Photography is a tricky area to search for an expert.

There’s no governing body in terms of what makes someone a photographer and what doesn’t.  Any hobbyist can pick up their smartphone, take some pretty pictures, create a website and suddenly claim to be a photographer.

Which is why choosing the right photographer to capture your proposal should be done with care.  As America’s leading proposal photography company, Paparazzi Proposals has planned and captured hundreds of proposals across over twenty major cities nationwide.  Planning picture perfect proposal moments and capturing your partner’s reaction, paparazzi-style, is what we do!  Get more information on professional proposal photography by calling 888-287-5120 or filling out the form below.

This moment only happens once, and you want to make sure it is captured flawlessly, so keep these 12 tips in mind while you search!

Do They Do This Full-Time?

You want a professional to guarantee the quality of your photos.

There are a lot of people who are hobbyist photographers, who have done courses and know how to take pretty pictures, but it may not be their main line of work.

A great way to weed out professionals from amateurs is to give them a call.  If they pick up the phone, you’re golden.  If not, alarm bells should be going off!  Professional photographers are glued to their phones, because that’s how they get news about potential jobs.  Someone who’s serious about what they do will either take your call immediately, or call you back with lightning speed.

Use Google to Your Advantage

Any professional will have a strong online presence, because it is their full-time business.

Searching “best wedding photographer” or “best proposal photographer” in your area actually goes a long way.  It’s going to give you really good gage on who the best and most popular.  Keep an eye out for good reviews on Yelp, Facebook, etc.

Local Knowledge

Your photographer should be giving you advice based on local insight.

The Brooklyn Bridge is tourist central. Consulting with a proposal photographer means that you’re more likely to avoid the crowds and get that incredible reaction photo. From Stephen’s surprise proposal.

Meaning: if where you want to propose is close to a school, and you want to do it at 3:00, they should be able to let you know that it will be crowded.  You want a photographer that knows your while your proposal location might be really busy at 3:00, it’s going to be nice and empty an hour earlier. They should have all of the little details that will help you to eliminate any problems.

With our photographers, we recommend meeting the client at the same location, day of the week and time as the scheduled proposal to see what the area looks like.  Not only does this make for better pictures, these extra efforts show that this person is thinking about your proposal, and is not just trying to turn out cookie-cutter work.

Do They Do Their Research?

They should know what’s going on in the city the day that you want to propose.

For example, I’m currently thinking about this Sunday, when there’s going to be about 200,000 people slugging around Central Park after running 26.2 miles.  How would that impact a Central Park marriage proposal?

These are things that you shouldn’t ever have to stress about.  You’re paying top dollar for a photographer.  Make sure its worth the investment by going with someone who is prepared to work out all the logistics.

Flexibility

It’s your engagement, and you want your proposal photographer to work with you, not just tell you what to do! 

Your photographer should be able to give you helpful suggestions, like tips about lighting and the best way to stand. But if you want to do it in a set spot, they’ve got to be able to work around that and they’ve got to be professional enough to make it work no matter what the circumstances.

Body of Work

They may be a great all-around photographer, but are they a specialist in what you’re looking for?

What we’re seeing more and more of is photographers becoming jacks-of-all-trades, but really not becoming professors of one. For example, you wouldn’t hire a product photographer to shoot your wedding, you’d hire a wedding photographer. So when seeking someone to capture your proposal, you should be looking for someone who specializes in proposal photography.

You want a high volume of proposals in their portfolio, with a variety of different locations, poses and photo compositions!

Discreet Style

Do you really want some random guy or girl standing three feet away from you furiously firing off the shutter while you’re trying to drop down to one knee?

The concept of surprise proposal photography is capturing the proposal and the reaction without intruding in on that moment.  Your client’s partner should have absolutely no idea that the photographer is there taking pictures. 

And of course, that reaction has to be reflected in the work. Making sure the moment is uninterrupted is going to create that reaction shot that your partner will want to remember forever.

It was awesome to work with George to help him capture his creative Chelsea Highline proposal, which included serenading Chrissy with all of their favorite songs!

Enthusiasm

 Your photographer may have photographed hundreds of proposals, but are they interested in yours? 

This to me is almost as important as body of work and skill!While they may have done this before,  it’s your first and only time and you want them to convey confidence and enthusiasm.

They have to be excited about exploring your ideas on where to pop the question and why you want that location, so that they can help you get the best outcome!

Number of Photos

What we’ve noticed is people offering proposal photography, but only giving clients about 25 pictures.

If you’ve never met your photographer before, how are they to choose your 25 images?  You should be getting a professionally edited gallery that is reflective of the whole event, which means at least 125 edited photos. We’re not talking crazy, Vogue-cover photoshop, but we are talking basic color correction and making them all look pretty.  You should have some in black and white, some in color for a good variety.

High Quality Images

This means high resolution photos.

You need your photos to be high resolution for good prints.  A lot of photographers may send you photos that aren’t high-res, and then offer high-res photos for an extra cost.  That is daylight robbery, and if they even suggest that, you should walk on to the next photographer.

Quick Turnaround

You don’t want your photographer to spend 15 hours photoshopping  25 images, because that means you’re only getting a small gallery that takes 3-4 weeks to create.

