Photographer Dexter Hodges is an American expatriate living in Barcelona, Spain, where he has a thriving commercial photo studio. During his time in Washington, DC, he documented the early years of the local blues scene in images that are by now historical treasures. This gallery represents a single photo session of the Washington DC Blues Society circa 1987 before their first concert. This session brought together a virtual who-is-who of the acoustic players and supporters. As they say, timing is everything. In this session the musicians were brought in for staged portraits. Collectively, the session included a once-in-a-lifetime union of the primary players of Washington, DC during the era. Rick Franklin, Neil Harpe, Ben Andrews, John Jackson, Eleanor Ellis, Archie Edwards, Phil Wiggins, Dr. Barry Lee Pearson, John Cephas, Flora Molton, Mark Wenner, Bill Harris and DJ Joe “Bama” Washington.
It appears that Dexter shot indoors with 1000ASA film, with natural light and without a flash. This creates the gritty, granny effect, perfectly suited for a rustic blues feeling.
