Mon, February 5th, 2007 by Brandon Stone
Bob Foss was kind enough to share some words about our friend Lynn Rockwell. She will be missed greatly. Below is what Bob wrote yesterday, February 4th, 2007.
A smile and a camera.
This is how I want to remember Lynn Rockwell, who lost her battle with lung cancer on Saturday morning. Even while suffering nearly unbearable pain, Lynn returned to Peggy's Cove – one of her favorite places for making photographs – early last week. She posted her last photograph to her blog Focus on Photography on January 28.
Lynn was a special person to me, as she was one of the first regular visitors to Forgingahead and over time we came to be close. We shared compliments, we shared suggestions of how to improve our photographs, we shared special sites we found, and ... yes, we even shared occasional gossip.
Today I spoke with Diane Varner, one of Lynn's dearest friends in the photoblog world, and we remembered how much Lynn had meant to us. Later, I followed various links from Lynn's sites and read many tributes others have written. I discovered that her personal influence extended to all corners of the world.
Many of you did not know Lynn. But many of you did. She has been an active participant in discussions at Photoblogs.org, was an original member of WeeklyShot, took part in the weekly photo critiques in the Photoblog Critique group, participated in the growth of Requestock, and was a strong support person for folks using PixelPost. I know these only scratch the surface of the contributions Lynn made to the photoblogging world.
Lynn's passing has brought home for me the power and reality of the photoblog community. Sometimes we speak about community in vague terms. Sometimes we think the connections we make online are less real than those we have with the people around us. I cannot help but feel, as Diane suggested to me earlier today, that just as a "real" community loses something when one of its members dies, so too did the photoblogging world lose a bit of its energy on Saturday.
We will all miss you Lynn.
February 5th, 2007 at 5:52 pm
Thank you, Bob, for this beautiful tribute to Lynn. I know that she would have been very pleased and very proud.
February 5th, 2007 at 6:00 pm
I didn't know Lynn, but many of my family members died of cancer
I'm so terrible sorry to hear this about one of the "photography family" member.
Rest in peace Lynn, and i admire the posting of this remembrance.
February 5th, 2007 at 7:36 pm
Grazie per aver fatto conoscere a noi, estranei, la storia di Lynn. Un tribuo ad una persona speciale.
Sorry but I can't write in english what I'm feeling..
Caio
February 5th, 2007 at 7:56 pm
Thank you very much Bob, that was truly beautiful, I know my mom would have loved it.
February 5th, 2007 at 8:11 pm
Beautifully spoken Bob. I don't think it is an understatement to say that my online communities have changed who I am in the last year or so in wonderful ways. We do build real friendships around the world which is one of the best reasons to have a blog/photoblog/corner of the internet.
My condolences to Lynn's family. I did not have a lot of interaction with Lynn, but I always knew her name as a bedrock of this community that I love and I will always be grateful to her for that.
February 5th, 2007 at 8:23 pm
Thank you, Bob! Lynn was a wonderful person to know and interact with over the years. Her style and optimism were her calling cards...
February 5th, 2007 at 9:30 pm
That's very sad. Much love and condolences to you and all those who loved and cherished her.
Jeremy
February 5th, 2007 at 10:53 pm
I dint know her that well either, except from reading her posts on the photoblog critique group, and she was always kind and helpful. This is sad that she passed, and i offer condolences to her family, but its also really beautiful that even in those last days she was doing what she loved to do, photograph.
February 5th, 2007 at 11:11 pm
Bob, this is a beautiful tribute.
While I only knew Lynn through the discussion groups, her contributions were always informative and enlightening.
My condolences to all of her family and friends.
February 6th, 2007 at 3:21 am
Thanks for that, Bob. Lynn will be remembered.
February 6th, 2007 at 5:04 am
very sad to hear. like dawn, i will remember lynn mostly from her wonderful thoughts in the discussion groups.
my deepest sympathies go out to her family and those close to her.
February 6th, 2007 at 5:12 am
Thanks Bob. What a wonderful tribute. Lynn will be missed.
February 6th, 2007 at 6:38 am
Such sad news, indeed when a light goes out in this extended community - my deepest condolences to all who were close to Lynn.
And thanks, Bob - this is a wonderful tribute.
February 6th, 2007 at 10:25 am
My condolences to Lynn's family. It's never easy but she, like most photographers, has left a legacy of images that help us remember the person, their vision and what was important to them.
February 6th, 2007 at 10:57 am
Lynn was an inspiration to me. Always full of plans and ideas, her passion for photograpy helped her through rough times and has given us beautiful memories.
I really miss her.
February 6th, 2007 at 11:03 am
sad indeed, my sincere condolences to her family, friends and to anyone who drew inspiration from her life and passion for photography
February 6th, 2007 at 1:11 pm
Wonderful tribute Bob, my sincere condolences to her family.
February 6th, 2007 at 1:33 pm
I didn't know Lynn, but from what I've read, she was a warm and kind person who will be missed. It is always sad when yet another good person looses to cancer.
My condolences to her family, and may she rest pain free now.
February 6th, 2007 at 8:59 pm
Thank you for this post. I didn't know Lynn very well, but followed her photoblog and interacted with her in various photoblogging communities. She was always enthusiastic and quick to offer a kind or helpful comment.
February 6th, 2007 at 9:43 pm
Thanks Bob! Well said. Live love create. It's the whole deal baby. Well done Lynn.
February 7th, 2007 at 7:59 am
Lynn was a treasure to all who met her, in person and online. Her spirit will live on in the beautiful images she captured. We will all miss her.
February 7th, 2007 at 8:44 am
Lynn was a good friend through the photoblog ether. She was an inspiration to me for her encouragement from the earliest days of my own blog. I admired the way she went back to school in middle-age to pursue her passion for photography, and I admired her for the way she tackled the cancer through to the end. I will miss her, and I am so glad that she was able to share so much of her work with so many people.
February 8th, 2007 at 1:19 pm
She will be greatly missed. My deepest sympathy to her family and friends.
February 8th, 2007 at 2:22 pm
I only knew Lynn through her pictures, but I loved the beauty she shared. I will miss her wonderful spirit. Rest in peace.
February 10th, 2007 at 11:18 am
I only knew her for a short time and that was via email and comments between our photoblogs. My heart goes out to her family and friends as I personally know the grief of losing a dear loved one to this dreadful disease.
February 12th, 2007 at 5:45 am
what a beautiful testimony to a gifted and special lady.
June 11th, 2007 at 1:44 pm
I knew Lynn, in real life, 'way back when'. I even shared her home for a few months, way before she got into photography 'for real'. Her work grew up in the 10 years since we were roommates, and we had grown apart. On a whim I decided to look her up just weeks before she passed, and I am glad I did. I had a last chance to say goodbye. She is missed. She was an amazing person, always ready to do battle.