We’ve been having one of those weeks. The I-don’t-want-to-get-out-of-bed and I-can’t-believe-it’s-not-spring-yet kind of week. Our apartment is cold. I found a hole in my favorite shirt. The driveway needs shoveled, which reminds us that our snow shovel disappeared from the front porch a few weeks ago.

Mostly, I think we are just ready for a little more sunshine.

It’s been one of those weeks, but it’s not all bad. When it’s cold, we snuggle closer at night. We soak up every single beam that the suns sends our way. Yesterday afternoon Grant bought me a bouquet of yellow tulips, and I thought I might just cry. They are beautiful and bright and happy. They make me smile and remember that spring will come, and that it always does.

Less than two weeks until March, everyone!

Hoping your Valentine’s day included at least one good kiss with your lover. Ours did.

Almost three and a half years ago, I surprised Leandra by ending up at a beach in Saugatuck instead of our college campus. We sat on the empty beach that October evening and I asked her to marry me; she smiled, said yes, and gave me the best hug ever.

What I love about photographs, and what makes them so important, is their ability to conjure up all the things you felt at the moment they were taken. You can relive and re-feel those moments. I cherish some of the pictures we have on our wedding day, but I also wish I had a picture of the best hug ever from our October evening. I wish I had a photo that helped me feel a fraction of that nervous excitement once again. Leandra always teases me about how I say “when I’m a grandpa…” too much, but I’ll say it now: When I’m a grandpa (or even just 40 or 50) and Leandra and I have built our lives around each other and grown to know each other so much more, I think it would be wonderful to look back and see a picture of when it all started…to see when she chose me and I chose her. And I’m sure Leandra feels the same way. If you and your love have a photograph from every event in the relationship that you’ve both poured so much heart into, or you have a box (like I do) of every card or letter ever given you by your lover, or if one of you kept a calendar (like Leandra did) of the all dates and conversations in the first months of your relationship, and you’re planning to propose, I have a proposal for you:

I want to photograph it. While a wedding day can be the biggest, most planned for and anticipated event in your life-to-date, a proposal is that essential, just-the-two-of-you, life-changing event that often requires a lot of planning as well.

I want to work with you to photograph that all-important event of asking your lover to marry you. I can make contact with the restaurant or venue, if necessary, and let them know what’s going on. I’ll scout out a location to find the best angle and best place to hide.  I can stay anonymous and hidden the whole time, or we can take a few portraits of the two of you afterward. Whatever you want.

We spent the last year photographing weddings and engagement sessions, but honestly, I’ve never photographed a proposal before. And for that reason, I’d like to photograph the first three for free.

Here’s what I’ll need:

-If you’re interested, I need you to contact me: grant (at) grantisaacstudio (dot) com  …and tell me when you’re planning to pop the question and what ideas or locations you’re thinking about.

-I’ll need to speak with you a couple of times to iron out the details (and know what you look like!).

-I need you to let me share the pictures online on our blog and website, and facebook page.

That’s it. I’ll show up on the big day and stay out of the way and photograph the question (and the “yes!”). I’ll come home and get the photos ready to see ASAP. I’ll post them to a private gallery, and I’ll send you 3 5×7’s of your favorite photos.

If you have any questions, just shoot me an email!

Since every post is better with a picture, here’s a picture of the exact spot I proposed to Leandra, only a couple years later. All that’s missing are leaves on the trees, the two of us, and her giving me the best hug ever.

Happy February!