BEHIND THE BRAND

How did Black Cat Studio get its name?

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Jay had three Black Cats throughout his studio history. When Jay moved into his first studio in Fairfax in 1980; he bought his first black cat. The first cats name was Andy; which lived with him in his Fairfax studio for 10 years. Jay then moved his studio to San Rafael. Andy died soon after. He purchased a second Black Cat named Rocky. Rocky was a studio cat for about 10 years before he passed away. Jay had not been looking for another but a client was looking to find a good home for a cat that they could no longer care for. He ended up adopting out the 3rd cat named Spooky. Jay had Black Cats in his studios for 35 years. Hence the name Black Cat Studio.

Jay Daniel - President (Photographer, Graphic Design, Imaging)

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Jay started photography studies at College of Marin and opened his first studio in Fairfax in 1980. In addition to his studio work throughout the 1980's, Jay travelled the US photographing for editorial and commercial clients: working on movie sets and producing magazine covers. He also pursued a body of personal work which was called "NAKED CAFE" and was published in American Photographer Magazine in 1986. In the late 1990's Jay started a family and made a business decision to focus on studio photography. Over the years his business developed to include giclée prints, scanning, imaging, graphic design, and web design. Jay has always been an avid supporter of the arts and frequently volunteers/donates with Youth In Arts, Marin Society of Artists, Marin MOCA and many others. In his spare time you can find Jay long distance bicycling  around Marin/Sonoma counties, gardening, or enjoying time with his family.

Megan Meeks - Operations Manager (Photography, Imaging, Web)

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Megan has been working in freelance fine art photography for over 10 years and graduated Academy of Art University with a degree in Photography. She has been participating in photo exhibitions all over California and around the US; showing her work since 2014. Actively involved, Megan donates 50% of proceeds to the CURE: Epilepsy Foundation Hidden Truths Project Art For Epilepsy. Megan gained experience as a volunteer at California Photo Festival where she assisted many well known photographers including several Canon Explorers of Light, National Geographic, landscape and portrait photographers. In her spare time she loves to create art, garden and BBQ. She also enjoys spending time with family, friends, and her animals (including dogs, cats, and chickens). Megan is drawn to photography because she believes it is a universal form of language and a time capsule of history.

Mel Blue - Production Assistant (Photography, Imaging, Print)

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Mel is an art student who studied fine arts for three years at UC Santa Cruz, prioritizing painting, illustration, and comics. Currently taking time off from classes to accrue more professional experience.She spent several years taking darkroom classes before leaning more towards oil and digital painting, which she has been pursuing through her personal work since early 2012.  Mel is especially interested in exploring mental health, sociology, and the honest expression of emotion through her art.  She is excited to be a part of the Black Cat Studio team.

Lucas Lapidus - Production Assistant (Imaging, Scanning)

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You may have seen Lucas around the office. He has been working with Black Cat Studio part-time assisting with scanning and image processing. Lucas currently attends Santa Rosa Junior College for business, administration, and game design. A fan of most “nerdy” media, he spends large amounts of his free time reading fiction, playing video games, and on occasion writing. Lucas has been learning coding C Sharp (C#) and often does game design exercises. He is currently aspiring to enter the video game industry and become a game designer.