Sally Fear is a documentary photographer whose early work capturing London in the 70s gained her a reputation for being able to ‘get in where other people don’t’.
Sally’s skill is to be the silent witness, but her gift is to have captured, with warmth and affection, the life and spirit of the New Forest.” – Patrick Ward, Photographer
Sally wanted to go to art school but her parents dissuaded her in case she turned out like David Hockney or John Lennon. So she worked as a secretary in advertising agencies in London and New York where she became aware of the power of photography. She borrowed a camera and having only shot a dozen rolls of film won the first ever Royal Photographic Society and Nikon Awards. This gave her a very good camera and a substantial sum of money to document London At the Weekend. This exhibition was hung in all the foyers of London’s Lyttleton Theatre at the National.
She then left her office job and undertook numerous photographic assignments, travelling the world for many magazines including all the UK colour supplements, women’s magazines, Time Magazine, Newsweek, LIFE, Forbes, Fortune. There was one weekend when her photographs were featured on the front cover of the Sunday Times, The Observer and the Telegraph Magazine. In addition, over fifteen years she worked for clients as diverse as children’s charities and international banking annual reports.
Sally Fear is able to combine her photography with a natural talent to communicate with large audiences. Her spontaneous style conveys her care for the environment and her sensitivity shows her concern for the people and their daily lives.” – Philippe Achache
She was selected as one of the World’s best 100 Photographers to work on the book A Day In The Life of Australia, and was featured on the front cover of Working Woman magazine as a pioneering woman in her profession.
She was a founder shareholder and later the Managing Director of her then photo agency Impact Photos and went on to be the Marketing and Deputy Director of The Photographers’ Gallery.
She stopped taking photographs when her husband became gravely ill and nursed him until he died. She did not photograph again until she met her second husband Richard who lives in the New Forest where she is involved with the commoning community and runs her own ponies on the Forest.
New Forest Drift is a perfect example of one of the purest forms of photography – The Photo Story.” – Julian Calder
She has hung many exhibitions in the New Forest, has published two books New Forest Drift (sold out) and The Commoners’ New Forest, She has also made a film called New Forest Drift that has sold numerous times as a DVD. She exhibits every year at the New Forest and Hampshire County Show and was presented to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II when she ended her UK tour in Sally’s exhibition.
Sally is a member of the Chelsea Arts Club and a founder member of The Frontline Club.