Jeffery Newbury is an award-winning photographer who has worked with many of the world's notable celebrities in film and music. Over a career spanning more than four decades, his photographs have appeared in Rolling Stone, Interview, and Entertainment Weekly, as well as on magazine covers, album projects, and major editorial campaigns. His music photography includes Metallica, Tupac Shakur, Leonard Cohen, Roger Waters, Sheryl Crow, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Santana, RZA, Kim Gordon, and numerous other influential artists.

Newbury's photographs of Tupac Shakur were prominently featured in the touring museum exhibition "Wake Me When I'm Free," which opened in Los Angeles in 2022 to critical acclaim.

In June 1991, Newbury photographed Metallica in Hollywood for Creem magazine as the band prepared for the release of their landmark self-titled album, commonly known as The Black Album. The session accompanied a cover story, extensive photo spread, interview, and a full-page advertisement announcing the album's release. Working in a studio on Hollywood Boulevard, Newbury photographed all four members of the band using Polaroid black-and-white films that produced images within approximately 90 seconds, creating the distinctive high-contrast, grainy character of the photographs.

The atmosphere of the session was spontaneous and collaborative. Kirk Hammett arrived first and talked with Newbury about his collection of horror memorabilia before the rest of the band arrived. As the shoot progressed, Hammett turned to his bandmates and exclaimed, "We've never had a shoot like this!" More than three decades later, Newbury's 1991 photographs offer a rare visual record of Metallica at a defining moment in the band's history.