Brief Update

Hello again...I know...you're probably thinking Kate Noelle who? The past week has been a great Christmas vacation with family and friends...and the vacation isn't over yet! I'm currently in Breckenridge, Colorado with my family and we're bringing in the new year on the slopes! :) It hasn't just been a vacation though, I was able to spend an afternoon with Dom & Gwen (I blogged about that last time) and I was also able to do a spur of the moment wedding shoot with my new friend Ryel J! Blogging will be scarce until the first of the New Year, but that's because I'm putting the final touches to my website and my deadline is fast approaching! So look for the new and (hopefully) amazing www.katenoelle.com on New Year's Day 2009 and blog posts for the wedding and such will be up later next week! Enjoy your holiday with the friends and family and I can't wait to usher in a new year filled with new goals and new exciting adventures...and you! I'll keep you posted :)

Dominick and Gwen's "Will You"

It's been a while eh? Well YESTERDAY...I met Dom and Gwen....aka... "GWOM"...in Laguna around 12:30pm and we headed out to San Juan Capistrano to shoot their engagement pictures. I'm excited to announce that their official wedding date is May 30th, 2009!!! Hooray! I've known Gwen since 2003 and not only is she a good friend of mine, but she's been a role model for me as I went through the last years of high school and through college....so I was honored when she asked me to do her and Dom's engagement photos. Here's some of my favorite shots of the day...

I love this one because Gwendolyn is such a medieval sounding name...I know the famous princess is Guinevere, but everytime I hear her name, it reminds me of a princess...so I love this shot of her in the window because it's like she's in her castle :) ...and such a beautiful princess she is! Her prince charming must be a lucky guy huh Dom?

They were quite the silly couple to shoot...and this picture shows their more playful side...haha!

Vogue Wedding Shot? Love it!

reflections

I couldn't resist this shot...... silhouettes... love... blue sky...what could be better?

Okay...maybe a shoes shot could be better than reflections...again I couldn't help myself. Gwen is just too cute in her cowgirl boots and dress...and the step did say "Watch your Step" so let's all take a moment to watch Gwen's step... Ha!

How am I friends with such a beautiful lady? Good golly God did a good job!

It was a beautiful day for a shoot...and it was made even more beautiful by their love. I loved laughing and posing and chatting with them all afternoon. And I'm so proud to call these two awesome people my friends...who knew anyone could be so blessed! :)

Dancin' in the Streets

(Warning: Random Rambling...might not make any sense)

Sometimes life is nuts. The busyness consumes our lives and we only begin to realize how quickly the current's running when the unexpected comes and tosses us back into the baby pool to re-learn how to swim. Beneath the "grandeur" of growing up/graduating/getting a job/finding that special someone/getting married/settling down/having kids/having grand kids/growing old/dying peacefully in sleepy bliss, I've found there's a rip current...and although finding this rip current is like fitting a freaking camel through the eye of a needle...once you find it...it takes you further than you could ever hope. Dreams become reality. Money is no thing. Strangers become friends. Love is found. 

The other day there was this awesome sunset that painted the entire Socal sky a deep magenta and the clouds turned a dark royal purple. As the sun set more and more into the ocean, the clouds took turns being illuminated a brilliant orange and I found myself feeling the familiar and delicious urge to fall on my face, burst into laughing tears, and thank Him for being Him. Sunsets have always been something He gives me to SHOW me He loves me....His way of romancing the crap out of my heart. A man gives the woman he loves flowers to offer a physical reflection the beauty and perfection he finds in her; My God paints ridiculous sunsets with colors that fill me with childish laughter, and overwhelming joy to remind me He's the one who knows my heart best...and knows what takes my breath away. Sigh... unfortunately I have no words for what I feel when the HS does things like this...I only know I want it to happen all the time.

This life is filled with people and plans and work and stress and money issues and family problems and hurt and confusion and papers and car trouble and desires and distractions and other gods and the middle east and Barack Obama...and we don't notice the Holy Spirit in any of it most of the time. Well...I want more of the HS. I want dreams to become reality. I want to find love in its truest form. I want to be one of those people doing and working exactly in what He created me to do. I want to hear His voice the first time. I want courage. ...I want to never miss it when He dances in the middle of a busy intersection like Justin Timberlake singing "I'm bringing Sexy back..YEYAH!" (And I realize that might be slightly non-conventional theology....but I believe Jesus was quite the non-conventional savior if I'm not mistaken.) Why would He dance for me in the middle of an intersection? To make me laugh. To remind me He's in the midst of my everyday. To be with me. To have fun. To bring me joy. Because He's God... :)

This probably won't make sense...and don't worry if it doesn't...I never intended it to. Thoughts and feeling likes these really don't have appropriate words to describe them. Just know He's here and I love it, He's big and I know it, He'll show up if you ask Him to and I'll prove it. (laughing) I have more proof than I know what to do with...just ask me and I'll tell you.

