A farewell to Marti Friedlander

Acclaimed New Zealand photographer Marti Friedlander has passed away today, November 14, at the age of 88. 

With a career spanning more than 40 years, Marti documented a huge variety of people, places, and events — not just within New Zealand but around the world as she traveled to such places as Israel, Fiji, Tokelau, and her home country of England.

To name just a few of the subjects that Marti has photographed, she’s documented many protests in New Zealand, including the 1972 Pentecostal March, Apartheid 1969, Springbok Tour in 1981, 1983 nucelar protest, plus plenty more. She’s also well-known for her photographs of elderly Maori women with moko, and her photographs have appeared in many books, including Moko: the art of Maori tattooing (created with Michael King in 1972). Marti also recently completed a series of portraits of Waiheke Island winemakers for a book that is due to be released in February 2017. She was also recently awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Literature in recognition of her dedication to photography. 

Marti previously shared her thoughts on her cameras and the photographic process, and it was so beautiful we had to share:

“The cameras I have used over the years have been many and varied. While they have been useful tools for taking the photos, it is the printing of the images that sustains the excitement for me. It never ceases to be a revelation to see the negative, and to make from it a photo that holds the mystery of a vanished moment. For all the people who appear in my photos, known to me or otherwise, I have a special affinity, a feeling of a shared moment captured forever …”

The news of Marti’s passing was announced on her Facebook page in the post seen below. As you can see, many people have been sending their condolences for Marti’s family in the comments. Have a read to see just how many people Marti’s photography has impacted, and the legacy that she leaves behind.  

Image credit: Marti Friedlander Facebook