Photographing a surprise engagement at Heinz Hall was a treat! Here's how we made it all work:
When I got a call about an upcoming Heinz Hall proposal, I was really excited! I quickly hopped on a call with Jonathan and we talked through some of the plans. He and Samantha had their first date at the Symphony venue, and he wanted to return to surprise her with an engagement proposal. He worked with the coordinator at Heinz Hall for access after the box office closed.... but how to get her there and not give away the big secret?
Jonathan and I planned to tell Samantha that I was a new, budding photographer who really wanted some practice photographing couples and working in luxurious venues. She definitely had no idea that it was really a proposal in the making! When I arrived, I stumbled through my gear a bit to make it look as if I was not seasoned in this type of photography and honestly.. I gave them really awkward poses! She thought I was a total newbie.
The plan was for me to then set up my lights in the perfect spot, which was either on the main floor foyer or at the top of the first level of steps landing. The foyer had a lot of tables and chairs, so I went with the latter option and set up on the balcony level of Heinz Hall. When my lights were set, I pretended that I got a phone call from my husband and stepped away. That was Jonathan's cue that it was time to pop the question! Since my lights were all setup and ready to go I hopped right back into the action and photographed him down on one knee and asking Samantha to marry him. She said YES!!
After he proposed, I captured her reaction and then we got into REAL portraits, where I actually seemed like I knew what I was doing! We made sure to really capture the beauty of Heinz Hall with it's gorgeous staircases, marble columns, big chandeliers, and epic scenery. Their proposal and engagement images really will mark the day in their minds for years to come!
To make things even better, we then went outside and she was surprised by her sister who was waiting to celebrate - good job Jonathan! Samantha got lots of hugs from her little nieces and then we made sure to get a photo of them under the big Heinz Hall sign on the exterior of the building (all while I stopped traffic - just a part of the job!)
This Heinz Hall proposal was one to remember - it was an honor to photograph their engagement and be in on the big surprise!
Location: 600 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15222.
