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Wild Encounters: Iconic Photographs of the World's Vanishing Animals and Cultures
From big cats to elephants and indigenous communities, Wild Encounters is a must-have for nature lovers, conservationists, and anyone who is inspired by all that remains wild. David Yarrow travels from pole to pole and continent to continent to visit frozen Arctic tundras, vast African deserts, primordial rain forests, and remote villages, inviting us to truly connect with subjects we mistakenly think we have seen before. Yarrow takes the familiar--lions, elephants, tigers, polar bears--and makes it new again by creating iconic images that deliberately connect with us at a highly emotional level. For more than two decades, this legendary wildlife photographer has been putting himself in harm's way to capture the most unbelievable close-up animal photography, amassing an incomparable photographic portfolio, spanning six continents. Driven by a passion for sharing and preserving Earth's last great wild cultures and species, Yarrow is as much a conservationist as a photographer and artist. His work has transcended wildlife photography and is now collected and shown as fine art in some of the most famed galleries around the world. Featuring 160 of his most breathtaking photographs, Wild Encounters offers a truly intimate view of some of the world's most compelling--and threatened--species and captures the splendor and very soul of what remains wild and free in our world through portraits that feel close enough to touch.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published October 25, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 12, 2017
This is my first photography book and it was so special. David Yarrow is a genius and every photograph captures the heart, soul and very nature of his subject. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend anyone with a love of photography, fine art and/or animals to buy a copy, especially as all proceeds go to the charity TUSK.
April 18, 2022
4.5 stars
I stumbled on this in the library when I was clearing off the reshelves cart. A few peeks inside, and I decided to check it out and lug the thousand-pound thing home.
Paging through a book this huge makes me feel like a little child—it covers my legs from my waist to my knees—but boy do the images pack a punch when they’re on pages this big!
Most of the photos are black and white, with maybe three in color because the photographer thought they were best that way. There are several famous ones—David Yarrow is a bestselling wildlife photographer—and I would be surprised if someone looked at all of them and didn’t see something that rang a bell.
The photos are arranged according to location in the world where they were taken, each collection introduced by a page or two of backstory that includes a lot about Yarrow’s style, equipment, and approach to photography. It’s not overly technical, and I enjoyed these segments. My brain wouldn’t let me not read them, so I was glad they added something to the experience. I read it cover to cover and then went back through just to look at the photos again.
I really like the low angles he prefers to take photos from—it’s especially striking when he’s photographing large predators, or really any large animals. I had never heard of remote control camera units before I read this book, and he got some amazing shots using them when it wasn’t safe to get closer. One of my favorite photos is of a lioness walking away, carrying one of his remote camera units in her mouth.
A lot of my favorites aren’t the ones he lists as his favorites, but I suppose that’s down to his knowing what he was going for, where I’m just enjoying the work more generally. Among my favorites are: a two-page spread of sled dogs in Greenland, a Scottish stag looking over its back at the camera, a staged wolf photo inside a bar in Bozeman, Montana (this one might be my favorite of all—it’s walking on top of the bar, right at the camera, while the patrons in the background look unmoved by its presence), a camel in the Liwa desert (one of the few color photos in the book), a photo in a Dinka cattle camp in South Sudan (he says it’s the most famous photo in the book, but I don’t think I’ve seen it before—it’s called Mankind), lots of the images from Amboseli National Park, especially a shot of a giraffe running toward a patch of clouds with the sun shining through, and a mother hippo with her baby.
The only thing I didn’t like about the book was the photo shoot with the naked model and the cheetah. It seemed out of place in this collection and just a weird choice. I didn’t get it, and it bothered me.
It’s an expensive book, but it would make a really nice gift for someone who’s into wildlife photography, or for someone who just loves animals. For the majority of folks who can’t shell out the money for it, grab it from your library and enjoy.
I stumbled on this in the library when I was clearing off the reshelves cart. A few peeks inside, and I decided to check it out and lug the thousand-pound thing home.
Paging through a book this huge makes me feel like a little child—it covers my legs from my waist to my knees—but boy do the images pack a punch when they’re on pages this big!
Most of the photos are black and white, with maybe three in color because the photographer thought they were best that way. There are several famous ones—David Yarrow is a bestselling wildlife photographer—and I would be surprised if someone looked at all of them and didn’t see something that rang a bell.
The photos are arranged according to location in the world where they were taken, each collection introduced by a page or two of backstory that includes a lot about Yarrow’s style, equipment, and approach to photography. It’s not overly technical, and I enjoyed these segments. My brain wouldn’t let me not read them, so I was glad they added something to the experience. I read it cover to cover and then went back through just to look at the photos again.
I really like the low angles he prefers to take photos from—it’s especially striking when he’s photographing large predators, or really any large animals. I had never heard of remote control camera units before I read this book, and he got some amazing shots using them when it wasn’t safe to get closer. One of my favorite photos is of a lioness walking away, carrying one of his remote camera units in her mouth.
A lot of my favorites aren’t the ones he lists as his favorites, but I suppose that’s down to his knowing what he was going for, where I’m just enjoying the work more generally. Among my favorites are: a two-page spread of sled dogs in Greenland, a Scottish stag looking over its back at the camera, a staged wolf photo inside a bar in Bozeman, Montana (this one might be my favorite of all—it’s walking on top of the bar, right at the camera, while the patrons in the background look unmoved by its presence), a camel in the Liwa desert (one of the few color photos in the book), a photo in a Dinka cattle camp in South Sudan (he says it’s the most famous photo in the book, but I don’t think I’ve seen it before—it’s called Mankind), lots of the images from Amboseli National Park, especially a shot of a giraffe running toward a patch of clouds with the sun shining through, and a mother hippo with her baby.
The only thing I didn’t like about the book was the photo shoot with the naked model and the cheetah. It seemed out of place in this collection and just a weird choice. I didn’t get it, and it bothered me.
It’s an expensive book, but it would make a really nice gift for someone who’s into wildlife photography, or for someone who just loves animals. For the majority of folks who can’t shell out the money for it, grab it from your library and enjoy.
July 18, 2022
I believe the reason this book was made was a great one. That said, and I love black and white, but so many of the images would have been stunning in color. There was virtually no separation between the animal and the background. And it detracted from the reason the book was made. The (very) few images that were in color were amazing.
July 19, 2024
Reading The NY Times at a local library and it was on the display shelf next to me. Quick scan thru revealed amazing b/w photos. On page 112, the staged photo “The Wolf of Main St.” And its description Is very interesting. Something to think about in my photography regarding staging photos to enhance the storytelling experience.
October 4, 2021
This very oversized book is filled with stunning photographs of animals all over the world. The photographer was willing to do whatever it took and was extremely innovative in his approach to obtaining photos that were up close, personal and not done before. So good!
July 16, 2020
Through mostly black and white photos, Yarrow shows us an amazing world of wildlife. The large animals (mostly mammals) are magnificent and royal.
February 7, 2017
Wonderful images of vanishing environments with detailed prose.
April 18, 2017
Some truly beautiful B&W photographs, though I felt as though many lacked the "heart" I enjoy in Nick Brandt's work. This is, however, obviously subjective. I would give the book a higher rating if the author had simply talked less and let his work speak for itself. (Maybe more about the subjects rather than himself?)
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews