Today we’d like to introduce you to Susan Lash.
Hi Susan, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Photography has been part of my life for a long while. Growing up my best friend got a Polaroid instant camera that I loved. I borrowed it every chance I got, and if ownership had been based on enthusiasm and time used, it surely would have been mine! From those earliest experiences, I became enthralled with the idea of preserving moments and experiences, and being able to hold onto the memories they carried in pictures.
It wasn’t long before I got a camera, the first of many. In my twenties, I got my first “serious” camera and that’s when my love for photography really took hold. As photography evolved from film to digital, I followed suit. It’s only been in the last seven years that I started submitting my work to juried exhibitions. The first time I ever submitted my work it was accepted and sold. I enjoy exhibiting my photographs and being a part of the creative community around Cleveland.
It wasn’t until the fall of last year I considered trying to sell my photos on my own. I was checking out some of the art at Murray Hill Galleries in Little Italy, when I first had the idea of opening a photography studio/gallery. Sometimes things just seem to fall into place and that’s what happened with this. As luck would have it, a small gallery had just become available. I took one look and decided why not. I didn’t know anything about running a small business or the best way to setup a gallery, but that didn’t stop me. I had plenty of photos (that’s an understatement) to choose from for a portfolio and the rest I figured I could learn.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There are always challenges when you do something you have never done before, and I’ve never owned a business, so sure, there have been challenges—but nothing significant enough to make me regret taking the leap. I am thrilled to be in Cleveland’s historic Little Italy neighborhood—and with the many talented artists of Murray Hill Galleries. I opened in December 2024, the winter was very slow but as the weather improves so has business. I’m working things out as I go, and fortunately, my husband, Mark, takes care of the bookkeeping so I can focus on the creative side of things. Truthfully though, in terms of obstacles, it has been relatively easy compared to the previous 3 or 4 years of my life.
Throughout much of my life, photography and cycling have been my two greatest hobbies, and how I spent most of my free time. In August 2021, I was out on a training ride, riding a route I had ridden dozens of times, this time though I was hit by a car. Recovery has been long and difficult and with lasting effects so I’ve not been unable to return to cycling like before.
Consequently my interest in photography has grown.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My photography most closely aligns with fine art photography. My style leans toward expressionist and abstract, though not exclusively. I mostly photograph nature and landscapes, but again, not exclusively. I also shoot some architecture, street, and travel. Visitors to the gallery also seem to prefer the more creative/abstract photos, which I like because they are the ones that I most enjoy making. By making, I mean photographs aren’t taken, they are made.
There is quite a bit of work and time that goes into each and every photo before it ends up hanging in the gallery. In this day and age, people may wonder if something is real or AI, and while I do use software like Lightroom and Photoshop to edit my photos, they are not made by AI. At the heart of my photography is a lifelong love of nature and of capturing its beauty.
Photography is more than a visual record of something. It’s a way to interpret nature, and to capture the emotion, atmosphere, and experience into something tangible. Where words might fall short, an image can speak volumes. With a camera and a creative eye—and software like Lightroom—the possibilities for storytelling are endless. Photography is both art and language to me.
Making photographs, to quote the legendary Ansel Adams, allows me to be capture memories and fulfill my creative desire too. My photography is an act of both discovery and expression. An image attempts to distill a scene down—be it a landscape or a small scene such as in macro photography—into artistic expression more than just a representation. I strive to honor the beauty in the world in my work while also bringing something of myself to each frame. At its foundation, my approach to photography is rooted in curiosity and observation. I am drawn to the textures, shapes, colors, light, and patterns. I am also interested in understanding and reflecting the atmosphere of a place. Much of my photographic work centers around our relationship to the natural world. Nature, in all her wildness and beauty, strikes a chord in us that is both ancient and immediate. My photography is forever drawn to expressing that connection.
What were you like growing up?
I grew up in the South, about ten miles from the Gulf of Mexico coast, so there was no winter to speak of and temperatures were warm enough that you could be outside in shorts and t-shirt nearly year round. The word “coat” wasn’t really in my vocabulary. We rarely hung out in any of our homes, we preferred being outside when we weren’t in school. In the summers we were almost always outdoors biking, roller skating, climbing trees, exploring anywhere without a fence (usually), and swimming. I had a lot of independence as a kid, so I was pretty self-reliant and adventurous and haven’t strayed far from that as an adult.
Pricing:
I believe art should be accessible to everyone. If someone loves one of my photographs, I want to do what I can to make it affordable to purchase in some manner. As prices for printing and framing have increased, I have had to consider alternative formats. One of the options has been to make photos available in acrylic photo blocks, which are smaller and thus less expensive, and also have the benefit of having a small footprint so they can go on a table, desk, or shelf. They also happen to be really vibrant so some compositions are enhanced by that format. Also, people sometimes don’t have the wall space to accommodate large framed prints, so acrylic photo blocks give them another option. I am also introducing metal prints and smaller framed prints to the inventory. All photos are available from small to large in a variety of frames.
I couldn’t be happier having a photography gallery at Murray Hill Galleries. I want the gallery to be a place for community, conversation, and creative exchange. I believe in the power of art to connect us to one another and to promote a greater appreciation of the natural world.
Contact Info:
Susan Lash Photography Gallery & Studio
Murray Hill Galleries, Rm 109
2026 Murray Hill Road, Cleveland, OH 44106
For appointments, email susanlashphoto@gmail.com or call/text me at 216-703-7724 The gallery is open most weekends; to schedule a time to come by outside regular hours, please email or phone/text.
- Website: https://susanlashphoto.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/susanlashphoto/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/susanlashphotography
