In his collaboration with Jackie, there was a torrent of new gigs. Mostly everything Lulow and Jackie worked on was bought by the Denver Post. It was a relationship that continued for nearly two years. Together they worked on projects with Linda Ronstadt, Taj Mahal, Muddy Waters, Tracy Nelson, Billy Preston, Rod Stewart, Chuck Berry, and many others. Another notable photojournalist story featured Chuck Morris, who owned a nightclub called Tulagi in Boulder. (Tulagi was named for a World War II battle site near Guadalcanal.) Chuck Morris gave Boulder its first concert hall experience, booking musicians like ZZ Top and Bonnie Raitt. Another project featured Paul Gongaware, who put on a concert with the Grateful Dead in Boulder’s Folsum Field.
One of his favorite assignments was photographing the Grateful Dead’s concert on September 3, 1972 in Boulder, where he had to photograph the roadies setting up the famous “wall of sound.” He photographed backstage and during the actual performance.
Bill Lulow moved back to New York City to concentrate on more studio work, including some fashion as well as portraits. Jackie Campbell stayed in Colorado and got a job as the theater critic for the now defunct Rocky Mountain News. Campbell developed a strong following and often traveled to New York to review shows there. Lulow says, “We often got together when she was in town.”
Jackie Campbell passed away in December 2017. Lulow says, “She was an overall great person and was also instrumental in solidifying my interest in photographing musicians. She gave me a better awareness of what was involved in the pursuit of journalism.” He fondly remembers how when Campbell was getting ready to interview people, she had little quirks or mannerisms to put her subjects at ease. She’d fumble, looking for a pen or something in her purse. It was her way of getting her interview subjects to relax for the photo shoot.
After Lulow moved back to New York City, he met his wife Judy, and they were married in 1983. In the beginning he worked as an assistant to Bert Rockfield, whose big account was J.C. Penney. Lulow developed the film, did the lighting and took the film to the lab.
In 1980 Lulow opened his studio in New York City’s Flatiron District, where his first official client was for WNBC-TV (NBC affiliate in NYC). In his studio days, he made a good living in photography and always had a pipeline of existing clients as well as new clients coming in the door. From 9am to 9pm, the studio buzzed with a staff of ten. In addition to WNBC-TV, anchor Roger Mudd was a client. Other big clients included Hanes Hosiery, Allied Fibers and Plastics, a division of Allied Chemical and American Express.
Throughout the 1990s, he taught photo classes on site at the studio, sometimes teaching two classes a night. He also taught photography at New School for Social Research. “My greatest talent as a photographer is the ability to bring my understanding of teaching, young people and how to translate ideas or concepts to the medium of photographs.”
For Bill Lulow, teaching photography is a confluence of his two great strengths: teaching and photography. He saw teaching as a way to come full circle. As a teacher, he loved to see that moment when a student realizes how to do something and make it work. Although technology has
Chuck Berry Taj Mahal