Leigh was a native of Savannah, and a graduate of the Savannah Country Day School and the University of Georgia. Already well known locally as a portrait and documentary photographer, Leigh was commissioned by Random House for the photograph. Leigh wrote and published five books on photography. His former photo gallery was a popular tourist attraction in the historic district of downtown Savannah.[4]
Leigh died May 19, 2004, in Savannah, of colon cancer.
Published works
Oystering: A Way of Life (ISBN0910326177 with James Dickey and Charles L. Wyrick, Jr.; Carolina Art Association, June 1983)
Nets & Doors: Shrimping in Southern Waters (ISBN0941711129, Gibbs Smith Publishing, October 1, 1989)
Seaport: A Waterfront at Work (ISBN094171134X, Gibbs Smith Publishing, July 1, 1996)