John Harrison:IT IS a long way from Ballymena to the Oval Office but John Harrison, who has died aged 50 and has been described as Northern Ireland's "best-known, most-loved photographers", was equally at home in both.
His easy-going charm disguised a serious talent for putting people at their ease whether it was a president or policeman, model or member of the British Royal family. His unwavering conviction that everyone, regardless of their position in life, should be treated with the same degree of dignity and respect opened once locked doors and enabled him to capture the moments others sometimes missed.
Harrison was the man at the front, right and centre of key periods in Northern Ireland. In his early days he bore witness to some of the worst atrocities of the Troubles, his photographs of bombs, rioting and murder victims spoke their own silent message. Then as times changed his photographs of Ian Paisley snr and Gerry Adams during crucial Stormont talks in 2007 helped to chart the peace process.
As Northern Ireland walks the path towards stability he recorded its struggles stopping along the way to mark the moments that reminded everyone what the goal was. A gentle hand on the shoulder, a whisper in the ear and always a ready smile helped persuade the most reluctant of subjects, from prime ministers to warring politicians, to stop and at the very least pause, if a smile could not be raised for the camera.
But his 30-year, glittering career, which has ended so abruptly, began almost by chance thanks to the wife of the editor of his local newspaper, the Ballymena Guardian. She spied Harrison as a teenager on a school sports day with a nice camera and mentioned him to her husband.
When an opening to join the paper as a trainee photographer arose the teenager leapt at it because “that was all I ever wanted to be”. Too young to hold a driving licence, the 16 year old had to cycle or beg a lift from his parents or reporters to get to jobs.
The same teenager could never have imagined at that time that one day he would be chosen to travel exclusively with senior White House personnel as the official Northern Ireland office photographer during president Clinton’s first visit to the North.
During his seven years with the Ballymena Guardian, Harrison covered everything from dinner dances to political rallies but what he learned most of all was “how to work with people”. It was an important lesson but one which came easy to him with his natural warmth and gentle personality.
In the early 1980s he joined Pacemaker Press, then one of the North’s largest photo agencies. His work regularly featured in leading national newspapers, agencies and magazines across the world including Time and Newsweek magazines and Reuters news agency.
In 1994 he set up his own business in Belfast, John Harrison Photography, specialising in public relations-type photography.
His enthusiasm and relentless appetite for work helped him become one of the North’s most well-known photographers. It was impossible to walk down any town, city or village beside him and not be stopped every 10 steps by someone wanting to say hello.
But he was as passionate about photographing a community choir as he was about his high-profile assignments.
He was the official photographer on presidential visits to the North capturing shots of both president Clinton and president Bush and also during official Northern Ireland ministerial visits to the White House. He also regularly photographed Queen Elizabeth and various UK prime ministers during events at home.
Earlier this month he was the official photographer at the Northern Ireland economic conference hosted by Hillary Clinton in Washington.
He witnessed at first hand many of the North’s most momentous occasions and became more than just an acquaintance to political leaders from the Rev Ian Paisley snr to John Hume. Both Peter Robinson, Northern Ireland’s First Minister and the Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness thought of him as a “close personal friend”.
“John was equally comfortable photographing the man on the street as he was with presidents and royalty ensuring his subjects were always relaxed and comfortable as he recorded some of the most important moments in our nation’s history,” Mr Robinson said.
Mr McGuinness said he was a one-off in every way. “Over many years he recorded the most iconic moments in our recent history. He was not just a witness to these events, however, but a friend and companion who travelled with us along the road.”
These sentiments are echoed by the Irish Timespicture desk. Bryan O'Brien said John Harrison was well known for his "relaxed demeanour. He operated quietly with discretion in a profession where many colleagues are loud. He photographed Northern Ireland at its worst and best, having covered conflict in the early stages of his career, but lately photographing the good times".
Two years ago Harrison found himself the centre of attention at Buckingham Palace where he was awarded an MBE for services to photography in Northern Ireland.
Although quietly modest about his achievements, he was the recipient of more than 20 top photography awards during his career, including three NI Press Photographer of the Year Awards. Despite the accolades, he was most proud, however, of his family, particularly his three children Peter, Thomas and Catherine.
He recently celebrated his 25th wedding anniversary with his wife Mandy, the calm behind the storm that was John Harrison. She and the children survive him.
John Shannon Harrison: born March 7th, 1960; died October 22nd, 2010