(Editor’s note: Now in its third iteration, the Laine Business Accelerator recently awarded $5,000 to 11 enterprises seeking to launch or expand their businesses. Included here is a profile of one of those businesses.)

OLEAN — For Sarah Blovsky, her photography business is extremely personal — and for good reason.

What started out as a fulfilling hobby has turned into her dream business, and the motivation for that sprang from the time she spent with her father as he was battling brain cancer.

“I had been working in admissions at University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, when, after my father’s second surgery, it became apparent that I needed to be home with him,” she said. “I made the decision to stay with him and care for him — and I will never regret that decision.”

Indeed, it was Blovsky’s desire to entertain her dad and put a smile on his face that fanned the flames of her interest in photography.

“Dad couldn’t move, so I began taking pictures to show him of what was going on outside — the snow, the landscape, etc. It made him so happy and was such a great sharing time with him. He would say, ‘I love your pictures.’ It was a special time.

“I’ve always loved landscaping photography, so taking those pictures was just a natural extension of what I enjoyed. And the fact that I was doing it for my Dad made it so meaningful and unforgettable.

“Dad was only 47 when he passed away,” she said. “I cherish those moments I had with him, and when I look at those photographs, I know exactly what happened in that moment and I can hear his laughter again.”

But it took a while — several months — after her father’s death before she could pick up her camera again. And when she did, the first picture she saw on her camera comforted her and inspired her.

“It was a picture I had taken for my dad,” she said. “I considered that a sign that I needed to get back into photography.”

And so she did, but with a twist. Unlike many professional photographers who rely on weddings and similar events as their livelihood, Blovsky wanted her focus to be different.

“I wanted to photograph and capture the moments that might not even be considered an event,” she said. “For example, shortly after we first received the news of Dad’s diagnosis, there was a benefit held for him and our family, and I thought to snap pictures during the event. I wanted to capture the beauty of community and everyone coming together. And that night, Dad was so full of adrenaline, he was wide awake and stayed up for hours looking at them.”

Now, Blovsky concentrates on portrait photography. “My goal is to provide my clients with images that they will cherish forever, one that will one day be worth so much more.”

While she says she was “honestly surprised” to be selected for this year’s Laine Business Accelerator cohort, she knows how important the experience can be to her business.

“I’m looking forward to meeting like-minded entrepreneurs, expanding my network and learning from my mentors.” She plans to invest the $5,000 LBA grant in new equipment and in marketing her business.

But for Blovsky, photography will always be much more than a business — it will always be personal and, in a way, an enduring tribute to her dad.