Merryl Kemp, A love triangle (PEOPLE 2022)

I met Brian this April at Lightning Ridge. He had come with his son to visit their opal mine and see his grandsons, who work the mine, the day I happened to be there. It was Brian's birthday - 92 years young. They asked if I could take photos of the 4 generations together and I happily snapped away trying to catch every moment. Meeting them and spending a little time there, taking 'family' photos and talking all things Opal was one of the highlights of my trip to such an amazing place. They were so happy to have me capture some memories of the day. This was my favorite photo from many, reflecting the bond between father, son and best mate. Less than 4 weeks later, only a few days ago, I was told that Brian had just passed away. The news seemed surreal, he was so full of life only a few weeks ago. Such a remarkable man, it was a privilege to meet this legend of the Opal fields. It feels like a little bit of Australia has gone too, and I will always remember the day we met.

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