A Surprise Engagement
I think I am feeling well enough to get a few blog posts published so I'll give it a shot. My health is still rather poor and I'm still in recovery mode from a bout with the flu but I'm thinking more clearly than I have since returning home so I should be able to get a few blog entries published today.
The first group of photos that I needed to and wanted to get done were the photos from Adam and Joi's surprise engagement so that is what I tackled first.
I was one of the few who knew that Adam was going to propose to Joi but, since we were traveling across the entire United States, I was very light on photography gear. I would have preferred to have a few flashes, some umbrellas, and perhaps even a more appropriate portrait lens or two. Everything had to fit in one small shoulder bag though so I had to sacrifice the lighting and heavier lenses for convenience and staying as lightweight as possible.
Since I knew the proposal was coming, I was constantly on the lookout for any opportunities to shoot an appropriate photo of Adam and Joi even before the big night. Unfortunately, it proved to be exceptionally difficult to pry an excited and unknowing mother visiting her son away from the couple I needed alone! As a result, I have a lot of photos of Adam, Joi and Sheila! Those would not work for "engagement photos" though so I won't show them here.
My first real opportunity for some good photos came on our first day in San Francisco. We had a lot to fit into our visit to San Francisco including the proposal itself. From the moment we arrived at The Presidio, we were on the go. After settling into our suites in Pershing Hall, the old Bachelor Officer Quarters, we decided to start exploring this historic Army post.
Our first walk was up to Inspiration Point. The path started right behind our Inn and meandered up a hill overlooking parts of San Francisco and Alcatraz. Sheila was still stuck to Adam and Joi like glue but I managed to pull her back to my side once while we were on this scenic trail.
The sun was peaking through the trees directly over Adam and Joi illuminating them very nicely. The path was winding from left to right and, in the distance, was a lone house up on the hill. This was my first opportunity to get a decent shot of the two of them together...
I really like the composition of this image and thought it was very appropriate for an engagement shot. The path moves through the frame diagonally leading our eyes to our subjects... they are illuminated brightly by the sun through the trees over their heads... we lose the path in the trees but it disappears while leading our eyes toward a house in the distance... symbolically leading toward "home". It was a nice opportunity for what would be the first of many engagement photos.
Next, we hopped on a shuttle to get to the opposite side of The Presidio to what used to be Crissy Airfield. This old airfield was situated on the shore of San Francisco Bay at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge. I knew I wanted to get a few shots of the bridge as the sun was setting behind it so this was in our plan for our first night in San Francisco. Of course, visiting an old airfield is always something I'm interested in anyway...
I had a couple of nice opportunities here on the beach to capture Adam and Joi... This first one from the beach, although unplanned since I was so far away from the two of them, is actually one of my favorites. I like being off in the distance during shoots like this because it is easier to get shots that are more relaxed, natural and unposed. Adam and Joi were just being themselves...
In this next one, Adam and Joi have the setting sun in their face providing a nice warm, soft light...
The following morning we went hiking to find some of the earliest air defense batteries employing artillery and missiles for the defense of our country. This was of particular interest to me since I spent much of my career specializing in air defense. In this photo, below, Adam and Joi are standing on an old artillery battery where three 12 inch guns overlooked the Pacific Ocean and the Golden Gate Bridge...
Later that day, I found Adam and Joi relaxing on the porch of the old Bachelor Officer Quarters waiting on the rest of our group....
While we were all waiting for our ride into downtown San Francisco for dinner with Sheila's cousin, Gary, I found this interesting composition... at this point, Sheila and Nan still had no idea of Adam's surprise plans for this night's dinner. I like the looks on the faces here especially the differing looks between the two couples... and I like that mom and grandmother are behind the son/grandson and soon-to-be fiance...
After ordering our meals, Adam was getting antsy. Before dinner was even served, he came over to me to retrieve the engagement ring whispering something like "I need to get this done before dinner". I just chuckled as I reached for my camera bag.
I quickly dug the ring out of my camera bag and discreetly handed it to him... as the ring was in my hand, in my head I was thinking, "wow... I haven't been a ring bearer since my Aunt Roe and Uncle Bill got married in 1971... a lot has happened since then!"
I have to explain that this restaurant was dark... and I mean it was dark. It was far darker than my camera portrays here in these photos. I was worried that these images would be terrible. It was so dark that my autofocus was not able to function because it could not see anything in the darkness! I had to manually focus all of these shots.
I'm really glad I was able to capture this sequence of events though... it was very nice to be there... actually, it was a little exciting... and we were all happy to be a part of this special event but it is especially nice to have images of it happening too!
A few nights before this engagement night, we met Joi's mom, Ahavah, over dinner at a different Italian restaurant near Adam and Joi's home. The two moms talked incessantly over dinner and got to know each other as much as is possible in one evening.
