KATE NOELLE PHOTOGRAPHY » PORTRAIT

The Korneychuk Family

knoelle — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 07:02:22 +0000

The day was abnormally warm and bright for winter in SoCal (seems to be a theme this year…). I met the Korneychuk family at the beach for some family photos to document their recent move to Santa Monica from Orange County. New chapter in their life means new family photos… and they sure came out well, if I do say so myself. I’ve known the Korneychuk family since….. well, forever. I grew up with Sasha and we all have attended the same church in Irvine until recently when Dan (Daddy Korneychuk) took a new job at Bel Air Presbyterian Church. He’s doing amazing things with their traditional worship program and the family is fitting in nicely with their new community. As Maddy (the youngest) put it, “I’m good with change.”

This shoot was a little different than most family portraits because, as most families with older children know, not everyone can be in the same place at the same time. So we did their portraits in two parts…. the first part with Sasha, and then Lara joined us a bit later. These are my absolute favorites of this beautiful family…

I had to include this image…. I think Maddy’s sense of humor is hilarous. She randomly started walking like a dinosaur as we shot…

Thanks Korneychuks! I’m so glad you’re adjusting to LA life, and know you’re sorely missed here in Orange County!

Cantu Family Portraits

knoelle — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 03:56:43 +0000

It was Christmas time in Southern California when Mercedes dropped me an email asking about family portraits. She explained that this Christmas was different from their usual holiday traditions…. it was different because everyone would be there. Her parents (the original Mr. and Mrs. Cantu) would be coming, all her brothers and sisters would be there with their own families. They came from far off places like Germany and Mexico. I read her email and Michael Buble’s “I’ll be Home for Christmas” softly started playing on my Spotify feed, as if on cue. We set a date and place and made it happen! Despite some crazy intense fog that rolled into our originally planned location, we moved to plan B, and took some super fun shots at Jeffrey Park in Irvine. The light of the sunset fell beautifully on their faces, and the warm colors highlighted the autumn leaves surrounding the park. A perfect time of evening for portraits, if I do say so myself. Here’s my absolute favorites from the evening…

Cantu Family, I enjoyed practicing my German and my Spanish with you… and I thoroughly enjoyed spending the evening documenting what a unique and beautiful family you have. Merry Christmas… Frohe Weihnachten…. Feliz Navidad!

The Rhee Family Holiday Portraits

knoelle — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 02:18:52 +0000

What can I say about the Rhee family? Well…. they’re a family after my own heart. Inspired by my own family’s crazy Christmas tree photos, we planned a crazy fun holiday shoot with a little “nice” mixed in there for good measure. We started off at Irvine Regional Park, where we discovered acorns, romped in the leaves, and smiled a little… but mostly, we just had a good time. With little nathan leading the crazy train…. here are my absolute favorites from the evening…..

I have to explain the next series of photos for you…. Nathan LOVED picking up the sticks along the way. So we decided to pretend to be anime warriors for a minute…. and these are the hilarious shots that came from that imaginative few minutes…

I love that the whole family got into it! Can you say “The Incredibles”?

Then we had some fun with the beanies they brought. I think they were intended to show that it’s winter… but somehow we ended up showing more of their “gansta” side.

We ended the shoot with the infamous “Perspective of a Christmas Tree” shots…. LOVE THEM.

Rhee Family, I loved spending the afternoon with you. Have a wonderful holiday!

The Maghy Family Holiday Portraits

knoelle — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 02:07:02 +0000

The Maghy Family arrived full of energy and ready to go. It was…. awesome. There’s usually at least one person in every family that DREADS taking family portrait…. but THIS family was great! We smiled, laughed, talked, and had a great time shooting at Jeffrey Park in Irvine. And even though there were probably 10 other photo shoots going on around the park, I think we found some great spots. What do you think?

Sophia emailed me a little while ago asking if I’d be available to take some photos of her family for the holidays… and also to document the final months of their beloved dog Summer’s life. As every family who’s ever had a beloved pet for years and years knows it’s really hard to let go of them in the end…. because they’re part of the family. I couldn’t think of a better way to keep this holiday season with the WHOLE family more memorable, than to take some gorgeous family photos. Sophia and family, thanks for asking me to be a part of such a fun memory. And Summer…. you’re a REALLY good dog. Thanks for smiling for me! Here’s my favorites from the evening…

The McKinnon Family Holiday Portraits

knoelle — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 01:14:19 +0000

Meet the McKinnon Family…. McKinnon Family, meet everyone. This is yet another beautiful family I had the opportunity to photograph this holiday season…. and once again, I left the shoot with feelings of joy and encouragement from these smiling faces.

