Recently unveiled, and the only photograph taken away from five long days in the field, David Yarrow’s latest stunning image, Bearish, has promptly wowed fans of the globally renowned photographer and his team. There’s an interesting parallel, too, between the shot and those who reside in the remote part of the U.S. state of Alaska where Yarrow took it, as he explains.
“Bears are not an easy subject matter for me, in part because the backdrops are often a little messy, not to mention the obvious safety issues,” reveals London-based photographer David Yarrow, speaking from his studio in the city. “Fortunately, bears in Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve are used to sharing their rivers with fishermen during the summer salmon runs,” he goes on to explain, “and are largely comfortable with human presence.”
Ultimately, Bearish proved to be the David Yarrow Photography team’s only image taken away from five long days in the field. “But, that’s fine with me,” suggests the photographer, making an interesting parallel between the shot and those who live and work in the same area.
“As with the fishermen up in Katmai, it’s not the number of fish you catch, but the size of the biggest one,” says Yarrow.
Bearish takes David Yarrow and team to the remote southern Alaskan peninsula
Bearish was captured by photographer David Yarrow and his team in Katmai National Park and Preserve, located on a remote peninsula in southern Alaska. Its wild landscapes span forests, lakes, mountains, and tundra. The park is known for its brown bear population, with many drawn to the abundant salmon in its breathtaking Brooks Falls, where they leap up huge cascades of water to return to their spawning grounds.
Yarrow’s main issue on the shoot, he reports, was that his default position is to try and glorify an animal – something that tends to draw him towards the biggest versions of a species. “With bears, that’s being a little greedy,” Yarrow goes on to point out, “and in Katmai National Park and Preserve, one simply has to work with what’s available.”
However, a particularly beautiful and sizeable adult female caught Yarrow’s eye, and, one rainy morning, he reveals, she put on something of a show for him and his team out in the tundra. “The light was marginal, but I just about got away with it,” the photographer recalls. “I was always looking for the head-on shot, and the rain added another layer of textural detail to what is a stunning bear.”
“It was an experience for all of us,” adds David Yarrow, wrapping up, “and I want to thank our excellent pilots, Devyn and Chad, for looking after us so well on our way in and out of the region.”
