Yarrow started his professional career as photographer recording iconic sports events. He was named as Young Scottish Photographer of the Year, at the age of 20, while he was studying at Edinburgh University. Similarly, he reported on the World Cup in Mexico for The Times-News.
Later, when Yarrow graduated from Edinburgh University, he pursued his career in finance. He worked 8 years as an institutional stockbroker in UK equities, both in London and New York City. In 1993, he was appointed at Natwest Securities where he worked as director till he left his London-based hedge fund, Clareville Capital.
Yarrow’s passion and interest in photography were paramount throughout those years, which prompted Spear’s magazine to liken him to James Boswell, in an article that dealt with Yarrow’s double-life as hedge fund manager and artist. Recently, Yarrow’s passion for addressing key geopolitical and environmental issues has motivated him to photograph the natural world.
Yarrow and Elizabeth Offord formed a David Yarrow Photography Ltd. in November 2013. Since the time, Yarrow’s work has been exhibited in London’s Saatchi Gallery, the Phillip’s Gallery and Christie’s global headquarters.
After a year, Yarrow announced his partnership with Rotella Gallery, a U.S. fine-art photography gallery with showrooms in New York and Las Vegas. On 19 May 2017, Yarrow's Mankind image was selected in Sotheby's annual photography auction and it was sold for £60,000.
Yarrow is a British by nationality and belongs to white ethnicity. He married his long-term girlfriend Jane Martin in 2000. After marriage, his wife gave the birth of two children. However, the couple divorced without citing the reason. In 2014, Yarrow dated his new girlfriend Elizabeth Hurley, an English actress and model.
The popular British photographer earns a massive amount through his professional career. His luxurious lifestyle also binds a point that he makes a decent amount of salary.
Similarly, his "Mankind" image was sold for £60,000 which also added to his net worth. According to some source, his net worth is around $1 million.