Tribute to Brian Harris
Brian Harris is remembered as a revered photographer and NUJ loyalist.
Tribute by Tim Dawson, NUJ freelance organiser.
Brian Harris reimagined the possibilities of news photography during newspapers’ last golden age. No paper has been so admired for its pictorial journalism than The Independent, where he was chief photographer between 1986 and 1999. Reporting from war zones in Africa and the Balkans, or on election trails around the world, his stories were as recognisable as they were compelling.
Harris, who died on 4 October, deployed a pallet that was in equal part witty, revealing, and ironic. His was particularly known for wide shots that set events in context – most notably brooding skies. His portraits often caught subjects in unexpectedly revealing moments. Expanding pagination, full-colour reproduction, and a news agenda that increasingly favoured explanation over exclusivity provided Harris space to develop and show off his considerable talents.
Growing up in metropolitan Essex, he had an early break at the weekly Newham Recorder. Its editor soon gave him a regular slot ‘Harris View’, instructing him to fill it with whatever he thought ‘looked interesting’. Fifty years later, in what he knew were his final months, his images, shot to the same brief, continued to appear in national newspapers. His delight in a ‘good show’ and a byline never dimmed.
An NUJ loyalist throughout his professional career, he was highly supportive of campaigning initiatives that supported his craft. He lent his lustre to many NUJ photography events. His infectious enthusiasm, joie de vivre, and encouragement to anyone drawn into his orbit made his company a dependable joy.
Nick McGowan-Lowe, NUJ national organiser for Scotland, said: "As a young boy I checked The Independent daily for Brian's work. His pictures were recognisable before you even saw the byline. It was a pleasure to get to know him in my 20 years as an editorial photographer."
Harris died, at the age of 73, from complications resulting from prostate cancer. Until the very end, he was experimenting with new cameras and producing outstanding news photography from around his home in Thaxted, Essex. He completed the transfer of his lifetime’s archive to Topfoto in the weeks before he died.
That body of work will be his public legacy. For any lucky enough to have known him, memories of his sunny enthusiasm shine just as bright.