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

Comments

[Gilbert James]

I will miss his insight, wit, and common sense values.

[Arun Bala]

He was such an inspiration to budding photographers. His writing style is unique, unpretentious and easy to understand. Each month, when I get my Popular Photography, I read his column first. I will miss him immensely.
Arun (Toronto, Canada)

[khurshid alam]

i am from bangladesh,i know him from my childhood from popular photography megazine,mr. herbert kippler was allawys smillig a nice gentleman,i am verimuch shoct in his deth news i pray for him & my deep sarrow to his family.plese understand me i dont know good english.
khurshid alam
from Baangladesh

[Kathy Knauer]

My heart is very saddened by the new of Burt's death. I was an ass't secretary to Burt @ Modern Photograhphy many years ago. He was the sweetest, most kindest man I have met, and over the years, I have thought of him often. I'm just sorry I didn't get to see him again since he left MP. You will always be in my heart.

Kathy Knauer

[gerald Dyas]

This is sad news indeed. I remember many fine tips and help he offered in Modern Photography then later in POP. He will be missed greatly by many of us who invariable turned to his writings first.

[Steven Arnold]

I was so sad to hear of the passing of Herbert Keppler. When I received my copy of Pop Photo each month, I'd turn to his column first and only after reading IT, would I start at page one and read the magazine from cover-to-cover. I'll miss you Burt...

[Alan Johnstone]

In September 1968 I started my journey into photography at age ten. I remember reading Herbert's articles in Modern Photography. I will miss his wit and knowledge and the contribution he made in the field of Photography.
With Sympathy
Alan Johnstone
Vancouver Canada

[William Heller]

He taught me how to use a camera.

[Terry C Campbell]

I had let my subscription to Popular Photography expire by accident. I just renewed it, primarily, to read Mr. Keppler's articles, which I also read first from the magazine. I have been reading them for the past 40 years. I will miss him and his down-to-earth common touch.

[John P]

I'm sorry to hear this. I always turned to his column first--he was one of those writers where it didn't matter what he wrote about, you knew you were going to enjoy reading it. And yes, if he really was the sweetest, kindest man you could hope to meet, I'm not surprised. That came through in his writing too.

[Mark Fitzgerald]

My deepest condolences to those who knew and loved him.

I began reading Keppler in my early teens. His SLR column in Modern (and then Pop Photo) was my #1 must-read of each issue.

I will benefit from his knowledge and his genuinely helpful, no-nonsense style, every time I pick up a camera.

Mark Fitzgerald
Madison, Wisconsin

[Rob]

I remember a few years ago, Mr. Keppler posted a note in the SLR column: (paraphrasing): "You may notice a prominent advertiser missing from the pages of this issue. That advertiser has violated rules of the PopPhoto Checkrated program, and due to numerous consumer complaints, that advertiser will no longer be seen in the pages of Popular Photography." That, my friends, was rock-solid integrity. His endless insights into the business and hobby of photography will leave an empty space for me. I was shocked when I read on Jan. 8 that he had passed on 4 days earlier. My heartfelt sympathies to his family and friends.
Rob
Newport NH

[Wilf Blanchard]

I first read Herb's article in the early 50's when I was struggling with an Exacta model B. I am just a couple of years younger than he was and related to his point of view very clearly. We all have to go eventually but its still a shock when it happens. I was always going to write him but put it off once too often. What a shame.

[mark sadan]

I am honored to call Bert Keppler a friend, a mentor, a source of inspiration, with his sense of humor and also a righteous anger against stupidity and insensitivity. Loyal and a truth speaker...he both nurtured and encouraged my work through sharing it in Popular Photography and American Photo. Life in Photography and Art is filled with the challenge, the struggle and the passion...he understood and was generous with his love for both photography and those who make and share images. His wife Louise, a wonderful artist was truly his ocean of inspiration, his bay of peace...
to her and the family a joining in the great celebration of his life...we have much to thank Bert Keppler for, words cannot do it...our work and striving for the excellence, humility and promotion of all things bright and beautiful
is the lasting tribute, from our lives, our work, our joy in having been touched by his noble , smiling spirit.
mark sadan

