Blue Mountains Engagement Photographer: How I Capture Surprise Proposals

One of my favourite things about being a photographer in the Blue Mountains lately has been capturing proposals. More and more people are making a weekend of it—booking a night away in a cosy cabin or boutique stay, heading out for dinner, and before all of that, sneaking off to a lookout at sunset to pop the question.

When someone reaches out to me about photographing their proposal, I like to keep it as stress-free as possible. I know how overwhelming it can feel to plan something so important, especially when you’re not local to the area. I always send through specific location pins, photos of the exact spot, and tips to make it easy to find. Over the years I’ve discovered some quieter, less touristy lookouts that are just perfect for this kind of moment. They have the epic views without the crowds, which means the couple can really just enjoy it together.

What I love is how every single proposal ends up being completely unique, even though the question is always the same. One of my favourites was when a guy brought along a packet of stick-on nails for his partner, because he knew she’d want her hands to look nice in the photos. We sat there for ten minutes sticking them on together—it was so thoughtful and honestly the cutest thing. Another time, a man remembered his girlfriend once saying her dream proposal would be somewhere with mountains and water. Together we found the perfect spot that had both, and when he got down on one knee, it felt like we’d nailed the brief.

I’ll admit, I get so nervous in the moments leading up to a proposal session. I know how important it is, and I always want to get it absolutely right—capturing that exact second, the emotion, the reaction. My aim is for the photos to be more than just a record of the event. I want them to feel like art, but also to bring the couple straight back to the emotions of that day every time they look at them.

These sessions are some of my favourites to photograph, and honestly, I’d love to do even more. There’s just nothing quite like being part of such a huge, joy-filled moment and preserving it forever in photos.