The Kings Road

David Yarrow:

"If this was someone else's immersive photograph, I could immediately tell it was taken in Rwanda. It's my favourite location for head-on encounters with a high number of accessible silverbacks and some clear areas with less dense vegetation. Cigar shots like this are improbable but not impossible.

Gorilla photography is tough. Encounters are intense and normally occur in dense jungle with dappled light and little sense of place. The cameraman must adapt to two constantly changing key variables; the position of the gorilla, and the light. Furthermore, because camera bags are not allowed, there is a limit to the equipment the photographer has at his disposal.This photograph was taken during Covid 19 and I had to wear a mask. This is not ideal at 10,000 feet up a volcano, where the air is thinner and heavy breathing hits the viewfinder, creating a particular “gorillas in the mist” experience".