Pete Turner, 1934-2017

By Rob Atkins

Pete Turner died in his sleep yesterday morning at his home in Wainscott, New York. Pete was many things to many people: mentor, teacher, icon, true innovator of color photography. He was all of these things to me, and more, but one role loomed far greater than the others. Pete was my friend. That will endure forever.

The most profound lesson I learned from Pete was this: Color can be used to convey an emotion. Take his image “Road Song” as an example. It’s still a successful image when reproduced in black and white, with its graphic composition and dramatic perspective. Though Pete began shooting while the sun was still up and the fence was lit with the last of the day’s sunlight, he waited until the “blue hour” to make his select image. It’s the blue cast that imbues the image with its moody and somewhat melancholy feel. It’s the use of color that creates the emotional impact.

Pete’s work set me on a life course, that of being a photographer. It’s given me the best life I could possibly imagine. How could a debt like that be repaid?

—Rob Atkins

©2017 by Rob Atkins, all rights reserved

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(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)
Featured Comments from:

Jeff: "Interview with Pete Turner, including his comments regarding the 'Road Song' photograph...."

Michael Perini: "One of my true heroes and a very nice man. My second home is not far from his, and we met a couple of times at Reed Photo in Amagansett.(no longer there). We also met in New York at a print signing where I got to tell him that seeing his work in Nikon World in the early 1960s was the thing that pushed me into photography. A kind, generous and immensely talented man. He will be missed."

Dogman: "Back in the early 1970s, Nikon used several pro photographers' photos for their ads. Pete Turner's work was the standout to me. It even persuaded me buy a few Nikon cameras. But I never was able to match those colors from the Turner Nikon ads. I learned later he achieved most of his over-the-top colors by copying his slides in a Honeywell Repronar slide copier and using color compensating filtration. He was one of my early photographer heroes and I still admire his work tremendously."

Peter Turnley: "When I was 16 years old, I called the press office of the Indianapolis 500 racetrack and asked for my first press credential ever, to be able to photograph in the pit area of the Indy 500 track. When I told the gentleman on the phone that my name was Peter Turnley, he replied, 'you're Pete Turner.' Given that I had stated my name clearly, I think I decided not to rectify the confusion. When I showed up to pick up the credential, and the gentleman saw me, my recollection is that he handed it to me with a wink.

"At that age, I believe I did already know who Pete Turner was and had been impressed certainly by his use of color and fame. As a life-long twin I've dealt with a lot of confusion with my name, but all my life since that telephone conversation the name Pete Turner has always conjured up for me that first call for a press credential. And, God knows, if it could have helped me get a press credential, it wouldn't have been past me to use the opportunity. I've always been grateful to Pete for that, and never had the chance to tell him that story. Rest in peace."

 

Comments

[Mattias]

I think the red tail lights make the image, without which it would be more of a study in perspective and the colour blue. Also, those tail lights would of course be pointless in a B&W version.

[John Camp]

It almost feels like the art and music world is emptying out.

[Mark Kinsman]

Pete was one of my earliest color photography influences, mainly due to all the excellent CTI record covers he did back in the day. When his Jazz book was released I tried to get a signed copy, but he wasn't offering any, although he was kind enough to respond via email - something I did not expect. His work in Africa was also quite delightful. Time to pull out the CTI records and spin a few in his honor. He will be missed. Thanks for all the great work Pete.

[Mike Plews]

I have a shelf full of CTI albums with Pete Turner pictures on their covers. Antonio Carlos Jobim on the headphones and losing yourself in great picture, I feel sorry for the download generation.
There are a lot of really good photographers out there but only a few truly great ones. Pete Turner was a great photographer.

[Ken Tanaka]

My knowledge of Pete Turner was limited to viewing his images. But those impressions certainly represented inflective forces in my love and respect for the use of color in photography. I am very sad to read that Pete has died but thank him for work that made a great difference to me.

[Andrew Korlaki]

I also just lost an old friend last week(he was 96). John was a master photographer (he qualified prior to World War 2) who taught me not only about landscape photography, but also about life through his vision. Although he had been a photojournalist in Europe, he primarily photographed the landscape in color, and was fascinated by the richness of the colors here in Australia.

I once asked him why he had stopped photographing other things? He said life was too short to keep photographing the bad things in life, as they reminded him of the past. John was also born of the Jewish faith, and lost most of his family in the concentration camps in WW2.
He photographed the world around him because it was beautiful. He had friends of all nationalities and didn't hold any grudges.

It is a vision I aspire to...

[David Bostedo]

My favorite Pete Turner image (like a lot of folks I'd imagine) is Times Square, 1958 - the stoplight photo. The color intensity there is something I don't think I ever would have seen to photograph that way. That color, helped by the weather, definitely convey emotion.

Plus you posted a terrific critique in your "Great Photographers of the Internet, Part II" column : http://theonlinephotographer.typepad.com/the_online_photographer/2009/11/great-photographers-on-the-internet-part-ii.html

[You know I had no memory of that--don't remember writing it. Do remember the picture though. --Mike]

[Stephan Zobeley]

Where can we see more of his work ?

[Richard Sandor]

Rob: don't think of what Pete gave to you as a debt, think of it as a gift.

[Luke Smith]

google images "pete turner album cover"

[Omer]

I remember fondly reading American Photo and their articles on some of the greats of the '70s and '80s, Pete Turner included. And if I remember correctly, he had a color slide masking technique that helped set him apart and became a signature style for him. This news saddens me a bit. Rest in peace Pete Turner.

[ted marks]

I met Mr. Turner at a Photo Show in 1998. He sign a poster of one of his images. I told him how much his work affected me since I was 16, and he said. "Don't stop shooting, and always ask yourself, what's next", Thank You Mr. Turner

[Richard]

"Where can we see more of his work ?"

http://peteturner.com/

A sad loss.

Regards,

Richard

[George Diebold]

Like many other photographers I discovered Pete Turner looking at photography magazines and seeing his work in the Nikon ads. He, along with a few others was my inspiration to get into the business. His influence on me was tremendous!
I recall the first time we spoke on the phone he was so incredibly polite and positive.
Thank you Pete Turner for setting such a high standard and giving the world a stunning body of imagery. George Diebold