the weekend

100 years ago. My imagination ran wild as to what may have gone on - if only those walls could have talked. The space was about as good as it gets for a staged shot and given that the poker table was still there, I did not have to reach too far in my creative processing. The models - Daniella Braga and Kate Bock - did a brilliant job playing their roles as they always do. But so also did the wolf and indeed the whole cast. As for the game itself, the wolf had to be holding aces and eights - Dead Man’s hand. That was a no brainer from the start.

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SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST I, 2020 Devon, England Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 180cm x 188cm Standard: 132cm x 137cm

Edition of 12 Edition of 12

My plan was to unapologetically replicate the shot of Cary Grant in North By Northwest. I had not seen this attempted elsewhere, which fuelled my desire. Stepping into the shoes of Cary Grant is an onerous responsibility demanding the very best, so I called on David Gandy - one of the most celebrated male models of our time.

I knew that David would not only relish the opportunity, but also embody the exact look required. Replicating the crop duster plane was harder, due to flying regulations in the UK and the rules of basic personal safety. Involving David in the process, we explored a

range of possibilities. The wind was a key factor and the shoot was postponed twice as it was simply too strong. The final shot, taken on the cliffs above the English Channel, could never tell a behind the scenes story, and so we also released a short film of the process on our website under “Hitchcock”. There are many people to thank for making this happen, especially Nick Johnston, who allowed us to film on his estate. The biggest credit goes to David, who really does give Cary Grant a run for his money.

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INDECENT PROPOSAL, 2020 Montana, USA Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 180cm x 251cm Standard: 132cm x 180cm

Edition of 12 Edition of 12

WILDLIFE

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MARS ATTACKS!, 2021 Sea of Cortez, Mexico Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 180cm x 246cm Standard: 132cm x 175cm

Edition of 12 Edition of 12

Every year in the early summer, thousands of mobula rays congregate in the Sea of Cortez off the coast of La Paz in Mexico. On calm days at sea, a spectacular courting ritual unfolds during which the rays show off by jumping several metres out of the sea. It is one of the most surreal sights to witness anywhere in the world. In the ocean, mobula rays look as one would expect, but when flying through the air, they look like aliens or spaceships. They are quite literally a fish out of water.

I have no preconception as to what a “Mars Attack” might look like, but this is hopefully the closest I will get to it. I took a great deal of frames

over the week, but it is such a low percentage assignment that just three or four did justice to the spectacle. It requires quick reactions and - as always - good fortune. Much depends on the alertness and manoeuvring skills of the captain of the boat. I was fortunate to work in La Paz with my fellow Londoner - Luke Inman - who now lives in the city and knows the sea and sea life there as well as anyone. He hired the boat captain - Tony Ruelas - and this picture is as much his as it is mine.

What a planet we live on.

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LIKE FATHER LIKE SON, 2020 Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 193cm x 180cm Standard: 140cm x 132cm

Edition of 12 Edition of 12

The Chief Park Warden of Volcanoes National Park - Prosper Unwingeli - likes this photograph a great deal, which I guess is instructive in that he has seen it all, both in the park itself and also through the lenses of those that make the trek up the mountain.

The reason it appeals to him is that the image is in part a nod to the high number of babies born every year - 28 in the last year alone, which is proof of the outstanding conservation story in the Rwandan National Park. But more importantly, he told me that it is rare to see the lead silverback and one of the young members of

the troop chilling together alone in such an open setting. Normally pictures of more than one gorilla in the same setting tend to be a little messy and it is odds against each gorilla being the same focal distance from the camera, hence some members of the troop are sharper than others. On this day, I was clearly most fortunate.

This is a photograph for doting fathers - I will keep one for sure.

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TWINS, 2020 Amboseli, Kenya Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 180cm x 198cm Standard: 132cm x 142cm

Edition of 12 Edition of 12

This simple image, which was taken in Kenya, is emblematic of the positive impact of conservation in specific areas of East Africa, and we must embrace good news, even if it sits uncomfortably with populist headline narrative. The elephant population in Amboseli is thriving. In the last 12 months, over 130 elephants have been born. Some iconic senior citizens of the ecosystem - notably Tim - have sadly passed away from old age, but none have been lost to poaching in 2020. Indeed, none have been lost to poaching in over six years. Consequentially, the elephant community here is as large

as it has been for many years. Huge credit must be given to the KWS and NGOs such as Big Life and Tusk. Amboseli is a paragon of conservation models and what has happened here can happen elsewhere. Seasoned rangers who have seen it all, can be forgiven for being somewhat indifferent to animal encounters, but when we found this mother with her twins born during Covid 19, they ordered me to stop and document it. I felt their pride.

