Lisa Petz sees many different things when she looks through the lens of her camera.
Sometimes, she frames up a hometown bride on the most important day of her life, or styles models into fantastical moments of whimsy for her portfolio.
Other days, the world-weary eyes of stars like Alec Baldwin, Mike Tyson or Danny Glover stare back into her own.
A resident of Carbondale, Lackawanna County, is a professional photographer who runs her own studio space in Scranton, yet the biggest brush with fame of her career occurred on set in New York City and the Poconos between 2013 and 2015.
During that period, Petz worked as the official behind-the-scenes photographer for the movie “Back in the Day,” which premiered in Philadelphia on Thursday.
The film tells an underdog boxing story, written by star and producer William DeMeo, and features Baldwin, Glover and Tyson, as well as Shannen Doherty, Michael Madsen and Annabella Sciorra.
“The entire experience still feels very surreal,” Petz said. “I’m excited to see the movie all put together. I’ve only seen it in bits and pieces.”
The film represents a career highlight for the 29-year-old and a bump in credibility for her budding brand as a visual artist.
The Carbondale Area High School graduate developed a love for the arts as a kid in Northeast Pennsylvania, where she said local teacher Barbara Pilcavage encouraged her to dip into painting, drawing and mixed media.
A stint with Arts Alive! at Keystone College furthered her interest, and by 11th grade, Petz was invested in photography.
“I learn by watching others and on my own through practice,” she said. “It’s my hobby and my passion. I feel like when you love something and put your all into it, you get results.
“If you want something bad enough and work hard enough, you can reach your dreams,” she added.
Petz continued her education at Art Institute of California — San Diego, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in 3-D game art and design.
“That’s where I learned my potential to make entire worlds with your imagination,” she said. “I love capturing beauty. I feel like sometimes I live vicariously through people’s lives with my work.”
During her 20s, Petz traveled the country and Europe, with stops in England, Ireland and Paris and periods living in major U.S. cities like Chicago and Philadelphia, all of which inspired her perspective as an artist.
She worked on a variety of projects, including two short films and a documentary all shot in New York, and snapped photos of concerts at Montage Mountain, including Jason Aldean and Maroon 5, and “The Toy Shoppe” musical starring Alan Thicke presented at Lackawanna College in December.
She opened her studio at 404 N. Washington Ave. in March, where she spent a recent afternoon recounting what it was like to work with major stars on the set of “Back in the Day,” and how she earned the job.
Petz met DeMeo through a mutual local friend whom she had photographed, and he hired her to shoot a show he produced in 2013 at Mohegan Sun Pocono. Impressed with her work, DeMeo offered Petz the job with the movie.
Much of the film was shot in Brooklyn and the Bronx, for which Petz drove to the city from Carbondale. The commute didn’t bother her, she said, and she used the time in the car to write songs. During heavy production weeks, she stayed with her younger brother, Ryan, who lives in New York.
Filming stretched over a few years, although her time on set amounted to about three or four months, she guessed. During that time, Petz maneuvered carefully around the rest of the cast and crew to document the process, and also staged the actors in front of screens for portraits in character to be used in promotional materials.
“A lot of times, I don’t get to interact (with them), because I have to be professional,” Petz said.
This meant she couldn’t ask for photos with the stars, although some insisted she join them in front of the camera to have pictures for posterity. The celebrities were largely friendly and polite, and she learned a lot from observing them in their element, she said.
She is in talks to collaborate with DeMeo on another upcoming project and intends to move to New York City to pursue other opportunities in photography by the end of the summer.
No matter what comes, Petz plans to keep NEPA close to her heart, retaining her studio office in Scranton and returning often for visits with her family, including her parents, Tammy and Louis Petz, who live in Carbondale. Staying close to her roots allows her to keep her artistic integrity, too, she said.
“This area has so much potential in it. When you meet the right people, your entire world opens up,” Petz said. “There’s so many creative (types) in this area that are like hidden gems.
“Growing up in this area definitely shaped me,” she added. “(My parents) are the most important people in my life. I can’t wait to see where I’ll be in 10 years.”