Michael Putland started his photography career as a teenager working as an assistant to various photographers. He started his own studio in 1969 and by 1971 he was the official photographer for the British magazine Disc & Music Echo. His first assignment with them was to photograph Mick Jagger in London and eventually toured with the Rolling Stones in 1973, leading to a long-standing relationship with the band. Putland has shot for major record labels including Warner, CBS, Columbia and EMI. It has been said that Putland has shot everyone from Abba to Zappa, and if you look at his archive it’s actually true.
