Pete Horton
A Unique Proposal in the South of France
The 'hiding in plain sight' Approach to a surprise proposal...
This surprise proposal unfolded a little differently to how most do on the French Riviera. The client explained that he’d like to treat himself and his girlfriend to a normal photoshoot and that during it, when the moment felt right, he’d propose.
Some photographers may get a little nervous about such a proposition as the less control they have over a situation, the more they feel they’re relying on luck to get amazing images; but I agreed as I knew the location in Nice (Le Jardin des Arènes de Cimiez, next to the Matisse Museum) very well and was interested to see how it would unfold.
As far as surprise proposals go, I think openly booking a photographer and treating it like a normal photoshoot was quite clever as – judging by the surprised reaction of his partner - it kept the proposal itself secret. By hiding the proposal in plane sight, it kept it a secret and allowed him to choose a perfect moment with less stress, her to enjoy being in the moment, and for me to just react accordingly. It was a win/win. It took place about three-quarters of the way through the photoshoot, by which point we were all settled and relaxed around each other so that helped the couple just forget I was there.
Winter Proposal Photos from Cimiez, Nice
As it happened, it took place in one my favourite places to shoot in this parc, beneath the rows of olive trees outside the Matisse Museum. These were taken in late December, where the winter light was beautifully soft and there weren’t too many people around. In summer, it might have been a different story. Generally, I love shooting beneath the dappled light of trees – it’s usually a safe bet in terms of lighting (but watch out for very green trees, as the green tint can make its way onto people’s skin and ruin the images).
Engagement Photos in the Monastère de Cimiez
But as far as proposal ideas go, the idea of booking a “normal” photoshoot and leaving 80 per cent of the ‘how and when’ to the proposing partner, I think, is a great idea: there’s an incentive for both people to get dressed up in their favourite clothes, to go to a random stunning location without arousing too much suspicion, both will be used to the camera when it happens, and I imagine it lifts quite a lot of pressure off the proposing partner, also, as there's less of a crunch moment - it can all unfold more naturally.
In pragmatic terms, there was a little que – a subtle sign – I received just before it happened, but that was all I needed to step back, quickly get into a decent position, and capture what unfolded. As a way of going about a surprise proposal, I’d recommend it.
And some winter photos at Coco Beach, Nice
After the Jardin des Arènes and the Monastère de Cimiez (which are next to each other), we headed for some January photos at Coco Beach, with a sublime blue sky, watery, wintery sunshine, and crashing waves...
