… you would not think to look at him
That he was famous long ago
For playing electric violin
On Desolation Row
There is nothing that connects the above image with the next other than they are both block mounted, both have been yellowing in the attic and both were taken around the same time, in the late 1970s/early 1980s. I would guess they were taken with a Praktica L using one of the many lenses I carried together with my Dad’s Mamiyaflex – humping that lot about was like going to war and not conducive to capturing Cartier-Bresson’s ‘moment decisif’. This tousle-haired snub-nosed cherub is my eldest, Patrick – taking the controls of a helicopter at a Cornish air museum:
And finally, this one has absolutely no connection with the above. On Thursday I made the annual pilgrimage to Birmingham for the Motorcycle Live Show at the NEC. This young lady caught my attention – I cannot imagine why 😉 A modern day Loren, she could only grace the Ducati stand:
As I type this, the wind is blasting around the house, the rain lashing at the window and I fully expect the power to go off at any moment.
northumbrian : light 
I love the photo of the helicopter, that are such great moments when we can enter such special rides and we are the heoes of the air in our imagination. great that you have this photo, it maybe sometimes brings you back to a wonderful moment many years ago :o) btw: my dad used a praktica too… he used a giant tripod and he needed hours to install all his equipment… embarrassing moments for a kid :o)
Flights of the imagination are so much better than flight simulators.
Fine cameras Prakticas – there was a time when the more stuff you carried the more professional you seemed 😉
Great portraiture, Robin!
Many thanks Cate
Lovely post, Robin. And wonderful portraits too of course.
Many thanks Malin. We did lose power but not until 09:30 this morning – it came back at 15:50, hence the slow reply. We don’t do bad weather very well in the UK 😉
A fantastic trio of portraits, Robin. All of them are linked by the soul of the photographer. 🙂
Many thanks Julie – they are also linked by a wide variety of camera equipment and a massive shift in technology. I am a sucker for new toys but cameras are at least cheaper than motorcycles 🙂
Robin, love all three but especially the cherub.
Thanks Jean – the ‘cherub’ (Patrick) reads this blog occasionally – I will be interested to see if he comments. His younger brother took great exception to this one: https://northumbrianlight.wordpress.com/2013/02/19/weekly-photo-challenge-kiss/ 🙂
Maybe the younger will mellow in another few years. It’s a great photo as is the one of the ‘Cherub.’
No chance Jean, he’s like his Dad 🙂
Hello there – any cherubic tendencies have somewhat faded in the intervening three decades… though here’s one I used as a twitter profile pic for a while https://twitter.com/smallhours2/status/197727435993784322
Hi Paddy, thought you might pop up 🙂 Just think what Renault might have achieved. I can still see that innocent face 😉
(PS just found out the pub we were dining at on Christmas Day has been flooded – you will be eating at the Old Barn)
They are lovely photos and Ms Loren is stunning! If the original were dead, you might say this was her reincarnation. I hope the weather has calmed. It sounds like a dangerous situation over there.
Many thanks – she is rather magnificent – I wonder if, like Loren, she attributes everything to spaghetti 🙂 We are on high ground unlike the poor unfortunates down in the valley – our biggest problem is fallen trees. This was the view across the valley from near our home yesterday afternoon:
https://www.polaroidblipfoto.com/entry/2120473942186528063
Oh my goodness! The images on telly here in Oz have been frightening! None as beautiful and artistic as yours though.😊
Does Patrick still look so cute? 🙂
Not cute exactly but still a lovable boy Jo 🙂 I am overwhelmed with ‘chores’ at the moment so not as active on the blog as I should be. Some time I would be interested on your recommendations for travel around Portugal. The current thinking is we might catch the ferry+car to Santander and drive south west from there. Any thoughts would be welcome but absolutely no rush.
Not much spare time here either, Robin, but give me a nudge in the New Year. 🙂
Lovely portraits. I agree with the above comments! My favourite is your son, of course…The profile of that lady though, is fantastic.
Many thanks Leya – I have changed my mind about the lady though – it’s not Loren, it’s Maria Callas. How did I not know that 🙂
Great post Robin!
Many thanks Michael – much appreciated