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| I met Henry Diltz in Los Angeles in 1997. I had obtained his CD-Rom, "Under The Covers," earlier that year. In those days I had an old computer and no CD drive, so I had to borrow hours on a friend's computer in several sittings to get through the 12 or so hours of the CD-Rom. "Under The Covers" is an interactive documentary about the making of numerous album covers for bands and artists such as Crosby Stills & Nash, Doors, Eagles, America, David Cassidy, Dan Fogelberg, Linda Ronstadt, Jimmy Webb, Jackson Browne, Mama Cass, James Taylor and so many more, as well as magnificent photo shoots with The Monkees, Jimi Hendrix, Jerry Garcia, Joni Mitchell, Paul and Linda McCartney... the list is endless. |
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When I hooked up with Henry in LA, we became instant friends. Originally I just wanted to interview him and buy a photo, but by the end of my stay, we agreed I would be more involved with his amazing life and career. I had a longer stay in LA in 1998-99, which coincided with Henry and his business partner, Peter Blachley, gearing up for a PR campaign to promote the CD-Rom and a tv documentary based on it, which they were yet to make, and which is now finished and available for purchase on their site. |
I came on board in 1999 doing direct marketing on the internet for Henry's website and CD-Rom, and publicizing an exhibition in Newport Beach, Orange County, which opened on April 24. We had great coverage in the Los Angeles Times, Orange County Register, and other mainstream press, and later that year I scored a real coup, getting a six-page spread of Henry's pictures in the United Airlines Hemispheres magazine, with accompanying text by yours truly. (You'll need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view it.)
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Graham Nash with Henry on opening night of the Sutton Place exhibition |
Debbie with Henry at the exhibition opening, before the guests arrived.
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Del Mar, September 2000. L-R: Richard Horowitz, Phil Galloway, Debbie, Henry, Peter Blachley
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In Australia I continued promoting Henry through the internet, and I spent two months back in the US in 2000, by which time Henry had a full-blown exhibition tour in progress, presented by Artchives, a company headed by the effusive Richard Horowitz. Fortunately I was able to catch up with it in Del Mar, near San Diego. |
| During my time back in LA Henry and I spent a great deal of time together, and we discussed future projects. Since then I have publicized the release of his Under The Covers DVD in Australia and we are hoping it might lead to an exhibition tour down under. |
| Henry's work becomes more enticing as time creates a greater and more elusive distance between the present and the golden age of Southern Californian music. But he is still actively taking photos. At any significant concert featuring the cream of Southern California's musicians, Henry is likely to be there. And he might be called upon to photograph Joe Walsh's wedding one weekend, and to fly out to Colorado to shoot new pictures of Dan Folgelberg the next, or go on tour with Garth Brooks or Ringo Starr. |
Henry signing his album covers at Del Mar
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| He's also still in demand by record companies to shoot newer artists, such as Chris Stills, Scott Thomas or Kyle Vincent. Today Henry is as busy as he was in 1969, when he was the official photographer at Woodstock and shot the famous covers for the Doors' Morrison Hotel, Crosby Stills & Nash's debut self-titled album, and the early albums of the Eagles, Jackson Browne and so many others. |
Eagles, Joshua Tree 1972
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Jackson Browne 1974 |
| These are just two of my favourite Henry Diltz photos. You can see these and more on Henry's page at the Morrison Hotel Gallery website. |
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Henry is without doubt my favourite client and I can't sing his praises enough. His work is so evocative of the music he celebrates, his images so timeless and his artistry unpretentious and honest.
Whenever Henry points the lens in my direction I feel incredibly privileged. He's taken some very special shots of me, especially a series of pictures on Hermosa Beach at sunset one late summer night, which you can see here.
He also took a number of other photos of me which I've used on this website. Thanks, Henry!
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