How does this celebrated music photographer preserve five decades of rock history?

STUNNING FINE ART PRINTS MADE WITH RED RIVER PAPER.

It Took a Village

Sherry Rayn Barnett didn't just document rock history. She was present for its making. Her career began at New York City's High School of Performing Arts, where she spent her after-school hours shooting the small clubs of Greenwich Village as folk, jazz, and rock were finding their voices. As a young photographer, she had rare access to artists who would go on to define the era: Joni Mitchell, Tina Turner, James Taylor, Nina Simone, Janis Joplin. She caught them in the heat of performance, backstage, and in candid moments where the real pictures live.

“Eye of the Music”

Best known for her black-and-white images shot on 35mm film, Sherry has built one of the most remarkable archives in music photography. Her images have been tapped by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Grammy Museum, Kennedy Center Honors, and major documentary films and publications such as Rolling Stone, Forbes, and The New York Times. Her book, "Eye of the Music," finally realized during the pandemic, stands as a legacy document of the first 20 years of a career that covers five decades and counting.

Enter Red River Paper

For Sherry, Red River Paper transformed what's possible in her own studio. Rather than sending gallery and collector print requests to an outside lab, she now produces exhibition-quality prints herself, on her own terms and timeline.

Sherry works primarily from 35mm film negatives, digitally scanned and prepared for her Epson archival printer — which makes the quality of her paper choices critical. For her finest museum-quality work, she reaches for Palo Duro SoftGloss Rag 315. Sherry explains, “Nothing beats that 100% cotton rag and heavyweight feel of that paper for my best work. Love it.” Made with a lightly textured semigloss surface, it delivers the look and feel of a classic darkroom print with the performance of modern inkjet technology. A barrier coat locks ink into the soft gloss layer, producing luxuriously deep blacks that make her concert images so arresting. For collectors who want that same neutral, crisp rendering with a bolder finish, she turns to UltraPro Luster 300, heavier and thicker than traditional photo lab paper, with a texture that makes rich tones and saturated colors leap off the surface.

See More of Sherry’s Work

Sherry continues to shoot music festivals and concert series across Los Angeles while licensing her archival work worldwide. Explore her images at sherrybarnettphotography.com, musichead.com, and rockpaperphoto.com. Read our full Q&A below for more on her “most challenging” project and her plans for more gallery exhibitions and speaking events.

Enjoy our Q&A with Sherry Rayn Barnett

What year was your business founded and how did you get started?
I began my career as a published photographer while attending the "Fame" School of Performing Arts in New York City. With a passion for music, and Nikon in hand, I began shooting after school in the small clubs of Greenwich Village, home to up-and-coming stars such as Bonnie Raitt, Kris Kristofferson, Nina Simone, and more.

Tell us a little about what product or service your business offers.
I am a widely published music concert photographer, with an archive spanning five decades. This past year, I was invited by UCLA to speak about my career, and my book, "Eye of the Music.” I have exhibited at The Grammy Museum in LA and my images have been featured by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Kennedy Center Honors, and countless others.

What makes your business unique?
I photographed artists such as Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, Tina Turner, Linda Ronstadt, and Miles Davis before they became the iconic legends that they are today. Since then, I have built an archive of music photography focused on the art of live concert photography. I am best known for my black-and-white images, shot on 35mm film. My very first assignment was of Ike & Tina Turner, and now one of my photographs of Tina is on permanent display at The Forum in Los Angeles.

Where do you source your raw materials from?
I work primarily from 35mm film negatives, digitally scanned, cleaned and prepared for my Epson archival printer.

In what ways does the business reflect your own personality?
Being a musician myself, I feel at one with capturing the most dynamic emotions of live performance — and can anticipate the moment to click the shutter.

Who are your typical customers?
My customers are music publications, documentary filmmakers, record companies, galleries, media companies, as well as the artists themselves and private collectors. My work is often licensed for career spanning anthologies and music documentaries (i.e., The Go-Go’s, Linda Ronstadt, Nina Simone, Joni Mitchell, etc.) I was honored to have James Taylor personally chose several of my historic photos for his memoir, "Break Shot". 

What is the most interesting project you've encountered in the course of your work?
Honestly, I can't think of a "most" interesting project. But maybe the most challenging or gratifying project was finally creating a book of my work during the pandemic! The book had been on the back burner for a dozen years before I was encouraged by a publisher to bring it to fruition when I finally had the time to focus on making it happen. "Eye of The Music" unfolded as a legacy project, documenting two decades of my images of iconic musicians who were in their early years — with many just reaching their prime.

What has Red River Paper done for your business? Is there a particular challenge Red River Paper has helped you overcome or a goal they helped you meet?
Red River has upped my print game. As I get requests from galleries that sell my images or private collectors who have seen my published work, I am able to produce the high-quality artist exhibit prints myself without having to "farm out" the jobs to an outside lab.

Which Red River Paper products do you use, and what do you appreciate most about them?
I enjoy using Red River UltraPro Luster 300 paper often for customer print requests, especially when I want the blacks to pop and the prints to shine. For exhibit-quality museum prints, I use Red River Palo Duro SoftGloss Rag 315 exclusively. It has become my "go to.” Nothing beats that 100% cotton rag and heavyweight feel of that paper for my best work. The day that I discovered Red River Paper, my entire attitude about doing my own prints changed and I look forward to every print request. Love all their paper choices.

How can people purchase your products/service?
People can purchase prints and books directly from my website: sherrybarnettphotography.com. More can be found at: musichead.com and rockpaperphoto.com.

Do you have any future growth plans?
Looking forward to doing more speaking events similar to the one at the Herb Alpert School of Music (UCLA); more gallery exhibits; generating book sales; licensing my archival images and growing my online print business, thanks to Red River Paper!

Is there a special testimonial or quote you’d like to share about your work?
"Sherry Rayn Barnett has been in the Eye of the Music since capturing, almost stealing, the most white-hot seconds onstage, the unguarded intimacies and the bolt of creativity, whether onstage or in the studio."
~ Holly Gleason, Entertainment Journalist of the Year 2023

All artwork and/or photographs used in this post are subject to copyright held by the featured artist and are used with permission.

ARE YOU READY FOR THE SPOTLIGHT? Simply respond to the questionnaire here to apply to be included in an upcoming Success on Paper feature.

Original Publication Date: September 28, 2026

Article Last updated: September 28, 2026

Related Posts and Information