David Morgan remembered

Nov 21, 2008- Permalink

David Morgan, a respected, admired, and loved celebrity photographer, died in his sleep Thursday. He was fifty-three.

David, a Welsh-born, Sydney, Australia-based snapper was a larger-than-life figure. Besides being a true artist behind the lens, David was a mentor, a big brother, a kid, a raconteur, and a great friend rolled into an imposing figure of a man. Though David had the stature to take on anyone, his close friends knew the warm person inside.

Christine and I have known Dave Morgan for our entire time covering the Toronto International Film Festival. He was one of the first photographers I met when shooting at the galas at Roy Thompson Hall. When we headed inside to shoot the introductions, I asked who was standing in the prime spot next to him. “You are now, mate!” he said and we were friends from that day forward.

As a couple of Welshmen, David and I shared a lot of the same tastes in movies and comedy. Every year when I saw him, we’d compare notes on some films or performers and he’d always recommend older films that I should see. I saw the press screening of Baz Luhrmann’s Australia yesterday. I emailed David about it and said I looked forward to his thoughts on the film. I’ll never know now.

He really respected the art of the photographer and hated the new business models that were stripping shooters of a living wage and copyright ownership. I’d frequently send him emails about one of the Big Bad Companies and he told me this year that he’d forward them on to his photographer pals in Sydney. He also had a dislike for the new breed of “stalkerazzi” who swarmed and hassled the celebrities.

He was a funny guy, who loved a good laugh and a pint. Everyone has a David story. Or a few. Or a book’s worth. Christine has a funny Hugo Weaving story with David that just doesn’t work well in print, but we still chuckle about it every time we see Hugo’s name.

This year, David and I shot a red carpet that featured fellow Aussie Bryan Brown. He told me a story where he was shooting an event in Australia a few years back and Brown asked him, “What are you doing here?” David responded, “I’m a celebrity photographer, so what exactly are you doing here?” It wasn’t mean-spirited at all, just two acquaintances jabbing each other as evidenced by Bryan’s smile, laugh and handshake when they saw each other this year.

Even though we only saw David for ten days each year, those crazy hectic days forged a lifetime of memories and a bond of friendship. David was one of those loyal friends that would defend his circle. In a movie, he’d be the friend who’d tower behind you as the bad guys tried to start a bar fight. If he was in The Untouchables, he’d be the Sean Connery character, except of course Connery’s famous speech would be changed to “If they bring a wide angle, you show up with a telephoto.”

David will be sorely missed by everyone who knows him. I still can’t believe that I won’t see him at the Toronto festival next September. Christine and I send our love and thoughts to his friends and family around the world.

Goodbye, my friend.