In June, I was contacted by Robbie’s Aunt Carol. She was making the arrangements to have me on site and available to photograph Robbie proposing to his girlfriend Emily on the Friday July 1st. The story was that they were going to be a staged couple as subjects in a photograph for magazine article about the lighthouse. Robbie’s uncle is employed by the lighthouse so the story is not that far fetched since the “magazine” had contacted the lighthouse to get early morning access and asked if they had anyone in mind that they wanted to feature. So the reasons for Emily to get up early and climb to 178 steps to the top of the lighthouse with a photographer we totally believable. The cue for  Robbie to make his move was after I put them in the right location and shot the first photograph. Emilie was completly floored when he got down on one knee and pulled out a ring, asking her to marry him. In the excitement, the ring actually jumped from his hand and bounced along the metal flooring of the platform we were standing on. Landing only inches from plummeting one hundred and forty-four feet to the ground. Once the initial excitement and tears setttled down, I had them pose for a few pictures at the top, a few stops to the bottom then we walked over to the beach to get some fantastic engagement photos with the lighthouse in the background. Surprise proposals are one of my favorite things about my job. And so far…they have all said YES!!