Herb Greene (photographer)

Herb Greene (1942 - 2023) was an American photographer, best known for his iconic images of rock and roll musicians and counter-culture figures of the 1960s and 1970s.

Greene began his career photographing jazz musicians in Chicago before moving to San Francisco, where he became a pivotal documentarian of the burgeoning West Coast rock scene. He captured defining portraits of bands and artists like the Grateful Dead (for whom he designed album covers), Jefferson Airplane, Santana, Janis Joplin, The Who, Led Zeppelin, and many others.

Beyond his portraiture, Greene also directed music videos and worked in commercial photography. His work is characterized by its intimacy and ability to capture the personality and essence of his subjects, contributing significantly to the visual identity of the era's music and culture. He published several books of his photography, preserving his legacy as a significant figure in rock and roll photography.