The Proposal – Isle of Skye

So yesterday I had another day where I was lucky enough to be chosen to capture a special time in someone’s life. I can’t say often enough how much it means to me when someone trusts me to capture these moments, and invite me to be present at such an event.

Shooting weddings are hard. But you kinda have experience to guide you. They are planned to the Nth degree, and you pretty much know exactly what to expect, where people will be and it is a case of being ready to capture it unfold. Sure, you need to be on your toes, and very sharp to capture things, but it is a controlled environment.

Proposals on the other hand are much, much harder. The pressure is intense, because as well as the ‘you only get one chance’ element, you actually have no idea how it will happen, where it will happen, or where you need to be.

So going back to yesterday. Weiyou got in touch last year, as he and his girlfriend Catherine, were coming to Scotland on holiday, and he planned to ask her to marry him. He wanted a photographer to capture the moment, and my experience of such occasions brought him to me, and I was entrusted with the task of capturing the moment for posterity.

We chatted via email, as is the way, and after throwing a few locations around, he decided his favourite was Neist Point. This was great because I had never been there and it was a chance to visit a new location. This was also not great because I had no idea what to expect. This meant leaving early to ensure I could have a good scout around before the couple arrived and try to plan something.

We had contact via whatsapp, but I had no idea, what signal we may or may not have up in the middle of nowhere, but it turned out to be decent. What I did forget at that point was, due to my brain not working the same as most people, I tend to get left and right mixed up.

I decided the spot to the right of the wee coffee cabin was the way to go, but I sent Weiyou instructions to go left….. Anyway, some nods and winks as he arrived soon got us heading the ‘right’ way and I led them up the hill, totally acting like a tourist. photographing the scenery, crows, gulls, and anything else to make me not look suspicious.

It worked a treat and he read my mind/signals and walked Catherine to the exact spot (near enough) that I had imagined. I had set the video up, but the sun was so bright I had no idea if they were in the frame or not. My priority was photography so video would be a bonus.

As it happened it worked and I captured the whole thing in HD video so we had that as an extra. It was totally emotional being so close, watching, but not knowing what was being said, and then seeing the reaction. All the time being surrounded by one of the most breathtaking views I have ever seen.
He said a few words, dropped to one knee, produced the ring, and the girl said YES.

Ever wonder why I do this job? Wonder no more. Moments like this are worth everything. The joy in their faces. The look of love. Knowing I had done something they would have to cherish forever. Knowing their children and grandchildren could relive this very private moment back, time and time again….well, that is why i love what I do.

So, with that, here are some pictures of the day, and at the end you can find a video showing some of the events unfold.

If you are a guy thinking about popping the question (or a girl), don’t hesitate to get in touch with the expert at capturing these things! You will not regret it.