Behind The Scenes: Photographing Michael’s 38 Guitars

This spring, thanks to five producer-level sponsors, and our 2026 Sustaining Sponsors, we were able to resume production on the film – making big strides for some major sequences.

Legendary rock photographer Jay Blakesberg and his assistant joined us for a full day in a studio in the Mission District as each of the guitars was perfectly captured for an online gallery, and a limited edition coffee table book, The Guitars of Michael Hedges. 

This moment will be featured in a key segment of Oracle, as part of a series of present-day stories that comprise the film’s third act.

Jay had photographed Michael twice during his career – early on, at his home in Mendocino (for Guitar Player magazine), and, later (with a freshly bald head for a new set of publicity photos), at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. Many fans will instantly recognize the images from those sessions.

It was a full-circle moment for Jay to find himself photographing Michael’s beloved D-28 Martin and Klein Electric Harp Guitar again. He shared his memories of Michael with us, and some outtakes we’d not seen before, including a photo of Michael with Mischa as a toddler in his lap, in the ‘Magic Farm’ recording studio. 

Jay, famous for his work with the Grateful Dead, had recently photographed Jerry Garcia’s guitars. He was the perfect person to document the singular, well-worn instrument that created Aerial Boundaries, and the rest of Michael’s 38 guitars.

At long last, ‘Barbara’ is on the road again (more on that later).

On hand for the session were Hilleary Burgess, Michael’s manager, Jake White, who is completing the first, full biography of Michael, Dream Out Loud, and Mischa Hedges, Michael’s son and Oracle co-director, who appears the film in the third act, as part of the present-day storyline.

Also dropping in was luthier Steve Klein, creator of Michael’s unique electric harp guitar – which, at the time, may well have been the first of its kind. Steve’s kind and gentle presence is something we’ve all come to know and love throughout the making of the film.

Mischa, Hilleary and Jake provided a terrific running commentary throughout, noting which tunes were composed or recorded on what guitars, sharing vivid stories from Michael’s tours (like the time ‘Barbara’ went missing), revealed some of the guitars’ colorful nicknames, like ‘The Saucy Infant’– and so much more.

It was a joyful, if somewhat bittersweet day. As you’ll see in the film, for Mischa, it also provided an important step towards peace, and closure.

For a well-deserved ‘thank-you,’ several of Oracle‘s Producer-level sponsors joined us on set to view Michael’s guitars.

This included “Barbara,” the Dyer harp guitar Michael wrote and recorded Because It’s There on, “The Saucy Infant,” Michael’s Martin parlor guitar used in Taproot, “The Dubourg,” and several other instruments.

For Mischa and I, seeing the film’s top sponsors getting to hold, study, marvel and photograph them was yet another reminder of the longevity of Michael’s creative spirit and legacy, and how powerful it can be for people to see these instruments in person. Luckily, this would just be the first of many opportunities for Michael’s fans to do just that.

This photo shoot in San Francisco was part of a much larger journey for us, and for Michael’s instruments. Not long after our session with Jay, we loaded up a cargo van and headed east. “The Journey of the Guitars” had just begun.

Once again, our documentary crew provided outstanding, non-stop verite coverage throughout the day – our fantastic and indefatigable Director of Photography Clare Major, the impeccable Location Sound Recordist Paige Goedkoop, and our “Behind The Scenes” photographer Monica Semergiu.

And a huge thanks to Photographer Jay Blakesberg and his Photo Assistant Taylor Ahlquist for capturing so many wonderful images of Michael’s instruments – you’ll see more soon in the upcoming Guitars of Michael Hedges projects, and in the film!

MORE BEHIND-THE-SCENES PHOTOS FROM THIS SHOOT: