KATE NOELLE PHOTOGRAPHY

Footsteps of Moses | As We Leave

knoelle — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:04:49 +0000

So…. I leave in 9 hours and I’m still not packed. Everything’s there… I promise! It just hasn’t hit me yet… that I’m leaving on a trip of a lifetime. This trip has been on my “bucket list” since forever… and the only response I can muster up when people ask me if I’m excited is… wide eyes and a mouth halfway to a smile, and halfway ready to say something… but nothing comes out because I have no words.

There are so many thoughts running through my head, it’s hard to catch one… they’re fast and I’m out of shape. But one that has allowed more contemplation is the memory of leaving for YWAM in 2007. It’s weird to think this was 3 years ago because it still feels so fresh. But remembering who I was and the significance of that particular adventure opens my heart to the wonderfully different realization of who I am now, and the significance of this new adventure I’m embarking on tonight.

Last time, I was making the decision to leave my Junior year of college–everything I knew and thought I wanted. Last time, I took a gigantic leap of faith, trusting that a small hobby of mine would develop enough for me to call myself a mission photographer by the end of it. Last time changed who I am today. It’s about a 7 hour long story… so I won’t go into it now…. but the important thing is I’m a completely different person than I was when I boarded my nonstop flight to Germany in 2007.

This time is different. This time feels like a dream…. one that I never dared to have in 2007. I never thought that hobby would develop into a passion, that would develop into another leap of faith, that would develop into my job. I never thought I would have the privilege of doing what I love as my JOB…. and I never thought I would have the opportunity to combine it with traveling. The best of both worlds have become friends and tonight I’m embarking on the first leg of this new adventure.

You guys….. I’m seriously so excited. I sincerely hope you’ll join me on this new adventure… and I hope something about this trip inspires you to dream big.

Our life-changing journey begins this evening as we board our overnight flight to Cairo, Egypt.

Here’s some shots from my last adventure that bring back many memories of some largely defining moments…

Sitting on a bench overlooking all of Herrnhut and Ruppersdorf, Germany…. the birth place of The Order of the Mustard Seed.

Some shots taken one of the first days I went exploring in Herrnhut. I was unsure, nervous, but excited all at the same time!

See you in Cairo!

Be a Rare Bird

knoelle — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 23:00:42 +0000

It’s always been the assumption that I got the creativity gene from my Aunt Karen. (Even though technically, it would have run through my dad’s genes as well) She’s the artist….. a stinkin’ good one. Many fond memories from my childhood are the times Auntie Karen taught me how to make something cool….. like an origami jumping frog and how to hold a paint brush when I watercolored. She’s pretty much the epitome of Creativity… and I LOVE IT!

She recently had a milestone birthday and asked me to shoot some pictures of her in this new stage of life. We laughed as she got used to having a camera in her face… and enjoyed the crispy colorful winter weather. The colors were delicious and I wanted to soak up as much of them as I could!

Here’s just a few shots from the afternoon…

In going shopping for a proper birthday gift, I came across a beautiful card with a pink glittery bird on the front. One the inside, it said simply, “You’re a rare Bird.” It was the perfect card and I couldn’t wait to give it to her! As I continued shopping, the creative gene kicked in and I decided I was going to decorate in a “Rare Bird” theme (since it’s my job at family parties to add my artistic flair to the decor)… and I found some sweet decorations. I used some old teacups, some branches and flowers from the bushes outside our house, an old jar, lots of candles, some super cute magnetic glittery birds from Papersource, string and paper hearts, and some fake daisies.

Here’s a collage of the birthday party and decor….

Be like Aunt Karen.

Be your beautiful self.

Do the things you love with all you’ve got in you.

Choose to Love…. always.

Be joyful in all circumstances.

Have the courage to jump off your branch… take risks.

You might just find that you remember how to fly.

Nowadays, There aren’t many birds who have the courage to do what they were made to do.

Be a Rare Bird.

