He began his career as an apprentice photographer in 1956 for the Daily Mail, staying until 1961.
[2] Significant events covered by Downing include the Vietnam War, the Bosnian Genocide, the Rwandan Genocide, the War in Afghanistan, and the Chernobyl disaster.
He was the only photographer present at the Grand Brighton Hotel during an assassination attempt on Margaret Thatcher on 12 October 1984.
[3] He was honored in the World Press Photo of the Year contest three times: 1972,[4] 1978,[5] and 1981.
He was inducted into the Order of the British Empire in 1992 for his "service to journalism".