I’m Colby Lysne, a
photographer and artist based in the Upper Midwest. For over 20 years, I worked as a commercial photographer in editorial and advertising, creating images for clients in the agriculture, outdoor, and retail worlds. That work taught me how to make photographs that are clear, intentional, and quietly effective — images that know how to live in the world.
In the spaces between assignments, I was always making personal work. Slower work. Work without a client brief. Much of what you see here grew out of those in-between moments — time spent outside, paying attention to light, weather, texture, memory, and place.
My fine art practice sits somewhere between photography and drawing. The work is rooted in landscape and nature, but often leans abstract and painterly — less about documenting a location and more about creating a mood. I’m interested in images that feel calm but not passive, simple but not empty. Work that gives a space somewhere to breathe.
These pieces are made to live on walls. They’re designed to support an environment rather than dominate it — to bring in a sense of atmosphere, softness, and quiet presence. I think of them as visual rest stops: art that settles a room, slows things down, and lets people feel grounded without needing to analyze anything.
Outside the studio, I’m usually outdoors or somewhere near a hockey rink. I’m a husband, father, hunter, angler, hiker, paddler, camper, player, coach, organizer, and lifelong fan. All of that inevitably seeps into the work.
80s hairbands are my smooth jazz.
