Friends and fellow photographers this week remembered Vineyard nature photographer Julian K. Robinson, who died last weekend at the age of 82.

Mr. Robinson, whose work appeared frequently in Island newspapers and magazines, was known to many as a gentleman with a camera.

“He was always so warm and friendly. He knew me by my pictures and I knew him through his work. It was really easy to like him,” said avian photographer Lanny McDowell of West Tisbury.

“I remember seeing Julian’s images of an osprey on the wing, carrying a fish away in its talons. I thought the bird was majestic,” said Island photographer Tim Johnson. “This inspired me to go out into nature and try to observe these same things myself.”

Among other things, Mr. Robinson’s photographs appeared in an annual calendar published as a benefit for the Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary in Edgartown. Organzier Penny Uhlendorf of Vineyard Haven recalled that the idea of the calendar began in a conversation with Mr. Robinson.

She said for many years Mr. Robinson had photographed ospreys in flight and landing in their nests. Some of the pictures were made into posters. She recalled that when Mr. Robinson came out of Mosher’s Photo in Vineyard Haven with a fresh batch of pictures, he would pass them out to people. Framed in black card-stock folders, the photographs would be signed in silver ink. Often poetry accompanied them.

“He sent his pictures to his friends constantly,” Ms. Uhlendorf said.

Mr. Robinson inspired Ms. Uhlendorf to take her own pictures, she said. And his photographs have been featured prominently in every Felix Neck calendar. “I wanted an osprey in every issue,” she said.

The 2012 calendar is dedicated to Mr. Robinson, Ms. Uhlendorf said.

Mr. McDowell said Mr. Robinson would often wait for hours to get the shot he wanted.

“I think his work shows family values,” Mr. McDowell said. “His pictures of swans, otters and osprey are all about a vignette for family life. With his work, I always think family reunion.”

Noted Vineyard naturalist Gus Ben David 2nd agreed. “To me his dignity, his intelligence and his kindness was impressive,” Mr. Ben David said.“There are certain people you meet in life that have the look of dignity. He was like a sage. I loved the man. My wife, Debbie, loved the man. We had more fun. To me his greatest subject was owls. He loved photographing them, when I was raising my baby eagle owls.”

Mr. Ben David, who is the former director of Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary, recalled one time when Mr. Robinson came to the sanctuary to photograph barn owls. He said Mr. Robinson sat for hours in his car, parked off the dirt road, camera in hand, waiting for a barn owl to fly out of the Arnold Brown memorial barn owl box.

“Day after day he was there,” Mr. Ben David said.

“It took a while, then one day he got his shot.”

Julian K. Robinson, 82, of Oak Bluffs, died on Friday, Feb. 24, at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. He was the husband of Belmira A. (Mimi) Robinson. A memorial service will be held at a later date to be announced. A full obituary will appear in a future edition of the Gazette. Arrangements are under the care of the Chapman, Cole and Gleason Funeral Home in Oak Bluffs. Please visit ccgfuneralhome.com for online guest book and information.