TRIBUTES have been paid to a Somerset photographer whose expeditions to South America saw him work on David Attenborough's Adventure series.
Tony Morrison grew up in the Taunton area, and passed away this summer.
It was while studying zoology at Bristol University that Tony made his first journey to the Amazon.
The University of Bristol Trans-Continental Expedition 1960-61 was the brainchild of Tony and his friend, Mark Howell.
The pair were joined in a pair of Austin Gipsys by four other Bristol graduates, and travelled through Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand, before crossing the pacific to Peru.
Tony carried out work in the capital, Lima, and joined a UN project in Bolivia, before travelling to Ecuador and Colombia.
The six students were then forced to improvise their crossing from South America to the United States, and boarded a cargo flight to Miami.
Tony and his friends ticked off Florida, New Orleans and Canada, before boarding a cargo ship back to Bristol where they arrived almost 13 months after departure.
During the expedition, Tony and Mark recorded the sound for two programmed in black and white on independent TV provider TWW (Television Wales and West).
The pair met a year later and dreamt up the idea of their own business.
Tony had already completed nine month trip to the Middle East filming for the BBC, and been offer a seven film contract in South America.
Tony combined his degree in zoology with a love of travelling and a keen interest in photography which dated back to teenage years as a member of Taunton Camera Club.
Through the new business 'Nonesuch Expeditions' he enjoyed a long career behind the camera - his most notable projects taking him back to South America.
During his various adventures Tony survives a number of life-threatening incidents, including a car crash where a top Bolivian surgeon happened to be in the vehicle behind, and while rafting near Machu Piccu.
While on the job in Peru, Tony met Marion Davies, who was in the country volunteering on a similar UN project to the one Tony had helped on his first global expedition.
The couple married in1965, and carried out a number of great adventures to South America together.
Three years ago they returned to the Quantocks to revisit his Somerset roots. Last year, he fell ill.
Marion said: "He had a lengthy illness having been diagnosed with a brain tumour a year earlier.
"Tony grew up in Taunton and went to Taunton School, and was an enthusiastic member of the Taunton Camera Club.
"He remained very much a 'Somerset lad' and chose to celebrate his 80th picnicking in the Quantocks."
David Elkington-Cole, one of Tony's school friends, said: "Both Tony and myself lived in Mountway Road, Bishops Hull and perused photography as a hobby and all the implied chemistry both monochrome and colour. We both joined Taunton Camera Club in our middle teens.
"Tony and I have had a life long friendship and were about to produce some items for the Bishops Hull website when Tony was diagnosed with four brain tumours."
Tony Morrison passed away in May at the age of 83.
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