Randall Whitehead thrives on beauty and creativity – in the objects, people and environments that surround him. He’s an award-winning architectural lighting designer and author who lives in a magnificently decorated – and lighted – home on Potrero Hill that’s been featured in several magazines. He’s worked his magic on the homes of celebrities, including Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Rita Moreno, Bing Crosby and Jerry Garcia.

One of the nation’s top lighting design consultants, he has held seminars across the U.S., Canada and South America and written and been interviewed by many of the premiere architectural and design magazines. As “Randall, Your Lighting Doctor,” he has produced a number of helpful books and videos.

He’s also a photographer, who shot for magazines and newspapers after landing in San Francisco right after college – driving straight here from his home state of Delaware. Getting to know his new home and neighbors, he began producing portraiture and fine art photography. He captured city spaces and city people. He published “Lost Dolls,” pictures of long discarded children’s toys he spotted at various flea markets.  

A rapid fashion evolution

Since pandemic shelter-in-place regulations, he’s had more time to expand the targets of his creativity. Senior Beat is sharing here some of what he calls his “Covid Couture” series: People wearing masks that coordinate with their outfits. It was a rapid fashion evolution that he found interesting – and cheering.

Like everyone, when the lockdown was first announced, Whitehead scrambled to find what masks he could, he said. “People were using very medical looking masks – blue and white. Some had masks from the fires last year and were willing to share.” Then they started wearing black when manufacturers began making them available.

“Then suddenly you started seeing these really interesting, vibrant masks,” he said, “and that changed the whole tone: These things that had been depressing suddenly became a fashion accessory.”

“Seniors are thinking about their whole outfit,” he said seriously. “It’s a carryover from a time that when you go out, you put yourself together.”

He started documenting again, starting with people he knew then bravely approaching anyone who had an eye-catching pairing of mask and clothing. He’s photographed some 55 people to date, but Senior Beat is focused on the ones he took of seniors, whom, he quipped, “have better jewelry.”

How to haute-couture a mask

Claire-laure Belt: coloring the neighborhoods

She’s been my walking partner for the last five months. We’d walk for an hour and a half to three hours discovering different neighhorhoods. We would decide what made them different. I’d take pictures and put them up on Facebook so people who couldn’t get out could go on a walk with us.

Joszi Meskan: exterior by design

She’s been in the interior design business for a really long time. She’s been selling off everything she’s collected over the years and hired me to photograph them.

Mitchell Durkee: displaying the merchandise

I was shopping at F. Dorian on Hayes Street, the best gift store in all of San Francisco, and I saw this salesperson who had put a feather necklace on his head.

Nancy & Dave DeRoche: retro Gothic

“I went over to a garage sale in the Oakland Hills. They were selling the torchere lamp. I asked them to pose with it and they were willing.”

Sandra Church: dinner with a Broadway star

“I met her by chance at a friend of a friend’s dinner. I liked how her hair, mask and shirt went together.” The former actress and singer played a leading role in the original Broadway production of “Gypsy” – opposite Ethel Merman. She also played Marlon Brando’s wife in the 1963 film version of “The Ugly American,” as well as many roles on television in the late ’50s and early ’60s.

Lorraine Tuschen: a chance meeting of reds, whites and blues

“She’s a friend who goes by ‘Peach.’ I went out to visit her in Alameda and we went for a walk. She was wearing all white and she had red and blue in her mask and her hair is all white. I saw this flag hanging really low and it all came together.”

Ann Hedges: a surprise at lunch

It was Ann Hedges birthday and I was taking her to lunch. She surprised me with this outfit coordinated around her mask. She’s so inventive in what she puts together.