I photographed Nikos and Gabriella’s proposal story at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. The frame I keep coming back to is the one in the woods. There’s a whole canopy of copper leaves above them, but my eye goes straight to their hands. Then there’s the little blue ring box, a detail that puts the rest of the photographs in context.
Autumn portraits at Longwood Gardens
I wanted some of the garden to stay in the pictures. In the woodland portrait, the tall trunks set the scale. At the pavilion, the dome and stone columns frame the two of them. In between those wider portraits, there’s the photograph of Gabriella looking back as she walks with Nikos. Her smile is what makes that frame for me.
By the water and in black and white
At the water’s edge, I kept the fountains and fall trees in some of the photographs. For the closer portraits, I could concentrate on smaller things, like Gabriella’s hand on Nikos’s chest or the way he leaned in to kiss her cheek. I ended the series in black and white because the expressions carry those two frames on their own.
Planning a proposal near Philadelphia?
If you’re planning a proposal near Philadelphia, tell me where you’re thinking of asking and whether you’d like time for portraits afterward. We can talk through the timing and where I’ll be when the moment comes.
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