We’re looking forward to introducing you to Rafael. Check out our conversation below.
Good morning Rafael, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What is a normal day like for you right now?
If you’re in business for yourself, you know it would not be a normal day if besides your normal role – mine being photographer – you didn’t also have to dawn many other hats. For example, you also need to be your own IT person, HR person, accounting person, and so on. This morning, I stepped into work needing to upgrade my storage system. Meanwhile, a service provider I used is experiencing a site-wide issue, impacting my own clients. This is all before I start to tackle my photography work for the day. This is usual for a day.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Rafael, a photographer based in greater Los Angeles. My brand is The Light Committee and it focuses on delivering photography for one-on-one sessions. In most cases, these are actor headshots, corporate headshots, modeling digitals, and other one-on-one session photography like portraits and branding. I fell in love with photography early on, in high school. It helped that I had an encouraging photography teacher. I took my first class then and my teacher took me under his wing to teach me more and more. As anyone knows, the more success you have with something, in terms of achieving your desired results, the more you want to take it in. I still have that passion for photography to this day.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who taught you the most about work?
It was my dad first and the US Air Force second. As the son of a first-generation immigrant, hard work wasn’t just essential or a way to differentiate yourself. It was a requirement. I saw this with my father all the time. During the summers instead of going off on vacations with friends, he put me to work with him painting houses, Monday through Friday, 7 am to sundown. He worked hard in the business he built and building a business and working hard at it was a strong lesson I learned from him. Then there is the US Air Force that taught me discipline on another level. I remember the countless checklists to process for task after task. After years of being in the Air Force, it was etched in me to this day. I create systems of processing things for pretty much everything I do.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
I can’t think of one. Honestly, I try not to have those two words as an option, “give up.” As I mentioned, my dad had many struggles to get ahead as an immigrant. We knew many other people with far bigger struggles than I could ever imagine. Giving up would be disrespectful to their far greater struggles than I could imagine.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Is the public version of you the real you?
Partly so. I believe myself to be kind first but I can be ruthless when necessary. I always choose kindness before being mean. Mean should never be a first or second resort. I am not the person you drive behind that suddenly stops mid-traffic, holding everyone else up, to respond to a text. I would choose to pull over out of the way to respond. I prefer to smile or say hello to a passerby rather than emptily stare down at my phone. I will hold a door open for you too. But what I make sure the public is not aware about are certain personal beliefs, like politics. I’ve always wondered how some people choose to wear that on their sleeves. It usually just draws or creates negative energy, especially if you are dealing with someone with an opposing view. I want to publicly express things that create positive energy. Choose kindness and leave the negative energy stuff at the door when dealing with the public-side of yourself.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
Wow, if I expected praise for every time I tried my best I’d be nowhere. I don’t have any expectations for receiving praise for anything I do. If I’m honest, praise makes me oddly uncomfortable. That someone is saying to me, “wow, you did so good at that and it’s awesome” is peculiar because that’s what I should have done anyway.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thelightcommittee.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelightcommittee/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lightcommittee
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-light-committee-glendale-2?osq=the+light+committee&override_cta=Get+pricing
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thelightcommittee
Image Credits
Jaydn Meier
Tatiana Tayeh
Samy Ferrenbach
Anastasia Rine
