Oahu, Hawaii Photographer and Videographer | Girl Behind the Camera Series - Always an Hour Early

If you have known me for any length of time or have made an appointment with me, you know I am a very punctual person. I would rather be an hour early than a minute late. I pride myself in always being punctual and find it extremely rude if I have an appointment with somebody and they arrive late. To me, if somebody arrives late, its show they don't respect me and they don't value my time. And let's face it, life is too short to be waiting around on people who don't value you.  

There are moments in life when you learn the most valuable lessons in the strangest of ways. I don't remember much about middle school but I have vivid memories of my band teacher who was a brilliant musician but quite possibly the meanest person I had ever met.

He trained me to become a first chair flutist, but he also taught me two valuable lessons.  

One was to always use a pencil because you need to continually revise and tweak your craft to improve and be the best you can be.  

And the other was to always be punctual. I learned quickly that if I wanted to advance as a musician I would have to arrive early to rehearsal. He'd lock us out of band rehearsal if we were late and would throw music stands across the room if we messed up during rehearsal. To this day I can recall the sound of his voice as he would yell at us for arriving late to band and sectional rehearsals and wouldn't let us in. We would have to sit outside in the hallway and listen with agony while the other students practiced.  

To this day, I refuse to be late to ANYTHING.  I would rather be an hour early than a minute late. I live by William Shakespeare's motto in that its "Better to be three hours too soon than a minute too late".

So the next time we have a meeting together and I arrive an hour early and you see me sitting in the parking lot catching up on emails or reading you will know why. :)

Girl Behind the Camera Series - I Married a Sailor | Hawaii Photographer

On this Veterans Day, I want to thank my sailor, USN Retired, First Class Petty Officer, Gunnersmate, Affron Herring, and all military veterans for serving our country. 

“The willingness of America’s veterans to sacrifice for our country has earned them our lasting gratitude.”
—Jeff Miller

If you would have told me I would one day marry a sailor and live this crazy military life, I wouldn't have believed you.

It was almost 20 years ago when I was in Hawaii on a national student exchange program from the University of Minnesota to the University of Hawaii Manoa.  Upon arrival, I knew I was in love with the islands (as I had visited once before in 1993 with my friend Tara), but I had no intentions of falling in love at 22 years old with a US Navy sailor.

When I entered the room of a local Honolulu church "singles ministry" in September of 1997, I couldn't help but notice the tall (dude, he's 6'5", you can't miss him!), dark and handsome man who happened to be in charge of the meeting that night. I sat in the back like a scared little puppy, not wanting to be noticed as "the new girl".  I'm not sure if it was my midwest vibe (picture overalls, Birkenstock sandals and a thick Minnesota accent) or my short spikey blond hair that got his attention, but a certain somebody made sure I was on his team for the scavenger hunt activity that evening.  

At the time, I had no idea he was in the Navy.  So it wasn't the uniform that got me (and I am sucker for a man in uniform...I mean, who isn't??), it was his good looks and charm that won me over. 

When the semester at UH was over in December, Affron was supposed to drive me to the airport for my flight back to Minnesota, but he was on an emergency duty at sea and wasn't able to bring me. And, this was long before everybody had cell phones so I didn't know he wasn't available to bring me until it was almost too late and I was moments away from missing my flight. I do believe that by us not being able to say goodbye, it made the "distance makes a heart grow fonder" thing real strong and being 5,000 miles apart really made us realize we had fallen in love.  

Once back home in Minnesota, as I was sleeping off my jet-lag, my mom said "this man keeps calling the house phone and wondering if you are ok".  Turns out "this man" would come visit me in February of 1998, would give me a ring and would marry me a few months later in August 1998, just a few days before he would be deployed to Afghanistan for six months.  

When he returned from our first deployment as a married couple, he was required to do recruiting duty, and as luck would have it, Minneapolis/St. Paul was one of the location choices. So we lived in the Twin Cities where I was able to finish my college degree and he was a navy recruiter from 1999-2002.  

Our daughter Raina was born in Minnesota in June of 2002 and one month later the Navy moved us to San Diego where Affron was stationed at Coronado. Unfortunately for us, he was then sent on a 10 month deployment and missed the entire first year of Raina's life.  