Simple Pleasures

knoelle — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 21:07:53 +0000

Sometimes I wish I could be more like Figero. He knows how to enjoy life! Every morning I wake up with him sound asleep on my feet… I go downstairs to make breakfast and coffee… and when I come back upstairs to start my work day, he’s still asleep. About 10am, when the sun’s shining warmly through my window, he gets up… yawns… and then jumps onto the windowsill to enjoy the sun. Basically… that’s all he does all day, every day…. he enjoys himself. Sometimes I get jealous of him when I’m sitting at my computer doing a million things at once and he peeks his little cute head out from behind the curtains. So I get up, play peekaboo with him for a few minutes, pat him on the head…. and continue working with a smile on my face. Oh the life of a kitty…. soo good. Happy Friday everyone…. I hope you enjoy the simple pleasures today!

A Summer Wedding

knoelle — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 21:36:27 +0000

It’s March, which means it’s nearing the end of “wedding booking season”. Now marks the beginning of the transition into wedding season! Woohoooo! The sun’s staying out longer, it’s getting warmer outside… and thawing out my constantly cold extremities FINALLY. I can’t wait for beach weather, iced tea, and refreshing swim workouts! I know it’s a little ways away, but I wanted to share just a little reminder of the glory of summer.

This past September, I had the opportunity to shoot with a new friend, Gabrielle Fox, a San Diego Wedding Photographer. I had met her earlier that year at another wedding and we hit it off. She’s such a fun girl to work with… and I thoroughly enjoyed working with her! She invited me to come and shoot Paul and Kristi’s wedding with her… and, as I’ve mentioned before, I LOVE LOVE LOVE 2nd shooting for other photographer friends… so of course I said YES!

Here’s some of my favorite shots from this beautiful summery day…

While Gabi hung out with Kristi and the girls, I spent some time with the guys as they got ready for the day… they were so funny… such a tight and quirky group of guys…

I loved this shot… when I opened the door behind me, there was some super bright light streaming into the room. It bounced off the shiny linoleum floor and gave this super sweet lighting on their faces…. very dramatic!

Meet Lance, the brilliantly charismatic driver from Haynes Chauffeuring. He loves his cars and is an excellent salesman! He almost convinced me to rent one myself! If you ever need excellent and awesomely vintage cars for anything…. give him a call. He’ll be your best friend.

The lovely reception was held at the Beach House in Cardiff by the Sea. It was really cool how intimate and beautifully decorated it was… the staff at the Beach House did a really nice job of personalizing everything. If you notice the picture on the lower left… there are real gold fish in the vases under the candles! Such a cool decorative idea!

So as we look forward to the warm months, I hope you’re getting as excited about this summer’s weddings as I am! If you’d like to schedule a wedding, an engagement, or even a portrait session, I’d love to talk more about that with you! You can contact me here to inquire more. Hope to hear from some of you! Happy Wednesday!

Footsteps of Moses

knoelle — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 18:06:38 +0000

Today I’d like to share something I wrote in May of 2008. It’s something I wrote at the start of a project I was working on in the wake of my adventures in YWAM…. a book of compiled pictures, thoughts, and prayers. The project is still in JUST the starting phase because I set it on the back burner when I began building my business that summer…. but it still tugs on my heart everyday and I wanted to share it with you.

“Yada’—to know by experience. The Hebrews used this word to describe how a man knows his wife after they consummate their marriage vows on their wedding night. Intimate. Exposed. And this kind of knowledge is only gained through experience; no amount of hypothesizing or imagination can substitute. I think out of all the many characters in the Bible, more specifically the Old Testament, Moses was the one person who had something even remotely like this kind of knowledge when it came to his relationship with God. Exodus 33 tells us “As he went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and hover at its entrance while the Lord spoke with Moses. When the people saw the cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, they would stand and bow down in front of their own tents. Inside the Tent of Meeting, the Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend (Ex. 33: 9-11)”. I want that. How amazing would that be to have such a relationship with God…face…to…face. I wouldn’t have to feel like these heroes of faith in the bible were products of then, and I, here in the modern context of things, am somehow too different and too insignificant to house the capacity to have such a knowledge of what God can be like. Just because Moses and David were one in a million, doesn’t mean I can’t be. Who knows…maybe they’re the only ones who had courage enough to entertain the thought that they were wired for something bigger than themselves and that this God of their ancestors was actually more real than they could comprehend.

