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BEHIND THE BRAND

How did Black Cat Studio get its name?
Jay had three black cats throughout his studio history. When Jay moved into his first studio in Fairfax in 1980, he adopted his first black cat Andy, who lived with him in his Fairfax studio for 10 years. Jay then moved his studio to San Rafael and Andy died soon after.

He then adopted a second black cat named Rocky, who was a studio cat for about 10 years before he passed away. Although Jay had not been looking for another one, he ended up adopting a third black cat named Spooky from a client who could no longer care for it. Since Jay had black cats in his studios for 35 years, he chose the name Black Cat Studio.

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Jay Daniel
President (Photographer, Graphic Design, Imaging)
Jay began his photography studies at the College of Marin and opened his first studio in Fairfax in 1980. In addition to his studio work throughout the 1980s, Jay traveled the U.S. photographing for editorial and commercial clients, working on movie sets, and producing magazine covers. In the late 1990s, Jay started a family and made a business decision to focus on studio photography. Over the years his business developed to include giclée printing, scanning, photo imaging, graphic design, and web design.

Jay has always been an avid supporter of the arts and frequently volunteers/donates his time for local organizations and events, like the Museum of Contemporary Art. In his spare time, you can find Jay long-distance bicycling around Marin and Sonoma counties, gardening, or enjoying time with his family.

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Our Staff 

Jay Daniel
Founder, Photographer

Jace Lapidus
Digital Production Associate

Roslyn Yeager
Assistant Photographer

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