About RL-Films

Hello, my name is Rich Leader. I’ve always loved audio-video production. I was one of those kids who was always running around dad’s camcorder. In college, I even got to participate in a feature-length film and do some professional photography on my own, shooting acts as big as the Stone Temple Pilots and the Wu Tang Clan. But, as an adult, I couldn’t afford to make the transition from film to serious digital photography as a mere hobbyist.

COVID-19 changed that for me: after my town’s nursing home was one of the early hot-spots, I saw that one of the news channels who had flocked to our community had a tiny GoPro camera mounted on their tripod. Our town – our lives and our stories – somehow wasn’t worth the bother of bringing a real camera. It was at that moment that I realized that it was up to us to tell our own stories.

Since then, I’ve been the official photographer and video producer for the 2023 Section VI Swimming and Track All-League meets. I’ve worked as the leader of the video team at Niagara Celtic Festival and I was under contract to produce everything for the Kensington Lion’s All-Star Football Classic — covering everything from head-shots for the scoreboard, team photos for trophy plaques, and super slow-motion recaps of the games!

After delivering pro-level work for a year, almost always for free, I realized that if something unfortunate were to happen to my camera, I wouldn’t be able to afford to replace it; I’d be sitting on a pile of lenses and lighting equipment that would go unused. Going forward, I’m going to continue to volunteer my time, skill, and gear to help our community as much as I can. But I’m also going to ask that you consider hiring me for your private events, family portraits, and other work that you need done so I can better protect (and improve!) my ability to keep volunteering! Let me work for you!