MACRED Member Spotlight: Lemelin Photography
Chicopee, Mass. - Capturing memories is something that professional photographer Ron Lemelin excels in doing for his clients, and it’s a business that began with a need to capture his own memories. More than 20 years ago Lemelin’s son was born prematurely and was given three days and a three percent chance of survival.
“The doctors said we should make every moment with him count,” Lemelin said. "So I bought a camera."
Lemelin and his family
He documented every minute of what he and his wife feared would be a short time with their newborn. As their young son passed each new milestone and beat the medical odds, Lemelin was prepared never to miss a moment. When a second son joined the family, Lemelin always had a camera at hand. Yet he never considered it to be more than a hobby until his family had a professional photography session.
The photos were wonderful, but the session was unpleasant. That was when Lemelin realized that professional photography shouldn’t just be about the pictures; it was a way to bring people together for a moment in time and capture that collective experience.
“My job is to capture every memory as much as possible so at the end of the day they don’t find it to be a boring experience, that they enjoy the time that they have together,” he said.
Taking a Leap
Lemelin knew he could give clients a fun photography experience, he just needed a bit of professional training. For his 40th birthday he asked friends and family to help him open his own business, Lemelin Photography.
For twelve years he juggled a full-time career with full-time photography clients. As much as he loved photography, Lemelin wasn’t confident leaving an established job with guaranteed salary and benefits.
It was a conversation in 2017 with Stand Out Truck® owner Mychal Connolly that helped Lemelin realize he could follow his passion. In 2021 he left his corporate job to dedicate all his energy on photography.
“Since quitting I’ve had the luxury of time,” he said. “Twenty-four hours a day is what everybody gets. I now utilize that time to put all of my effort into my photography business.”
That time allows him the opportunity to focus on marketing, and to implement ideas discussed in Marketing and Cupcakes™. It helped him better understand ways to help his business succeed.
“I felt like I was using a worm to try and catch a shark,” Lemelin said.
“My creativity was there, my product was there, my clients were there. My weakest link was marketing. Since I’ve been part of Marketing and Cupcakes™, that link has been strengthened,” he said.
He realized that all of the different messages he was previously using in advertising buried the primary message and overcomplicated his main point, Capturing Your Memories.
Marketing and Cupcakes™ gave him the insight he needed to help his business take off with advice that he calls “eye-opening and mind-blowing.” Just being part of the conversations he believes yields incredible information.
Leaving an Impression
Now just as his two sons have grown and ventured into the world, Lemelin’s photography business has grown and evolved. His studio has expanded from his living room to a small studio to a large studio. The one constant has been the tagline that began with the birth of his first son.
“Capturing your memories is where it came from, literally sitting by my son’s bedside watching him. Every breath could be his last,” Lemelin said.
Making sure that these special moments are remembered is important to Lemelin, and that he’s left a positive impression on his client's lives.
Whether the moment is for a wedding, a newborn, a graduation, a family photo or a special event, Lemelin wants families to be able to remember their time together.
“I think that today is the day to capture the moments. Life is just too short to let things go by undocumented,” he said. “Your memories are worth holding onto”
Follow Lemelin Photography on social media at facebook.com/ronlemelin and www.instagram.com/ronlemelin, or rl-photos.com.
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