This year, Katie is off at college, Andrew has moved to the midwest, and Emily is growing up FAST. With their family changing so quickly, they wanted to document this time before it passes…. and I don’t blame them! Time is FLYING BY! I really admire how the McKinnons have embraced the changes this year and how their love for each other still brings joy to their faces. Here are my favorites from the afternoon…

The Matsuda Family Holiday Portraits

knoelle — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 06:01:49 +0000

It was one of those bi-polar winter days in Southern California. While it’s supposed to be the coldest part of the year, it felt more like 80 degrees out and I felt the beginnings of perspiration on my forehead as we hiked at Bommer Canyon Park in Irvine. Jeff, Cindy, Ellie, and I walked slower, taking in the beauty of the canyon and we chatted about the strange change in weather. The boys ran ahead, gathering rocks and chucking them into the bushes to scare away the bears their dad, Jeff, had told them roam this part of Irvine. (Note: there are ZERO bears in Irvine, in case you were wondering) It was just a wonderful November afternoon, one that brought back nostalgic memories of the long walks with my dad in the orange groves. The boys’ carefree and imaginative play reminded me of the many rocks I had found when I was a kid, convinced I had struck gold in the most unlikeliest of places–my backyard. I just knew history books would tell my story for decades to come…. the little girl who found gold in her own backyard. It’s imagination like this, and like that of the Matsuda boys, that I wish I could retain now as an adult.

We had a wonderful time hiking, playing, taking some pictures, and allowing ourselves to get lost in the wonder of it all. Jeff, Cindy, Jaren, Logan, and Ellie…. you have something special with your family. I really enjoyed watching you all play, smile, laugh, and love on each other…. and I left the park that afternoon with a smile on my face and joy in my heart. Thanks for letting me capture such a special time in your family’s life! Here are my favorites from the afternoon….

Swivel Tactic

knoelle — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 00:18:00 +0000

Jared, Cortez, Eric, and Chris have come a long way since last time we shot portraits of their band. Swivel Tactic, formerly known as The Good Kids have a new look… and a new sound. They’re in the process of cutting a new album they’re pretty proud of… one that is a showcase of the band’s soul and spirit. I have to say, I love meeting artists and journeying with them as they evolve into better and better versions of themselves. It’s inspiring, and I’m proud to know you guys.

This shoot was done in Santa Ana, in some back alley…. in the early EARLY morning… but it was so fun getting to hang with these guys. Here’s my favorites from the shoot….

The Kasperowicz Family Holiday Portraits

knoelle — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 01:52:55 +0000

It’s crazy how fast time flies…. and it such a strange feeling running into someone and remembering the way they were when they were 5 years old. I’m not quite sure what to do in moments like those…. hug them?… or bury my head in my hands and try to make time stand still for just ONE second. The Kasperowicz boys are no longer boys…. they’re the Kasperowicz men. Crazy. I remember babysitting these three when they were all shorter than me. Now, they’re all twice my size.

Well, this year, their family chose me to take their famous holiday family portraits and we had a fun time traipsing around The Lab, in Costa Mesa, dodging the intermittent November rain. Jase, Neil, and Dylan…. you guys rocked these, and while I know taking family portraits isn’t your favorite thing in the entire world, I had fun with you guys. These were my favorites from the afternoon… Enjoy!

The Howard Family Portraits

knoelle — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 23:53:17 +0000

When I was younger, the change of seasons meant different things to me: warm sunny weather meant no school and lots of time in the pool, cooler weather and falling leaves meant the beginning of school and Santa Ana winds, and rainy weather with green leaves meant Easter was coming. While somewhat correct, my perceptions of the passing of time always fueled anticipation of what was to come, whether it was looking forward to opening Christmas gifts, or eating Easter candy. This fall means something different for the Howard Family…. not only does it mean leaves falling, Christmas coming, and the beginning of school for Ethan, but it also marks the last fall season they’ll be a family of four…. a 5th member is on the way.

Heike and Jeff wanted some photos of their boys (and a few of them as a family) to document this special time in their family’s life. Their oldest son Ethan started school recently, and their younger son Dylan is at a super cute and fun stage in life…. learning new words and loving new things like trains. Here are my favorites from the afternoon with them in San Juan Capistrano Los Rios Historic District….

Jeff and Heike, your family is SO CUTE. I’m excited to see your family grow and I had so much fun running around with your boys, climbing trees, looking at rocks, and marveling at the trains. You’ve been blessed with beautiful boys who bring joy to whomever they interact with… thanks for sharing them with me!

The Partible Family Holiday Portraits

knoelle — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 21:16:56 +0000

Grandmother’s china tea set, a big stuffed bear, a warm autumn afternoon, and cookies…. could there be a better set up for a family portrait? I think not! When Mary first contacted me about taking her family’s portraits, we brainstormed a bunch of ideas on how we could make it creative, fun, and unique to them. She mentioned her mother’s tea set would be a neat way to pay tribute to her late mom’s relationship with her daughters Rya and Kayla. I loved the idea! The pictures turned out so cute!

After the tea party, we decided to go exploring around Irvine Regional Park….

This was one of my favorite shots. It’s not a typical family portrait, but I LOVED the relationship between bigger sister and little sister that shows through it. Makes me warm all warm and fuzzy inside… and makes me want to hug my own sister.

Loved the light in this shot! So great!

Dad came back after taking a man walk around the park… tea parties don’t interest a man like Van. It was fun getting some daddy/daughter shots in.

Such a cute family!

We let the girls run around for a little while we took a few quick shots of Mary and Van… a VERY cute couple, if I do say so myself…

Twas a great afternoon and an amazingly beautiful and fun loving family…. blessed to know these people!