While not quite a household name, it’s safe to say that few photographers have had as big an impact on popular culture as Robert Whitaker. As a key lensman for the Beatles between 1964 and ’66, the images Whitaker captured ended up on such album covers as “Meet The Beatles,” “Revolver” and “Yesterday & Today,” becoming some of the most familiar and imitated of the era. It’s just the tip of the iceberg for Whitaker. On April 25, The Morrison Hotel Gallery will host an opening night reception for a new exhibit of Whitaker’s work, with the photographer in attendance. To date, it’s estimated he has taken more than 40,000 images, with 60 on display during the exhibition. Whitaker was first given a camera at the age of 6. “The first images I took were of cars racing around a grass track at Brands hatch in Kent,” he recalled. Ironically, Whitaker originally hoped to become an artist. “I enjoyed looking at images, not just photographs but paintings as well,” he said. “I went to a school of art in London when I was 17, hoping I would be taught to draw. But that is not something which can be taught — it is either in you or not.” While he is happy with his photography, he still thinks about the art career he left behind. “I had, and still have, imagination and dreams, which I am better at realizing with a camera. I find it impossible to make my hands work with a pencil or brush,” he said. “Painters have a better chance at revealing what they think because they have control of all their emotions, can stop at any time and alter their perspectives.” His introduction to the Beatles came during an Australian tour in June 1964. Though the images he took of the fab four and other rock royalty of the time are now iconic, Whitaker had simple motives behind his work. “Those early days of 12-inch-square record covers were a sort of competition to me,” he remarked. “There were lots of photographers making images for those covers, so I used to enjoy going past a record shop and seeing at least one of my covers displayed, or magazines full of pages of my images. It did dawn on me that this was history in the making.” It’s a testament to the faith Beatles manager Brian Epstein had in Whitaker’s work that the then-25-year-old photographer was given complete control over photo sessions. “Nothing was ever suggested to me for what they wanted,” he confirmed. “I was asked by the press office to make happy cheesecake images for publicity; however, that’s something I was not that good at. A challenge in front of me was always to produce what I felt would get published, but also stand out.” Morrison Hotel Gallery owner Richard Horowitz has been in the music business for almost three decades and looks forward to the opportunity to discuss these works directly with their creator. “My two favorite photographs of Robert’s are the back cover of the ‘Revolver’ LP and the image that was used on the import version of the ‘Nowhere Man’ picture sleeve,” he said. “But the ‘Butcher Cover,’ used on their ‘Yesterday & Today’ album, has always intrigued me. Now we get to hear the complete story directly from the photographer.” Other major uses of his work include the cover of Cream’s 1968 album “Disraeli Gears,” while in 2002 the Australian government used one of his photos of folk group the Seekers on a postage stamp to commemorate their 40th anniversary. He is equally proud of his photography of the Vietnam and Indo Pakistan wars as well as the conflict in Northern Ireland. Does he mind that his photos of one group sometimes overshadow his other work? “I spent 2 ½ years with the Beatles, all over the world, in studios, et cetera,” Whitaker said. “Not often do you get that amount of time with one group of people. Other bands I might only have a day with. I understand that I am associated mainly with my images of the Beatles, (but) that never stopped me enjoying the event before me.” The Morrison Hotel Gallery, 1230 Prospect St., will host a reception for Robert Whitaker on Saturday, April 25, from 6 to 9 p.m. Admission is free. For information, call (858) 551-0835 or visit www.morrisonhotelgallery.com.