In 1968, I was invited to photograph a group of musicians who didn’t yet have a name. They wanted the focus to be on their music — not on themselves. They didn’t want to be labeled or defined. They wanted freedom.

That search led us through several photo sessions, multiple locations, and many conversations. Some of the photographs were beautiful, but none of them felt exactly right. So we kept going. Eventually, we found what we wanted right in the front yard of their house in Woodstock.

Today, I am offering a new print – comprised of selections of films strips from 6 contact sheets which tells a visual story of the photo sessions that eventually led to the photograph that was chosen for the Music From Big Pink album — one of the most important debut albums in music history. For collectors of photography, fans of The Band, and anyone who understands that the most meaningful images are often arrived at slowly — this piece offers a rare window into that moment in time. It will allow fans of THE BAND a unique, behind-the-scenes look at the process and frame by frame progression of these landmark photo shoots.

This Fine Art print isn’t just about the final photograph.
It’s about the process — and the persistence behind an iconic moment.

Print Sizes:
• 18” × 24” — $800
• 24” × 36” — $1600

Printed with the same care and respect as the original work.
Available now through my website.

What is a Contact Sheet:
Contact Sheets are photographic prints made from all the photos in a single roll of black and white film. The 35mm film I used had 36 photos in each roll. After developing, the film was cut into strips of 6 frames and placed on top of a sheet of 8×10 inch photographic paper with heavy glass on top to keep them flat. Once exposed to light, an image was created of each frame along with the film’s sprocket holes and frame numbers.  Since the photos were too small to see clearly, photographers used special magnifying glasses to mark the frames they thought were the best. Today that selection process is done on a computer screen. 

Thank you for continuing to support the work.
With appreciation,
Elliott