A unique photography project spanning over three decades has captured the evolution of Grateful Dead fans, showing them both in their youth and later in life through the lens of the same large format camera. Photographer Bill Lemke's remarkable journey began in the 1980s when he first documented 150 Deadheads, as the devoted fan base is known, never imagining it would become a lifelong project.
The project's revival came unexpectedly in 2015 when Lemke received a message from one of the Deadheads he had originally photographed. She expressed how much she cherished her portrait and suggested taking a new photograph 30 years after the first one. "I dusted off the old tie-dye backdrop and loaded it up with my canopy tent, and my wife and I went to take the portrait," Lemke explains. "It was such a great experience connecting with people I never expected to see again, that we decided to start searching for the original Deadheads to see if there were any more we could re-photograph."
Lemke's original photographs were created using his signature tie-dye backdrop, reflecting the iconic Deadhead aesthetic, and a 4×5 large format camera that he has been using since 1977, primarily for landscape photography. His inspiration for the portrait series came from an unexpected source. "After seeing a Richard Avedon exhibit of portraits, I decided I wanted to document the Deadhead community members in formal portraits against a consistent tie-dye backdrop that was consistent with the music," he explains. The first portraits in this series were captured at Alpine Valley in Wisconsin during the summer of 1985.
The choice to use large format photography is deliberate and meaningful for Lemke's artistic process. He explains that large format photography slows him down, allowing him to think more carefully about composition and lighting. "And, at around $7 per sheet of film, I don't just shoot in hopes of getting the image I want. I wait until I know it's going to be right," he adds, while also noting the superior tonal quality and detail that large format provides compared to other photographic formats.
Lemke's technical approach is thoroughly traditional and hands-on. The large format camera is mounted on a tripod, and he has eight different lenses and two different bellows at his disposal. "I use a handheld light meter and take readings of the highlights and shadows to determine my exposure and development times," Lemke describes. "Everything about the camera is manual, which requires me to truly understand photography – not rely on taking lots of photos and hoping I can make one of them look good with Photoshop. I hand-process all of my own film and make silver gelatin prints in the darkroom."
The reunion project has been remarkably successful. Lemke and his wife have managed to track down 42 of the original Deadheads he photographed decades ago. These compelling then-and-now portraits are being compiled into a book titled "Aging Gratefully." To add depth to the visual narrative, the subjects also spoke with writer David Gans, who collected their stories to provide context and insight into their lives and experiences over the intervening decades.
Publishing the book presented its own challenges for the photographer. "I have never published a book before, and the idea of self-publishing and investing over $30,000 to print 1,000 books that I have no guarantee of selling is a daunting thought for me," Lemke admits. To address this concern, he and his wife developed a Kickstarter campaign, primarily as a way to pre-sell copies of the book as rewards for backing at certain levels. The crowdfunding campaign successfully hit its target, ensuring the book's publication.
The timing of the book's completion coincides with renewed interest in the Grateful Dead. Dead & Company, featuring the remaining members of the original band, recently completed a triumphant 60-year reunion concert in San Francisco, causing interest in the Grateful Dead to trend once again.
For Lemke, this project represents more than just photography – it's about documenting a unique cultural phenomenon. "[The Grateful Dead community] is a unique subculture that can remind us all of what it means to care for and about one another, to find family among those with common interests, and to live life according to your values (whatever they are)," Lemke reflects. "My ability to work with David Gans (author, photographer, musician, and oral historian for the Grateful Dead) to make this project come alive allows me to feel I am leaving a legacy behind of my work as a photographer and of a time when caring for each other was something that really mattered in our society."
The project showcases not only the physical changes in the subjects over time but also captures the enduring spirit of the Grateful Dead community. The juxtaposition of the original 1980s portraits with their contemporary counterparts creates a powerful visual narrative about aging, community, and the lasting impact of music and shared cultural experiences.
Lemke's dedication to traditional photographic methods – from his continued use of the same large format camera to his commitment to hand-processing film and making silver gelatin prints in the darkroom – adds authenticity and continuity to the project. This approach ensures that the technical quality and aesthetic consistency remain constant across the decades, making the comparison between then and now even more striking.
The "Aging Gratefully" project stands as a testament to both the photographer's artistic vision and the enduring bonds within the Grateful Dead community. It demonstrates how music can create lasting connections that transcend time, and how photography can serve as a bridge between past and present, capturing not just images but the essence of a cultural movement that continues to resonate with people decades after its inception.