I am, by no means, a Moses or a David. I am not even close. But I refuse to think that just because I live in America in California in Orange County in Irvine in a two story house with a car and a family and a pool that I can’t be a Moses or a David. I reject the notion that I can’t hear His voice because there are so many other things vying for my attention. I reject the notion that I can’t move with the Holy Spirit because only holy people like Pastors and monks know how to do that. And I reject the idea that I can’t be used in such a way, that centuries from now, people will refer to me as a woman who met face to face with the living God. In the name of Jesus Christ.

I recently read these words: “we all believe in God’s power to change the world through others; we just struggle to believe in His power to do it through us” (Pete Grieg, The Vow). So true. I think it’s a difficult thing to wrap our minds around because we grow up reading these amazing Bible stories about how God parts the Red sea and Jesus raises from the dead and the apostles performed miracles, and yet we don’t put two and two together that it was reality. We can learn the theology of what we believe, we can study the life and teachings of Jesus, and we can read all the books we want on the subject, but there’s something to be said about the phrase “you’d have to be there.” I do have to be there, or at least, I prefer to be there.

So, This is my journey, of sorts, learning from being “there”….and “here”, that I can be used to change the world…and from these lessons, experiencing Yada’.”

The reason I’m sharing this with you is because I’m about to embark on a seriously AWESOME trip…. following the footsteps of my man Moses. On March 9th, I will be flying out of Los Angeles with a group of 50 people from Horizon Christian Fellowship, and we’ll touch down in the place where it all started… Cairo, Egypt. From there we’ll be visiting pyramids, the sphinx, St. Catherine’s Monastery (the place rumored to have been the site of the burning bush), The Red Sea, Petra, and through the ancient land of Moab to Mt. Nebo. We’ll also be spending the 2nd part of the trip tracing the footsteps of Jesus in his last days. We’ll be visiting the Mount of Olives, Garden of Gesthemane, the house of Caiaphas, the wailing wall and the rabbinical tunnels. And the last part of our adventure will take us to Bethlehem, then the Garden Tomb, and a few other historical sites.

I find it amazingly curious how this whole trip has been orchestrated… I’m in awe of this opportunity that’s been presented… and I’m STOKED to have this chance to use what God’s given me to experience such an amazing part of the world!

This isn’t just a trip I’m going on. I want you to come with me! My job on this trip is to be the photojournalist, documenting what I see and feel and the places we experience. It’s also to keep a blog as we go so you can experience these amazing places with us! Make sure to check back here as we take off on March 9th… and experience the Middle East in the Footsteps of this man who knew the living God… face to face.

My hope is that this trip will bolster our faith and change the way we read the scriptures…. that we might draw closer to the heart of the living God and experience Yada’.

A Winter Wedding: Daniel and Mandy

knoelle — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 22:17:26 +0000

I never turn down an opportunity to shoot with my friend Jack. He’s awesome. The brides and grooms he gets to shoot are SO sweet… it’s always a pleasure to hang out and shoot. This particular wedding took place in the beginning of December 2009… when the weather was still wintery. (I figure I should blog this one before it’s no longer wintertime. Ha!)

Daniel and Mandy’s wedding and reception were held here… at Orange County Mining Company. The “old barn” look and rugged accents gave an organic and intimate feel to the wedding… and the people were warm and SO excited that these two were finally tying the knot!

Any chance I can get… I love to shoot with other photographers because it gives me the chance to step out and try new things without the stress of shooting the entire event myself. It’s nice to take a step back, help where needed, and spend time taking more artistic and intentional pictures. So some of these shots are different from the usual wedding images I blog, but I love them… they’re relaxed and beautiful. Enjoy!

Epic Jack… Epic.

Daniel and Mandy… thanks for letting me hang with you guys on your wedding day. You’re too cute… and spending time with both of you left me feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. You’re a reminder of what a newly wed couple is supposed to be like… utterly IN LOVE. Twas a pleasure…

Also muchos gracias to my good friend Jack Ratana… you rock!

