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Berlin, Germany, 16.10.2025: We are deeply affected by the death of our long-standing partner, Ralf Poller. As “Avanti,” he remained loyal to IMAGO for over 20 years. His early, sudden death is impossible to comprehend.
“Alright then, Ms. Büchner,” was always on Mr. Poller’s lips, as I, in turn, addressed him. We met one another with respectful formality and as equals. His friendly nature, his empathy, and our mutual loyalty made our encounters and conversations very easy, honest, and open. Ralf Poller was not someone who hemmed and hawed, nor someone who needed to be courted for a common cause. He was a very good photographer, deeply committed and firmly rooted in his local work, and utterly devoted to his family. Football was his passion, both professionally and privately, and he spoke with great pride about the football development of his son, Tiago.
For more than two decades, it was a great pleasure for me to work with Ralf Poller. With Avanti’s images, IMAGO could rely on both quality and content—everything simply worked. It should have continued that way for a lot more years. But it’s over—no more portrait shootings, no more live matches, no more phone calls, nothing. His smile and kind spirit are missing. Nothing is “alright then” anymore; it will never be the same. Ralf Poller, also known as Avanti, will be deeply missed.
Our deepest sympathy goes to his family, to his wife, and to his two sons.
Ulla Büchner, Cooperations Manager D/A/CH, on behalf of everyone at IMAGO.
About IMAGO
IMAGO is a global visual content provider with headquarters in Berlin. One of the world’s largest collections of images and videos from News, Sports, Entertainment and Creative can be licensed through IMAGO.
Founded in 1997 in Berlin, IMAGO offers many years of expertise and customer orientation through dedicated account managers, an in-house picture desk, commissioned photography, photo and video research, image selections, FTP feeds, and newsletters for inspiration.
IMAGO provides solutions for every need. Content can be licensed with one click via our webshop, and larger projects can be implemented easily and successfully with our individual enterprise solutions.
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