I am really enjoying these incognito photo sessions where at least one of the subjects doesn’t know I’m there. Maybe I should look into becoming a PI? =) No, private investigators get themselves into all kinds of sordid affairs… I’ll stick to the joyous occasions of life’s great milestones.

I drove up to Castle Falls on Monday night just before sunset. Joshua and Marni were already seated and enjoying dinner and my mission for the night was to steal some great shots of Joshua proposing to the love of his life, Marni. It was a great evening for it and I was grateful that there were no mosquitoes since I spent over an hour hiding in the bushes watching and waiting.

The cook (a warm, friendly German named “Jutta” – pr. YU-tuh) kept offering me something to eat and I was really tempted to take her up on it since it all smelled so Delicious, but I knew Josh and Marni would come out the door just as I started into a delicious cheesecake or a sandwich or something. So I abstained and instead scouted the area, found a good hiding place with a view and got some pictures of the castle and grounds.

In this picture, you can see Joshua & Marni’s silhouettes in the top window eating dinner.

The beautiful garden and waterfall made for a great setting for a well-planned proposal.

By this time, it’s after sunset and really dark. I cranked up the film speed and captured the happy couple leaving the castle and headed for the garden waterfall.

I love this shot of Marni checking out the ring over Josh’s shoulder.

All that time, Marni didn’t know I was even there taking pictures by the hundreds! So, Joshua pointed me out and she got a good laugh and then we took a few more pictures together.

This has to be the image of the month! I love the “thumbs up” from Josh. =)

Congratulations, Joshua and Marni! It was awesome being a part of such a special moment. You’ll remember it for the rest of your lives as one of the top few amazing moments in your lives and since Joshua thought everything through so well, now you’ll have photos, too, of that moment.

Every time I do one of these sessions, Holly (my wife) comments that she really wishes we had photos of our engagement. I proposed on the end of the pier at North Beach in Chicago and it would have made for really awesome pictures. That particular pier is a beach-protecting pier, so it curves around like a hook, allowing you to sit on the end of it and watch the city skyline. Beautiful…

Well, that’s all for now — thanks for stopping by! I should have a few more session samples posted in the next few days.