I think it’s time to retire. I’ll just sell all of my gear and go live in a cabin in the mountains somewhere. After a shoot like this, I think I can die happy.

A few weeks ago while I was in Iceland camping with two of my best friends, I had the thrill of shooting their absolutely beautiful proposal at Jokulsarlon (a glacial lake) and their engagement session during the rest of trip around the country. This goes without saying but… HECK YES! It was so awesome to be able to shoot two of my best friends in some of the most beautiful landscapes that I have ever seen!

Over the past 6 months I have been asking John when he was planning on proposing (because I knew it was coming) and I always got the same answer, “As soon as I figure out the perfect way to do it!” Originally John and Michelle weren’t going to be coming on this Iceland trip but earlier this summer I decided to try to convince them to join us while we were at an over crowded trivia night down the street from our house. In between questions and watching some sort of college gymnastics on the bar’s TV I laid down my best case for why they should drop work for two weeks to backpack around Iceland with us (it wasn’t very hard to sway them). A few nights later when they bought their tickets, John waited for Michelle to leave the room and then told me why it was so easy to convince him. I am pretty sure that the first thing I said when he told me that he was going to propose in Iceland was “Your engagement session is going to be EPIC!”

Fast forward a few months and the four of us are a few days into our trip and are standing on a hill over looking the largest glacier in Europe and it’s crystal blue glacial lake. Icebergs are crashing together, seals are popping up to surprise us, and we are making jokes that the ducks in the water never fly out because their feet must be frozen together underneath the surface. At this point, we had already hiked around, set up camp (in one of the most epic spots I have ever seen), and we were walking around the lake to take pictures (or so Michelle thought). Once we got up the hill that John and I had picked out earlier, John took a few portraits of his soon to be fiancee with the intentions of placing her where she need to be. When he said to her “Hold on a sec, I’m going to switch my film,” that was my cue to step in. I told her that I was going to take a few portraits of her while John was switching film but I really just need to get her facing the other way so he could sneak up behind her with a ring. As my camera was aimlessly clicking away, I saw John walking up and I stepped out to shoot the most beautiful proposal I could have imagined. Michelle had no idea it was coming and John was wearing a smile that took over his face.

John and Michelle, you two are awesome. I knew this was coming but I had know idea how thrilled I would be for both of you. With the risk of getting sappy, I love you both and I know that the two of you will be that old couple that new couples see and say “I hope we are still that cute together when we have wrinkles.”

Featured in Rangefinder Magazine