On another note...I was feeling a little cheesy and hopelessly romantic and created this ridiculous piece of art for all ya'all's entertainment. Enjoy and let me know what you think! :)

Okay...maybe you can laugh a little...

....untitled?

Who knew He could speak through Dove chocolate? I mean...I always knew chocolate had some divine qualities... but really? Ha... always surprised and that's just another reason to love Him more.

Jon and Christina are ENGAGED!

Okay...earlier I could barely contain myself because two friends of mine were about to get engaged. I know for me, I've been dreaming about the day I get proposed to since I was in preschool, but to be a part of someone else's dream...is....AMAZING. 

I had a very general idea about the plans that would unfold today, but when I got to Pines Park in Dana Point....it became real. All of Jon's family was there a whole an hour and a half ahead of time setting up the table for them and it was sooo romantic!

The table was beautifully set up and was complete with sparkling cider and a "Reserved" sign....elegantly designed in black and white. 

Everyone was so excited and anxious for the proposal to happen and we all met on the beach down below to assemble the signs...at the right moment, all their family and friends would hold up signs (specially crafted by Jon and his dad) spelling out the letters to say "will you marry me?" How cute is that? Jon definitely took a LOT of time and put a lot of thought into planning the perfect proposal for Christina...and it paid off. It ran seamlessly and you can see the surprise and joy on Christina's face when it happened....dream come true in the making. 

I don't know about you, but I live for moments like that...when dreams become reality....living life to the full. Mmm.....gives me chills.

Jon and Christina's friends...they definitely have a sense of humor. After Christina had seen the signs...they decided it would be funny to change the words around. Good thing Christina was too busy being proposed to...

Funny Sidenote: When the moment came to pull the ring out of his jacket (where he'd secretly kept it all day)...Jon had some pocket issues. He described it as a panicky "where's my pocket?!!!!!!" moment...but luckily...he found his pocket and the ring...and it was all worth it in the end. Just a fun story to tell the grandkids eh Jonny?

It ended up being a brilliant day and I feel so alive after it all. I am completely head over heels in love with love...and I'm so happy to have spent the day with Jon, Christina, and their friends and family. Congrats!!!!

Thanks to everyone who helped out with this Stealth Operation today!

I....AM.....SO.....EXCITED

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! I'm excited and nervous and I can't sit still so I think I'm gonna go run for a bit. Today I shoot the first of (hopefully) many stealth operations. Unfortunately I can't talk too much about it because it would give it away....but I have to tell someone how EXCITED I am!!!!! I was watching "Love, Actually" last night (I adore that movie) and I can't get enough of the first line "Love...Actually....Is....Everywhere." The movie shows different loves in such a real way and it made me even more excited to be able to witness real live love today.....and take it captive. (side note: I don't think this coffee is helping my already excited jitters....I'm definitely going running now) Anyways....stay tuned for the results of today...not sure whether I'll be blogging them, but we'll see...I just might ;) 

Tim and Chelsea's "Will You"

So...a couple months ago, Tim emailed me inquiring about a possible wedding photography excursion in June. As it turns out, a mutual friend of ours, Barri Brown, suggested he consider using me for his wedding photographer. And I love the reason she suggested he contact me....our interest in missions. I had just come back from a 7 month long excursion abroad with YWAM doing missional photography and these two lovely people have a special heart for missions....in fact, they specifically wanted someone to help capture their heart for other cultures in their wedding pictures. 

Tim and Chelsea's story is way cute and it turns out, that despite Chelsea's international upbringing....they met at college....UC Davis to be exact. Their end goal is to live in Africa!!!! How cool is that?! She wants to do medical missions as a Physician's Assistant and he wants to do work in wildlife preservation and education. They're too cute together and it was so fun going to the Santa Ana Zoo and hanging out with them this afternoon! Tim had worked there for a long time, so it was nice getting the official tour and inside information about all the cute animals on exhibit!

