Speaking Frankly

Herbert Keppler, 1925-2008

We are sorry to report that Herbert Keppler passed away on January 4, 2008.
This is a sad time for Popular Photography and the whole photography world.
Please visit our special Burt Keppler page for our continued tributes to this inspiring photographer, writer, colleague, and friend.

-The Editors

Speaking Frankly

Fans of Herbert Keppler's blog, "Speaking Frankly," and his magazine column, "Inside Straight," have noticed his silence for the past month or so. The reason? He has been sidelined by a conflicting regimen of medications that has temporarily left him unable to make it into the office. While his recovery is the focus of all his energies now, he's not too busy to receive cards and letters of support sent to his normal snail-mail address:

Herbert Keppler
Popular Photography and Imaging
1633 Broadway
New York, NY 10019

From The Keppler Files: September, 1968

Have you ever really looked at a plain garden variety slug? Pretty icky, eh? Not when the sun glistens on him and turns his gooey path into shimmering silver before your camera. Did you ever look closely at a mother spider when she's carrying all her babies on her back? It's a great picture and not too many successful ones have ever appeared. All you need is a correct background, a good sharp image and patience. You'll learn a lot about insects and about technique too. After such photography, shooting people is a snap.

From The Keppler Files: January, 1992

Whether you order in person or by mail, there's one specification you must know about: It's termed "parallel import." A parallel import (or gray market import, as it's commonly called) indicates the item has not been imported into the country by the official U.S. importers.

From The Keppler Files: November, 1966

Expensive cameras do not necessarily take better pictures than less expensive cameras. They generally are made better, have more features, operate more smoothly (which you can easily perceive when handling them) and will last longer if used hard. However, with only moderate use a less expensive SLR will last a long time too. Expensive or inexpensive, any can break down or be lemons -- like a Cadillac or Chevrolet. The Prime Minister of Great Britain's Rolls-Royce caught fire in the Holland Tunnel between New York and New Jersey a few years ago -- and don't you forget it.