Sean.

knoelle — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 18:34:54 +0000

He had ridiculously blonde hair and laughing blue eyes. He gave amazing hugs. He was fired from his first job at Subway for being too small…. but even afterwards, he continued to wear that dirty and tattered forest green subway polo shirt EVERY…DAY. His dream job was owning his own In-n-Out Burger restaurant… and worked hard to get there starting from the bottom up. Whenever I go to In-n-Out… I call it “In-n-Oooot” in my head because of him…. and I laugh thinking about how his idea of a well balanced meal was a hamburger WITH the vegetables on it. There were years full of late night swims at Katie’s house, Cranium parties at Laurie’s house, Summer Camps, Mexico Mission trips, Del Taco runs, Switchfoot concerts, Sunday Lunches at the Crossroads… and even the times we all just hung out just to be together… nothing planned… just spur of the moment adventures.

One time he decided it would be a fun idea to jump from Laurie’s trampoline… over the fence… to the green belt. He broke his arm trying. We have it on video and we still laugh every time because it’s THAT funny. The earliest picture I have of him is at Indian Village summer camp when I was in 4th grade with his same crazy smile….

Sean grew up living one culdesac over from me…. my life’s been painted brighter by his presence and friendship… and sometimes when I see a white truck like his beat up old one, I still think it’s him. It’s been crazy watching his Facebook page fill up with notes from grieving friends and family sharing their favorite stories and pictures of how he graced their lives and made them better people.

It doesn’t seem like he’s gone… but maybe that’s because he left such huge marks on so many people’s lives… it’s almost as if he’s still here. I wish it wasn’t so, but thank you for helping form who I am today, Sean. You taught me how to see the world from a different angle… a more light-hearted and amusing one. You taught me how to be a better friend…. and you taught me the value of laughter. I’m not the same.

Love,

Kate

Zak and Katrina

knoelle — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 19:54:03 +0000

His hand-made moccasins had a hole in the toe and showed traces of everywhere he’d been that summer. A tiny dusty grimy hand grabs hold of his and drags him down the forest path, past the towering canvassed tipi’s, and toward the sound of playing children. As they reach the trading post, he catches the eye of the trading post manager and smiles as they both try to hide their butterflies beneath their camp counselor name tags. Cave Rock continues to be pulled in the direction of the swimming pool and Firefly continues to help her young customers at the Trading Post. A pool full of rowdy kids start to chant, “CAVE-ROCK…. CAVE-ROCK…. CAVE-ROCK….”, he glances behind him to see a busy Firefly handing out feathers and moccasin kits… then turns to the pool and cannonballs into the crowd of campers.

Zak (Cave Rock) and Katrina (Firefly) didn’t originally meet at camp, but they both worked there for the summer… and the experience seemed to be game-changing for them. Both from Ventura, they ventured up to camp, pumped to be spending 10 weeks with crazy campers playing, hiking, and learning about what it means to be a disciple of Christ. Although they spent their time pouring into other people, their love and friendship deepened through it all and soon after, Zak was on his knee asking Katrina to be his wife.

Zak called me the day after he proposed and immediately asked me to consider being their wedding photographer… we ended up meeting at a Starbucks in LA… and talked for quite a while about…. everything. I found out Katrina is a fellow YWAM Alum just like me, and it was really cool to hear her experiences and thoughts about God, missions, and her life. I love them. They’re such a cool couple with a unique perspective on what life is supposed to be… missional.

We had such a fun time exploring around the Santa Monica Pier area on Monday… and I totally fell even more in love with them during the shoot. If this engagement shoot is any indicator of how awesome their wedding will be…. it’s gonna be off the hook! Take a look…

This was one of my favorites… I dig the raw feel of this shot… pulls my heart strings <3

Katrina is GORGEOUS. And I loved how her laugh is contagious…

This is kind of a random shot, but we walked past this little garden area with these Greek looking pillars… I think Katrina looks kind of like Aphrodite in this shot…

This is another favorite…. so sweet!

I saw this awesome tree on our way to the beach, and I barely mentioned it before Katrina jumped in it and shot me this look that could make glaciers melt…. I love this girl… we’re on the same brainwave.

We finally made it to the beach just as the light turned an awesome degree of perfect….

The light was gorgeous…

This shot was definitely my #1 favorite. She was DETERMINED to get him in the water….