These were my favorites...loved those orange flowers on the fence!

Tim took us to see his Eagle Scout project he did for the Zoo...this awesome Tiki bar complete with Bamboo and thatched roof! He's had quite the history with the Zoo and it was fun to see him so excited about coming back and showing Chelsea a part of himself.

Tim and Chelsea....I had a lot of fun with you two! It was so cool to see how in love you two are...and how much fun you have without even trying! It was a good day...fun...educational...and beautiful.

Rain Rain Stay and Play....and then come back another day

I love love love it when it rains. I think it's somewhat of a commodity since I live in Socal, but still....I love it. I love the scent of rain before it comes and I love it even more after it rains. I love how everything looks cleaner and greener after it rains. And I love falling asleep in my warm bed listening to the rain pelt the roof of my house. 

Thank you for Rain last night!

Christmas Tree Hunting

Thanks again for everyone who voted for the bio pictures! Someone brought it to my attention that it's not an easy thing to figure out how to comment on my blog entries so...here's how you do it... at the end of each post there's a link that says the number of comments for the blog entry. If you click on it, another window will pop up and show the other comments. At the bottom of that window there will be a place for you to leave a comment of your own. Fill it in and it will ask you how you want to be identified. If you don't have a blogger account or a google email address, you can be identified by your website or your name or as an anonymous person. I'd love to know who you are so please use your name as your identity :). 

And for all of you who comment voted yesterday, I decided to go with Option 1...partly because I was partial to that one and you guys all confirmed my choice :). Thanks for your participation!

So this morning...at the crack of dawn...Christopher and I set out to Peltzer Pines to wait in line for a Christmas tree. Now, you're probably thinking we're crazy going out at 6am in November to pick out a Christmas tree...but little did you know...it's a family tradition for the Irvine Akamine family. BUT, this year my parents had to be a conference and couldn't be there....and so....it was Coffee Bean Hazelnut Lattes, Christopher, and me in line behind 30 other people at 6:30am this morning. We stood/sat/wandered in line for a couple hours and got bored...so we figured this would be a great opportunity to take fun pictures for the holidays. (We're Christmas fiends...) 

It was a bit chilly in Socal this morning...

There were more people than trees...I think...the line was LOOONG. Good thing we were there earlier. Christopher wanted to make sure we got a tree so he "borrowed my tripod"...just kidding.

Then we couldn't find the tree we liked.... and got a bit lost

Then we found it and posed with the receipt....yeah...we're avid Christmas tree hunters...that's our baby right behind us...and in two weeks, it'll be in our house! Hooray for Christmas!

After posing with our tree for a while, we all started to wonder what the Christmas trees must be thinking with all these people walking around, trampling them, and gawking at them. These next pictures are our attempt to speak for the trees...like Ferngully (spelling?) for Christmas trees...I know...we're odd people. But try to understand...

We had a ton of fun being weird, finding our tree, dressing like emo indie woodsmen hollister models, and celebrating the birth of our savior 32 days early :)

Drug Deals and Glamour

I showed the bio section of my website to my teacher Professor Shalat and he had some very good and slightly flattering advice. He said "how am I supposed to know you're the photographer? You could just be a model....where's pictures of you with your camera?" Good point...and thank you. So yesterday I found myself in downtown Santa Ana on 4th and Main in an alley waiting for a friend, Troy Grover. As I was waiting...I definitely saw a guy drive through in a spiffy looking convertible (I'm car retarded.....what's the brand with the two racing flags?)....and stop next to another guy on a bike. They were looking around suspiciously to make sure no one was watching...and I quickly caught on that they didn't want me watching...so i pretended to be super interested in photographing my shoes.....which isn't usually too far from the truth ;). Yes...drug deals...but hey, the location is worth it :). I love love love the old and worn buildings with caged windows and dumpsters everywhere...

Oh yeah...I forgot to tell you the reason I was sitting in an alley in Santa Ana watching a drug deal...I was getting pictures taken for my bio pages on my website. So there's some good ones Troy took and I'm trying to decide which ONE to put on the first page of my bio....

So...cast your votes people!

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

Option 4

Option 5

Option 6

Thanks for your input! :) And hey!....those of you who followed and commented when I was gone last year....you're more than welcome to comment and follow even though I'm not having crazy adventures abroad. I'm definitely having crazy adventures of a different kind here in Irvine...and I'd love to include you in the craziness!

Peace for Now