By Jonathan Ment
Joe found me on Yelp to ask if I photographed proposals and while that platform can be a little troublesome (he said my initial reply ended up in spam!) we did connect rather quickly.
Joe and his beautiful lady Hayley had planned a weekend getaway and he had big plans for how to make a special occasion (we never take a vacation, she said when we met) even more special.
It was time to pop the question.
Joe knew the date, the approximate time and general vicinity that he wanted this to take place based on their hotel’s (Scribner’s) location, but needed a little help.
Photographing couples, families and larger groups on the Greene County mountaintop near Hunter Mountain and Windham Mountain as I do, I have a few ideas on what sorts of settings are available.
Looking for a lake, a creek, a waterfall, a mountain or simply a beautiful backdrop that won’t be too crowded whether on a Saturday night or Sunday morning? We’ve got that.
I try to make things as simple as possible for clients. Everything is explained up front. Expectations are set and managed. Checking in a few days before our session, we confirm the details and note any changes. Then the day arrives.
But in life, expect the unexpected.
Barely two hours before they anticipated arriving, a slightly nervous Joe reached out to ask if there were signs pointing to the spot he’d picked for the big moment.
I sketched a quick outline of the sign and sent it his way, then opted for an annotated screenshot from Google Maps. Let our connection be the last thing he worried about on this special morning!
I positioned myself a little early, as I like to do, so that I’m basically part of the scenery when the couple arrives. Whenever there’s nature involved, a fellow with a camera isn’t so out of place as to become suspicious.
Joe and Hayley landed right on schedule and he shot a text my way to let me know they’d be walking around a bit before he landed on the ‘x.’
Then they landed.
Then they wandered off.
I’ve gotten good at watching without appearing to watch, and realized that he might be reconsidering his chosen location. I had second thoughts myself, due to the light at the time, but we can always make it work…
When these two beautiful people made it back to the general vicinity, Joe and Hayley seemed to be gravitating toward a different setting and I remained at the ready, even capturing a few photos before the moment arrived. (It was fun sharing those once Hayley and I had been introduced.)
Then, pop! Like always. It happens in an instant.
I move in and around photographing the bended knee, hands and faces from multiple angles. Some shots highlighting the ring. Some photos celebrating the moment. Some images capturing the connection between these two. Have I mentioned I love my work? What sometimes seems like a brief eternity, but really is just an instant, passes and then it’s done. We ‘meet’ in person.
It’s you, the one you love and my camera preserving the memory for all time.
After the candid shots, we always work the area for some portraits – sometimes returning to the point where it began … in this case “our proposal rock,” as Hayley put it. For more planned images.(I will be adding ‘the proposal rock’ to my list of possible sites 😉 ) Have I mentioned I love photographing proposals?
Thank you Joe and Hayley (and even Yelp) for bringing us together!
Planning to propose? Need Engagement photos? Making arrangements for your wedding?
You can email, or text: 845 430 4030 to get started, or even dial that phone to chat! I look forward to hearing from you!
Thanks as always for reading and reaching out for your photography needs,
Jonathan Ment Photography
Jonathan Ment Photography 