[mark sadan]

I am honored to call Bert Keppler a friend, a mentor, a source of inspiration, with his sense of humor and also a righteous anger against stupidity and insensitivity. Loyal and a truth speaker...he both nurtured and encouraged my work through sharing it in Popular Photography and American Photo. Life in Photography and Art is filled with the challenge, the struggle and the passion...he understood and was generous with his love for both photography and those who make and share images. His wife Louise, a wonderful artist was truly his ocean of inspiration, his bay of peace...
to her and the family a joining in the great celebration of his life...we have much to thank Bert Keppler for, words cannot do it...our work and striving for the excellence, humility and promotion of all things bright and beautiful
is the lasting tribute, from our lives, our work, our joy in having been touched by his noble , smiling spirit.
mark sadan

[Larry Cordeiro]

I did not know Bert except through his writings, and he contributed (in part) to my life long love of photography that started in the 1960's. While I will miss him for many of the same reasons listed here, we should not forget his passion, work, and a life well spent.

Cheers to you Mr. Keppler, and thank you.

Larry

[Jia-Dong Liang]

As a long time subscriber of Popular Photography magazine Mr Keppler was like an old friend. Always enjoyed his writing and he will be missed.

[H.Gerald]

I've been a photographer for more than 60 years. A friend taught me the basics, but the bulk of my photographic education has come from all of the photography magazines that I have subscribed to over the years. One of my favorite teachers, was Herbert Keppler. Although I never had the honor of meeting him, I felt like he was a friend. I truly enjoyed the humor with which he write his various columns. I will truly miss him. My deepest condolences to his family, and the entire photographic comunity.

[Dr.Vijay.K.Shastri]

I have been an avid fan of Herbert Keppler ever since I read his article for the first time in Modern Photography. He could make a tough subject like photography seem relatively simple and I could appreciate the nuances of cameras, lenses and light through his articles. His sense of humor was wonderful and he surely would be missed by photographers the world over.

[Michael Boggy]

In 1967 I was blessed to inherit a darkroom in Munich as a military photograper. Herbert Keppler's column's convinced me to buy my first pro camera,a 35mm Pentax spotmatic which still takes pictures today. I enjoyed a long journey with him learning about photography with a humor
no-one but he could manifest. I was to take digital photography class @ Palm Beach Photographic Center next month with him as the instructor. Yesterday as I took a different class I noticed a photo in the hallway of the most magnificent reperesentation of arctic
ice I've ever seen. Photo by Herbert Keppler. Please run this photo in the magazine so everyone can see he DID find time between writing to master the art he loved so much. It was up for bid. I could never afford it.
Michael Boggy
Ft Lauderale, Fl.

[Tom Wagster]

I read Herbert Keppler's columns, first in Modern Photography and then in Popular Photography for about 50 years.
Like so many others, his was the first column I read before proceeding to the rest of the issue. I never had the pleasure of meeting Bert, but I regarded him as a friend and mentor and based many of my photographic purchases on his advice delivered via his columns.
I will miss his honesty and humor.

[Tayiu Chow]

In the year of 1960’s, a high school student in Taiwan had to collect money to buy a copy of Modem Photography. With an English-Chinese dictionary by hand, I needed to spend several days to read Mr. Keppler’s columns about SLR in those days. 40 years passed, I keep the habit to read every issue of Popular Photography. Mr. Keppler was my teacher of photography and English.

[Augustine Touloupis]

After +30 years it's like losing family.

May he rest in peace.

[Ricardo Ottati]

Since 1976 I've been subscribing Modern Photo / Pop Photo. I still remember "Kepler's SLR Notebook" column that I enjoyed a lot. Always reading his columns and learning tons of tips and his own view of photography. I'm sure we all lost a great person. Lets pray for him.

[KG Kumar]

From far-off India, I doff my hat -- the Tilley hat -- to the ultimate guru of photography, the Savant of SLRs, the Feeder of the Fstops...Long may you bask in the golden hours...

kg