Comments on: Requiem for my friend..Richard Poole (1937-2008) http://www.thistonybridge.com/2008/10/20/requiem-for-my-friendrichard-poole-1937-2008 Christchurch Photographer Mon, 06 Sep 2010 19:34:15 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Andrew Phillips http://www.thistonybridge.com/2008/10/20/requiem-for-my-friendrichard-poole-1937-2008/comment-page-1#comment-8076 Andrew Phillips Thu, 20 Nov 2008 06:45:01 +0000 http://thistonybridge.com/?p=653#comment-8076 Hi Tony What a great photo of Dick - it really captures him. Since doing his first Commercial course in 1993 at Canterbury, I got to know him a lot better. I appreciated all those insights he gave so freely. I remember him saying that he didn't mind sharing his current methods, as he would be moving on to new ones anyway - so he would always be exploring fresh territory. I managed to keep in touch during my time in Asia - and fondly remember trips we went on when I returned to NZ. More recently he was slowing down and we would go round to his place on a Friday evening, share fish and chips and watch the rugby. Since moving to Perth WA I saw less of him, but Amy caught up with him and Jan a few weeks ago. Any skill I have in photography I owe to him - RIP Dick Cheers Andrew Phillips Hi Tony

What a great photo of Dick – it really captures him. Since doing his first Commercial course in 1993 at Canterbury, I got to know him a lot better. I appreciated all those insights he gave so freely. I remember him saying that he didn’t mind sharing his current methods, as he would be moving on to new ones anyway – so he would always be exploring fresh territory.

I managed to keep in touch during my time in Asia – and fondly remember trips we went on when I returned to NZ.

More recently he was slowing down and we would go round to his place on a Friday evening, share fish and chips and watch the rugby.

Since moving to Perth WA I saw less of him, but Amy caught up with him and Jan a few weeks ago.

Any skill I have in photography I owe to him – RIP Dick

Cheers

Andrew Phillips

]]> By: Terry Salmon http://www.thistonybridge.com/2008/10/20/requiem-for-my-friendrichard-poole-1937-2008/comment-page-1#comment-8036 Terry Salmon Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:05:28 +0000 http://thistonybridge.com/?p=653#comment-8036 Not when I went with him to Castle Hill. His camera was firmly attached to a tripod. He and I used to argue about the merits of European lenses versus Japanese ones, and in those days I owned both Hasselblad and Nikon cameras. Despite what he said about Nikon, I'm certain he wouldnt have flung even Nikon cameras off into the sunset, but then again, there was always this kind of naughty little boy thing about Dick - you just never quite knew. I have a print he gave me - perhaps you know it - its a back lit shot of a breaking wave taken at Sumner on a winters morning. The wave has almost perfect symetry. The spray off the back of the wave is entirely where it ought to be. His sky is a challenging wilderness, a sky where one might want a seriously good rate of climb. For some reason the pic has always captured me, and I wouldnt presume to explain why. But I treasure it. As I treasure the time spent with him - I dont know whether its wise to consider John McGee's poem "High Flight" as a kind of adjustable cliche. With respect. McGee was describing flying and to any pilot, he couldnt possibly be describing anything else. But the last line in that poem - "and I put out my hand and touched the face of God" could apply to Dick and his mind and his lens and his darkroom. There are images that he made where perhaps he was there, in that place. I should have taken him flying and confirmed it. All is well with me indeed, thankyou, and I hope all is well with you. Not when I went with him to Castle Hill. His camera was firmly attached to a tripod. He and I used to argue about the merits of European lenses versus Japanese ones, and in those days I owned both Hasselblad and Nikon cameras. Despite what he said about Nikon, I’m certain he wouldnt have flung even Nikon cameras off into the sunset, but then again, there was always this kind of naughty little boy thing about Dick – you just never quite knew. I have a print he gave me – perhaps you know it – its a back lit shot of a breaking wave taken at Sumner on a winters morning. The wave has almost perfect symetry. The spray off the back of the wave is entirely where it ought to be. His sky is a challenging wilderness, a sky where one might want a seriously good rate of climb. For some reason the pic has always captured me, and I wouldnt presume to explain why. But I treasure it. As I treasure the time spent with him –
I dont know whether its wise to consider John McGee’s poem “High Flight” as a kind of adjustable cliche. With respect. McGee was describing flying and to any pilot, he couldnt possibly be describing anything else. But the last line in that poem – “and I put out my hand and touched the face of God” could apply to Dick and his mind and his lens and his darkroom. There are images that he made where perhaps he was there, in that place. I should have taken him flying and confirmed it.
All is well with me indeed, thankyou, and I hope all is well with you.