It was rather noisy in the restaurant but, at one point, I thought I overhead something that sounded like "Brooklyn"... I jumped into the conversation to ask about Brooklyn... it turns out that Joi's mom is originally from Brooklyn while I am originally from Queens! Now we are sitting on the opposite coast being introduced to each other for the first time because these two children met each other serendipitously.
As the night of the dinner with Joi's mom approached, I had been wondering if Adam talked with Ahavah about the proposal but I hadn't had a chance to ask him. We were never alone. While we were saying our goodbyes after dinner, Ahavah hugged me and whispered in my ear, "You make sure you shoot a lot of photos..." I immediately knew then that she was also aware of the upcoming proposal in San Francisco! I have to say that I was a bit relieved that Adam did the right thing.
After the proposal at dinner in San Francisco, Sheila spoke with Ahavah on the phone and Adam and Joi scoped out a decent place for some photos a block away. After dinner we said our goodbyes to Gary, Sheila's cousin, and we headed toward a church a block away for some impromptu engagement photos.
Just like in the restaurant, it was dark... very dark... and I had no lights with me. I had to make do with a few street lights... posing and angling the newly engaged couple just right to minimize shadows while hoping to light up faces sufficiently... and trying to keep motion to a minimum because I knew my shutter speeds would be long since it was so dark... long shutter speeds means motion blurring if your subjects move. Yet another thing I could not control.
It was a bit damp and chilly at this point so Joi would take her coat off... we'd shoot a couple of photos... then she would quickly put her coat back on to warm up again. Coat off... more photos... I'd notice some shivering and some goosebumps on Joi so we'd stop briefly to put the coat back on to warm up...
It was a bit of a challenge working with only the existing streetlights. I like to get the light where I need it... in this case, on the faces with no harsh shadows... and I prefer to control the light but I had no control this night. So, first I would find the light... then move Adam and Joi into the light... position them at the best angle... then figure out how to make the background work... move them a little to fix background problems.... try to keep the light falling on the faces... it was an awkward dance between darkness, light, shadows and cluttered backgrounds enveloped in damp chilliness...
In this next shot, we added traffic to the already awkward dance between darkness, light and backgrounds enveloped in damp chilliness...
Sheila typically helps me by holding lighting gear but since I had no lighting with me she was on coat duty to keep Joi as warm as possible. In this last shot, she is putting Joi's coat back on her after we finished shooting photos....
Our time in San Francisco was a lot of fun and far too short but this night will always be a memorable one for all of us who were lucky enough to be included. Congratulations to Adam and Joi!
The first group of photos that I needed to and wanted to get done were the photos from Adam and Joi's surprise engagement so that is what I tackled first.
I was one of the few who knew that Adam was going to propose to Joi but, since we were traveling across the entire United States, I was very light on photography gear. I would have preferred to have a few flashes, some umbrellas, and perhaps even a more appropriate portrait lens or two. Everything had to fit in one small shoulder bag though so I had to sacrifice the lighting and heavier lenses for convenience and staying as lightweight as possible.
Since I knew the proposal was coming, I was constantly on the lookout for any opportunities to shoot an appropriate photo of Adam and Joi even before the big night. Unfortunately, it proved to be exceptionally difficult to pry an excited and unknowing mother visiting her son away from the couple I needed alone! As a result, I have a lot of photos of Adam, Joi and Sheila! Those would not work for "engagement photos" though so I won't show them here.
My first real opportunity for some good photos came on our first day in San Francisco. We had a lot to fit into our visit to San Francisco including the proposal itself. From the moment we arrived at The Presidio, we were on the go. After settling into our suites in Pershing Hall, the old Bachelor Officer Quarters, we decided to start exploring this historic Army post.
Our first walk was up to Inspiration Point. The path started right behind our Inn and meandered up a hill overlooking parts of San Francisco and Alcatraz. Sheila was still stuck to Adam and Joi like glue but I managed to pull her back to my side once while we were on this scenic trail.
The sun was peaking through the trees directly over Adam and Joi illuminating them very nicely. The path was winding from left to right and, in the distance, was a lone house up on the hill. This was my first opportunity to get a decent shot of the two of them together...
I really like the composition of this image and thought it was very appropriate for an engagement shot. The path moves through the frame diagonally leading our eyes to our subjects... they are illuminated brightly by the sun through the trees over their heads... we lose the path in the trees but it disappears while leading our eyes toward a house in the distance... symbolically leading toward "home". It was a nice opportunity for what would be the first of many engagement photos.
Next, we hopped on a shuttle to get to the opposite side of The Presidio to what used to be Crissy Airfield. This old airfield was situated on the shore of San Francisco Bay at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge. I knew I wanted to get a few shots of the bridge as the sun was setting behind it so this was in our plan for our first night in San Francisco. Of course, visiting an old airfield is always something I'm interested in anyway...
