Tunbridge Wells born war photographer Tim Page who inspired Apocalypse Now photographer dies of cancer
Published: 09:48, 25 August 2022
Updated: 09:48, 25 August 2022
A war photographer from Kent has died after a battle with cancer.
Born in Tunbridge Wells, Tim Page went on to capture conflicts in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia during the 60s and 70s.
The 78-year-old has died at his Australian home after a battle with liver cancer.
Fellow photojournalist Ben Bohane was among those paying respects to Mr Page, describing him as "one of the world's greatest photographers" and a "real humanist".
Mr Bohane told local media: "He always said that it was more important to be a decent human being than a great photographer. So his humanism, through his photojournalism, really shone through.
“One of his famous lines was, 'the only good war photograph is an anti-war photograph'."
Mr Page was hurt four times while covering conflicts across the globe and was known for his flamboyant personality.
He inspired the photojournalist in the Francis Coppola-directed, Oscar-winning 1979 Vietnam War movie Apocalypse Now.
He worked as a freelance photographer for music magazines including Rolling Stone and Crawdaddy.
Mr Page wrote a dozen books about his war experiences and music.
He was born in Tunbridge Wells on May 25, 1944, and was raised by a foster family after his navy sailor father died in a submarine attack in the North Atlantic.
He created iconic images of the Vietnam War while working for news organisations including the AP, UPI, Time-Life and Paris Match.
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Sean McPolin