Ben Leclair

Biography

My name in Ben Leclair, 29 years of age and I have a pretty unusual story!

I've loved action sports my whole life and I was very fortunate to have a career as a professional wakeboarder. Traveling the world for competitions and promoting companies, I was always surrounded by photographers and I was always very intrigued by their craft. Once I got my first camera (Lumix GH4) it became an essential in my travel bag. The transition to go behind the lens felt very natural when I started filming other riders since I could anticipate their actions with the camera. Here's a link to one of my first video projects with the GH4: https://vimeo.com/164114582

I was still learning my ways as a videographer when my life was flipped upside down because of a wakeboard crash that turned me into a quadriplegic in 2016. Since then I've constantly pushed myself physically to regain movement to get back into video production. Six years later I am a totally different person but my passion for creating videos keeps expanding. I'm very thankful to the Lumix G series for giving me the freedom to create independently even with my physical limitations.

Being able to rely on a continuous auto-focus while filming moving subjects is such a great asset on the Lumix S5II. #behindthescenes #BTS… | Instagram

Here's how it looks when I roll up to the skatepark with the @lumix #GH6 #lumixcreator #filming #lumixgseries @panasonic #contentcreator… | Instagram

Many people who become disabled after an accident lose hope of being able to find activities that can free their mind and escape their daily issues. Videography has always been a go-to for me but especially when it involves nature...

As a skateboarder myself, I look at concrete as a canvas for creativity. It's true for the person who rides but it also transcends to the people who get to witness it...