One of Canada's most popular landscape photographers was remembered Friday.

Malak Karsh died on Thursday at the age of 86.

He was the younger brother of the world-famous photographer Yousuf Karsh and he preferred to be called Malak to avoid confusion.

Karsh's Paper and Politics

Malak Karsh was best known for capturing the beauty of springtime in Ottawa through his photographs.

"When I saw the fall colours for the first time in my life, I said I'll never be a portrait photographer," said Malak. "I want to photograph the entire country."

Malak's famous 1963 photograph of logs floating on the Ottawa River below Parliament Hill, called Paper and Politics, was reproduced 3.5 billion times on the now-withdrawn $1 bill.

Yousuf's photo of Queen Elizabeth II graced the front of the same bill before it was replaced by the $1 coin in 1987.

Friends remember Malak as a kind and soft-spoken gentleman. "Malak Karsh portrayed the capital as a great city, as a beautiful city with flowers and wonderful historical buildings," said Pierre Théberge, director of the National Gallery of Canada.

Malak also helped found the Canadian Tulip Festival, which made him its honorary president.

Malak was an Armenian originally from Turkey. He came to Canada in 1937, following his brother.

The National Gallery was putting together a retrospective of Malak's work at the time of his death. Théberge said the exhibit will go ahead as planned this winter at the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography.

Malak Karsh, who was awarded the Order of Canada in 1995, lived in Ottawa with his wife, Barbara.