About Lisa Russman

Lisa Russman is an architectural photographer and visual strategist for designers, architects, studios, and creatives. The continual thread throughout her career has been a love of museums, art, and design, and the desire to advance the remarkable shared experiences they offer.

Lisa began shooting interiors and architecture professionally in 2010 but it all began in college with a film camera, a Pentax K-1000 that her brother gave her (he says he lent it, but that’s up for debate.) While getting her B.A. in Art History from Tufts University, she studied photography with the American photographer Jim Dow, whose work had a profound impact on how she views the built world today. Her first career was in arts and cultural communications, where at NY-based firms, at the American Museum of Natural History, and later as a consultant, Lisa developed and launched integrated media, public relations, and strategic communications campaigns for major museum openings, exhibition sponsorships, and cultural projects.

Immersion in digital photography practices and design history ushered in her next career as an interiors and architectural photographer. Here Lisa developed visual narratives through the lens, yet kept a steady eye on marketing goals for her clients, many of whom were award-winning designers and leading national home brands. Her photographs have been published in House Beautiful, Rue, Business of Home, AD Pro, My Domaine, One Kings Lane, Blueprint, Design NJ, and Aspire Design + Home, as well as in campaigns for companies such as Knoll, Industry West, and Jamie Stern Design.

Her visual strategy work today has emerged out of the recognition that many of her clients were photographing projects and showcasing a mix of portfolio, team, and personal life without first looking inward and discovering company differentiators, values, goals, personality, along with engaging and “on brand” personal interests. Certifications in brand strategy and digital curation, along with her marketing and photography background, informs her visual strategy, digital curation of archives, and creative direction services. The goal is to help small, creative companies identify a balanced and nuanced visual mix that builds expertise and connection.

Lisa is a Vice President of the Board of Trustees of the Montclair Art Museum, located in Montclair, New Jersey, where she is a co-chair of their Marketing and Audience Development Committee.

When shooting today, Lisa focuses on architectural passion projects: museum plazas, modernist office buildings, and the adaptive reuse of architecturally important buildings and sites.