Seth proposed to Liz in a light snowfall at Garden of the Gods on an epic overlook with spires of red sandstone in the distance. Proposals are so exciting to photograph and require a good deal of planning! How will you know where to stand for the best photos? How will you surprise your partner? Where and when should you pop the question? What's the signal you give the photographer that you're about to get down on one knee?
Seth contacted me in January to say that he and his girlfriend had booked a trip to Colorado for the end of March and he wanted to propose. They had rented a remote cabin for the weekend between Colorado Springs and Evergreen. We talked about times of day, how to surprise Liz, and the best locations within an hour of their cabin. I sent photos of the summit of Pikes Peak, Mount Falcon West, Staunton State Park, and Elk Meadow Park. After a lot of back and forth we settled on this overlook at Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs.
It was March 30th and the overcast skies promised snow as I arrived early to set up. I hid a video camera on a tripod and stood behind a pillar with my 70-200mm zoom lens on my Nikon. As the temperatures dropped and snow began to fall I vigilantly watched each car that entered and exited the lot, waiting for Seth to arrive. He had emailed me selfies so that I would recognize them!
They finally arrived and Seth led Liz to a location we had specifically chosen by sending Google locations and images to one another. When the moment came Liz was shocked. After an enthusiastic "yes!" they started to make their way back towards the parking lot - and it was at this moment that Seth revealed the hidden photographer ;)
I pulled out the bubbly and plastic champagne flutes that Seth had asked me to bring and we took celebratory photos until it was time for them to head to a steak dinner in downtown Colorado Springs. After so much planning it was really gratifying to see how smoothly the proposal went. Despite chilly temperatures they have told me that they are obsessed with these photos and so happy they planned for a 30-minute celebratory shoot afterwards!
If you're thinking of proposing (first of all, YAY) send me an email at dylan@dylancrossleyphoto.com and let's get to planning something epic!
