Copyright © 1999 - 2008

Memory Lane Studio
11952 US 127 South  
Van Wert, OH  45891

(419) 238-2174

memoryln@wcoil.com

MemoryLaneStudio.com

Memory Lane Studio moved into it’s current location in June of 2000. It is a modern structure and home studio of Gary E. Lane. This new studio has over three times the amount of shooting room space as the previous studio and boasts two camera rooms and a simulated north light area. There are many new props and backgrounds now available and the dressing room amenities include an ironing area, complimentary hair care products and chilled, bottled water. Presently, work is progressing on an outdoor photo park. Work on this project will be ongoing for the next few years but plans include barn wood areas, archways, floral sets, a small beach area , a pool and more.

Gary Lane wants your session at Memory Lane Studio to be a very pleasant experience. The dressing area and studio are designed with your comfort in mind. When booking your appointment you will be asked if you would like to feature anything from your life in high school in your photographs. He is more than happy to accomodate your needs. Many high schools attempt to bully their seniors into thinking that they MUST go to the "School Photographer" for senior portraits. Ever wonder why they are so agressive at this practice. It's usually because they are getting a kickback from the "School Photographer". Gary Lane is proud to say that he doesn't have to BUY his seniors. If you really want cookie cutter results at what seems like a bargain price then go to the "School Photographer". However, remember that nothing is a bargain if it is of poor quality. Memory Lane is totally digital and Gary is highly skilled in the digital realm. Although it is not Gary's intent to try to dazzle the customer with special effects rather than photographic talent, there are numerous effects available which can be added to your images if you so desire. Some photographers like to shoot as many as a hundred exposures in a session. That is their style, it is not ours. We know when we have a great image and there is no need to keep reshooting the same scene. There are three "sizes" of sessions available plus an outdoor add-on if you so desire.

Gary E. Lane Cr Photog CPP began his photographic career in 1990. Before that time, photography was simply a passion. His education includes several years of training at the Winona School of Professional Photography and various workshops around the country. In 1995 he earned his status as a Certified Professional Photographer (CPP). To do this, one must submit 20 prints. All of them must meet or exceed rigid judging criteria and a very comprehensive test must be completed with a passing score. Gary passed the test with the highest score in his testing group. To continuously maintain the CPP designation one must keep current by attending schools and submitting 20 more prints every five years. In July of 1999, after instructing professional photography to other professionals for three years, Gary earned his degree of Photographic Craftsman from the Professional Photographers of America. His education is never ending and he is constantly learning newer and more refined techniques of his art and trade. Some of our competition brag about the tremendous number of students they photograph each year. Gary photographs far fewer students but each one is handled with care and with the skill of many years of continuing education. They are NOT herded through like cattle. Quality versus quantity. It's a simple choice.

Just about all of us have had the unpleasant experience of a high pressure sales person. You know the type. They try to convince you that you are not smart enough to buy what you want so they can sell you something that is way overpriced. It was having had one too many experiences like this that made Gary Lane decide that he would never treat his customers in this manner. There are no commission sales people at Memory Lane and nobody will ever try to talk you into buying more than you actually want or can afford. Memory Lane will also not use cheesy tactics to get you to come into our studio. How many twelve page brochures with testimonials and brag stories about how many boards the photographer sits on have you received this year? They talk about just about everything except prices. Our brochure is a single page trifold which is packed with real information and PRICES. You can download this brochure directly off this site under the heading "price list".

When a new studio can't get customers any other way sometimes they take extreme measures and many of them have gone too far. Memory Lane is aware that many high school senior girls want a little more mature look but there is a HUGE difference between looking a bit more mature and being portrayed by the photographer as a centerfold. We pride ourselves on having cutting edge backgrounds and poses but we do not use such tactics as making them appear nude behind a prop. This is extremely unethical and probably illegal. What the student wears is their business and their decision and we will use that clothing to best flatter the student. Many senior girls do desire a glamour type session and we can do this quite effectively but we will not put them in a pose that is so provocative as to put the session in the category of boudoir photography. A speaker at a convention attended by Gary Lane once made a very interesting comment. He stated that some of the members were getting way out of hand with how they photograph young girls and that they all needed to remember that "these are high school senior girls.....not playmates!"

Memory Lane does not sell packages and never did. You purchase from a totally ala carte menu . This means you buy just what you want and not what some commission hungry sales person wants you to buy. That single policy has made us more friends and return customers than anything else. The whole concept of a package is designed to pump more money out of a customer than he or she intended on spending. If you had to be tricked into making a large purchase then the photographer must have failed in the first place. Gary Lane goes into a session with a high level of experience and confidence. Therefore he doesn't have to charge outrageously high sitting fees "just in case you don't make an order". Our prices are fair and reasonable.

It seems that nearly everyone who owns a digital camera thinks they're a professional photographer. This whole line of thinking is an insult to professionals who took the time to become formally educated as to how to bring out a person's soul in a photograph. Digital enhancement can be used constructively or in the wrong hands very destructively. Memory Lane is not going to make major structural changes to your face or body without your consent and yes, your eye color will remain the same unless you ask for it to be changed. Photographic portraits are rememberances of a person's personality. Don't waste time with a beginner.

At Memory Lane Studio our photography speaks for itself. No cheap tricks or phony baloney marketing is used here. Overall, we operate with a “golden rule” policy. We treat our customers with all the respect, dignity and fairness that we would expect in return from anyone. That’s the way it will always be at Memory Lane Studio.