Daly delivers

The above photograph of former Premier Danny Williams, with the late VOCM reporter Scott Chafe to the left, was shot in 2004 in the lobby of Confederation Building by Paul Daly, photographer for The Independent newspaper, which closed in 2008. The two were listening to then-Prime Minister Paul Martin's comments concerning offshore oil revenues.
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When it came to Danny Williams, Daly covered him like a wet blanket, and the best of his shots can be found in the newly released book — Danny Williams, a profile.

I picked up a copy yesterday at Chapters (at $39.95, it was a little pricey), and had it signed by Williams, Daly, and Russell Wangersky of The Telegram, who wrote the text.

The irony wasn't lost on me — mostly Independent photographs and Telegram copy.

If The Independent had a grave it would surely be rolling over.

My favourite shot is of a smiling Danny Williams driving in his sports car, a Dodge Prowler.

The caption reads: "June 4, 2005. Williams drives along the Waterfront in St. John's."

What the caption doesn't say is that Williams not only drove along the Waterfront, he pulled over on the side of the road directly in front of The Independent office at the time.

On deadline day.

We practically had to stop the presses to get the shot in the paper.

We ran two photos of Williams in his Prowler on page 3 with Ray Guy's column, headlined 'We got it! Weee got it!'

To quote Ray from that June 5th, 2004 column:

"Never, I suppose, since Joshua fought the battle of Jericho and the walls came a-tumblin' down has a greater glory shone down upon … well, the St. John's Chamber of Commerce. And seeing the rapture of our plain men of business, what more could the rank and file do but echo the joy. Out of the billions would surely trickle down a few thousands here and there to the boarding house keepers of the city."

Daly learned the photographic trade in Dublin, Ireland, where he was born and raised.

Daly had a saying (many, actually), "I'm not paid to take photographs. I'm paid to deliver."

And he always did.

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