There are good news stories out there.

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THE MORNING SHOW, 2020 Amboseli, Kenya Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 188cm x 180cm Standard: 137cm x 132cm

Edition of 12 Edition of 12

A glimpse of a moment caught on my remotely controlled camera.

The lioness who accompanied the lion then went off with the camera. It’s all about the small things and because all this happened just before 6.50am, there was enough morning dew to give the lion’s mane a tiny rinse.

We recovered the camera some time later and it was quite a thrill to see the last image the bitten camera had taken. Remotes are a low percentage play, but when they come off and the subject is looking

strong, they transcend handheld work because of the proximity and the angle of view.

He really did put on The Morning Show.

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CRAIG, 2020 Amboseli, Kenya Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 180cm x 208cm Standard: 132cm x 150cm

Edition of 12 Edition of 12

With Tim’s passing in 2020, the responsibility of being the poster child of African elephants has passed to his 50 year-old cousin Craig. This is no downgrade as Craig’s tusks, particularly his right one, are huge.

Upon arrival in Amboseli, we already have the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and the local Masai on our side. Spotting Craig at first light in the bush laden topography of the Kilimanjaro foothills is far harder than in the desert below, since he often moves 5 miles in any direction in a day. Even with the help of 6 Masai on mopeds, we only tend to find

him one day in 3, but when we do, he is very chilled. With the counsel of both the KWS ranger and my guide Juma Wanyama, I can be lying on the ground in Craig’s proximity. This is probably the greatest privilege I have with animal encounters anywhere in the world. Mutual trust between all parties has evolved over 8 years, including Craig.

The portrait taken at 7:40am is the best I can do. The heart pounded a little – it was taken with a wide angle lens and the subject was probably the world’s biggest elephant.

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FIRST DOWN, 2020 South Africa Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 180cm x 206cm Standard: 132cm x 150cm

Edition of 12 Edition of 12

Working with a wide-angle lens from a cage in a river in lion territory is an abnormal way to spend the day, and a very low percentage way to take a photograph of note. Lions do jump, but it is not common and even when they do, there is little chance of a camera catching the leap well. A retrospective of my files would suggest that in 10 years I have only had two successful days. This January I had my second moment that transcended.

Nikon has made my life easier over those years with the super-fast D5 camera, but most of all, I want to thank Kevin Richardson - without whom this type of image could not even be considered.

I want the lion to look magnificent - why otherwise take on the brief?

So many things have to combine for the cigar shot, but I think with this spectacular frame we can allow ourselves the cigar.

Kevin’s sanctuary in South Africa has given me many moments over the years and as our trust of each other has grown, so have the opportunities.

There is no doubt that my work has improved. I am proud to be an Ambassador for his foundation.

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HORSEPOWER, 2020 Devon, England Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 180cm x 196cm Standard: 132cm x 142cm

Edition of 12 Edition of 12

The stallions I worked with on this shoot in Devon are magnificent.

Front on and in full flight, they are full of muscle and yet at the same time exude elegance. I can’t think of another animal that manages this balance so well. Little wonder their aesthetics have been the focus of artists for centuries. James Watt - the Scot who invented steam engines in the late 18 century - figured out a mathematical way to equate horses to engine power. Thus the term horsepower was invented. Looking at this image, I understand why he chose a horse.

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ICE AGE, 2019 Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 180cm x 210cm Standard: 132cm x 152cm

Edition of 12 Edition of 12

After three days in Yellowstone Park this week, I was suffering from the flu. It is a stunningly raw and beautiful park in the winter but it can also be extremely cold. The steam from the thermal activity freezes on whatever it can - including the big bisons that gravitate there to keep warm. I have waited for a very cold day like yesterday in Yellowstone for a long time, but looking at me this morning I have certainly paid the price. This kind of photography may test one’s appetite to work in extreme conditions, but it also tests our maths. I have never taken a photograph of anything on an aperture of F18 before, but I did yesterday

as I wanted as much depth of focus as possible. My inclination was to be greedy and to try and have the bison’s nose in focus and also her eyes. So I sacrificed shutter speed and resolution and hoped for the best. It was impossible to check too much in the field, but when we returned home, I found one gem. I hope she is feeling better than me today. She will be - they are as tough as hell.