I had a couple of nice opportunities here on the beach to capture Adam and Joi... This first one from the beach, although unplanned since I was so far away from the two of them, is actually one of my favorites. I like being off in the distance during shoots like this because it is easier to get shots that are more relaxed, natural and unposed. Adam and Joi were just being themselves...
In this next one, Adam and Joi have the setting sun in their face providing a nice warm, soft light...
The following morning we went hiking to find some of the earliest air defense batteries employing artillery and missiles for the defense of our country. This was of particular interest to me since I spent much of my career specializing in air defense. In this photo, below, Adam and Joi are standing on an old artillery battery where three 12 inch guns overlooked the Pacific Ocean and the Golden Gate Bridge...
Later that day, I found Adam and Joi relaxing on the porch of the old Bachelor Officer Quarters waiting on the rest of our group....
While we were all waiting for our ride into downtown San Francisco for dinner with Sheila's cousin, Gary, I found this interesting composition... at this point, Sheila and Nan still had no idea of Adam's surprise plans for this night's dinner. I like the looks on the faces here especially the differing looks between the two couples... and I like that mom and grandmother are behind the son/grandson and soon-to-be fiance...
When our ride arrived, we headed to "Original Joe's" for dinner. This restaurant was a nice traditional Italian restaurant chosen by our gracious host for the night, Gary, Sheila's cousin.
After ordering our meals, Adam was getting antsy. Before dinner was even served, he came over to me to retrieve the engagement ring whispering something like "I need to get this done before dinner". I just chuckled as I reached for my camera bag.
I quickly dug the ring out of my camera bag and discreetly handed it to him... as the ring was in my hand, in my head I was thinking, "wow... I haven't been a ring bearer since my Aunt Roe and Uncle Bill got married in 1971... a lot has happened since then!"
I have to explain that this restaurant was dark... and I mean it was dark. It was far darker than my camera portrays here in these photos. I was worried that these images would be terrible. It was so dark that my autofocus was not able to function because it could not see anything in the darkness! I had to manually focus all of these shots.
I'm really glad I was able to capture this sequence of events though... it was very nice to be there... actually, it was a little exciting... and we were all happy to be a part of this special event but it is especially nice to have images of it happening too!
A few nights before this engagement night, we met Joi's mom, Ahavah, over dinner at a different Italian restaurant near Adam and Joi's home. The two moms talked incessantly over dinner and got to know each other as much as is possible in one evening.
It was rather noisy in the restaurant but, at one point, I thought I overhead something that sounded like "Brooklyn"... I jumped into the conversation to ask about Brooklyn... it turns out that Joi's mom is originally from Brooklyn while I am originally from Queens! Now we are sitting on the opposite coast being introduced to each other for the first time because these two children met each other serendipitously.
As the night of the dinner with Joi's mom approached, I had been wondering if Adam talked with Ahavah about the proposal but I hadn't had a chance to ask him. We were never alone. While we were saying our goodbyes after dinner, Ahavah hugged me and whispered in my ear, "You make sure you shoot a lot of photos..." I immediately knew then that she was also aware of the upcoming proposal in San Francisco! I have to say that I was a bit relieved that Adam did the right thing.
After the proposal at dinner in San Francisco, Sheila spoke with Ahavah on the phone and Adam and Joi scoped out a decent place for some photos a block away. After dinner we said our goodbyes to Gary, Sheila's cousin, and we headed toward a church a block away for some impromptu engagement photos.
Just like in the restaurant, it was dark... very dark... and I had no lights with me. I had to make do with a few street lights... posing and angling the newly engaged couple just right to minimize shadows while hoping to light up faces sufficiently... and trying to keep motion to a minimum because I knew my shutter speeds would be long since it was so dark... long shutter speeds means motion blurring if your subjects move. Yet another thing I could not control.
It was a bit damp and chilly at this point so Joi would take her coat off... we'd shoot a couple of photos... then she would quickly put her coat back on to warm up again. Coat off... more photos... I'd notice some shivering and some goosebumps on Joi so we'd stop briefly to put the coat back on to warm up...
It was a bit of a challenge working with only the existing streetlights. I like to get the light where I need it... in this case, on the faces with no harsh shadows... and I prefer to control the light but I had no control this night. So, first I would find the light... then move Adam and Joi into the light... position them at the best angle... then figure out how to make the background work... move them a little to fix background problems.... try to keep the light falling on the faces... it was an awkward dance between darkness, light, shadows and cluttered backgrounds enveloped in damp chilliness...
In this next shot, we added traffic to the already awkward dance between darkness, light and backgrounds enveloped in damp chilliness...
Sheila typically helps me by holding lighting gear but since I had no lighting with me she was on coat duty to keep Joi as warm as possible. In this last shot, she is putting Joi's coat back on her after we finished shooting photos....
Our time in San Francisco was a lot of fun and far too short but this night will always be a memorable one for all of us who were lucky enough to be included. Congratulations to Adam and Joi!
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