Giles Duley
Giles Duley is a British documentary and photo journalist. He gave up a life of glamour and celebrity as a fashion photographer to travel the world and document the stories of the forgotten and marginalized people affected by war.
He is now known for his photography of humanitarian issues and the consequences of conflict. While he was on his travels in Afghanistan on foot patrol in 2011 he stepped on an IED (improvised explosive device) as a result of which he became a triple amputee. He was told he could never walk again but is quoted as saying to the doctors, “Right hand? Eyes?” and realising they were still intact he said, “ I am still a photographer” and returned to Afghanistan less than 18 months later.
He believed that the loss of three limbs would give him even greater insight into people’s suffering and put in him in an even better position to tell people’s stories. He also created the Legacy of War Foundation which is a five year photographic project exploring the long term effects of conflict globally. Through his work he always asks questions about what happens to countries and their people once a war is over as his passion is to improve their lives.
In 2012, his TEDx talk was voted one of the top ten. He is also a trustee for the Italian NGO Emergency and ambassador for Sir Bobby Charlton’s landmine charity Find A Better Way. In 2013, he won the May Chidiac Award for Bravery in Journalism and the AIB Founders Award for Outstanding Achievement and was made an Honarary Fellow of the royal Photographic Society.
The UNHCR commissioned Giles in 2016 to document the refugee crisis across Europe and the Middle East, the result of which was a series of photographs in a book called I Can Only Tell You What My Eyes Can See. He also brought this book to life by creating an exhibition where he brought together his photos and other artists who have been affected through the crisis that he met on his travels to be part of the exhibition as well.
His aim for the exhibition was collaboration, conversation and community. He wanted to create new ideas and for the exhibition not to be a full stop. These are some photographs that I can share from my own experience at that exhibition where I heard him tell his story and saw his inspiring work. I also met other people who were artists of different kinds who had also experienced conflict in their own countries and have so much to contribute to society who were part of the exhibition.
He is now known for his photography of humanitarian issues and the consequences of conflict. While he was on his travels in Afghanistan on foot patrol in 2011 he stepped on an IED (improvised explosive device) as a result of which he became a triple amputee. He was told he could never walk again but is quoted as saying to the doctors, “Right hand? Eyes?” and realising they were still intact he said, “ I am still a photographer” and returned to Afghanistan less than 18 months later.
He believed that the loss of three limbs would give him even greater insight into people’s suffering and put in him in an even better position to tell people’s stories. He also created the Legacy of War Foundation which is a five year photographic project exploring the long term effects of conflict globally. Through his work he always asks questions about what happens to countries and their people once a war is over as his passion is to improve their lives.
In 2012, his TEDx talk was voted one of the top ten. He is also a trustee for the Italian NGO Emergency and ambassador for Sir Bobby Charlton’s landmine charity Find A Better Way. In 2013, he won the May Chidiac Award for Bravery in Journalism and the AIB Founders Award for Outstanding Achievement and was made an Honarary Fellow of the royal Photographic Society.
The UNHCR commissioned Giles in 2016 to document the refugee crisis across Europe and the Middle East, the result of which was a series of photographs in a book called I Can Only Tell You What My Eyes Can See. He also brought this book to life by creating an exhibition where he brought together his photos and other artists who have been affected through the crisis that he met on his travels to be part of the exhibition as well.
His aim for the exhibition was collaboration, conversation and community. He wanted to create new ideas and for the exhibition not to be a full stop. These are some photographs that I can share from my own experience at that exhibition where I heard him tell his story and saw his inspiring work. I also met other people who were artists of different kinds who had also experienced conflict in their own countries and have so much to contribute to society who were part of the exhibition.
