Photographer

My goal with every session is for you to get great headshots and to also have a fun experience.

The Story

Once upon a time there was a high school kid that needed to select some of his classes for the coming year. He wanted to take a photography class but doubted he could. He was told he needed to have his own camera. He did not, nor did he have the money to buy one before class was to start. While he was not sure, he thought with his part time job he could save and eventually at least buy a cheap used one. So, he signed up for the class.

He was excited for the first day of class as he was an artist at heart. As a child, he was always drawing his favorite comic book characters. He would also make his own animations using notebook paper and would flick the pages to watch them come to life. He ended up filling an entire large dresser of these works created during his childhood. So, photography was the evolution.

Right away, the teacher was helpful. He loaned the student a camera until he could get his own. It was a Pentax, a shiny one. A few weeks into the class, as class was ending for that day, the teacher told the student to stay for a minute as the rest of the class left. The student immediately wondered if he did something wrong. Instead, the teacher told the student he saw good talent for photography in him and would be giving him extra assignments. He asked if he would be up to the task. The student said yes, and went on to his next class. The assignments included covering many events during the school year, like sports and club meetings. He was practically shooting every day.

The student took his camera everywhere and photographed everything from people to landscapes. Most of the money from his part time job went to a local photography store to fuel his desire to shoot more. One day at the end of class, the teacher showed the student all the work that had been collected so far from the student. It was a lot. The teacher told the student he had arranged with the school for there to be a school-wide presentation of the photography to all the students. It was a collection of all that had happened during the year – moments in time for seniors, freshmen, and more. They included simple photos of people during lunch, to sporting events, and more. The teacher and student worked together to arrange a short slideshow alongside music and the presentation happened as planned.

The student could barely hide his nervousness the day of the show. Would the students like the work? Then, as it played, he could not contain his own excitement. As the show played laughter, awes, and more erupted from the crowd. It was a success. They liked it. He loved it. It was the spark that started a lifelong love of what the camera can help create.

A lot has happened since then for me in business. I joined the US Air Force and later also served in the California Air National Guard, both with honorable service. I graduated from California State University, Northridge, with a B.A. in journalism, with honors. I went on to work at a couple of the world’s largest public relations agencies and as a PR consultant to dozens of technology companies, from startups to Fortune 500s. All the while, I have owned many DSLR cameras and never stopped photographing things. I never stopped using and learning more about photography. It is now decades in learning and this continued love for photography eventually sparked The Light Committee into being too.

Thanks for reading – Rafael.

The Light Committee – the Name

So, why The Light Committee name? Lighting a person varies by the goal of the image being created. On one occasion, it might call for a single-light setup while on another it might require a four or more light setup that need to work in concert. The word “committee” is defined as a group appointed to perform a function or act upon a particular matter. Sometimes all the group is required and sometimes just some of the group. In a loosely similar way, lighting a subject requires lights to perform the function of lighting for a particular matter, just like a committee is to operate. And so, The Light Committee.