Proposal photography

The plan starts with a main spot and a covered fallback. In Brazil the usual choices are a sunset viewpoint in Rio de Janeiro, a dune at Jericoacoara as the sun drops into the sea, a deck over the water in Fernando de Noronha, or a quiet lane in Paraty after the day-trippers leave. Every one of them can be crowded, windy or rained out on the day. The photographer arrives about 15 minutes before you, takes a position that reads as another visitor with a camera, and waits for a signal you choose, so the frames start when you are ready rather than at a minute somebody guessed.

Venues matter more than people expect. The summits of Sugarloaf Mountain and Corcovado are run by operators with their own rules for professional cameras, and a restaurant, pousada or schooner skipper decides whether an outside photographer may work on board or on the premises. We tell you what to ask and when, and confirm nothing until the answer is in writing. If a thunderstorm makes the location unusable, the proposal moves to another date at no charge; in Rio de Janeiro the summer storms usually build in the late afternoon and pass within an hour, which is why an early slot leaves room to wait one out.

After the yes comes a short portrait session, while it is still happening to you, which is where many of the 20 edited photos come from. The gallery is delivered within 5 days, because people want to share the news while it is still news. Proposal photography covers stills only; a filmed proposal is a separate service with its own operator, and an engagement session for save-the-dates is a different booking, usually made months later.