With great sadness, we share the recent passing of Colin Walker – photographer, entrepreneur, founding AIPA member, and past AIPA president.
His contributions have left an indelible mark on the New Zealand photography industry.
Anyone who knew Colin would share that he was quite a character, Georg Kohlap dubbing him ‘the British Bulldog’.
Colin came to New Zealand from England in the ’70s, setting up Pace Studios in Newmarket, Auckland, with his wife Lesley, who was also a photographer and AIPA President for a time. In the late 1980s, Colin published an AIPA magazine and then a book of the AIPA Awards photographs.
In 1987, Lesley and Colin embarked on a new journey, creating the iconic Bride & Groom magazine. This legacy, continued by Lesley and their daughter Polly, remains a testament to Colin’s vision and dedication.
Colin was an entrepreneurial man of many talents. He designed the most elaborate lighting boom stand called ‘The Mantis’ – an amazing piece of engineering. Some are still around, and there was a time when owning a ‘Mantis’ was the envy of many. Colin also designed the building that Bride & Groom moved into, which included offices, post-production facilities and a photo studio.
It’s no surprise then that Colin was an early adopter of Photoshop, which was used extensively in the Bride & Groom magazine production. He was also known as approachable and generous with his time to anyone who called on him for help and advice.
Our thoughts go out to Colin’s family and everyone who knew him. We are grateful for his impact on the photography community and for helping pave the way for hundreds of New Zealand photographers through his contribution to the AIPA.