Eric Meola’s Iconic Bruce Springsteen Photographs Come to Life on Bay Photo MetalPrints for the Born to Run 50th Anniversary Exhibit
- TeamBay
- 6 minutes ago
- 4 min read
At Bay Photo, we've had the privilege of printing for countless talented photographers. Among them, we're highlighting renowned photographer Eric Meola and Born to Run at 50 - a powerful collection of images commemorating the 50th anniversary of Bruce Springsteen’s legendary 1975 album. Now on view at the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music at Monmouth University, this exhibit tells a story of music, friendship, and destiny, rendered in timeless black and white and brought to life on MetalPrints produced here at Bay Photo. When Eric came to us to help produce the prints for the Born to Run 50th Anniversary Exhibit, we understood exactly what it meant. This was more than a gallery show - it was the physical expression of a moment that helped shape American music history, and a career-defining experience for the photographer who captured it. “Most importantly, I wanted prints that reflected a photographic session that has become an iconic part of history, and part of American music,” Eric shared with us.
Enjoy a look through our own front lobby exhibit at Bay Photo's headquarters in Scotts Valley, as we share the amazing backstory of Eric's iconic session.
A Personal Journey, Fifty Years in the Making
Before Eric Meola found himself behind the camera with Bruce Springsteen and Clarence Clemons, he was a pre-med student at the University of Rochester, dutifully following in his father's footsteps. But photography had other plans for him.
"In a climactic confrontation, my love of photography won out," he wrote. "And then, I heard the song 'Growin' Up,' and that was me... I was that guy taking month-long vacations in the stratosphere."
Eric's passion carried him from college darkrooms to magazine covers and legendary album artwork. After studying at the Newhouse School of Journalism, he photographed a diverse range of subjects. But it was a chance encounter under the overhang of the Plaza Hotel in 1974 that would change everything. There, in the rain, he came face-to-face with Bruce Springsteen, just before a concert in Central Park. Summoning his courage, he introduced himself and struck up a conversation about Bruce's lyrics. A year later, he would be photographing him for the cover of Born to Run.
"I have no idea how I came to photograph the cover," Eric reflects. "Somehow, some way, sometime, I was going to photograph Bruce. I wanted to do it more than anything I had ever wanted."
The session took place in Meola's studio loft on Fifth Avenue - no stylists, no assistants, just a stark white backdrop and the raw electricity of the moment. Bruce made one essential request: that Clarence Clemons be photographed alongside him. Two hours later, Eric had captured one of the most iconic images in rock and roll history.
And fifty years later, Eric returned to that session with one goal: to preserve it with permanence. To print it right.
Why He Chose Bay Photo
When it came time to print these career-defining images for an exhibition five decades later, Eric knew the prints had to be perfect, not just visually, but historically.
“There’s nothing more serious than making prints for an archive. I knew I wanted to print on aluminum, for its rigidity and lightfastness. I also wanted a team of people I could talk with, and work with, and who understood my parameters... I found Bay Photo Lab met all my requirements.”
- Eric Meola
MetalPrints offered the durability and precision required for archival display, with a tonal quality that perfectly complements Meola's black-and-white compositions. The rigidity of the aluminum substrate and frameless design allow viewers to fully engage with the image, free from distraction. In many ways, they echo the setting of that original shoot: focused, honest, and stripped down to the essentials.
Bay Photo's MetalPrints are the go-to print medium for discerning photographers like Eric. When it came to the shoot, there had already been a strong and specific vision of what success would look like. “What I didn’t want was a contrived environment,” Meola explains. “Either I got the photographs or not. There was no sense in stopping.”
Our team worked closely with Eric to ensure each print retained the original drama and detail of those 1975 negatives. Every tonal range, every shadow and highlight was carefully calibrated to bring his vision into the physical world, just as he experienced it in that studio fifty years ago.
A Legacy in Print
Eric's black-and-white photographs of Bruce Springsteen and Clarence Clemons - leaning into each other, captured mid-pose against a stark white background - have had an impressive, enduring impact throughout his career. They represent a visual anthem for generations of fans and music lovers.
"We all sensed the electricity," Eric said. "Bruce and Clarence mirrored the emotions and poses they carried on stage each night, and they helped me capture those moments before they left gravity behind."
- Eric Meola
The Born to Run 50th Anniversary Exhibit: Photographs by Eric Meola
📍 The Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music
🗓 On view September 7 through mid-December 2025
📍 Monmouth University, West Long Branch, New Jersey
Your Next Iconic Moment
At Bay Photo, we're honored to play a part in celebrating this legacy, not just for what it meant in 1975, but for how it continues to resonate with new generations. We believe that printing is where moments become memories, and memories become timeless. Thank you, Eric, for trusting us to help carry this extraordinary legacy forward.
Every photographer has that one shot. That moment when everything aligns - the light, the subject, the emotion. Eric found his on June 20, 1975, leaning against a fire escape in Manhattan.
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Special Thanks to Eric Meola
Eric Meola is a renowned photographer whose bold, color-driven style has left a lasting impact on the industry. His work is held in major collections including the National Portrait Gallery, the International Center of Photography, and the George Eastman Museum. He has published several acclaimed books and received numerous industry honors, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Professional Photographers of America, which noted that “Meola has distinguished himself in his career, which spans more than 5 decades. Learn more about the exhibit here.
Images by: Eric Meola, Roy Smiljanic