What is your name?
Lydia Leclair
What is your title?
Owner / Photographer
What is your business name?
Lydia Leclair Photography
What is your website URL?
www.lydialeclairphotography.com
What is your Instagram handle?
@lydialeclairphoto
What is your LinkedIn URL?
linkedin.com/in/lydia-leclair-photography
How long have you been a Boston Business Women member?
5+ years
Where are you based? How did you end up there?
I’m based on Cape Cod, and my photography studio is located in Harwich Port, MA! I actually grew up in Western Mass and would visit my grandparents every summer on the Cape. Their historical home and barn, which was a working cranberry bog, is still in the family. I never thought I would end up on the Cape, and actually moved to California for graduate school thinking I would stay on the west coast forever. From there I moved to Colorado, and then back to MA full time about 11 years ago. I travel all over the Cape and MA/ New England for family, senior and branding sessions.
Tell us more about your company! What do you do and what pushed you to start?
I picked up my first camera when I was five years old—it was my dad’s Canon film camera (and I’m still a Canon girl). Throughout middle school and high school I took Black & White film classes and learned to develop film and print my own photographs. In college I minored in photography, and also went on a study abroad trip every year (camera in tow); I visited England, Costa Rica, Tanzania, Antarctica, and China.
In undergraduate and graduate school I studied Environmental Science, so I always had a passion for both art/photography and science. When my first daughter was born I decided to pursue photography full time—no backup plan, no plan B. I jumped into my business with no parachute and just a knowing that I could make it work. I opened my studio on Cape Cod less than a year after moving here.
Since then my business has continued to grow! My studio sessions include headshot, branding and product, empowerment, high school senior, and goddess sessions. My outdoor/on-location sessions include family, multi-generational, high school senior, branding, pet, and surprise marriage proposal sessions.
What is your definition of success? How do you know when you’ve reached it?
To me, success is having a vision and working on getting there. The path is always changing, but it’s about following your heart and intuition on the journey. Of course, starting and running a profitable and sustainable business is a success—but also showing up as a mom and partner every day, and making time for self-care.
Tell us about your most transformational moment as an entrepreneur.
Growing up I was incredibly shy and introverted. Starting and running a business really helped me grow personally. I used to get very nervous to talk on the phone, never went to networking events, and was shy being on camera. However, to grow my business, I had to work on all of those things. As I continued to grow personally, it reflected back in my business.
What was one of your biggest challenges in business?
Early on, one of my biggest challenges was having the confidence to raise my prices. However, knowing my numbers and having a vision for my business and life has really helped me price my art and services appropriately.
How do you handle the harder days or moments when you feel like giving up?
My outlook is to see everything as a learning experience. Even if there are struggles or hard days, I remind myself that they will pass. I’ve gotten through so many hard days in my life that I know I can keep going. I try to look at problems in another way and reach out to my support systems—friends, family, and business masterminds.
How has being a Boston Business Women Inner Circle member positively influenced your life and business?
I love the community and connection! I love meeting others in the group, both online and at in-person events. With every meeting and connection, I learn something new and am so inspired.
Tell us about your most proud moment in your career.
I’m most proud of opening my studio in 2014! After starting my business in California, restarting it in Colorado, and finally restarting on Cape Cod, it was a dream to have a studio. I took a leap signing the lease, but everything lined up. The day I signed the lease, I found a four-leaf clover—my sign of good fortune and prosperity. Over the last 10 years, the space has been my office, a fine art gallery, and now a full studio for portraits, families, and branding sessions.
Who is the woman behind your business? What does she like? How does she spend her free time? What does she value?
My two life passions have been art/photography and science. My background is in Environmental Science, but I’ve had a camera in hand the whole time. In college I studied abroad in England, Antarctica, Tanzania, Costa Rica, and China to study wildlife and ecology.
I love giving back and have donated to local environmental and wildlife organizations. In my free time, I love hiking, reading, and traveling.
What makes you stand out from others in your field?
I have infinite patience—on my website it reads, “Patience is my superpower.” For each session, I bring patience, presence, and kindness. Besides stunning portraits, I ensure the entire experience is exceptional.
Where can we keep up with you?
I’m mainly on Instagram — @lydialeclairphoto