Russell R. Robinson Photographs

I often wonder what happened to the women I was in love with; Judy Gillard, Sirku Lakkonen, Sher Pennington, Virginia Lee Coe, Arlene Maderious, Joan, Sarah Statts, and Beverly Longoria. My fate was never to marry, never to live with a family. After all, the family I grew up with made me only want to live my life alone. During the period when I was attractive to women there were several relationships. But there never seemed to be a future in that for me. My fate was solitude. After Sher I never lived with a woman again. 15 years after that I gave up on even dating women. They were all so attractive, but all mirrored me in my inner turmoil. I still love every woman that lived with me—still feel a debt of gratitude to them. They each gave me something to complete a part of my life. Thank you. Hope to see you again on the other side.

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"Rodeo Woman of my dreams" was taken in 1976. She's holding the award ribbons for a rodeo held in Rail Road Flat, California. My friend Paul Stein has a trout farm near there and we went on a Sunday afternoon to watch the local men rope steers and barrel race. I was very attracted to her and we shyly watched each other all afternoon. Without us ever speaking she let me take this picture. The look on her face has enchanted me ever since.

Paul is now a millionaire from his trout farm and financial investments. Last year he was elected Supervisor of Calaveras County. Isn't that something?

But I have never met this woman, or learned her name - to have the opportunity to thank her for the gift of mystery she gave to me.

Transferred to photo CD from Kodachrome slide 20 years later.

During college I started a moving company which became very popular with the San Francisco Interior Design community. I ran it for over 5 years learning things about business, customers and employees that changed my life. The dog is my pal Tramp.

Photo by Mush Emmons of Mill Valley on a Nikon F4 with 50 mm lens. Scanned from print.

By the time Russell R. was in High School he had begun to stand out in crowds. Many of the teachers at Ridgefield High School were excited to see him graduate in June of 1968. Photo taken by unknown student. Scanned from print.

The beekeeper set 6 hives on the property. I have 4 of them in my back yard and enjoy the honey they make - fresh, raw honey is delicious. The stuff from the stores can not compare. I grow many herb and flowers from which they gather nectar . The bee guy, Tom is a wonderful gentle happy man. His bees love him. So far this year Tom has harvest 700 pounds of honey from my back yard!

Arlene and I lived together for several years in Berkeley, California. This photo was shot in 1975 at Carmel, California. Pentax, 50 mm lens, Kodachrome slides. Transferred to photo CD 20 years later...

A great look on Rusty's face. Laura shot this with her Canon 35 mm and flash.

Camera on tripod, with timer set. A technique I used to take shots like this one. An abandoned furnace in Oakland, California. Notice how it looks like we each have wings, like angels, on our backs. Something that took me 21 years to notice.

San Francisco Bay to Breakers, 1977 - top of Hayes Hill. The woman on the left is wearing her "Wonder Woman" shirt and outfit. Cute. A guy across the street put his stereo on the roof and played the theme song from Rocky repeatedly. It was a good time. Pentax ESII and Kodak Slide film.

Arlene taught me many things. One of them was that sometimes "it" just isn't meant to be...

She never married, she never had children. She has no brothers of sisters. When I last spoke with her she was in her fifties and had recently broken up with a chef from Alice Water's Chez Panisse.

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Steve was a partner with me for the intense time we ran the moving company. He was always a gentleman and impressed me with his loyalty and commitment. He is one of the finest men I have ever known. Iowe him a debt of respect and gratitude for the years we "rode the eagle."

I grew up in this 21 room Victorian house in Ridgefield, Connecticut. The second story room on the right was my bedroom.

My father, Bradley Robinson, walking to the hardware store on a Saturday morning. Taken in 1976 at his home in Ridgefield, Connecticut. The middle picture is the real one, the others are a manipulation in digital software.

My first moving truck. Bought it from Mr. Martin who had Martin's Movers. He had loved it and took excellent care of it and so did I. Pentax, 50 mm lens, Kodachrome slide film.

This Triumph was purchased in England for a European trip my wife, Virginia Lee Coe, and I took the summer of 1972. We rode 6,000 miles in 10 weeks from London to Greece and back. After we broke up, Virginia worked her way through a BA in comparative Literature at UC Berkeley, graduating with honors. I have always admired her for that. Then she went back East to Long Island. I have never heard from her since.
The motorcycle, by the way, was stolen and never recovered.
Photo by Keith Levine at his studio in the Mission district of San Francisco. 2 1/4" Mamiya. Scanned from print.

First Haircut.The barber bribed me with a lollipop, left, then cut while I screamed. When I grew up I let my hair grow long.Scanned B&W from 45 year old prints. Moderately enhanced in Photoshop.

Mom holds me at my first birthday, 1951. This was scanned from a little 2" B&W print. It took about 30 minutes in Photoshop to airbrush colorize, crop and enhance.

Walking at last! 1951 B&W print, scanned and made into a "warm" duotone. Digitally sharpened with Photoshop. Bevel border by Alien Skin software.

Rusty came to live with me 9 years ago and has become a very nice friend. Animals are sentient beings like we are. I find that their sensitivity and intelligence is a function of how much respect we pay them. I took this picture with Laura's 35 mm Canon SLR with 50 -70 mm zoom, Kodak print film. Scanned from print.

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