“It has been such an incredible opportunity and experience shooting the Sphere,” Chloe Weir says of the assignment that has occupied her since mid-May, as one of the official photographers capturing Dead & Company’s residency at the venue. “It never ceases to amaze me, every single night I shoot it. It looks very different from all the different angles in the venue. It’s such an incredible, immersive experience, and it’s really fun trying to shoot that and all the ways people are reacting to it.”

The younger daughter of Bob and Natascha Weir has maintained a steady presence during the Vegas run. Her photos appear in the Dead Forever Experience at The Venetian, alongside Jay Blakesberg’s work, as part of an exhibit titled “The Long Strange Trip Continues…” Weir’s images are also on display around the corner at the Animazing Gallery in Visions of the Dead, along with selections from Stanley Mouse, Mickey Hart and Blakesberg.

“It’s been really exciting to take my love of photography and help preserve this beautiful musical legacy that continues on,” she says of the public response to her work. “The Dead Forever Experience has all these incredible photographs and all this amazing art, but what’s also so special is being able to see people react to all of it—not just my own—to see how much people really love being immersed in this entire world. I feel so lucky to be part of this incredible time in history.”

As for shooting at Sphere, she adds, “What drives me to take the images is seeing all the excitement from the fans—either they were there and they’re excited to see images of it, or they weren’t able to be there and they’re happy that they’re able to see it in some form. It’s been such an honor to have my work circulating and it motivates me to keep getting better, keep finding new angles, keep experimenting and really doing the best job I possibly can.”

Can you talk about your development as a photographer?

Growing up I always would use my parents’ cameras or phones. Then when I was 7 or 8, I got a Polaroid camera and I was attached at the hip with it. I would take photos all the time, even on tour. I kept doing that for many years and I would also borrow my dad’s digital camera. It was something we always did together that I loved. Whether it was the cities we were in or the hotel rooms or the venues, I was always drawn to capturing images.

I think my first serious photographs were from the Blue Mountain album cover photo shoot. I took the photo that’s on the album cover when I was 14 years old. It was 2016, the summer after eighth grade for me. We were on tour in Alpine Valley and my dad said he needed some photos of himself. We found a weeping willow tree and we took a good amount of portraits, one of which ended up being the album cover.

I continued to take classes and got deeper into film photography. Then, during COVID, I started photographing the live streams digitally, and I fell in love with digital. I began doing that starting with the first Wolf Bros. tour after COVID.

Do you have a preference between portraits and concert photography?

I am much more versed in live concert photography. I’ve had a lot of practice with that and I’m very grateful for the many incredible musicians I’ve had the opportunity to photograph.

Portraiture is something that I have been experimenting with over the years and I really want to dive into it more because it gives me a lot of creative opportunity to play with lighting and capture subjects in a different setting.

What were your initial experiences in the photo pit?

My first show shooting from the pit was when I was 16 or 17, in high school. I had my Nikon N90 camera that I loved and was quite literally attached to me. I brought it everywhere and that was the first time I documented a full tour. Jay Blakesberg was also doing that and it was really exciting to be able to work with him and truly learn from the best.

That first tour, I documented a lot in the pit, but I also documented Shakedown a lot because it’s all part of it. My goal that summer was to capture it from all perspectives—from the crew who are unloading and loading the stage night after night to the band, the fans in the front row, the fans all the way up in the back and the lot. My first creative project was to capture the many perspectives and the different people who are part of making a tour.

It was really exciting to take my love of photography and share the perspective I have to help preserve this beautiful musical legacy that continues, along with the incredible fans who are like no other.

To create a memorable live photo it helps to have a feel for composition and often a knowledge of the music. But beyond that, it calls for an empathy with the artist, an awareness of what’s happening in the moment and the ability to respond on the fly. Your image of John Mayer with the wings behind him—which is reminiscent of a famous Kurt Cobain photo by Jeff Kravitz—demonstrates all that. Can you talk about that photo as well as your approach in general?

I agree there’s a big difference between a shot that’s well composed and a shot that’s well composed but also captures movement, energy and passion. That’s what I strive for and it’s why I love shooting in the pit. That’s really where you can wait for those incredible moments that are so worthwhile.

I also think it helps to be able to read people and feel where they’re going musically—to sense who’s getting really into a song and may become expressive or do a big movement. I try to always stay in tune with the musicians and where they’re going, even if I don’t know their music or what it’s like to shoot them.

When I’m shooting Wolf Bros. and Dead & Co., I feel so grateful that I have such a knowledge of the band members and how they are as musicians. It allows me to capture what often ends up being my favorite images.

With that image of John, I had seen those same Stealie wings in the background during sound[1]check, so I already had an idea of how much I loved that logo and wanted to do something with it. Later, when John was getting really into “Dear Mr. Fantasy,” the crowd was electric—it was a great moment. He began stepping to the edge of the stage, playing closer and closer to the crowd. I saw he was doing that and I aligned myself to capture that image.

