'The father of modern sports photography' - legendary Gerry Cranham dies aged 94

Gerry Cranham, who has been hailed as the pioneer of sports and racing photography, has died at the age of 94.

Cranham was responsible for producing iconic shots of some of the greatest legends of sport during the 1960s and 1970s, including Muhammad Ali, Pele and Jack Nicklaus, while also covering events such as the World Cup, Olympics, Wimbledon and motor racing. 

From the 1980s he particularly focused on horseracing, regularly capturing key moments at the Cheltenham Festival, Grand National and Derby through the years and, alongside photographers Ed Byrne and Alec Russell, he was given a lifetime achievement award for his services to racing photography at the Horserace Writers and Photographers Association (HWPA) Derby Awards. His son Mark is now one of Britain's leading racing photographers.

Starting out in 1957 after a career in athletics was cut short, Cranham broke new ground in the photography world by transforming images of sporting events into a type of art form. He was only the second in his profession to have an exhibition in the Victoria & Albert Museum while his images appeared in Sports Illustrated, The Observer, The Independent and the Times as well as the Racing Post.

On the racecourse, Cranham pictured some of the greatest moments during the last half-century including Red Rum's 1973 Grand National win over Crisp, Dancing Brave's heroic Arc win as well as the legendary era of hurdlers during the 1970s.

Gerry Cranham pictures Dancing Brave and Pat Eddery triumphing in the Prix de l'Arc de TriompheCredit: Gerry Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

Broadcaster and journalist Brough Scott travelled with Cranham to more than 15 countries to produce the 1983 book The World of Flat Racing and hailed Cranham as a legend of his trade.

Scott said: "He put cameras in places and took pictures that nobody else would, he was completely obsessive about putting the picture first. He was a remarkable man. I'm very proud to have worked with him and some of the best things I've been involved with were with him. I've been very lucky in life and working with Gerry was one of things I was lucky about."

Chris Smith, renowned racing photographer for more than 50 years, added: "He was simply Gerry the master. He was the father of modern sports photography."

The Post's Edward Whitaker, eight-time photographer of the year at the HWPA Awards, hailed Cranham as a major influence on his career when he started out in 1987.

Whitaker said: "He was a brilliant photographer and way ahead of his time, particularly in Britain back in the Sixties. He was one of the greats really and turned his skills from other sports to horseracing. 

"He looked at photography in a different way; he looked around the periphery to convey the message of a sporting event when nobody else would. He'd photograph spectators, the stadiums and was a historian who captured life. When you look back it's just brilliant.

"I was in my early twenties when I started and he was always encouraging me. He was a really good man and he started it all. Modern sports photography was started by Gerry Cranham."