The Black Panther Club by David Yarrow

Dinokeng, South Africa – 2025The making of this photograph has been on my mind since I saw the promotional material that accompanied Nat Geo’s Black Panther film release of 2020. The posters leant on composite art not a photograph and whilst they were very true to the panther’s facial structure, it is not easy to achieve the highest of granularity in the face with a paint brush. Nevertheless, the PR campaign certainly grabbed the attention with the black negative space adding to the sense of the panther’s menace.We set about building a structure in a black panther’s 4-acre sanctuary in Dinokeng, South Africa and brought in a heavy-duty cage for me to work from and then it was simply an exercise in patience as well as the unique talents of Kevin Richardson – The Lion Whisperer. Our 12-year friendship has forged exceptional trust and we both know how to get the best out of each other. There is no way we could have taken this image a few years back – we have learned and iterated. Panthers are dangerous and safety and creativity had to find a balance. At all times I was working from the cage.The key to me in this one off portrait is the position of the pupils in the panther’s eyes. They equate to less than 1/400th of the total photograph but they elicit a proper sense of menace. A bit lower down in the eye and his menace is lost. It is about the smallest of details and today’s cameras, in low light, are high performing enablers.I think the cinematic format is perfect for this photograph. After all, the term Black Panther elicits heavy Hollywood vibes. It is an animal that has created many metaphors.– David YarrowStandard Print: Unframed 37″ x 78″ | Framed: 52″ x 93″ (Edition of 12)Large Print: Unframed: 49″ x 103″ | Framed: 64” x 118″ (Edition of 12)Editions available in both B&W and Color