RIP to Everyone, it seems.

Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson... even Billy Mays, the infomercial guy that we all love...

What is the deal with this week???

Say what you will about MJ's personal life, he wrote and performed some awesome awesome music. He will be sorely missed in the pop world.

Live105: BFD 2009

Each year, Live 105.3 (the San Francisco Bay Area's biggest rock station) hosts a concert festival called BFD. This year's lineup was so-so, but still held two highlights for me:

1. Mute Math (one of my favorite bands) was scheduled to play on the Festival Stage, and
2. Taking Back Sunday was also scheduled to play the same stage.

Now, I'm not a huge fan of TBS, but this show was special because a friend of mine has recently been added to the band's roster. I know Isaac from his work in a Bay Area band called Weslester, whom I have photographed a number of times. In the last few months, he has gone from playing in bars/clubs around San Francisco, to touring the country (and soon, the globe) in a giant bus, playing for thousands of people a night.

I was fortunate to get a hold of him before they came to California, and he got me in backstage for the whole show, which also allowed me to shoot Taking Back Sunday from onstage:

It was a blast! And it was a lot of fun to see Isaac enjoying himself so much with his new gig, not to mention watch as singer Adam Lazzara climbed the scaffolding during the last song, hooked his legs into the metal, and dangled upside down while he sang the final chorus to "Makedamnsure".

The other opportunity that came my way was meeting all the guys in Mute Math.

Upon further contact with their record label the next day, it looks as though I will most likely be shooting for Mute Math when they come to San Francisco in September! Very, very excited about that.

Me (center) with Roy Mitchell-Cardenas and Paul Meany of Mute Math

Berkeley City Club Wedding!

I recently had the privilege of shooting Meisha & Dan's wedding at the Berkeley City Club in Berkeley, CA.

Meisha is a model, and Dan is a musician, so naturally they wanted someone who could give them a "rock star" look on their wedding day... and I was honored that they picked me to do the job.

The day went without a hitch, and was a ton of fun. Good food, good people, good times. Now that I've delivered their images to them, I can post a few here:

Bride and Groom at the Berkeley City Club

Bride and Groom at the Berkeley City Club

Bride and Groom at the Berkeley City Club

Bride and bridesmaids at the Berkeley City Club

Bride and Groom at the Berkeley City Club

Promo Shoot: WhoGas

On March 2nd, 2009 I was hired by the Funk/Rock/Reggae band WhoGas to do a promotional shoot with them for a press kit. It took place at Ex'pression College for the Digital Arts in Emeryville, CA (drummer Chris Paxton is a graduate of the school, and I contact I had from the Funk/Hip Hop/Rock group Nexus).

The school is not only a learning institute, but houses a high-end recording facility that has captured the sounds of artists such as: Dave Grohl (of the Foo Fighters), Sammy Hagar, 3 Doors Down, Jack Johnson, Jimmy Eat World, Bon Jovi, Tears for Fears, Dave Gahan (of Depeche Mode), Tori Amos, and Train to name a few.

Many of these artists performed in Ex'pression's Meyer Performance Hall, which is where this shoot took place. The room contains a 20ft. green screen that we used as a backdrop.

This was my first experience shooting on a green screen, which was a lot of fun. The guys brought a few changes of clothing and we shot for about an hour or so. Below are a few finished shots from the night, as well as a video montage of the entire shoot.

About: Lancaster Photography

Hi everyone.

My gallery (www.LancasterPhoto.net) is strictly to showcase my work, and give straight information (i.e. contact info and pricing). I realized that I had no good way of posting anything personal, so welcome to the Lancaster Photography Blog!

Obviously, I am a photographer. I operate both on my own from LancasterPhoto.net, and sometimes in tandem with my brother under LancasterMedia.net. He (Keith) is a videographer in the Los Angeles area... usually specializing in music events, but we will do the occasional wedding together as a team.

A bit about me:

• I graduated from the University of California-Santa Cruz with a BA in Business Management Economics, of all things.
• I am a musician at heart, and therefore know a lot of bands/musicians. This would probably explain the extensive gallery of Live/Promotional photos on my site.
• Video editing is a strong hobby of mine. On the right hand side (over there -->) you'll find a few YouTube clips of things I have produced, whether it be for someone else's project or for my own promotion.
• I consider myself to be extremely friendly. I take my business very seriously, but that in no way means I have to be serious. More often than not, I am asked to be more a part of someone's wedding, rather than a contract employee. I like it that way.
• I was not raised in a religious household. I respect and admire anyone who is honestly devoted and loyal to their spiritual belief system, and adapt as needed. So whether you have a traditional ceremony or something totally off the wall, I am always excited to be a part of it.
• Shooting for models is a relatively new direction for me, but I am pursuing it. So please ask!
• I am observant. Most of my couples prefer a more candid "photojournalistic" approach to their wedding, and I find that to be the most fun. Everyone wants a few good portraits, but honestly the photos of my wedding that I continue to look at are the candid ones.
• Be open with me! I cannot think of the last time I was put off or offended by anything, and I'm always looking to shoot something new. Make suggestions if you have them!

Contact me about anything. The best way is clay@lancasterphoto.net. I am often out and about, but thanks to technology (i.e. my iPhone) I can get emails all day long. Use it!

I look forward to working with you.

-Clay