This is a shot any contemporary ad designer would kill for.
This photo has been sitting on my hard drive for years. There’s something about the mood of it that I find mesmerizing. Whether it’s the moment captured, the perfection of the composition, or simply the colors—that Jag and the Baracuta-ish jacket are almost a perfect match.
Every once in a while I try to find the source of this photo again, that mountain makes me think this might be Palm Springs, or maybe Riverside. But I must admit that I’m at a loss. I guess where it was doesn’t really matter to me, what does is how this captures a spirit, an emotion, an atmosphere that makes me want to be in this photograph.
Update: Commenters seem to unanimously think that the venue is likely Pomona, and I’m inclined to agree. Martin wrote in with, “The C-type belonged to Carlyle Blackwell, who was a CalClub racer, and that looks very much like Lance Reventlow in the red jacket.” What do you think? Is that Lance?
0 replies on “Atmosphere”
Pretty sure it is Pomona. The cypress trees are the clue. Watch the film of the ’56 Pomona Road Races you have posted earlier and you’ll see them.
Superb photo.It just drips the atmosphere of the period .Any more like it?
Great timeless shot.
Kurt is correct–it is Pomona. The red C type of Blackwell was the Hornburg car originally raced by Phil Hill and recently sold at auction. The man in red is not Lance, but I know not who he is. On the far left is the Kurtis 500SX owned by Al Hoskings, known as the “Reco-Marino Spl.” MJ
XKC 007 – given as Carlyle Blackwell was also a professional photographer for R&T photographer I wonder if he might be the person who took the photograph ? http://psychoontyres.blogspot.com/2011/01/two-cats-in-hollywood-d-type-xkd-531-c_11.html,
Yes, I want to think it is Lance, that is who I thought of before I read the text.