One reason photographers love the Grateful Dead, among so many others: the rule “first three songs only” for the photo shoot took on a whole new meaning on one of this band’s shows.
Garcia and the rest of the Grateful Dead, since the band’s early beginnings, allowed fans to bring cameras to shows for opportunities to express their creativity. Jay Blakesberg’s career as a photographer followed the same path as the band, he evolved from a teenage fan to an extensive documentary of the Dead. ‘You know, with Garcia it was about body language – the bloom rising by hand in the air like a big smile, raising his leg just a little. There are a few shots like at those rare moments that you could catch Garcia like that. ”
Check out some of Blakesberg’s photos below and read more about his experiences shooting the band in a joint interview with photographer Jeff Kravitz, who shines as the host of his own Facebook Live show “420 Live.”
