MICHAEL Gordon, senior Observer photo editor, was one of four veterans honoured yesterday by the Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ) at its annual veterans’ luncheon, held at the Girl Guides Headquarters in Kingston.

Gordon, along with Gleaner photographer Winston Sill, TVJ videographer Rudolph Matherson and videographer Ken Dawson were recognised by the PAJ, at the Wray & Nephewsponsored luncheon, for their years of excellent service to the media.

Gordon was introduced to the business of photography by his uncle at the tender age of 15. At the time he worked with his uncle in a photo studio at Church Street in downtown Kingston as an apprentice. His first lessons involved developing and printing photographs.

Gordon has, over the years, received awards for human interest, sports and news photography, one of which was that which captured former Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller drawing caricatures in the House of Parliament during a speech by then Opposition MP Audley Shaw.

The photograph, which was dubbed ‘Doodling’, was taken on October 19, 2006 and won the Aston Rhoden award for news photography.

He won his first photography award in 1985 for the human interest photograph which captured the wife of former Prime Minister Edward Seaga embracing the wife of former Prime Minister Michael Manley.

In 1993, Gordon won the first-ever photography award in any for the Observer, which was founded that same year.

His photographs ‘Flying Floyd’, which caught a cricket bat flying from the hand of West Indian cricketer Floyd Reifer at Sabina Park in 1993 and ‘MoBay Massacre’ also won awards.

Director of Public Prosecutions Paula Llewellyn, who was guest speaker at the luncheon, urged the media to join the band of the law-abiding and play their part in beating back the wave of crime affecting the country.