yarrow logo
search icon
SEARCH
close search
Judge and Jury
Narrative
Behind the scenes
Prints
mouse scroll icon
SCROLL

Judge and Jury

Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda - 2022
Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda

Finding a silverback gorilla high up in the volcanoes of Rwanda in a position offering a sense of place and a wider narrative is a tough ask. It’s effectively
a numbers game in that the more times you make the trek, the greater the chance an opportunity will arise. After
10 trips, I had not had a break. There had been 10 encounters, but they were always in dense forest with little or no backdrop.

Some of the guides knew my frustration at the lack of depth I was finding and suggested a troop—the Umubano gorilla family—that was quite far west of the group of volcanoes. I agreed to give it a go, but was curious when I was told that I was the only one making the trip that day.

When I set off from the village of Bisate at 7:30 a.m., it quickly dawned
on me why I was alone. This was going to be one hell of a climb, and I was already at 9,000 feet. Normally the
wall crossing to the rain forest is about 20 minutes from a drop-off point, but the day I went it took 90 minutes—all uphill. But when I reached the wall and looked up to the rain forest, I could see why
the area had potential. There were plenty of ridges and lookout points. It was still dense, but there seemed more room to breathe in places.

I left most of my gear with my porters and took just one camera and my trusted 58mm lens. When I reached the troop, they were on the move and I focused
on the lead silverback. And so it was that I got my moment. The perspective was exactly what I had been looking for.

Behind the scenes

When I set off from the village of Bisate at 7:30 a.m., it quickly dawned
on me why I was alone. This was going to be one hell of a climb.

David Yarrow
Print sizes

Standard

37” x 44” Unframed

52” x 59” Framed

Edition of 12

Large

56" x 67” Unframed

71” x 82” Framed

Edition of 12

DefenseDesignated SurvivorLike Father, Like SonNo Laughing MatterBefore ManGiantTrustGround AlertThe PrizeLife on EarthDesert Army The Girl on the HillMankindMarshlandsRelentlessJudge and JuryThe FactoryThe ThinkerHot LegsIntentThe GovernorHarpers Bizzarre CandiceWhite LinesPrecious