Story Tim kneels to propose to Megan at a mountain viewpoint in Montserrat. Real Photoshoot Story

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A Surprise Proposal at Montserrat: Tim & Megan

On August 12, at around eight in the morning, I photographed Tim's proposal to Megan at Montserrat. I remained unnoticed during the proposal, so Tim and I had worked through the details beforehand: the exact spot, how he should position himself and how I would follow their arrival.

Afterwards, we continued with portraits overlooking the valley, a walk through the stone arches and photographs beside the monastery. First, though, I needed to capture Megan's reaction without giving away the surprise.

Coordinating their arrival without spoiling the surprise

I sent Tim a precise map pin so he knew where to bring Megan and where to stop. I would not be able to walk over and explain anything once they arrived, so we settled those details in advance.

Before setting off, Tim started sharing his live location with me. I could see where they were and follow their approach to the meeting point. Knowing their whereabouts was especially important for this shoot, as I needed to be ready without approaching them.

The map pin gave Tim a clear destination, while his live location kept me informed as they travelled towards it.

Tim and Megan stand together beside the curved stone parapet above the valley.

The proposal instructions I sent Tim

Alongside the location, I sent Tim guidance on getting down on one knee and turning in relation to my camera. I wanted a clear view of him with the ring and of Megan's reaction, without either of them being hidden by the other's position.

I also asked him not to get up too quickly. Staying on one knee for a little longer would give me time to photograph the open ring box, Megan's expression and the moments between them before their first embrace.

We covered all of this before the shoot. Tim had a few practical things to remember, and I could concentrate on taking photographs without calling out directions during the proposal.

Tim and Megan face each other with Montserrat's rocky slopes behind them.

The proposal overlooking the valley

Tim and Megan stopped beside a curved stone parapet. Montserrat's rocky slopes rose beside them, with distant hills and the valley visible through a light haze.

I kept photographing from my position as Tim got down on one knee and opened the box. Megan leaned towards him and brought her hands to her face. I photographed her reaction and the way they looked at each other before they embraced.

Our preparation meant I did not need to interrupt. Tim already knew the spot and had my positioning instructions, leaving me free to follow what was happening in front of the camera.

Tim holds out the ring as Megan reacts to his proposal.
Megan covers her face with one hand while Tim kneels in front of her.
Tim and Megan hold hands beside the stone parapet during the proposal.

The first photographs after the proposal

Afterwards, they looked at the ring, held hands and kissed beside the parapet. I continued photographing them together, then took close-up photographs of the ring on Megan's hand.

We stayed at the viewpoint for their first couple portraits. I alternated wider photographs that included the mountains with closer frames of their faces and hands. For the ring photographs, I kept the landscape in the background to connect those details with the place where Tim had proposed.

I no longer needed to remain unnoticed, and we could continue the morning together as a couple photoshoot.

Tim and Megan kiss beside the mountain viewpoint after the proposal.
Tim embraces Megan with the hazy valley behind them.
Tim and Megan look down at the ring on her hand.
Tim and Megan share a kiss with layered hills in the background.
Megan rests her hand against Tim's cheek as they kiss.
Close view of Megan's engagement ring with Tim holding her hand.
Tim wraps his arms around Megan at the viewpoint.
Tim and Megan raise their joined hands in front of Montserrat's cliffs.
Tim and Megan reach towards each other with the valley beyond their hands.
Tim and Megan kiss while sitting together on the stone parapet.
Tim and Megan turn towards each other while seated above the valley.
Close-up of a couple sharing a tender moment, capturing the joy of a surprise proposal photoshoot.
A close portrait of Tim and Megan smiling at each other.
Tim leans his head against Megan in a close embrace.
A wide mountain view frames Tim and Megan embracing at the lookout.

Portraits beneath the tree

From the viewpoint, we moved beneath a large tree. Tim and Megan sat close together on a bench and embraced, with the mountains still visible through the branches.

I used the softer light in the shade for closer portraits before continuing beside the tree. The greenery, stone wall and distant slopes gave me several different backgrounds within a small area, so we could vary the photographs without a long walk between locations.

