7th September, 2024
Let me tell you the story of my dear friends Alana and Alex getting engaged, and what that means for me and my camera!
So I’ve known Alana since the fateful year 2020. We had a handful of university classes together (remotely, of course), and through a series of supportive tweets, we became friends. I even remember the snapchat that Alana sent our group chat right before their first date. Naturally, I was so excited when Alex reached out asking me to photograph the couple’s engagement – mentioning the possibility of proposing during a trip they had planned in Melbourne. Alex asked whether I knew any photographers in Melbourne – sadly I do not, but gladly, I was happy and available to make the journey myself. I had the opportunity to organise a trip with my beautiful partner Sinead at the end of our university holidays – which suited us well. We both enjoyed our weekend away, with the added treat of seeing our friends get engaged!
I hadn’t shot a proposal before, so I consulted my dear photographer friend Sammie, and received some tips on how to organise the shoot. I feel extremely lucky to have access to Sammie’s advice and counsel, as we share a similar outlook on the benefits of collaboration as photographers. A lot of freelance photographers and small business owners in Australia feel the pressures of a competitive and over-saturated market for photography. It’s difficult to navigate the profession if you feel you cannot rely on other photographers and share experiences and advice between each other. Sammie has been a tremendous help to me in the last couple of years, and I am always grateful for our friendship in moments such as these – where I can draw on her expertise ahead of any major first for the business.
Sinead and I had spent that day finessing the public transport system to get to Sydney airport early that morning. Naturally, the train lines have been experiencing delays and cancellations lately, so it took a handful of trains and replacement busses to make it onboard for our flight to Melbourne. Once we arrived, we had the pleasure of meeting with some of my friends from high school who moved from Dubbo to Melbourne some time ago. They kindly hosted us for the weekend and were extremely helpful with transport recommendations on the day. I feel extremely lucky and comforted to have spent some time catching up and hanging out with my old friends while we were in Melbourne.
Anyhow, after some time chatting with our friends, Sinead and I headed into the city to scope out the picnic grounds and pinpoint a spot for Alex to take a knee. Alex and I had discussed an approximate 3.30pm arrival, so we tried to arrive a bit before then. However, clearly Alex had done a good job at keeping the proposal a surprise, because Alana took some convincing to get out of the hotel and down to the picnic grounds before their dinner booked for that night. By the time the couple arrived, the sun was waning, and the light had changed significantly. While nerve-inducing, I am glad for this development, because we ended up with a beautiful romantic golden-hour shoot.
Before they arrived, we spent some time determining some good hiding spots and lining up practice shots. We received updates from Alex on the couple’s movements, and when the time came, we perched atop a small hill and peered across the sporting fields beyond the picnic ground. Funnily, shortly before their arrival, we spotted a couple that look eerily similar to the two of them, and watched them carefully for a concerning amount of time before confirming otherwise.
When Alex and Alana arrived, they slowly looked around, taking pictures with Alex attempting to lead Alana over to the specified spot. After a certain amount of time, Alex took a knee, and I ran as quickly and quietly as I could to be closer to where they were. I missed their actual engagement, but that is arguably for the better. They can have that precious moment for themselves. They kindly recreated the moment so that I could take these pictures. Once Alana had spotted me, all bets were off. I showed her my Pinterest board of ideas, and the couple’s affection for each other made posing and direction mostly unnecessary. I really love the outcome – warm, genuine and sweet.
I am thrilled with how these photos turned out, and it was a joy to stand by while the two celebrated their love. I hope that they both feel the warmth and joy of their engagement photos, and I am deeply humbled to have had the opportunity to provide them with photos of this precious moment.
