I recently photographed Black Lava Studios, operated by Steve Schatz in Carmichael, California, for an upcoming trade publication serving the professional audio industry. Steve brings decades of experience to his work, including major production credits with the legendary Skywalker Sound. Today, at Black Lava Studios, he assembles audio for film and television—blending live-capture recordings, overdubs, music, and foley sound effects into cohesive, immersive soundtracks.
This project focused on documenting both the technical precision and creative environment of a modern post-production audio studio. A key element of Black Lava’s workflow is its monitoring system, designed and installed by Advanced System Group. These studio monitors play a vital role in ensuring accuracy, clarity, and consistency across film and television productions, and they were an important visual and functional component of the story I set out to capture.
As a photographer, my goal was to create images that communicate the sophistication of the space while remaining authentic to the way Steve works day to day. The photographs highlight the relationship between the engineer, the technology, and the carefully designed studio environment—details that matter deeply in professional audio production but are often invisible to the audience.
This series will appear in a trade publication aimed at audio professionals, where strong, clear visuals help tell the story behind the sound. Projects like this are a reminder of how photography can support highly technical industries by translating complex processes into compelling imagery. As a commercial and editorial photographer, I enjoy collaborating with creatives like Steve Schatz to visually document the craftsmanship that happens behind the scenes.
