A Proposal with Earth to Herbie!

There is something incredibly special about photographing a proposal. You only get one chance to capture the moment as it actually happens—the surprise, the reaction, the nerves, the joy—and this past weekend, Ayden and I had the opportunity to document one from two completely different perspectives. And this one took some planning.

The fiancé reached out, having carefully curated an evening that retraced some of the places that had become meaningful throughout their relationship. The Grand Rapids Riverwalk was especially important. It was one of the first places they spent time together on an early date, the place they returned to when they officially became a couple, and now, the place where he wanted to ask her to marry him. The idea was beautiful. Our job was figuring out how to make it work.

Planning the Proposal

Grand Rapids is currently doing quite a bit of renovation along the riverfront, which meant our first challenge was location scouting. Construction equipment, orange cones and barricades aren't exactly the backdrop you imagine for a proposal. Because Ayden and I would be working together—with me photographing from the ground and Ayden capturing aerial video with Herbie, his drone—we also needed a location that worked from two completely different vantage points.

We ultimately used the Gillette Bridge area as our jumping-off point for the drone. The movement and sound of the river gave Ayden a great place to work while helping disguise the quiet hum of Herbie overhead. Then we had to figure out where to put me. I needed a clear view of the proposal without being anywhere obvious enough to give away what was about to happen. I found a small tree along the Riverwalk that gave me just enough cover, brought along a blanket, book and water bottle so I looked like someone simply enjoying an afternoon by the river, and tucked my camera out of sight.

Then we waited.

One Moment, Two Perspectives

As the couple walked past me toward their spot, I stayed put and watched from a distance. Once they were far enough away, I pulled out my camera and telephoto lens and waited for the moment we knew was coming. From the river, Ayden had Herbie in position. From the Riverwalk above, I had my camera ready.And together, we captured the entire proposal as it unfolded.

That is probably my favorite part of working alongside Ayden. We see things differently—and that's exactly why it works.

I've spent nearly two decades photographing people, weddings and moments that can't be recreated. Experience teaches you to anticipate. You learn to notice the things that could become problems before they actually are problems. You think about backgrounds, light, sightlines, timing, where people are going to naturally stand and move, and how to quietly adjust when the original plan isn't going to work.

Ayden was raised around this world. He has an innate ability to look at a situation and understand what is needed in a way that's difficult for me to explain. Add his understanding of drone photography and video, and suddenly we're able to document the same moment from perspectives neither one of us could create alone. There is a lot of trust involved. I trust him to see what I can't see from where I'm standing, and he trusts me to do the same.

Why the Planning Matters

This is one of those sessions that perfectly demonstrates why hiring a professional isn't simply about hiring someone with a nice camera or a drone. You're hiring someone to think through all of the details you hopefully never have to think about.

Where will the light be? Can we actually see the couple from our planned location? Will construction interfere? Where can the drone safely launch? Will they hear it? Where can I position myself without being noticed? What happens if someone sits directly in front of me? What lens gives me enough reach? What does the location look like from the air versus from the ground?

Years of experience don't mean everything always goes according to plan. They mean you get very good at knowing when a plan isn't going to work—and finding one that will. For this proposal, that meant a little scouting, a strategically placed blanket and book, one conveniently located tree, a telephoto lens, a drone hovering over the river, and a whole lot of communication between Ayden and me. The result was something neither of us could have created quite the same way on our own.

Two perspectives. Two different talents. One moment that this couple will now be able to relive forever. And watching them walk away from the Riverwalk engaged—adding one more chapter to a place that already held so much of their story—made all of that planning completely worth it.

Congratulations to this gorgeous couple as they begin their next chapter. It was such an honor for Ayden and me to be there, quietly tucked away on land and in the sky, making sure this moment would never be forgotten.