This was one unique shoot! Danielle & Ryan were so fun to photograph, and Ryan really took a great shoot and made it quite the memorable one. Before I get there let me just say that by the end of this shoot it really felt like I was just hanging out with friends. We walked all over the Design District in Solana Beach (which is one of my favorite locations). We’d be walking and just chatting about everything from where they were from, to me grilling Danielle about her knowledge of flowers. I just described to her flowers I like and didn’t know by name. She got it when I asked about the funny “Tim Burton” like plant, apparently it’s called a monkey tail (quite an apropos name). So as we walked along I would constantly stop them and say “oh that spot looks great” continue walking “ooooh do you mind if we try that?” Unbeknownst to me my out loud planning with Danielle about which spots we would hit next and ultimately last was aiding in Ryan’s master plan. These two have been engaged for some time but as it were Danielle had not yet received the ring (Ryan was getting a family piece reset). So Danielle had been waiting patiently for the last 6 months wondering when Ryan would put the ring on her finger. Well turns out, our shoot was the day he planned to do it!
We finally got to our last spot, and I’m shooting away next thing you know he pulls the ring out of his pocket and gets down on one knee right there! Well I was shocked I had NO IDEA! I just thought go with it & get the shot. I could not help but be swept into the moment, it was such a sweet and touching scene I found myself oohing and awwwing. Danielle looked at me and proclaimed how happy she was that I was there to capture the moment. I could not have been anymore honored to be a part of it. She told me, after she recovered from her initial shock, that she jokingly padded Ryan’s pocket on the drive to our shoot and asked if he had a ring in there (luckily it was in the other pocket).
Thank you to you both for giving me such a fun and memorable shoot!
Such a little model this one!
The big reveal! I love Danielle’s reaction she’s just so elated.
The joy on Danielle’s face in this photo just makes me smile
Rodene La Bass - Great photos you captured Kelly, so natural. How special to get the to be part of the engagement.