On his web site. Keenan says, "Shiva is a model, artist and photographer whose totem is the raven. She is flat-out amazing. I asked her to pose for this site once I saw her back. I did have to remove 6 other tattoos in Photoshop to get to the essence of what I wanted to show for my project. Flying women have been a lifetime obsession of mine since Catholic grammar school. I was never good enough in grammar school to get a holy card. As an artist, even then, I saw how beautiful they were, so I have spent my life creating my 'holy cards.' "
Bill: How did you get involved with photographing the beats, hippies, and other counter culture icons?
LK: I had Michael McClure for a teacher at California College of Arts & Crafts. After taking a couple of classes with him, I had great respect for his amazing knowledge and intelligence. I was doing a project with a few friends at school and it was going to be published. I got involved with the project because I wanted a real published piece in my portfolio. A lot of the hypothetical crap in everyone’s portfolio at school was pretty bad. Because my parents had disinherited me for going to art school (although they supported me in it) I had a real drive to make it, to be the best I could be. I asked Michael to be our faculty sponsor for our project and he said "yes." We met at his house in the Haight in 1964.
After the meeting, while we were going out Michael asked me if I would like to photograph some of his friends. I asked him who his friends were and he answered with a list that included Ginsberg, Ferlinghetti, Kesey, Conner, etc.
After we got outside, a friend said "going up." For the next year or so, I photographed the end of the Beat scene. McClure and Ginsberg gave me the access but my honesty, skill and professionalism kept me in good graces with all concerned. Then the Haight-Ashbury and the hippies came out of the Beat movement, so I was well placed to continue shooting the counter-culture. I caught the cultural transition in photographs and that is my legacy.
Bill: Any particular memories about Ginsberg, Dylan, or anyone from that scene?
On his web site, Keenan says,
"Michael McClure introduced me to Freewheelin. They were doing a book together for Grove Press and needed a cover shot. Frank was the secretary of the San Francisco branch of the Hell's Angels. He would dictate the book to McClure who would type the words. I liked Frank very much; he was always good to me. He gave me a Hell's Angels protection card, just in case. He would invite me to parties, drive-in movies, etc., but I was too afraid to go."
My only ‘bad’ experience was when I was shooting Dylan in the City Lights alley. I brought 2 cameras. One for me, and one for a girlfriend of mine. It is long story but to keep it short, she did not come to the session. In the frenzy of the shoot with the crowd being kept at bay by Ginsberg, I used the camera
I brought for her. It had no film in it (she was going to use her own film). When it seemed as if the end of the roll would never come, I realized there was no film in the camera. It said #40 on the film counter and I knew it should only be #36 if there was film in the camera. The first camera was hurried work because I did not know how long we were going to be able to work with these cats. My best stuff was with the camera without film (when I was calmer).