SAY yes!
When someone you've known for nearly 20 years and who has always treated you with kindness reaches out requesting you create something special for their family you say, "YES, of course I will". Regardless if you're over 800 miles from home at the time and planning to return a day too late to make the photoshoot happen. Regardless if you've been on the road for 16 days, expecting, and ready for a day of rest when you return. Regardless if you know from experience it will be challenging in various ways. When you have the opportunity to memorialize a unique moment for that family, you say absolutely YES, let's do this!
the request
Around '06-'07, I met Patricia while selling her photo equipment to take photos of her family while working for Bedford Camera & Video. That's significant because they were regulars at Bedford and for the 10 years I worked there I essentially watched their family grow up for a good portion of their childhood. We only had a few instances of contact from when I moved on from that job in 2017 to now, so it was a nice surprise to get a call from her while I'm in Ohio.
Patricia says, "I'm not sure if this is something you're willing to do, but I want someone to photograph a surprise proposal on a mountain top and thought of you!" I say, "Proposals are not something I normally photograph, but you've got my attention with 'mountain top'. haha!" She explains. "Isabel is my daughter and her boyfriend, Jack has asked us permission to ask for Isabel's hand in marriage and wants to surprise her with the proposal on top of Pinnacle Mountain!! Can you, do you want to, and how much?" My reply, "I was planning on returning home from Ohio late on the day of the shoot, but for something this special and for your family I can make it back a day early to prepare. Yes, I'd love to and let's make this happen!"
Don't let the .75 miles fool you. The West Summit Trail of Pinnacle Mountain State Park just outside Little Rock, Arkansas is short, but gains over 700ft in elevation quickly. At times navigating over the rugged terrain there will be some light boulder hopping. Depending on your chosen route it may require a bit of scrambling up steep a rock face as well. Don't fret though, there are a few benches along the way if you need a break and well worth the effort to see the views at the top.
prepare and have a plan
To increase chances of success, I bring two camera bodies, 4 lenses, a tripod, spare batteries, backup memory cards, camera rain gear (notice the skies) and what I consider the hiking essentials: water, snacks, rain jacket, headlamp, knife, a lint roller (pro tip: that's for removing seed ticks quickly) and basic first aid. My pack weighs in at 30+ lbs.
Being a surprise proposal, the plan was to start at least 90 min before the young couple's start giving me plenty of time to reach the top, scout the area, set up, take some test shots, and sneakily wait.
Keep in mind, I've never met Jack or Isabel and only going off a photo Patricia sent me. I wanted to be as inconspicuous as possible as not to ruin the surprise, so I had to figure out a way to hide in plain sight. The idea- discreetly pose as "photographer enjoying nature"– an easy role for me to fill. Ha!
On the way up, it only made sense for me to document the trail for the couple to better remember that day and get creative to make some art for them and myself at the same time.
looking for love
A different friend of mine has an uncanny ability to always find heart-shaped rocks while on her hikes. Since we all know the heart is a symbol of love, I thought if I could find one along the trail to photograph that would make a nice addition to Jack and Isabel's gallery.
I was straining my eyes and mind franticly looking at every possible rock, lichen, and tree bark or limbs in hopes a heart shape would jump into my awareness. Doing that while simultaneously creating other scenic and artistic images while still trying to move up the mountain as to not get behind on time. Or much worse they catch up to me!
Over halfway up, I now am getting a bit frustrated not finding any hearts, and in a moment of mindfulness said "let it go and make your way to the top to be ready". In divine timing moments after the refreshed clarity, two hearts come walking down the trail toward me!
One of many lessons, I've learned as a photographer which caries over well into life is that you have to get over shyness and speak up when opportunities arise or they will pass you by. When I saw a two-interlocking-hearts tattoo heading towards me from higher up the mountain, I LOL'd and said aloud "there are my hearts!" The couple looked a bit confused at first, but I explained my creative mission and then asked the lady if I could use her tattoo as part of the visual story. She happily obliged.
finding love
Seeing beyond an object for the name we place on it to describe what it is into the essence of what it looks like in relation to shape, form, color, contrast, and texture is one to the most useful skills I've learned and one my greatest joys in being a photographer. A practice in observation and awareness that strengthens that ability is to spell words with found "letters" in both natural and manmade objects.
This adventure was a perfect opportunity in finding...
At the top
Jack and I spoke ahead of time, so we had a general idea of the mountain top's area which would be best for photography. I get to my location and even though there was a slight chance of rain, it was a nice day and there were still quite a few people enjoying the views and hiking around. I set one camera up on a tripod to shoot a time lapse for one perspective. That location was behind the only scraggly tree at the top in hopes of disguising the camera as to not tip off Isabel. Then I strike up a conversation, and inform them that I was going to blend in with them with their approval to disguise myself and my telephoto lens ready for the close-ups. Now we wait, haha!
Adapt, overcome, and scramble
Another essential lesson to learn is when things don't go as planned, pivot and make do with what you have. I was nearly caught off guard while chatting with the family when I see the young couple walking past me on the ridge line! Good news is they didn't notice me or my secondary camera. Bad news is Jack didn't know where I was or where I had envisioned them stopping, and they walked MUCH further than expected. Without concern of my remote camera's position, I had to attempt a nonchalant scramble quickly over the rocky terrain without alerting Isabel's attention to get in a closer position.
Jack did NOT waste any time to pop the question!
"movie magic"
There's a practice in film, especially documentary, called "recreates" which are often times essential to tell the story. After Jack took the leap, NOT OFF THE MOUNTAIN but bravely proposing to his beloved and her saying "YES"– I congratulated the happy couple and said, "Let's have some fun, get creative, and make sure we have 'THE SHOT'". I then directed them to some ideal locations and we "recreated" the scene. They were both still so elated that showing emotion was a BREEZE.
Happy couple!
Speaking of breeze
the adventure continues
Climbing Pinnacle is just half the battle, so we now must make out way back down where the family is waiting at the visitor center to celebrate offer their own congratulations. The hike down is more opportunity for creating with an unexpected surprise along the way!
BHAGAT, the RACCOON!
Believe it or not, I see a man with an empty leash and half-jokingly ask "did you lose your dog?" He responds "No, my raccoon!" Wait what?!? We heard him correctly and he proceeds to call out for his furry friend named "Bhagat!" Sure enough, the friendly creature comes running to us from the woods and right into the arms of his pall. You know I had to take some photos!
Now do you believe me?!
trail Complete and pressure off
Now to celebrate back with the family!
All you need is love... and adventure!
Big thanks to Patricia for reaching out and trusting me to create lasting memories for Jack and Isabel to last a lifetime! I had a blast myself if you couldn't tell.
And big thanks to you for reading this far! If you have an idea for an adventure photoshoot or video project, hit me up and let's get creative together! This was not my first rodeo on a surprise adventure proposal! If this story and images brought you value, take a look at some others blog posts below and check out alexkentphoto.com for my other services and to see more images.