DETERMINED.

Zak… Katrina…. I love you. Really Really with sugar on top. And I had so much fun with you guys in Santa Monica! Can’t wait to hang out with you guys in September!

Wedding Websites

knoelle — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 04:58:35 +0000

January was full of new and exciting things. It was the first month of the 2010, thus serving as a perfect starting place for improvements and ideas. And although January isn’t prime wedding season, it’s definitely a big wedding planning and booking month…. which is exactly what’s been keeping me busy lately. In talking with my brides for this year, I’ve noticed a common point of frustration… there’s just SO much out there, it’s hard to choose what… and where …and how …and what colors …and what music …and what venue… etc. There’s invitations to write and design, there’s venues and vendors to book, there’s dresses and tuxes to pick, and then there’s the smaller details like whether or not to include RSVP cards with return stamps… or not. And even though I’m not a bride yet, I sympathize with their frustrations and feeling overwhelmed…. there really is a LOT out there.

So this year, I’m excited to offer something that eases just a little of the frustration and overwhelmed feelings my brides have voiced. This year, I’m offering personalized wedding websites for every wedding I shoot this year! Wooohoo!!!

Wedding Websites are a great way to hit several birds with one stone….

* Save money on paper RSVP cards and postage…. and request that all your guests RSVP directly on the site.

* Have a centralized location where your guests can view directions, view wedding details, and your engagement/wedding pictures

* Direct people to a Registry page on your website where your guests can see where you’re registered, click on the link, and start online shopping right then and there

* Create a cool and super fun way to share your love story and excitement with your family and friends

Pretty much the best idea since sliced bread, if you ask me…

Here’s a few pages from a site I just finished for Billy Jack and Alissa, whose wedding in May is going to be super fun It features their wedding colors, their story, picture galleries, their wedding, registry, and vendor details, directions, times, and addresses, a place to find them on the internet, and a place to RSVP…. basically everything they could want in one stop! Check it out…

You can view more here.

The Latest and Greatest Part 2

knoelle — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 21:43:19 +0000

Like I said before, It seems like there’s a million possible ways I could make myself and my business better… the trick is finding what fits who I am and what my business is about. I could offer infinite possibilities to my clients and become something like a Walmart style wedding photographer…. something for every common man… but I’ve chosen not to, for the sake of creating a “one of a kind” type of experience. And today, I’d like to show you yet another tremendous product I’ll be offering this year…. Renaissance Albums.

What do you think of when you hear the word “Renaissance”? Classic…. high class… romantic… with an artistic flare. That’s what I think at least. And really, truly, that is what this Renaissance Album is. All that in one beautiful experience. Renaissance blends a high class album experience with a modern, romantic, and artsy overtone. The unique high point of choosing this album is that it’s completely customizable…. to make an wedding album that is…

Truly Yours….

Upon opening the box, you will find this high class beautiful black leather box. Such a great way to store your treasured memories!

Once you slide the lid off the box, the first thing you see is the Renaissance slip cover…. another very cool way to keep your album fresh and new looking through the years…

And Voila! How cool is the customized cover? I absolutely love it…

What’s cool about the cover, is it’s got a modern spin on the concept of a timeless heirloom. There’s no leather cover… it’s Acrylic (so it’s super durable and easy to clean)… and I have the creative ability to design it however I want. I like that…

The cover is held together by a black silk brocade (you have different choices of color and style)….

And this album has the “layflat” binding with premium pages for enhanced book structure.

Another cool thing about this book, is it opens to the first page spread instead of leaving a blank first page…

The photo prints in this book are 2 pages wide, and there is no break in the page… which gives Ahhh-mazing full panoramic page spreads.

You can see the middle of the book here…. the print is seamless…. and the paper they print on is resistance to fading and wear/tear.

Like I mentioned in the other Album post, print quality is a huge factor for me… it makes or breaks the album (in my opinion). And I’m proud to say that these prints are beautiful… and immaculate. Top notch print quality if you ask me…

Basically I’m in love with this wedding book… and I think you will be too! If you’d like to view the entire album design, I included it below… enjoy!

And if you’re interested in a custom designed album, email Kate here.