I freakin’ love it when I’m contacted to photograph a surprise proposal! I get to be a little sneaky and I’m in on a special secret. When Eric contacted me to help him out with photos of his proposal to his girlfriend, Arlette, we decided to meet up ahead of time in the location he’d picked out. He wanted to make sure I knew the exact spot, and he wanted my opinion on the lighting, which was an added bonus — it’s so great when clients think and care about whether the light is good!
So on the morning of the fourth of July, I headed to Cheeseboro Canyon in sweats and sneakers, with my camera gear in a Jansport backpack. I wanted to look like a random passing hiker, just snapping photos of the natural beauty on the trail. It totally worked. Arlette later confessed she thought I was kind of weird since I sort of hovered nearby, especially since I got closer once Eric got down on one knee (the surprise was over so I dropped my pretenses). She didn’t immediately realize that Eric had arranged for me to be there! It all made more sense to her once he looked over at me, smiled, and I waved back in greeting. :)
It’s pretty incredible to witness such a significant moment between two people. Just one more reason I’m convinced I have one of the coolest jobs on the planet.
Without further ado, Eric and Arlette’s photos from the day they got engaged.
