What started as a ploy to land a job for high school student Greg Lucker has turned into a lifelong passion for capturing images on film.
(Photograph of Mitch Lucker/Contributed image)
“I found a job at a local department store in the camera department, took a class and landed the job,” Lucker said.
His love of photography blossomed as he helped customers choose the right camera and continued to snap pictures of life and moments around him.
Eventually Lucker became an air traffic controller, yet still made time to take photos.
His sons proved to be a muse for him as he began to photograph them as they performed on stage with their band.
“I got started shooting concerts because my boys were in a garage band, 15 North,” Lucker said. “I practiced on them and the other bands they played with.”
Lucker’s portfolio swelled with images he took at area concerts and was a stepping stone into bigger venues.
The Gallery at the Merc in Old Town Temecula will be displaying a selection of rock-n-roll images Lucker has taken over the years.
An artist reception being is being held from 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. on Friday Feb. 8 to kick off the month long exhibition.
When asked what his favorite photograph in the exhibition is, Lucker chuckles as he remembers a fateful concert at the Rose Bowl a few years ago.
“I captured a great shot of U2 front man Bono that I am very proud of,” Lucker explained.
Lucker went onto to say that a moment at that concert is still a highlight of his artistic life.
“When Bono ran onto the stage, I was in the photographer pit with all of the other photographers and the ground just shook like an earthquake,” he said. “The energy of the moment made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.”
The centerpiece of his rock-n-roll collection is a photo Lucker took of his nephew, Mitch Lucker, the lead singer of rock band Suicide Silence. Mitch tragically died following a motorcycle accident on Nov. 1 of last year.
“The photograph of Mitch is the biggest in exhibit.”
The photographs are all printed on metal in a process that Lucker considers unique.
“The metal somehow gives the art a different kind of dimension,” Lucker explained. “The pictures seem to come alive and pop with color.”
In addition to shooting musicians rocking and rolling, Lucker has an affinity for the natural world.
“I love to go up to the Santa Rosa Plateau and photograph the beautiful landscapes up there,” he said.
In recent months, Lucker has been placing quotes over his landscape prints to add a special touch and feeling to the scenes.
“The prints with the quotes are very popular,” said Lucker. “At the reception I plan to have many of those for sale.”
In addition to being at the Merc for his reception, Lucker says he plans to come into the gallery a couple of Saturdays during his exhibition to talk with visitors about his art.
“People seem to really enjoy learning about the process and talking with me about the images.”
For more information visit, The Gallery at the Merc.
Stephanie D. Schulte is a writer/photographer with SWRNN. She can be reached at stephanie.schulte@swrnn.com.
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