I received a call from Brandon last week to plan a wedding proposal in Honolulu. Brandon is from Honolulu, and he was bringing his girlfriend Melanie with him from California to spend the holidays with his family. The location he had in mind was Magic Island, and we picked a spot over the phone while referencing Google Maps.
I told Brandon that I’d bring my tripod so that he’d recognize me. Silly me, I actually thought there wouldn’t be any other photographers there. Fortunately, there was only one guy.
Just so that I didn’t seem suspicious to Melanie, I brought Loretta with me. She offered to wear a dress and pose as a model while we were waiting for them to arrive (so that it looked like I had a reason for being there with my camera). It’s a good thing Brandon sort of knew what I looked like so that he could figure out that the other guy wasn’t me.
Aside from the dramatic lighting we had on this morning, I love that the fishermen in the background bring some character to this image. Not only is this the iconic backdrop of Diamond Head, but we see the local daily lifestyle in the midst of a special moment happening. It’s amazing how many people were there — fishing, walking, running, etc. — who didn’t even notice this scene unfolding.
The other photographer walked up to me and started to chat while I was in the middle of shooting. I quickly told him what was happening and continued shooting so that I wouldn’t miss any key moments. Of course, he started shooting a few frames himself, and I think Melanie took notice of him just as I was going in for some closer looks. She took one look at the other photographer, at Loretta (who had one of my other cameras), and then at me. Melanie’s face was priceless as she tried to figure out what was going on as multiple cameras were on her.
A big thanks to Brandon for trusting me to document this special occasion. He did a great job getting her out there in the first place, and in my brief encounter with them on this morning I could definitely see the love that these two have for each other.
Congratulations to Brandon and Melanie!
So romantic!
Awww… that is such a sweet story! Been to magic island many times at dawn and could totally envision this scene as you describe. Nice write up and beautiful shot!