As the ship pulled back into Coronado in September of 2003, he had a retirement ceremony on the ship, at the age of 37 with 20 years of service. 

The Navy then moved us one last time back to Hawaii where we have lived every since.  

This military life has been a crazy one, but one that I am so thankful for all the things it has given us. Now as a retired veteran, Affron is able to receive wonderful benefits from the Veterans Association, nearly free medical care for our family, access to reduced rates at military stores and the commissary and many other things. 

Girl Behind the Camera Series - The Bun | Oahu, Hawaii Photographer

"The I woke Up Like This Bun". This is the I-woke-up-late-put-my-wet-hair-up-and-haven't-had-time-to-re-do-it-all-day-bun.

Photo credit:  June Bug Photography

If you've run into me around town or have met me in person at all, you have most definitely seen me rock the messy bun.  Its kind of my signature look.  There is absolutely an art form to it...sometimes it looks like a cinnamon bun on top of my head, and other times it looks like the Leaning Tower of Pizza. Either way, with super long hair and living in a warm client 365, its kind of the thing to do.

There are only a few occasions in which you will find me with my hair down...if I am traveling to a cold climate where my hair acts as insulator or during our annual family portraits. 

So yeah, that headshot you see on the "about" page, while that braid was on-point, I think its time to get a new headshot, one where I am rocking the bun so you will be able to recognize me when we meet for coffee.  

Why have long hair if you just wear it in a bun every day you ask?  Great question...I guess as I get older and my body doesn't look like it used to when I was in my 20's, my long hair is the one thing that makes me feel youthful and pretty. I suppose I have adopted the whole adage, if you got it, flaunt it.  Well, until I am too old to rock the long hair (please somebody pretty please tell me if I reach this crucial time and don't realize it) I am just going to "rock the bun".

We take the bun-thing pretty serious around here...each has a name...theres the "on-fleek", the "messy", the "I woke up like this", the" high bun". With a teenager in the house, I often use these non-GenX terms such as "on fleek". This of course if horribly embarrassing for said teenager, but whatevs...I think I am tots adorbs....haha...see what I did there?  

"The On-Fleak Bun". When you whip it up real quick and its just pa-pow....pure-bun-awesomeness.

"The High Bun".  An all-time high, this one wins the prize for height.

Girl Behind the Camera Series - Coffee | Oahu, Hawaii Photographer

A wise business women once told me that there are 100's of people in my town alone that call themselves filmmakers/videographers, heck, EVERYBODY and their mother has an iPhone with more videos than they know what to do with.  So, in the sea of video peeps, why would somebody hire Sweet Rain Media?

The answer she gave was brilliant...nobody sees the world like I do, nobody captures life like I do.

People hire me for me and that there are hundreds of photographers and/or filmmakers in my area that people can hire for photos and videos, but they choose to hire Sweet Rain Media because of ME, the girl behind the camera...and what I bring the table...my life experience...my genuineness...my zeal for life and love of people and my keen sense of capturing life in a way that only I can do.  

So, without further ado, here is the first in a series of blog posts about what makes Sweet Rain Media tick...the girl behind the camera....Noelle.

Photo credit: Lilac City Studios

I thought it fitting that it start with one of my favorite things ever....COFFEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

I love coffee. A lot. LIke a lot lot. As in, its right up there in importance to breathing. LOL

Don’t get in my way of the coffee machine in the morning. The second I wake up, its where I stumble. I could do the walk of shame with my eyes closed.  If you try to talk to me before I take my first sip, you will either be completely ignored or stared down with major stink-eye. 

If I am out of coffee, you better WATCH OUT.....things are about to get ugly up in here.  You will hear me yell “noooooooooooooooooooooo” at the top of my lungs and think there is an actual emergency.  I have been known to actually cry in desperation if the last coffee pod was consumed and not replaced.  This is serious stuff here people.  Like life or death. I then immediately drive to my neighborhood Starbucks, where “everybody knows my name”. Ten points if you can name that tune. 

Grande vanilla lattes make everything better in the world. the very first sip is like a little piece of heaven in my mouth. I know where every Starbucks on the island is and often use them as landmarks to find my way around town.

Ok, gotta go....I need a refill...like asap...catch ya next week.