Crazy amazing story! What luck Paul Till had! I'm surprised that after having had 3 of his photos used he didn't appeal to Bob's office for a photo pass for future shows! What a fairy tale, so good! And I dig Toronto's Coach House Press too - they've put out some cool books!
You guys didn't get into what Paul is up to now, and if photography is still just a hobby or if he's made a career of it.
Hi Lee, well I was pretty darn shy way back then, though pretty comfortable mailing things! That being said I have made a few efforts with Dylan’s office about photographing him and…no joy.
At one point it seemed they might use a new version of the Blood image on the More Blood More Tracks set.
The Blood cover made me decide to do photography for a living. I went to photography school the next year because though I could make some nice work there was alot I didn’t know. Since graduating in 1977 I’ve been a freelance photographer. I did alot of live music and celebrity portraiture for Toronto’s Now Magazine from 1982 to 2012. I’ve had a non music related art practice as well.
My websites aren’t the best designed or comprehensive but you can see more work there.
Another great article. Wow, what a thing, to get a letter saying Bob wants to use your photo. For Blood on the Tracks! And then it becomes absolutely iconic.
As a 15 year old in 1975, I thought that cover was magic. Still think so.
Also, very cool interview in Rolling Stone! But come on Ray, you’re a huge Bob Dylan fan and you’re completely uninterested in the words?!? I don’t believe you! Not sayin you’re a liar but …
Wow, this is fascinating stuff. I've seen the original "Blood on the Tracks" picture before but never thought about its manipulation. Really interesting! Also, as someone who's only a year older than Till when he took the BOTT picture, this is both inspiring and discouraging — inspiring for obvious reasons but disappointing that it's so hard to be an amateur photographer at concerts now with so much security and less intimacy with the performers.
Yes, it’s got tighter and tighter, though some bands don’t seem especially fussed especially with ‘non professional’ cameras. I photographed a band last year and I couldn’t take my Nikon D800 (pretty big) in but I could take a smaller camera in. I actually went back to my car and got a camera intermediate in size (a Panasonic FZ 200 which has a small sensor but a long fast zoom.) After a certain amount of discussion they said yes, that one’s OK.
Of course local bands might be pleased as punch to let you photograph especially if you offer them some pictures.
Great interview. I had heard a bit about the Blood On The Tracks photo but not to that extent. And I had no idea he got so many Bob shots that they used.
Funny thing the only concert I was ever kicked out of was Bob at the Tabernacle here in Atlanta. Taking a photograph of course. I didn’t realize the flash was on.
Crazy amazing story! What luck Paul Till had! I'm surprised that after having had 3 of his photos used he didn't appeal to Bob's office for a photo pass for future shows! What a fairy tale, so good! And I dig Toronto's Coach House Press too - they've put out some cool books!
You guys didn't get into what Paul is up to now, and if photography is still just a hobby or if he's made a career of it.
Another great one, Ray!
Hi Lee, well I was pretty darn shy way back then, though pretty comfortable mailing things! That being said I have made a few efforts with Dylan’s office about photographing him and…no joy.
At one point it seemed they might use a new version of the Blood image on the More Blood More Tracks set.
The Blood cover made me decide to do photography for a living. I went to photography school the next year because though I could make some nice work there was alot I didn’t know. Since graduating in 1977 I’ve been a freelance photographer. I did alot of live music and celebrity portraiture for Toronto’s Now Magazine from 1982 to 2012. I’ve had a non music related art practice as well.
My websites aren’t the best designed or comprehensive but you can see more work there.
Another great article. Wow, what a thing, to get a letter saying Bob wants to use your photo. For Blood on the Tracks! And then it becomes absolutely iconic.
As a 15 year old in 1975, I thought that cover was magic. Still think so.
Also, very cool interview in Rolling Stone! But come on Ray, you’re a huge Bob Dylan fan and you’re completely uninterested in the words?!? I don’t believe you! Not sayin you’re a liar but …
Wow, this is fascinating stuff. I've seen the original "Blood on the Tracks" picture before but never thought about its manipulation. Really interesting! Also, as someone who's only a year older than Till when he took the BOTT picture, this is both inspiring and discouraging — inspiring for obvious reasons but disappointing that it's so hard to be an amateur photographer at concerts now with so much security and less intimacy with the performers.
Yes, it’s got tighter and tighter, though some bands don’t seem especially fussed especially with ‘non professional’ cameras. I photographed a band last year and I couldn’t take my Nikon D800 (pretty big) in but I could take a smaller camera in. I actually went back to my car and got a camera intermediate in size (a Panasonic FZ 200 which has a small sensor but a long fast zoom.) After a certain amount of discussion they said yes, that one’s OK.
Of course local bands might be pleased as punch to let you photograph especially if you offer them some pictures.
I learned how to play guitar out of that song book. The first song with chords I ever learned was You Ain’t Goin Nowhere from that book.
Great interview. I had heard a bit about the Blood On The Tracks photo but not to that extent. And I had no idea he got so many Bob shots that they used.
Funny thing the only concert I was ever kicked out of was Bob at the Tabernacle here in Atlanta. Taking a photograph of course. I didn’t realize the flash was on.
WHOOPSIE! 😁😬😀🤞
Remarkable story. For fifty years and hundreds of listens I swore that cover resulted from brush strokes. Check out his portfolio, and the NYC images.
Paul Till, what story! Thanks to you, Ray Padgett, for knowing everything!
"Some o' these bootleggers, they make pretty good stuff."
-You Know Who
Amazing article, thank you!