Frank Habicht. Photo: Supplied via LDR
A Northland photographer whose images immortalised the social upheaval and flower power movement of London's 'Swinging Sixties' has died aged 85.
Frank Habicht's long and colourful career included capturing rock stars, anti-war protests, actors and royalty.
Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg in Lost in a Dream, 1969, by Frank Habicht. Photo: Frank Habicht
Some of his images - such as Girl at a Rolling Stones Concert - became icons of the era, epitomising the spirit and new-found freedoms of the 1960s.
A tender portrait of the French singer/songwriter Serge Gainsbourg and his actress wife Jane Birkin, called Lost in a Dream, is one of the best-known images of the couple; while War is Not Healthy for Children and Other Living Things, featuring actress Vanessa Redgrave at a peace rally, remains as relevant today as it was in 1970.
Habicht was born in Hamburg, Germany, in 1938.
He started his career in the early 1960s after studying at the Hamburg School of Photography.
His work soon caught attention across Europe, with photos published in magazines such as Esquire, The Sunday Times, Metropolis and Twen.
It was his time in London, however, that cemented his international reputation.
His images chronicled iconic faces and moments of the era, from Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones to movie director Roman Polanski, as well as ordinary people caught up in sweeping social change.
Detail from the cover of Frank Habicht's first book, Young London: Permissive Paradise. Photo: Frank Habicht
His 1969 book Young London: Permissive Paradise captured the social history of the time, with many of the images revisited in Strange and Familiar, an exhibition curated by Martin Parr at the Barbican Centre and Manchester Art Gallery in 2016.
London of the 1960s also left an indelible mark on Habicht's personal life - he met Austrian-born Christine there on 31 December 1969, the last day of the decade.
It was the start of what he described as "an everlasting love affair".
They had two sons, Florian and Sebastian, and were together for 55 years.
The family settled in the Bay of Islands in 1981, drawn by its beauty and tranquillity.
There, Habicht continued his work documenting landscapes, characters and cultural events.
His books, including Bay of Islands: Where the Sunday Grass is Greener and Bay of Islands: A Paradise Found, reflected his deep connection to his adopted homeland, with subjects that included Dame Whina Cooper, artist Fredrick Hundertwasser, Queen Elizabeth II, Waitangi Day celebrations and protests.
His final published work, As It Was, is a poignant reflection on his life in London in the 1960s.
Frank Habicht as a young man in London. Photo: Frank Habicht
Habicht never stopped shooting on film, saying it made every moment precious.
"My camera became an extension of myself, a partner in my journey to capture the essence of my surroundings," he said about his craft.
"You don't need expensive gear to take memorable photographs. To be honest, I hardly knew how to use studio lights and always preferred shooting with natural light, especially on my London rooftop."
In recent years Habicht appeared in movies such as Love Story - shot in New York by his film-maker son Florian Habicht - and What We Do in the Shadows, a vampire-themed mockumentary by Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi.
Habicht was also deeply immersed in the Northland community.
He took on the role of Santa in Russell and Paihia Christmas parades for many years - where his accent convinced many children he was the real thing - and was often invited to judge children's art competitions, in particular during Paihia's Summer Festival.
There he would spend time with every child, treating every drawing as if it was a masterpiece worthy of the Louvre.
It All Began at Quarter to Five, by Frank Habicht at Westminster Bridge in 1967. Photo: Frank Habicht
Florian Habicht said an equal regard for all people was typical of his father throughout his life.
"My father would treat street children the same as he would treat the Rolling Stones, and vice versa, when taking photographs. And celebrities really responded to that, and often invited him to stay with them for the weekend."
Florian and Frank Habicht in a scene from the 2011 movie Love Story. Photo: Frank Habicht
Florian Habicht said his father's final thoughts on the eve of his death included the absurdity of war, followed by "an expression of child-like joy" that he would never, ever have to go to the dentist again.
He had faced illness bravely for three years and never lost his black humour.
He died peacefully in Kawakawa Hospital on 8 October.
His father, who had "so brilliantly captured the magic of life through his lens", would be dearly missed, but his vision would live on.
"His spirit, like his work, remains free and eternal," Florian Habicht said.
Family and close friends will celebrate his life next month on what would have been his 86th birthday.
Some more of Frank Habicht's work
Queen Elizabeth II at Waitangi. Photo: Frank Habicht
Live it to the Hilt, by Frank Habicht in 1960s London. Photo: Frank Habicht
Actress Vanessa Redgrave in a peace protect in 1970. Photo: Frank Habicht
The Rolling Stones in 1968. Photo: Frank Habicht
This scene from a London peace protest was one of Habicht’s favourite photos. Photo: Frank Habicht
“Mother of the Nation” Dame Whina Cooper, as captured by Frank Habicht. Photo: Frank Habicht