JOHN Downing
Photographer
AWARDS
British Press Photographer of the Year
British Press Photographer of the Year
British Press Photographer of the Year
British Press Photographer of the Year
British Press Photographer of the Year
British Press Photographer of the Year
British Press Photographer of the Year
Honoured with an MBE for Services to Journalism
Lifetime Achievement Award - only the 2nd time ever awarded from the Picture Editors Guild
Awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society
Other Awards...
Press Picture of the Year
World Press Photo Competition, runner-up
World Press Photo Competition, runner-up
United Nations Gold Medal
Royal Newspaper Photographer of the Year
Kodak Press Awards, runner-up in both News and Feature sections
Kodak Press Awards, overall winner
International Photographer of the Year
British Press Photographer of the Year, runner-up
British Press Photographer of the Year, runner-up
British Airways London Eye Competition, winner
Finalist Press Gazette Photographer of the Year
WARS
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John covered most major wars, including Vietnam, East Pakistan/Bangladesh, Rhodesia, Beirut, Iraq, Somalia, Rwanda, Croatia, and over a dozen visits to Bosnia.
BRIGHTON BOMB
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He was the only photographer inside the Grand Hotel, Brighton, when the IRA bomb exploded in a failed attempt to kill PM Margaret Thatcher, leading to world exclusive photographs.
UGANDA
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He was beaten and imprisoned in Kampala by the regime of Idi Amin. The Daily Express described its front-page headline as, 'World exclusive pictures taken inside the black hole of Kampala'.
CHERNOBYL
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Together with writer Kim Willsher, John was one of the first journalists to visit Chernobyl after the nuclear explosion.
DANGER
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As an assignment, he hitchhiked on lorries along the 'Road of Death' across Central America.
LIVING ROUGH
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He lived for many weeks with Guerrilla fighters in several wars; the Anyanya in Southern Sudan, the Contras in Nicaragua, and the Mujahideen in Afghanistan.
BPPA
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He founded the Press Photographers Association and was voted the first President. It is now flourishing as the British Press Photographers' Association.
RETIREMENT
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He retired from the Daily Express as Chief Photographer (since 1985) to pursue a freelance career.
