Legendary Photographer Henry Diltz’s Timeless Images of 1960s Supergroup

Three men sitting on an outdoor couch against a white rustic house. The man on the left is sitting cross-legged with a serious expression. The man in the middle holds an acoustic guitar and smiles. The man on the right is looking relaxed with a slightly open-mouthed smile.
A photo taken during the shoot for Crosby, Stills & Nash’s first album cover. | Henry Diltz / CSNYBook.com

Photographer Henry Diltz was the official photographer for the Woodstock festival in 1969 and is one of the most important recorders of the music scene during the 1960s and 1970s.

Diltz has trained his camera on Eric Clapton, Joni Mitchell, The Doors, The Eagles, and the 1960s supergroup Crosby, Stills & Nash which sometimes also featured Neil Young.

He captured the cover photo for the band’s debut album, seating them on a battered sofa outside an abandoned house in West Hollywood when the trio had yet to agree upon a name for their newly formed venture.

A black and white image of three men playing guitars. They are dressed in suits and standing outdoors among trees. One man is seated and holding a twelve-string guitar, while the other two stand, one also holding a guitar and the other looking on.
Henry Diltz / CSNYBook.com
Four men are on an outdoor stage. Three are seated, playing guitars and singing into microphones, while one stands behind them watching. The background shows a sparsely filled stadium. The atmosphere suggests a live performance or a rehearsal.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young performing at Balboa Stadium in San Diego. | | Henry Diltz / CSNYBook.com
A black-and-white photo of two men sitting in a car. The man in the passenger seat, wearing a hat and jacket, looks out the window with a thoughtful expression. The man behind the wheel is also wearing a hat and jacket, focused on driving.
David Crosby. | Henry Diltz / CSNYBook.com
Three men are standing side by side, facing the camera. The man on the left has long hair, a mustache, and a beard, and is wearing a fringed jacket. The man in the middle has short hair and is wearing a black sweater. The man on the right has wavy hair and a denim jacket.
Henry Diltz / CSNYBook.com

Now, Diltz’s photos of the supergroup, known for their unique vocal blend and making hits like Helplessly Hoping, Suite: Judy Blue Eyes, and Our House, have been released in a book titled Love the One You’re With.

Featuring over 1,000 photographs, Love the One You’re With is the first time that Henry Diltz’s photos of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young have been collected and presented in such number and format. Selected from an immense archive of color slides, contact sheets, and negatives, many are previously unpublished, while others are of iconic status.

Three men dressed in thick fur coats stand close together outdoors. They are photographed from the shoulders up, with a snowy backdrop. The men, with varying facial hair, look directly at the camera with a serene expression.
Henry Diltz / CSNYBook.com
Four men are standing in a room, two playing guitars and two looking on. One of the guitar players has a foot raised on a bench. The room appears to be a dressing or rehearsal area, with visible shelves and a table with bottles and cups.
Henry Diltz / CSNYBook.com
A person with long hair leans on the back of the front seat of a vintage wooden car. The interior features polished wood paneling and a rustic design, creating a warm and nostalgic atmosphere. Sunlight filters through the windows, softly illuminating the scene.
Neil Young | Henry Diltz / CSNYBook.com
Two side-by-side images of an elderly man with a long white beard and hair, wearing a beige shirt. In the left image, he looks surprised while holding a large book titled "CSN&Y: Love the One You're With." In the right image, he smiles warmly at the book.
Photographer Henry Ditlz. | Paul Stead

The book’s photographic journey starts at the roots of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, centered on the ‘sylvan place’ that was Laurel Canyon in the late Sixties. Diltz photographed Graham Nash, David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Neil Young in their previous incarnations in the Hollies, the Byrds, and Buffalo Springfield. He was then witness to musical alchemy as the group discovered their astonishing vocal dynamic, first performing to fellow musicians and friends.

“Nobody ever gave me the finger more than David Crosby,” Diltz tells The Guardian. “It was almost automatic. I’d raise the camera and he’d go [raises finger] like that. But then he would break out into a laugh and I’d get a great shot.”

Book cover for "CSN&Y: Love the One You're With" with photos of band members playing instruments and an audience at a concert. The cover is designed in a vintage style with warm colors and decorative elements. "Graham Nash" is signed at the bottom.

Love The One You’re With, the new limited edition book by Henry Diltz, is now available to order from CSNYBook.com.


Image credits: Photographs by Henry Diltz courtesy of CSNYBook.com.

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