Nikon Ambassador David Yarrow captures elephants and gangsters in Kenya

In a new photography project, Nikon’s European Ambassador David Yarrow captures two different sides of Kenya – from the giant elephants of Amboseli National Park to the criminal gangs of the country’s capital, Nairobi. With the D850 and a couple of NIKKOR constant focal length lenses, David captures the symbols of East Africa – the elephants of Amboseli National Park and the gangsters of the Dandora metropolitan area, home to one of the largest garbage dumps in the world.

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Colossus. Nikon D850 | 1/1250 s | f/8 | 200 mm | ISO 200 | AF-S NIKKOR 200mm f/2G ED VRII

The vast Amboseli National Park is home to a wide variety of animals, and its greatest asset is the freely grazing herds of African savanna elephants. They are among the largest in the world – the tusks of some of them are so long that they touch the ground.

These huge mammals are used to having everyone here spread out in front of them, and people guarding them but not bothering them. After several visits to the park prior to the project, David decided to capture these magnificent Kenyan animals by stepping on their land and getting closer than any of the photographers.

The Road to Life. Nikon D850 | 1/1600 s | f/5 | 400 mm | ISO 160 | AF-S NIKKOR 400mm f/2.8G ED VR

David says: “I love Amboseli Park for its pristine wilderness. It’s a great place to take pictures of the elephants, of which there are over two thousand in their natural habitat. When you see an elephant this big, you realize you’ll probably never shoot anything like this again. I never cease to admire their majesty, their power and the almost human intelligence in their gaze.

While working on the project, David followed one of the largest animals, the Tim. David already had experience shooting elephants of this size, so he knew which technique would give the best results. He used a D850 with an AF-S NIKKOR 105mm f/1 lens.4E ED to capture a herd of animals moving away against the savannah backdrop and ensure sharpness throughout the frame. With the AF-S NIKKOR 400mm f/2.8G ED VR and AF-S NIKKOR 200mm f/2G ED VRII David shot close-up.

Garden of Eden. Nikon D850 | 1/500 s | f/7.1 | 105mm | ISO 250 | AF-S NIKKOR 105mm f/1.4E ED

After Amboseli National Park, David drove to Dandora, a suburb of Nairobi famous for its huge garbage dump that covers more than 3,000 acres. Here he had before him a shooting subject as unbridled as Amboseli Park, a bustling city in which the hostile environment and the city’s gangs had become one.

David recounts: “The Nairobi suburb of Dandora is hundreds of miles from Amboseli Park, but it was just as fascinating and challenging to shoot. I’ve never seen so much garbage in one place. Plus, this dump was rife with chemical waste. But they’re not the only danger in those places – gangs are still running rampant there, so taking your camera out could be fraught. I had to think every step of the way.

African trash. Nikon D850 | 1/2000 s | f/10 | 105mm | ISO 500 | AF-S NIKKOR 105mm f/1.4E ED

In both Amboseli Park and Dandora, David sought to capture a reality that was unfamiliar to the West. He had arranged for local gang members to take part in the shooting beforehand. He used the famous junkyard as a backdrop, where the gangsters stood out because of their elegant black suits.

By combining staged portraits and wildlife shots, David has shown that using different techniques makes for an interesting series of shots that work well together. “When photographing wildlife, the photographer has to get in the perfect position to get a good shot, but nothing else is up to him. If the animal won’t let you take a beautiful shot, the photographer will be powerless,” comments David. – With staged photography, you just have to do the usual things: think of ideas and execute them. A great chance to test his ability to make things happen. Both styles are important to me, so I tried to combine the two worlds – the animal world and the world of people who live in Kenya.”.

Gangster. Nikon D850 | 1/200 s | f/3.5 | 35mm | ISO 500 | AF-S NIKKOR 35mm f/1.4G

During his trip, David used a Nikon D850 camera and lenses:

AF-S NIKKOR 105mm f/1.4E ED,

AF-S NIKKOR 35mm f/1.4G,

AF-S NIKKOR 200mm f/2G ED VRII

AF-S NIKKOR 400mm f/2.8G ED VR.

About David Yarrow

David Yarrow was born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1966. He became interested in photography at the age of 20 and subsequently covered the final game of the World Cup in Mexico City for The Times. On that day, David took the famous photo of Diego Maradona holding the main trophy of the World Cup. This shot brought him fame and an invitation to cover the Olympics and a host of other sporting events.

Many years later, David has found what gives him real pleasure – shooting wildlife. David’s expressive and breathtaking photographs have made him famous among art collectors. By 2018, David had become one of the most famous and sought-after photographers in the world.

All images copyrighted by David Yarrow.