Daily Inspiration: Meet Rayne Noel

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rayne Noel

Hi Rayne, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Memories have always held a special place in my heart, even as a kid. I was the one always running around with some kind of electronic device that could take photos or videos—capturing anything and everything that caught my eye. It brought me so much joy to look back on the little moments, like adventures with my friends or family gatherings.
My deeper love for photography really blossomed around 7th grade. Street photography was my thing back then—I’d wander around North Park with my sibling and friends, taking pictures of murals, cute little shops, and anything that caught my eye. It really sparked a fascination with capturing the beauty and personality of my surroundings.

Another huge influence was my dad, who often took my sibling and I to concerts growing up. Those experiences made a lasting impression. I started following concert photographers like Adam Elmakias, Luis Rodriguez, and Grizzle Martin who worked with the pop-punk and alternative bands I listened to daily, and I realized, this is what I want to do. Concerts became my playground for photography—I didn’t care how close or far I was from the stage; I just focused on getting that shot. It became this fun challenge and a way to combine my love for music and photography.
Looking back, I never really planned for photography to become such a big part of my life—it just happened naturally. And honestly, that’s what I love about it. It’s not just a hobby or a job it’s a way to preserve memories, emotions, and experiences that would otherwise fade.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I’ve always believed that nothing worth doing comes easy—you have to work hard for the goals you want to achieve. For me, that’s been especially true with photography. When I was younger, I didn’t pay much attention to how my photos looked until my pre-teen years. That’s when I discovered photo editing apps and had so much fun experimenting with filters. I’d overlay all kinds of effects to make my pictures more playful and endearing.

As fun as that was, I think I got a little too comfortable sticking to filters. I loved them a bit too much, haha! In high school, I started dialing back on how heavily I edited my photos and eventually found a style that felt more true to me.

One small challenge in the beginning was not having access to a good digital camera. All my photos were taken on my phone, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise. It helped me practice the basics—learning angles, lighting, and how to take better portraits. For my 20th birthday, my dad gifted me my first digital camera, a Nikon, and it’s still my favorite camera to shoot with today.

Another challenge was learning to take criticism. During my first year of college, I took my first photography class and absolutely loved it, but I struggled with accepting suggestions and critiques of my work. My professor was incredible—not just in his own craft but also in the way he gave feedback. At the time, I wasn’t great at applying his advice, but that changed during my second semester.

In my second semester, I had a different professor who taught us how to work with various types of cameras, including film. I’d never worked with film before, aside from Polaroids, which is a completely different experience! Learning the mechanics of film photography was a challenge, but it opened up a whole new world for me. This time, I made a conscious effort to apply everything my professor taught me, and I noticed a major improvement in just a few weeks—from how I shot my pictures to how I edited them.

One of my biggest ongoing challenges, though, is believing in myself and my work. As they say, you’re your own biggest critic. I’ve always struggled with comparing my work to others and feeling like it’s not good enough. Thankfully, I’ve gotten better at giving myself grace, and I’m so lucky to have friends who are my biggest supporters. They always encourage me and help pull me out of creative slumps when I need it most.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My dream is to become a concert photographer, but I know it’s a competitive field. It’s tough to get your name out there, but one of the things I love about living in San Diego is the amazing local band scene. There’s such a supportive and vibrant community here, and I’ve discovered so many incredible artists.

Since I was 18, I’ve been attending local shows and have had the chance to shoot for bands like Erratic Impulse, one of our well-known local groups! It’s been such an exciting experience. Admittedly, it’s a bit tricky getting my camera into venues without a photo pass, so I’m still working on securing more gigs. But I’m incredibly grateful for every opportunity I’ve had to photograph bands. Each experience teaches me something new, and I use it as a chance to grow and improve for the next show.

One of my favorite moments was shooting for Ricky Montgomery’s acoustic show in Long Beach. I was fortunate enough to bring my camera inside.
It was such an unforgettable experience, especially because he’s one of my favorite artists! Getting to combine my love for music and photography in moments like that reminds me why I’m so passionate about this dream.

When I’m not photographing concerts, I specialize in portraits, which is another favorite of mine. I’m lucky to have a lot of cosplayer friends who give me the opportunity to shoot for them as well as my friends just allowing me to express my ideas with them. Portrait photography is so much fun because I get to be creative with planning the concept—whether it’s coming up with unique ideas, choosing props, or setting the scene. I love the process of bringing a vision to life.

When I think about what sets me apart as a photographer, I’d say it’s my creativity and the ideas I bring to shoots. At the same time, I’m always inspired by how talented everyone in this industry is. Everyone has something special that makes their work stand out in its own unique way, and that’s part of what makes this field so exciting to be part of

Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
I think thats about everything, thank you for taking the time to read about my journey!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blues.digital.portfolio/

Image Credits
All photos were shot by me 🙂 Rayne Noel