So, DO something about it!!!

What to do?  Do SOMETHING!  And that is what many of us are doing.  We will not stand by watching as the world is changing and that can be quite empowering.

As Advertising professionals journalists, we have the power to report, document and inform people and their lives.  Thank goodness for that.

Rodney Rascona is an example of that - he has worked tirelessly over 17+ years in the oddest of place to bring the harsh realities of lives to light.  I had the pleasure of originally meeting Rodney when he shot for Volkswagen - shooting cars all over the place, in incredible locations at the twilight hours for the golden light was what was necessary.  It was an incredible experience where I learned a lot and a thrill was to be had for the long hours, hard work and beautiful finished product that made us all smile upon completion.  That all said, the work that makes me the proudest of Rodney, is the work he's done under the radar, in many ways.  Traveling in 2004 to document the Southeast Asia Tsunami, the hours spent capturing inner beauty of the Haitians after hit by an earthquake, the Ethiopian famine, women fighting for their rights in the Congo and many, many NGO projects, too many to name.

He has done it all and captured these folks sometimes in their harshest hours, but with dignity.

So, here's my call to action for all of us.  We MUST find a way to live out our passion, while helping others.  Find your calling and make it happen.

You can find out more about Rodney and his incredible work, stills and videos:
http://beakstreetbugle.com/articles/view/565/dont-moan-organise

And Rodney's website:
www.rascona.com

Something new...........

Ah, putting together a new book.  It takes SO long and is very hard to do.  I'm sure many of you creatives know exactly what I am talking about when I say that.  Lots of long hours struggling to make choices and edits - yet when it is done and people get to look at it and you share your work, it is all worth it.

I was thrilled to meet with Joshua a few weeks ago when I was out in Los Angeles.  It was more of a culmination of many back and forth emails, skype visits and phone calls - resulting in a fantastic book and some pretty incredible imagery.  Some of it I was familiar with and some was entirely new and exciting work that sends a chill up your spine.

Can't wait to share and can not wait to meet many of you in person because BOY does it look good.  Congrats Joshua!

Want to see the work?  Give me a call.

www.joshuaweinfeld.com

Joshua............LIVE

Yep.  It's LIVE.

We are excited because Joshua has spent a ton of time pulling together a new site.  It calls for a few minutes of your time and yes, may be partial, but I SO think it is worth it.

Grab a coffee or your favorite libation and peruse.  Fun stuff and an adventure at every turn.  It's pretty much just like Joshua.  Fun. Driven. Passionate. Adventurer.

If you have some feedback.  We're all ears.

www.joshuaweinfeld.com

It's all in the Details.

What a majestic shot!  So many subtleties happening everywhere you look.

Ironic to see this right at this moment in time, as so much of our life seems a bit of a blur.  Yet if we take a moment and really study the details, there is so much more to it.  Don't you think?  I believe that is one of the reasons that I love being a part of the creative process because for all of the hurry up and rush - that often happens, there is a HUGE amount of beauty, just need to peel open the onion and check out the layers.

Creativity is really keeping your mind open, pushing the boundaries, seeing things in a different way, taking risks, checking out all options and sometimes thinking out of the box.  We all could use a little bit more of this in our every day life.  Details are massively important - not just broad sweeping thoughts and approaches.  We need depth and texture, insight and communications, friendship and support.

Joshua and many of the photographers that I work with, strive each day for expanding the boundaries.  Thinking out of the box.  Finding the details and highlighting them appropriately.  Working collaboratively and communicating all along the way.  I am lucky - what a great group of people to work with each and every day.  It's all in the details!

www.joshuaweinfeld.com

Are you in or are you out?

Aren't we always looking to be included?  I don't know a lot of people that truly are "okay" if something is going on and they are not included.  It's like Civil Rights - we are all to be afforded the same rights - no matter what.  That's pretty powerful.

We are ALL supposed to be welcomed and included.

