AZA 2012 Photo Contest Winner: Paul Selvaggio, Creative Director at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium

Paul has been the creative director at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium for 18 years. He is responsible for the graphic design, visual branding, and photographic representation of the Zoo, both internally through signs and artwork around the Zoo, and externally in advertisements and publications. Over the years he has photographed thousands of the Zoo’s diverse animals, resulting in hundreds of thousands of stunning images. His winning image of a pufferfish appears on the cover of the December issue of CONNECT magazine.

He has documented several conservation projects with which the Zoo is involved through his photography for initiatives such as Project Frozen Dumbo in South Africa, Sea Turtle Second Chance Program in North Carolina, Key West Truman Pier Coral NOAA Rescue in Florida, and Coral Conservation efforts with SECORE in Curaçao.

As both an artist and professional, Paul has always had a passion for photography. For over 30 years as a Pittsburgh-based photographer, he has captured brilliant images for a veritable plethora of publications including Time Magazine, USA Today, Pittsburgh Magazine, Forbes and the New York Times. He has also worked with with renowned clients such as Heinz, PNC Bank, Mellon, MSA, Alcoa, and Westinghouse.

Paul’s remarkable versatility in the art of photography has allowed him to capture a dazzling array of images over the course of his career in genres such as product, food, fashion, nature, wildlife, advertising, and editorial photography. Although he prefers ambient light, he also uses studio strobe equipment to create dynamic lighting effects in controlled settings.

Paul is always looking forward to the next opportunity to tell a story, further an initiative, or document history through his photographs.

Tim Lewthwaite