Born and raised in New York, Käla Mandrake has been taking pictures of her life, her friends and the rocknroll underground scene since she was 16 years old. As a teenager, she hung out in squats and underground venues in the Lower East Side, shooting punk bands. At 17, she spent about a year in a girl fronted pop-punk band, and later began shooting predominantly girl fronted bands. Remaining part of the East Village scene, Kala has always tried to find and capture something that reflects the "underground." Whether it's through her band shots or her more intimate art shots/portraits, she wants to reveal something sincere and hidden within her subjects.

Käla is creatively inspired by her family background of musicians and artists. Her great-grandparents were Vaudeville musicians. And her grandfather Mandrake the Magician was the ultimate underground artist. He and his assistant Velvet, Käla's grandmother, traveled with Vaudeville and all around the world for over fifty years and invented well-known magic acts that are still being used by magicians today.

Käla's portraits have been seen in various galleries, venues and art festivals in the NYC area. For the winter holidays in 2005, Käla organized a benefit show for the House Of Ruth (one of the leading domestic violence centers, helping battered women and their children) at her Solo exhibition at Mother Jaguar in Brooklyn. She was honored to have a live solo performance by the magnificent Lenny Kaye (guitarist for Patti Smith group) as well as a special performance by the lovely Patti Rothberg. Käla's work has been published in such magazines and newspapers as Show Business Weekly (July 2005), RockRGrl magazine (Nov/Dec 2001), Picture magazine (Nov/Dec 2001), Velvet Park magazine (Nov/Dec 2002), New York Blade (July 2005), Out magazine (April 2000) and New York Press. Her rocknroll photography has also been featured in Lola RocknRolla's film Sell Out (2005) and Kathleen Warnock's play Grieving For Genevieve (2005).

Käla began her photography business providing for performing artists and specializing in musicians in 1999. Her services include live shoots at performances, studio shoots, and location shoots to be used for press, CDs, web sites, portfolios, etc. Her rocknroll photos can be seen on album covers of some amazing up-and-coming talents. She has also shot the Lunachicks, Joan Jett, Sexpod, Patti Smith, Pretenders, Spitfire America, Goodfinger, LP, Lucinda Williams, New Professionals, Karyn Kühl, Motochronic, Firegods, Special Head, as well as the heavenly burlesque ladies Melody Sweets, Miss Tickle and Lady Ace.

Astrology is Käla's other passion and obsession. In 2001, she wrote monthly horoscopes for www.meowmixchix.com, and in 2002 she wrote the bi-monthly horoscopes "Goddess Astrology" for GoNYC magazine. She also provides personalized forecasts for individuals and couples on an ongoing basis.

Currently, Käla is working to publish her first book of portraits, entitled Underground, Photography of the Subconscious, as well as a photographic essay in the form of a short film.

If you would like to contact Käla for more information or to make an appointment, please send an e-mail to kalanyc@hotmail.com.