Recently I was asked by Mike to be there when he proposes to his now fiance Alyssa and to photograph it. I was both excited and honored to not only be able to take those photos but to also be able to share that special moment with them. That is not something you get to experience with every client and it really meant a lot to me. In a situation like this, obviously you only have one chance to get that shot so the pressure is on to some extent. Planning and also having a backup location were key. We met a few days prior and looked at a few different locations and ultimately decided on a spot in Hoboken near Pier A where you could see the Empire State Building in the background and there were these trees whose branches formed this perfect archway above the two of them when Mike knelt down to ask. There was a little worry about rain but it held off and actually made for some really great flat lighting for a quick impromptu portrait session after. In such a busy area there is always the concern of someone walking in the way but as soon as everyone saw me approaching with my telephoto lens they stopped to see what was going on and Alyssa and Mike got a round of applause from a giant group of random strangers who just happened to be walking by or sitting nearby. It is so nice to see in person examples like this of how love and happiness can bring everyone together even if just for a few seconds while we are all about our busy days.
