Page 6 - Hawaii Island MidWeek - Sep 15 2021

6 HAWAI‘I ISLAND MIDWEEK SEPTEMBER 15, 2021
HAWAI‘I ISLAND MIDWEEK COVER STORY
The creator of the annual PhotoCON event is one of the most decorated photographers around, yet Ric Noyle’s greatest success may be in how he always views life through a lens of gratitude and positivity.
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Photographer Ric Noyle has a keen eye for the right light. Af- ter all, his job depends on it.
about understanding the nu- ances of light — soft, hard and diffused — and that they’re all beautiful.”
ing images of shooting stars to fashion models and every- thing in between — were on the docket for the three-day event. However, with the ex- ponential rise in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks, Noyle made the call to reschedule the convention for a later — and safer — time.
“One of the things that I encourage everybody who’s interested in photography is to observe the natural light around you, like a family member washing dishes and beautiful light is coming in and there’s a nice pattern on the face,” Noyle says. “I don’t need any setup; I don’t need any lighting arrange- ments.
What sets Noyle apart, though, is the light that’s found within. The South African floats through life on gratitude and goodwill, always finding the silver lin- ing in whatever life throws at him, which, most recently, was quite the curveball.
“Postponing (PhotoCON) was a painful decision,” he says. “There were a lot of moving parts ahead and it took a lot of time and effort to be able to get it there. But at the same time, I had pre- planned ... 14 virtual work- shops (the last of which took place Sept. 8). Little did I know that I would have to
“I look at people in their cars and look at the lighting and go, ‘Wow, that’s just beautiful.’ I certainly don’t take a picture of them,” he says with a laugh, “but it’s
For the last 12 months, Noyle has devoted much of his time and energy to or- chestrating the fifth annual PhotoCON, that was slated for Sept. 11-12 at Kualoa Ranch on O‘ahu. Forty-two workshops spanning a vari- ety of topics — from captur-
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An 800-pound fiberglass golden elephant is Noyle’s subject when he’s off-duty. PHOTO COURTESY RIC NOYLE