]]> By: Tony Bridge http://www.thistonybridge.com/2008/10/20/requiem-for-my-friendrichard-poole-1937-2008/comment-page-1#comment-7988 Tony Bridge Sun, 16 Nov 2008 09:43:26 +0000 http://thistonybridge.com/?p=653#comment-7988 Terry: Nice to hear from you. It has been a while. Many thanks for stopping by and sharing. I imagine that he would share the sentiments behind John Gillespie McGee's poem. He certainly flung his eager camera through footless halls of light. I hope all is well with you. Terry:
Nice to hear from you. It has been a while. Many thanks for stopping by and sharing. I imagine that he would share the sentiments behind John Gillespie McGee’s poem. He certainly flung his eager camera through footless halls of light.
I hope all is well with you.

]]> By: Terry Salmon http://www.thistonybridge.com/2008/10/20/requiem-for-my-friendrichard-poole-1937-2008/comment-page-1#comment-7986 Terry Salmon Sun, 16 Nov 2008 08:45:30 +0000 http://thistonybridge.com/?p=653#comment-7986 I read yesteday in the local paper that Dick had passed on. Many years ago, while in Kodak's employ, I had the immeasurable pleasure of knowing this man and his images. I photographed too, but not nearly so well as him - but what I did know and what I did understand about these things largely came from Dick. He taught me to see, rather than just look. Aviation called me back, the camera was sold to finance an IFR rating, and it has been many years since I made a print. But you dont forget, and I still see images in my mind. Always will. He was the most unpretentious photographer I knew, in a field which thrives on it. He was easily the best photographer I met during those years, the one with the most craft, the one who was true. He was my friend. I read yesteday in the local paper that Dick had passed on. Many years ago, while in Kodak’s employ, I had the immeasurable pleasure of knowing this man and his images. I photographed too, but not nearly so well as him – but what I did know and what I did understand about these things largely came from Dick. He taught me to see, rather than just look. Aviation called me back, the camera was sold to finance an IFR rating, and it has been many years since I made a print. But you dont forget, and I still see images in my mind. Always will.
He was the most unpretentious photographer I knew, in a field which thrives on it. He was easily the best photographer I met during those years, the one with the most craft, the one who was true. He was my friend.

]]> By: Tony Bridge http://www.thistonybridge.com/2008/10/20/requiem-for-my-friendrichard-poole-1937-2008/comment-page-1#comment-7898 Tony Bridge Wed, 12 Nov 2008 23:24:41 +0000 http://thistonybridge.com/?p=653#comment-7898 Alfred: Many thanks for your memory of Dick. I seem to remember his asking a client whether he would prefer a job with sex and travel... then explaining it to him. The second word was 'off'. Alfred:
Many thanks for your memory of Dick.
I seem to remember his asking a client whether he would prefer a job with sex and travel… then explaining it to him. The second word was ‘off’.

