Local Photographer Begins New Business

Lisa Seligman is coming into her own as she embarks on a new business that combines her love of photography and the basic need to make a living.

Seligman of Edgewood has been on a journey of discovery as she has tried different mediums of art over the years. Now, she is preparing a new website and planning to sell her landscape and botanical photographs to local offices and individuals who would like to decorate their spaces.

“I love the beauty of nature,” Seligman said. “Nature is just very inspiring to me so I look for beautiful compositions. A lot of my landscapes seem to focus on solitude. I never have people in them and I think maybe because when I am in nature, I like to be by myself.”

One photograph features a lone tree that was shot in Oregon. Another displays gentle pink flowers along a branch.

“For me, it’s a time to be contemplative,” she said. “That’s mainly what I am focused on – the beauty and the feeling of what it's like to be in nature.”

A member of the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh, Seligman’s work recently was picked for the 2011 Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy calendar.

While she studied at the University of Pittsburgh and later graduated with a degree in anthropology from the University of Oregon, Seligman said she feels as if her dream of being a working artist is now coming together. With a variety of interests, she said photography has become the main focus, while she also creates ceramic jewelry on the side.

“It’s taken me a long time to figure out what I wanted to do and for me I am excited about the art, but it also seems like a good business idea, and that’s been a hard thing for me to figure out,” she said.

Through her work in photography, Seligman said she has been known to traipse into her neighbors’ yards if she finds a beautiful plant or flower she wants to capture in a photograph. In thanks, she creates a greeting card for the neighbor who has helped her create the work of art.

“I really think it’s cool to show people that there are beautiful places in Pittsburgh,” Seligman said. “Some people look at my photography and they think it’s in New England and I say ‘No, it’s right here in Frick Park.’”

Seligman's photography is available on notecards at Kards Unlimited in Shadyside and Make Your Mark Coffeehouse in Point Breeze. Prints are available at Gallerie Chiz in Shadyside. For more information, she can be reached at 412-589-2893, at www.lisaseligman.com or by e-mail at seligmanlc@aol.com.