articles/Profiles/haley-page2
Published 01/10/2001
The magazine covered everything that the British Army did throughout the world both exercise and operational. Three photographers were ready to travel anywhere within 24 hours notice which meant having Cholera inoculations every 5 half months, TABT every 3 years, Yellow Fever every 10 years, Polio every so often and Hepatitis B as little as possible cos it hurt like hell! The photography was often hard work but great fun - hard news plus soft in-depth features. Getting in to a good position to take the photographs was the difficult bit - not taking the photographs themselves.
I was one of only three civilian photographers to land with the troops during the Falklands Campaign in 1982. I travelled down on the QE 2, (the only way to travel to war, I think), then spent 13 days trekking across the island covering the advance of 5 Brigade towards Port Stanley. I was with 2 Para and the Marines as they marched triumphantly into Stanley before the cease fire (sorry Max Hastings I don't think you were the first press guy in there!) and stayed until the end of June documenting the return of the prisoners to the ships bound for home and the clean up operation. On my return to the office the editor allowed me to take 3 days from my annual leave entitlement before I started work - well after I'd processed and captioned the rest of the films I had brought back with me! I took over 2500 photographs so the captioning took some time!
In 1987 I had finally had enough of photographing conflicts and exercises and started out in Social photography for myself. I opened a high street studio in West Yorkshire, closing it in 1996 after realising that the only people making a large profit was the council (rates) government (V.A.T. and rates) and landlord (rent). I now work from home still not making a large profit but enjoying my life much more.
My photography has changed from being very formal and pricey to informal and relaxed and, I think, reasonably priced. Could I charge more - probably, would I sell more - probably not.
There are 0 days to get ready for The Society of Photographers Convention and Trade Show at The Novotel London West, Hammersmith ...
which starts on Thursday 1st January 1970