LOS ANGELES, Sept. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Legendary L.A.-based photographer Henry Diltz is one of the world's all-time great rock 'n roll photographers, and quite possibly the person who defined the genre. Over the past 40 years, he's visually chronicled countless contemporary music icons, creating some of the most famous images ever taken of Jackson Browne, Crosby, Stills & Nash, the Eagles, Joni Mitchell, James Taylor and others. Diltz has also shot over 200 album covers, including The Doors' 1970 classic Morrison Hotel, which became the name of the music-centric gallery venture Diltz co-founded in 2001 (with existing locations in SoHo/NYC and La Jolla, CA).

This month, Morrison Hotel Gallery - Fine Art Music Photography (MHG) opens a new space in Los Angeles, the city whose extraordinary music scene Diltz has recorded so memorably. The inaugural exhibition, "The Photography Of Henry Diltz" -- the largest retrospective of his work ever shown in L.A. -- opens with an invitation-only artist's reception on Saturday, September 30, 6-10PM. The public opening is Sunday, October 1 from 12-6PM, and Diltz will also be on hand for that. MHG is located at 7517 W. Sunset Blvd. (1/2 block West of Guitar Center), LA, CA, 90046, and is instantly identifiable by the signature Morrison Hotel window lettering that fans will recognize from the album art. Inside, the MHG team's self-professed "fanaticism and passion about rock and roll" sets it apart with a sole focus on music imagery, and the stories behind the truly amazing work.

MHG's L.A. launch will be commemorated with the offering of a luminous black & white image of Joni Mitchell taken by Diltz near the singer-songwriter's Laurel Canyon home in 1971. The 16" x 20" photographs will be available in limited editions of ten platinum and fifty silver gelatin prints, each signed by Henry and Joni. Diltz is known for his affinity for using available, natural light, his lyrical sense of composition, and the trust and rapport he has with his subjects -- all qualities thoroughly infusing this exquisite portrait.

Born in Kansas City, MO, Henry Diltz moved around the globe with his family while growing up. He briefly attended West Point, then took up the banjo and co-founded the Modern Folk Quartet. While on tour with MFQ, he bought an old camera and started casually shooting -- he proved to be a natural, and the rest is pop culture history. In addition to the artists already mentioned, "The Photography Of Henry Diltz" will feature images of Keith Richards, America, Jimi Hendrix, Neil Young and others.

MHG was co-founded by Henry Diltz and partners Peter Blachley, Richard Horowitz and Sam Milgrom. They also represent the work of world-class photographers including Jim Marshall, Neal Preston, Danny Clinch, Gered Mankowitz, Bob Gruen, Baron Wolman and others. In 2006, in addition to adding an L.A. venue to their growing group of galleries, MHG will world premiere a series of limited edition photographs of the legendary Ray Charles taken by his longtime manager Joe Adams, who will hand-sign all the prints.

         For more information, log on to www.morrisonhotelgallery.com