Nature is one place that are all welcome.  In some cases, it is harder to jump in and be involved if one is dealing with a disability, yet there are ways to work around or conquer that obstacle.  Life is filled with obstacles.  Photography is filled with challenges.  Each day normally presents a certain amount of trials and it is all in how you handle working through those situations that determine the outcome.

The outcome, if approached correctly, can be fantastic.  Include all voices and perspective.  Think if it's been a collaborative process and if the answer is yes - you probably have a winner product on hand.  Pure satisfaction and teamwork.   Success!!

Joshua strives for a collaborative process with all of his jobs - he's one of the team to make it happen.  We'd love to be teammates with you on your next project.

www.joshuaweinfeld.com

On the horizon........

It's a new year.  A fresh start.  Time to begin again.  Reset.

As cliche as it may be - there is something about a restart being given to you every 365 days that is amazing.  To me, it's kind of like a kick in the tush.  A reminder.  Go forth, do what you love and love what you do.  Yes, we all need to make money to help raise our families, keep a house over our head, but we also need to feed our soul.

I enter this year, grateful for all I have - my health, my family, my friends.  All of you.

We are here to help you achieve whatever it is that you want to do.  Not sure what is on the horizon, but I certainly love being on the look out, guessing and putting myself out there to make it happen.

Now go.  Who knows what's coming!

www.joshuaweinfeld.com

Would you turn your back on me?

Would you turn your back on me?

It's a tough question to struggle with when you let fear creep into your life.  We need to fight the fear.  We need to be ready to accept others and to offer help to those in need.  I do not want to let terrorism and fear take over my life and I won't let it.

I have been so proud of the work that Rodney has done over the years as he gives of himself in so many ways.  He is a true hero to me.  

He works on projects that give of himself to help others.

Offer your hand and help.  Rodney does.  

I will.

Will you?

www.rascona.com

Follow the leader................

Don't you remember playing games as a kid, like Capture the Flag, Simon Says or Follow the Leader?  These games as kids actually started putting each of us on the path toward how well we could do things in the future.  Things that we learn early on, help us as we navigate our direction down the road.  

When on are on a job, you need to pull out all of these learned items and put them to good use.  You must be able to work well with others, show teamwork and patience, navigate differences of opinion, understand the assets and capabilities of people around you, collaborate on ideas and perspectives...........whether it's for business, sports, production and basically, life.

Today, I'm sitting, working on the computer on a production (kind of like study hall), with client, agency and production all lined up working, and our week, so far...........has entailed all of these areas of expertise.  Ironic that along the way - all of our skills have been mustered from experience and some people get it, while others are still learning and working on that craft.  It's simply the way it is.  Fortunately, like follow the leader - we get to learn from each other and store that information away and pull it out sooner or later.

A little bit of knowledge is taken away after each shoot, each job, each experience.  It makes us better and hopefully it improves who we are, as we continue on the path of life.

www.joshuaweinfeld.com

Adventurizing has never looked SO good!

How amazing is this view?
How beautiful is the blue-green of the water?
How lush are those trees?  Shots like these are not few and far between for Joshua, as these are the views he works to find.  Those spots that aren't so easy to get to and are exceptionally hard to get.  Joshua knows how to "get out there" and does it ALL the time.  I actually have a hard time trying to edit many of his landscape images because each of them seem to have a different story they are telling and each story is one I want to hear.

What about you?  Have a story to tell?

www.joshuaweinfeld.com

Endless possibilities..............

Each day we have a choice of paths that lie ahead. 

What to do?  Who to speak to and support?  Where to go?  

A lot of unknowns with many decisions to make.  I recognize that with everything going on in our lives - there is a lot of noise and it is what we choose to do with all of that noise around us, that makes our life full or hollow.  The path I choose is the path that works for me.  It is decided upon to support my family and friends and the incredible people that I work with, day in and day out.  You are who we choose to do things with.  We'd like to broaden that group and show how much we have to offer...............endless possibilities lay ahead.

www.joshuaweinfeld.com