Reflection............

September.  A time for review and a restart for many of us.  A transition to a new season.  A transition to a new school year.  A transition for our lives.

In our world, there are so many differences amongst people, yet so many similarities that we seem to forget in the heat of the moment.  As I walked our city's annual Labor Day parade yesterday, I was struck by the many people that were all along the route and although just looking at someone's exterior, one may see differences........I kept on focusing on how much we all had in common.  We were all going through some transitions and as well, preparations for what lay ahead.

Reflect on who we are, what we believe in, what we stand for and what we can all do together.  We can do so much if we just support each other and work together.  This is a transition that I would like many of us to consider..........respect others and recognize our similarities, rather than seeing the many differences.

http://www.rascona.com

Taboo conversations.............

Mental health. 

It's an issue that no one really likes to speak about, but we all are dealing with issues to some extent.  The pressures of our daily lives.  The triggers that can set us off.  The highs and lows and all the range that is in between.  I wish that I knew how to handle it all.  We all wish that we knew the right way to deal with everything that gets thrown at us, but we don't.  We all try and "act" like we have it together because if we didn't act like it, then people would actually know the real truth.

Mental Health. 

We all need support. 

We all need people to listen.  

We all need to not be fearful to ask for help and to be heard.

This is a small taste of a project that Rodney Rascona worked on.  Powerful.

www.rascona.com

Full of Hope..........

Each day, there seems to be a new challenge that we face, yet I realize more and more - my challenges are so minimal compared to others.  The last few years - Rodney's photography has been laser sharp, focused on human beings, their struggles, their lives and each person's hope for a brighter future.  Today and each day, I try to appreciate the blessings in my life and to focus on being full of hope.  Positive.  Looking for solutions.

Grateful for my life and those that surround me, in work, in life.

www.rascona.com

Haitians.........beautiful humans, like you and me.

Rodney Rascona has spent a lot of time in Haiti - focusing on the people.  What a rich country, in tradition, in family, yet by far - the most destitute country in the Americas.  Nearly 60 percent of Haitians live on less than $2.42 per day........could you live on that little?

Currently, our Homeland Security Secretary is considering the expulsion en masse of some 50,000 Haitians that are now living legally in the United Stated.  Think about that.  This land of 10.4 million that is still reeling from the huge earthquake in 2010, the ongoing cholera epidemic and an incredibly devastating hurricane that swept the island only last Fall, may need to deal with a huge influx of humans that it will not be able to handle.

Rodney covers these humanitarian issues.  He covers them on the ground, where they live day in and day out.  Gets to know the people and shows the reality, the truth and beauty of who they are......exactly like you and me.

www.rascona.com

A Helping Hand.

A helping hand.

We all could use one from time to time.

Many locales are being ravaged by a hurricane as I type this and on a daily basis there are needs throughout the world.  Rodney has had a chance to lend a hand on a number of projects.  Working on behalf of great clients and impactful projects, such as Global Relief, Red Dirt Road, UNF-GACC, Black Inside, Somalian Exile, The Indian Tsunami, as well as The Pink Door - Haiti.

Our hope is that in our own way - we can lend a hand and be there to help.  Projects that have teeth and that are looking for partners to tell a story, you have found a home.  Rodney can pull together a team that can provide you with the right catalyst to bring your project to fruition with heart and soul.

It will be time again to lend a helping hand and we will be there.

May we all find a way to be there to help.

www.rascona.com

What's the story?

Do you ever hang out in places - whether doing work, having a cup of coffee or just waiting for someone and you make up stories about the people you are seeing?  Maybe it is just me, but I like to think that many of us, especially in the creative end of the business - make up these incredible stories about what is going on with this person, who they are meeting, where they have been.  

Ironically, as I thought about this more and more - I realized the correlation between creative minds creating imaginary stories and photography visionaries creating stories with their images - especially still photographers.  One image needs to capture a lot of information - so that the person viewing it can see the details and get it.  I love that!  It's kind of what makes me want to do, what I do each day.  Create a story in one shot (okay - sometimes maybe a few more images than that - but you know what I mean).

So, here's an image.  Joshua shot it......there is a story behind it.

What's the story you think it should tell?

www.joshuaweinfeld.com