We at Norfolk Now are sad to report the death of our longtime friend and collaborator Bruce Frisch. Bruce designed the paper’s three-column format and served as its staff photographer from its earliest days until his retirement in 2020. During that time, we were privileged to have been able to publish over 550 of his photographs. 

Several years ago, Bruce wrote down his philosophy of taking pictures:

 “Finding pictures is half the fun. Tracking down emerging lady slipper leaves or the first indications of other flowers and then returning to photograph the blossoms gives me deep pleasure and teaches me how the lay of the land creates habitats. And looking for pictures, rather than for-the-record shots of specimens, forces an awareness of the setting—surrounding trees, rocks, water, other plants.

“Perhaps best of all is discovering by close observation interesting pictures in ordinary things or by literally putting an eye right up against the smallest detail. In the end, I return home thankful for the amount of open land remaining in our corner of the state.”

Bruce served in the navy for three years between college and going to work. After a short spell as a mechanical engineer, he pursued magazine writing, editing and photography in the fields of science, medicine and aerospace. For over 40 years he explored and photographed the woods, swamps, ponds, roadsides and gardens of the northwest Connecticut hills from his base in South Norfolk.

Bruce Frisch is survived by his wife, Sue, two sons, a daughter-in-law and a grandson.