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HOMELAND, 2020 Lochcarron, Scotland Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 180 x 236 cm Standard: 132 x 168 cm

Edition of 12 Edition of 12

More often than not, a sense of place is an integral ingredient of a strong contextual photograph. If we can manage that in South Sudan and South Georgia, it should be possible in my home country of Scotland. Whenever I work up here, I am slightly on edge as I feel a little bit more pressure to deliver. This is probably the best photograph I have taken in Scotland (if we exclude the football images of Celtic and Rangers in the 1980s) because it scores highly on both subject and context. If one or other is mediocre there is no image, but in this case, the 14 pointer stag is magnificent and

the rest is Scotland as Scots know it and as it is assumed to be by others. Grand, slightly mournful, but at all times unique. Scotland can be bleak and gloomy, but therein lies its beauty. I could not have achieved this frame, high up in the coastal hills of North West Scotland, without considerable local help and I would like to thank Colin Murdoch for his support and counsel. Our team call him “The deer whisperer” and I think that is about right. He is the most cheerful man I know at 5 am in the morning. I think this a most emotional image and all the better for it.

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BRUTUS, 2021 Alaska, USA Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 200cm x 183cm Standard: 147cm x 132cm

Edition of 12 Edition of 12

This is a huge coastal bear; a living version of the stuffed ones that adorn the airports of lodges and airports in Alaska. They are bigger on the coast than in the inland tundra and that draws me to areas such as Kamishak Bay and the river that runs into it. Adult bears draw our breath the most when they are standing as that is when their shoulders, their bulk and their menace are amplified.

The average adult male coastal bear weighs five times as much as an average adult man and in many bear pictures - including the majority of mine - this is not adequately conveyed. Sometimes a wet

bear can look a bit like an oversized dog and leave the cameraman frustrated that the encounter has been disserved. But not here. A true first for me and an encounter I will long remember. There was a huge amount of luck involved and then at the key moment, just a little steel. I am low in the water and the bear is towering above me - there is no room for camera shake. It was a fairly miserable day weather wise, but actually I think that the rainfall helps the image. Sometimes I work in a studio, but this was about as far from a studio as it is possible to be.

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THE WITNESS, 2020 Amboseli, Kenya Framed Archival Pigment Print Large: 180cm x 264cm Standard: 132cm x 188cm

Edition of 12 Edition of 12

It was quite a busy evening alone on the ground underneath Kilimanjaro a few weeks back. I had my moment and the temptation later that night was to crop out the elephant on the right. After all, the charging bull is coming right towards me and is almost symmetrical to the mountain - so perhaps less was more. But we went back and forth with both options, and we all agreed to keep the smaller elephant in the final crop. There were two reasons for this: firstly, the elephant to the right adds a sense of scale to the big bull and secondly; if anyone disagrees, they can do the crop

themselves. There is no such thing as a correct image, it is whatever works for the viewer.

So, whilst I am an advocate of the power of reductivism, hence my preference for monochrome, we thought it best to show this memorable capture in its widest frame. There is perhaps that little bit more compositional balance this way than in the tight portrait.

What do you think?

THE LIVES OF OTHERS

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MARADONA (B&W), 1986 Mexico Framed Archival Pigment Print One size: 114cm x 152cm

Edition of 40

We recently showed this well known photograph at an event in Los Angeles and it received considerable interest and therefore we have decided to release the print as a one sized limited edition. The timing is appropriate too, as the documentary film - Diego Maradona directed by Asif Kapadia has recently been released to international acclaim. The photograph was taken on film way back in 1986, so the quality is not quite what can be achieved today. Nevertheless, it captures an historic moment in time and Diego Maradona will always be an iconic figure in the history of the beautiful game.

I still remember the day as if it were yesterday and I was so fortunate to have my moment in the complete chaos after the trophy presentation when 5,000 Argentinian fans ran widely amongst the players and the press corp. Maradona, riding high on Argentinian shoulders, looked straight at me - arms aloft with the trophy in his right hand. Little did I know, then as a 20 year old, that I had a photograph that would stand the test of time.

FEBRUARY | MARCH 2022 MADDOX GALLERY, GSTAAD