]]> By: Alfred Thornfield http://www.thistonybridge.com/2008/10/20/requiem-for-my-friendrichard-poole-1937-2008/comment-page-1#comment-7892 Alfred Thornfield Wed, 12 Nov 2008 20:19:44 +0000 http://thistonybridge.com/?p=653#comment-7892 I was saddened to hear that Dick had passed away. I have many memories also and will treasure them always. Having done a course with Dick in 1994 it was to be the start of my love for photography. Having helped Dick on jobs on the odd occasion it always struck me how easy he made it look. I remember on one occasion when, one person present on a shoot, decided to become a little more involved then what Dick seemed neccesary. He casually walked up to them and asked if they had ever heard of the expression 'too many cooks spoil the broth'. When they replied that they had he then mentioned that they were that one that made it too many. We had an easy day after that :) Dick was a gentleman, but called a spade a spade and I always admired him for that. They say a man can be judged by how many people will miss him once he has passed. In that case Dick, you were a giant! I was saddened to hear that Dick had passed away.

I have many memories also and will treasure them always.
Having done a course with Dick in 1994 it was to be the start of my love for photography. Having helped Dick on jobs on the odd occasion it always struck me how easy he made it look.

I remember on one occasion when, one person present on a shoot, decided to become a little more involved then what Dick seemed neccesary. He casually walked up to them and asked if they had ever heard of the expression ‘too many cooks spoil the broth’. When they replied that they had he then mentioned that they were that one that made it too many. We had an easy day after that :)

Dick was a gentleman, but called a spade a spade and I always admired him for that.

They say a man can be judged by how many people will miss him once he has passed.
In that case Dick, you were a giant!

]]> By: Andrew http://www.thistonybridge.com/2008/10/20/requiem-for-my-friendrichard-poole-1937-2008/comment-page-1#comment-7386 Andrew Fri, 24 Oct 2008 07:54:09 +0000 http://thistonybridge.com/?p=653#comment-7386 You guys are classics, thanks for sharing these experiences with us. You guys are classics, thanks for sharing these experiences with us.

]]> By: BB http://www.thistonybridge.com/2008/10/20/requiem-for-my-friendrichard-poole-1937-2008/comment-page-1#comment-7298 BB Wed, 22 Oct 2008 02:07:33 +0000 http://thistonybridge.com/?p=653#comment-7298 And the great memories bring tears to my eyes as I think of them too. I did a one year course with Dick in 1996. Because there were only four of us, Dick opened his studio for us every Wednesday night and the two hour sessions were invariably 5 hours and I often returned home after midnight and long long chats about photography and everything. Dick was a great monochrome worker and he selflessly shared his knowledge. And his images. To mark the occasion of the course and our "passing" he made a mono portrait of each of us which I still have and which I treasure. It was becasue of him, and a couple of other old timers (Tony there are still a few of Dick's mates around - Lindsay McLeod and Matheson Beaumont to name a few who were/are all great Dunedin workers) that I achieved my apsnz in monochrome prints - he was a great sharer of knowledge as you say. I also remember the two cigarette moments! And the changing of the light during that time. Dick was the one who said he learned everything he knew about photography in 6 months, but it took him the rest of his life to perfect it! I am not sure about that because he was just superb. I also have lots of other memories - too numerous to list here. I am sure his memory will live on in all our hearts And I thank you too Dick - heaps And the great memories bring tears to my eyes as I think of them too.

I did a one year course with Dick in 1996. Because there were only four of us, Dick opened his studio for us every Wednesday night and the two hour sessions were invariably 5 hours and I often returned home after midnight and long long chats about photography and everything. Dick was a great monochrome worker and he selflessly shared his knowledge. And his images. To mark the occasion of the course and our “passing” he made a mono portrait of each of us which I still have and which I treasure.

It was becasue of him, and a couple of other old timers (Tony there are still a few of Dick’s mates around – Lindsay McLeod and Matheson Beaumont to name a few who were/are all great Dunedin workers) that I achieved my apsnz in monochrome prints – he was a great sharer of knowledge as you say.

I also remember the two cigarette moments! And the changing of the light during that time. Dick was the one who said he learned everything he knew about photography in 6 months, but it took him the rest of his life to perfect it! I am not sure about that because he was just superb.

I also have lots of other memories – too numerous to list here.

I am sure his memory will live on in all our hearts

And I thank you too Dick – heaps

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