When Josh contacted me about his surprise engagement I was absolutely thrilled that he suggested Baltimore Harbor. The location has a special place in my heart, not only because it is scenic and beautiful but it's because where my proposal took place earlier this year! I wanted to make Josh & Jen's experience as special and memorable as the one I had.
Josh had planned everything for a while and sat on this surprise for weeks. I found that to be absolutely thoughtful and whenever he contacted me to update his plans I found myself getting more and more excited about this surprise. We communicated a few times and went through the plan thoroughly before it all took place so that Jen doesn't suspect anything. The place was a bit exposed and I worried that Jen might notice my presence, so I brought my little puppy and some company for camouflage, and it worked! The proposal was beautiful and I think we were all overtaken by seeing this special moment between both of them.
Josh had planned the day to the T! He had a small boat ride planned for him and Jen that left the harbor an hour after the proposal, which allowed us to go around Baltimore Harbor and take as many pictures as possible. We captured the surprise, the joy, the excitement, the laughter, all of it! I got to know both of them a little better, Josh is a Doctoral candidate of Musical Arts, and Jen is a Data Scientist, they both have been with each other for a while and their families were in on the surprise and celebrated with them later.
Josh told me that they are not big on taking pictures and he wanted me to be cognizant of their space during the photoshoot, which is something I completely understand. I am often super awkward in front of the Camera and I feel a bit shy when anyone takes a picture of me. But once in front of the camera, Josh and Jen both intuitively knew what to do. The romance, the laughter, the love, all of it came naturally and easily. There was no need to pose, they were just being with each other and I was just documenting their journey from a distance. Sure, both of them asked me for a bit of direction at the beginning, but by the time our session was almost over, they were completely in control dictating all the shots!
Although rain was forecasted and we were all prepared with umbrellas, the weather turned out to be absolutely beautiful... I was thrilled for them. Seeing the happiness and joy on their faces brought me to tears. This is why I love what I do....being able to witness these special parts of someone's journey makes me feel good every time! :)
