Henry Diltz Meets UK Fans at CSN&Y Book Launch
16 Jul 2024
Last night, Genesis subscribers gathered at Hatchards Piccadilly for a fascinating and insightful conversation between
Henry Diltz and
Evening Standard Editor, and Genesis author,
Dylan Jones.
Henry Diltz spoke about his childhood interest in becoming a park ranger before his passion for music led him to join the Modern Folk Quartet and, eventually, towards photography, which began by chance when members of the group decided to buy second-hand $20 cameras;
It wasn't like digital. I didn't really know what I got. In fact, I didn't even know I was shooting colour or even what kind of film it was. When we got back to LA, and developed the film, I said, "Oh my gosh, they're little slides."
With the conversation focusing on his time living in Laurel Canyon, Diltz talked about his deep friendships with many of the musicians that he took iconic album photographs for;
Well, I think musicians are in the club together. I think they're all in the same club. If you're a musician, you're automatically friends. I mean, you just have the same kind of valence, the same lifestyle. And that's what let me hang out and take photos of all my friends in the music business because I wasn't a "damn photographer".
And concluded with memories of Jimmy Webb and the dramatic moment when the glider they shared crashed in the middle of a film shoot;
We came to with our nose to the ground and the tail up against a tree. We were both unconscious for a minute. Then Jimmy said, "That's what it feels like to die..." And then he asked, "Have you got a joint?"
We got out of the plane and smoked, and then we had a helicopter come and rescue us. That was our adventure. Wow!
