End of an era for legendary lensman after four million snaps

Neil Van Werninck, 70, will move into “near retirement” after selling up the Montrose property which has been a photography studio since 1884.

He will now operate from home on a selective basis after the sale of the premises which has been his family’s Murray Street studio for 63 years.

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Mr Van Werninck’s late father Bob opened the studio in June 1953 after taking over the business from the aptly named Walter Tooke.

“I would say the premises are unique in the town for a commercial property in that they have been used in the same type of business, as a photographers studio, since 1884,” said Mr Van Werninck.

“While in some ways today’s younger photographers may ‘have it easy’ I do believe that digital has released as talented and creative a group of photographers as at any time.”

On leaving school Mr Van Werninck became an RAF Boy Entrant, training in aircraft engineering.

Postings included time in the Middle East, finishing on a Lightning Squadron at RAF Leuchars in the late 1960s.

He said: “Thereafter I came into the business with my father, and trained as a photographer.

“Whilst most of the local photographers today mainly cover wedding and portrait photography, I have covered a variety of subjects from the early days of the oil industry when I photographed offshore in the north sea, to industrial and commercial photography including aerial photography.

“I have personally photographed over 1,500 weddings, in recent years photographing the weddings of brides and grooms whose parents weddings I had taken.

“Same with studio portraits, with many thousands of children and families taken over several generations and I estimate to have taken around four million photographs.

“With the sale of the premises, I move into near retirement, but with the intention of continuing some location or at home portraiture to selected clients.”

Mr Van Werninck and his wife Eleanor have two sons, Simon and Paul, who are both accountants in the oil industry.

Simon is married to Karyn with daughter Ava, 2, who live in Aberdeen, while Paul lives in Geneva working for a Swedish oil company.

Away from the lens, Mr Van Werninck is a founder member of the Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre and he still plays badminton and tennis.

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