Lachlan Colquhoun

I was lucky enough to be paired with Bryan for several of my very first jobs as a cadet journalist at the Advertiser in the early 1980s. Bryan was wonderful to work with for a nervous and inexperienced young cadet. He was super supportive and helpful and was great for your confidence, and of course he took brilliant pix even if the jobs we were doing were destined for the back pages (more of a reflection on me and the trust the Chief of Staff had in my work!) I remember doing a story on Vespa scooters for the motorcycling page and Bryan took the pix. He told me he’d been a mod in the 60s, and it confirmed to me that he really was cool. He made me look so great in those pix, I wish I still had them. By then I’d made great friends at the Tiser, especially among the younger photographers and and my relationship with Bryan went from colleague to friend. I loved his incredible generosity of spirit and the way he was always helping people out – fixing up the young photogs with his old flat in Benacre Close, introducing them to Frank Baron in London so they could further their careers. After I left Adelaide I’d always enjoyed seeing Bryan and catching up. He never changed. Always that naughty smile, full of jokes and fun. He really was a star, one of the great press photographers of the old school and an adornment to the Adelaide media. Beyond that, he was just a wonderful human, a top friend and family man. I’ll really miss him. Deepest condolences to Denise, Lauren and Daniel but congratulations on the truly amazing celebration. I was watching online and couldn’t stop bawling…and laughing of course, because that’s what Bryan did best, even more than his photography.