Tim and Megan sit beneath a large tree with the valley in the distance.
Tim rests his arm around Megan on a bench overlooking the mountains.
Tim and Megan hold hands beside the stone wall beneath leafy branches.
Tim lifts Megan into an embrace beneath the tree.
Tim and Megan kiss under the branches at the mountain viewpoint.
A close portrait of Megan holding Tim's face as they kiss.

Walking and turning beneath the stone arches

Our next stop was the semicircular arcade. Sunlight passed through the arches, casting long bands of light across the floor.

I photographed Tim and Megan moving through the space together. Tim lifted their joined hands and Megan turned beneath his arm, the fabric of her long dress spreading around her.

Megan wore a green patterned dress, while Tim wore a warm neutral shirt with olive trousers. Their outfits worked with both the vegetation on the slopes and the pale stone, and they stayed in the same clothes throughout the walk.

I then took portraits beside the openings, using the columns to frame them and keeping the valley visible beyond. From there, we continued past the flowering shrubs towards the monastery buildings.

Tim and Megan raise their joined hands in the semicircular stone gallery.
Tim twirls Megan across the sunlit floor between the stone arches.
Megan turns beneath Tim's raised arm as her dress moves around her.
Tim and Megan walk across the gallery's patterned floor.
Tim leans against an arch while Megan sits in the neighboring opening.
Tim and Megan sit in adjacent stone arches with mountains beyond.
Megan rests her hand against Tim's head beside a carved stone column.
Tim and Megan kiss beside a column in the curved gallery.
A close view of Tim and Megan kissing among the stone arches.
Rows of arches frame Tim and Megan embracing in the gallery.

Continuing around the monastery

Around the monastery, I photographed them on the stairs, open terraces and in the covered gallery, with the rounded rock formations rising above the rooftops.

On the terrace, Tim embraced Megan and lifted her into his arms. We also stopped beside a large arched opening in a stone wall, where I photographed them sitting together with the architecture and mountains in the frame.

In the covered gallery, they walked hand in hand between the columns. I took more portraits with the ring before we moved to the broad steps for the last photographs.

Tim and Megan walk hand in hand towards the monastery buildings.
Megan wraps her arm around Tim beside flowering shrubs.
Rocky Montserrat cliffs rise above green mountain slopes.
Tim and Megan stand on stone steps beneath Montserrat's rounded peaks.
Tim and Megan walk down the steps beside the monastery buildings.
Tim lifts Megan into his arms on a sunny terrace beside a tall lamp.
Tim holds Megan as they kiss on the monastery terrace.
Megan rests across Tim's lap on a stone bench beneath an arch.
A large stone arch and carved statues frame Tim and Megan on the bench.
Tim and Megan walk hand in hand across the open monastery courtyard.
Tim and Megan's shadows stretch across the sunlit paving.
Tim and Megan walk together through a covered stone arcade.
Tim and Megan hold hands and look at each other beneath the wooden gallery ceiling.
Megan shows her engagement ring while standing beside Tim in the cloister.
Tim and Megan raise their arms together in the cloister garden.

The last photographs on the steps

We finished beside the monastery, with Tim and Megan sitting close together on the steps, embracing and turning towards each other.

At the beginning of the shoot, I had needed to remain unnoticed. Now Tim raised his arm in celebration, while Megan smiled and held up her ring for the camera.

Tim and Megan sit closely together on the monastery's broad stone steps.
A wide portrait of Tim and Megan seated below the monastery buildings and rocky peaks.
Tim and Megan smile at each other while sitting on the steps.
Tim raises his arm while Megan smiles and shows her engagement ring on the steps.

Warming words

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Megan reacts as Tim kneels to propose at a mountain viewpoint in Montserrat. Tim and Megan smile at each other while sitting on the monastery steps. Megan touches Tim’s cheek with her engagement ring visible. Tim twirls Megan beneath the stone arches at Montserrat.

Tim & Megan

Anastasia!! Oh my gosh the photos are beyond incredible. Thank you so much for perfectly capturing the moment. We couldn’t be happier with how they came out and that you were able to share such a special moment with us. Thank you!! 💖 🫶🏻

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