It was my first favorite photo of John that I took. I was happy that I could capture it in this way.

You’ve been shooting for multiple weeks at Sphere. Has your approach evolved?

The Sphere is so incredible. It never ceases to amaze me, every single night I shoot it. It does look very different from all the different angles in the venue.

Something that’s also so interesting about shooting the Sphere is the scale. If you see the stage the band is playing on, it looks so small, but when you’re next to it, it’s huge. That really just puts into perspective the size of the building and the visuals in comparison to this huge crowd. It’s such an incredible, immersive experience, and it’s really fun trying to shoot that and see the people react to it.

There are the spinners at every show and it’s incredible to photograph the fans and the band with these amazing visuals behind them—whether it’s the Wall of Sound remade to exact accuracy or even just a colorful cloud soaring above the audience.

It’s surreal to be there, and I want to capture it as well as I can because there’s nothing like being there. But there are ways that you can capture that essence on camera.

It’s a really incredible opportunity to photograph this one-of-a-kind venue, whether it’s a wide shot with everything in it or just a shot of Oteil [Burbridge] with a galaxy behind him.

The music has been incredible and the band sounds amazing. There’s so much energy and everyone is so ecstatic.

It makes sense because the Grateful Dead was always pushing the edge of technology. Here today, at the Dead Forever residency, it’s exactly that. It’s pushing the edge of technology and combining it with music in order to bring these one of a kind musical experiences to people. That’s a really beautiful thing and I feel so lucky to be documenting this historical moment at this incredible new venue.

I’ve also recently started doing concert videography for the Sphere, which is something else I’d love to get into.

Are there documentary filmmakers whose work has impacted your perspective?

I love filmmakers who capture emotions and moments. I love Agnès Varda. I love Les Blank. I love Chronicle of a Summer—that’s a movie by Jean Rouch and Edgar Morin. I love people who capture life for what it is and capture it with a beautiful eye, but also with a focus on reality.

There are many incredible documentary filmmakers who have made some really interesting films, not only capturing others’ experiences, but capturing the experience of being a filmmaker and how they interact with the people they are documenting.

As I get more into the video world, those are all people who will continue to inspire me in the future.

What are your goals relative to your work?

In terms of the Sphere, I want to keep experimenting, to see all the different ways I can capture this incredible moment in time.

There are so many different parts of photography that I want to become more knowledgeable about as well. I want to keep learning, keep experimenting, keep pushing myself in new directions. My dad inspires me in that way because he is always working to be better—he remains creative, hardworking and passionate about what he does. I feel very lucky to have the opportunities that I do with photography and being able to capture such incredible bands. I want to keep doing it.

**

Alpine Valley, East Troy, Wis., July 11, 2016

When I was 14, I was on tour with my family and my dad needed an image for an album cover. He gave me his camera, we found a weeping willow tree, took some pictures and one of them ended up being the cover of his record Blue Mountain. This is one of the outtakes

Wrigley Field, Chicago, June 24, 2022

I really love the juxtaposition of John and the graphic because he really has earned his Grateful Dead wings and soars when he plays.

Moon Palace, Cancún, Mexico, Jan. 15, 2024

LP Giobbi has the most incredible energy, and it’s so fun to capture the vibe she brings to the crowd through her music and performance. It is infectious!

The Wiltern, Los Angeles, Oct. 2, 2022

This photo was taken at what was billed as Billy Strings’ 30th birthday show. It was the first time I had seen him play, and I was blown away by his talent.

Wrigley Field, Chicago, June 9, 2023

Chris Coyle, Dead & Co.’s lighting director, is incredible at translating the music into color and lighting sequences. It’s really fun to capture how he sees the band’s music from a lighting perspective and what he presents to the fans. His work is certainly part of the experience.

The Knitting Factory, Los Angeles, November 17, 2023

Over the past couple of years, I’ve been exploring the creative options of portraiture, and it was such an honor to spend time with Zach Nugent and create a fun portrait that I really like. Zach is a wonderful musician that will carry on this music for many decades to come.

The Venice West, Los Angeles, March 30, 2024

Particle Kid shows are an audio/visual treat. I love shooting bands that go extreme with body language. It makes me realize that you always have to be ready, because these moments come and go very quickly when a band is in their element on stage.

Cancún, MEX, January 12 2024

My dad truly loves to practice. He calls it woodshedding, and there isn’t a day that goes by where he doesn’t pick up a guitar. This picture shows one of these moments I see so often, and I feel lucky to have this perspective that I can capture and share.

Sphere, Las Vegas, June 6, 2024

Nearly 20,000 fans are below this colorful cloud. The stage looks so small in comparison to the visual graphics. To see art this big while hearing the band play is truly a magical experience, and you can see it on the faces of the fans every night.