You want to announce your engagement!  You don’t want to sacrifice quality, but you want to make sure you’re getting them 4-5 days after to share with family and friends.  Make sure the turnaround time is in the contract, and that you agree on it.

Back up plans

The best surprise proposal photographer will be able to control just about everything, except the weather.

But they should have a plan for a rainy day. If the weather is looking dodgy on the day, don’t be afraid to ask the photographer to move it around. They want to capture the best possible pictures, so they should be flexible.

If you’re set on the date, your photographer should have enough local knowledge to provide you with back up plans so that you won’t be standing like a drowned rat on the sidewalk getting sprayed by the X39 bus that’s whizzing past.

You Get What You Pay For

For the same reason you don’t go for a cheap wedding photographer, you shouldn’t scrimp and save when it comes to your proposal. 

This is your foot in the door for a mother-in-law on your side, so go with the best quality over the cheapest price!

Pay half price and you’re going to get half the quality.  That’s a general rule of thumb, and though there are some exceptions, going with the cheapest option is often a risk!

If you’re ready to pop the question, contact us today for a free consultation!  Looking for a few marriage proposal ideas before you book your photographer? Check us out on Pinterest and Facebook.  And remember, we’re here to take the stress out of planning and capturing your picture-perfect proposal.

The post Picking the Best Surprise Proposal Photographer appeared first on Paparazzi Proposals.

Now this is how you propose in Dallas! Josh contacted Paparazzi Proposals for our unique brand of surprise proposal photography. So we first set him up with our friends at Gondola Adventures to ensure he would have an amazing backdrop for these one-of-a-kind photographs.

There were even more surprises! As their gondolier gently guided them on a romantic ride along the canals of Las Calinas, Christina noticed a bottle floating in the water…

As she pulled the bottle from the canal and opened it, she was surprised to find a love letter. As her eyes slowly started to scan the note, Josh made his move. He got onto one knee, pulled out a gorgeous engagement ring from Fuller’s Jewelry and asked Christina to marry him. Spoiler alert…she said “YES!” Paparazzi Proposals’ surprise proposal photography captured it all! Check out the heartwarming photos here.

Even more heartwarming than the proposal? Their love story! Introduced by  mutual friends while attending the University of Texas at Arlington back in 2012, they first played it safe and met briefly for lunch a few times to get to know one another. From the moment they met Josh was taken aback by her stunning looks. More importantly to him, she was also kind and caring. Christina on the other hand, was immediately attracted to his values and honesty. They both enjoyed the afternoons they spent together so much, they felt ready for their first “official” date at the legendary State Fair of Texas. And so began this crazy dance we call love!

After dating for a while, they decided to buy a dog together. This brought out a tender and caring side Christina had not seen before. It melted her heart, and she realized he was the man for her. When asked the moment he knew she was “the one,” things happened a little quicker for Josh. While on that first date at the fair, he admitted to being instantly hooked by how much fun she was. After spending several hours with her on that day, he only wanted to spend even more, and knew this was the woman he wanted by his side for the rest of his life. Here’s to them living happily ever after!

Are you looking for surprise proposal photography in Dallas? Look no further! Paparazzi Proposals is here to save the day. Check out some of the other amazing Dallas proposals we have helped planned and photograph. Contact us today for a complimentary brain-storming session of romantic ideas and picturesque locations! Nothing capture the joy and excitement of the moment you propose like surprise proposal photography. Be sure to memorialize this amazing event to cherish for a lifetime with Paparazzi Proposals!

The post Dallas Surprise Proposal Photography – Josh & Christina appeared first on Paparazzi Proposals.

However, knowing Danielle was a big April Fool’s prankster, he still wanted to have a little fun with her before the big moment. So when picking her up for the romantic date he planned, he did so in none other than her favorite car, a Tesla. Although he only rented it for the afternoon, he stuck a big red bow on it and was able to convince her that he leased it for the year!

That wasn’t the only “surprise” he had up his sleeve. Chicagoans take note, as this is one fantastic proposal idea! He drove her to Millenium Park, where he set up a romantic picnic right near the iconic Cloud Gate sculpture, as known as “The Bean.” As they were just settling in on the picnic blanket, Ben made his move. Slowly getting onto one knee he pulled out an absolutely stunning engagement ring from Hakimian Imports and Rose Estates Jewelers, and asked if she would spend the rest of her life with him. Curious as to what her answer was? The picture below says it all!

To hear the two of them share their love story is sublime. After being introduced by a mutual friend, their first date was at Bub City on Clark Street. Over a plate of Jalapeno Poppers and Cowboy Fries, the two laughed non-stop and quickly bonded. Danielle said she was instantly attracted to how genuine he was. “He was an old soul,” as she puts it, and she was enamored with how passionately he spoke of his friends and family. She was blown away by how much love he expressed for those close to him. Ben on the other hand, was immediately infatuated with her kindness and contagious energy. He was smitten with her smile and her ability to light up a room.  When asked the moment they knew the other was “the one,” both answered the exact same way. Family being so very important to them, they were both hooked when they met each-other’s family and saw the relationship they shared with them and how kind they all were. Talk about a perfect match! Enough about their amazing love story, it’s time you saw the photographs from their magical afternoon. Click here to see how our paparazzi-style photographer secretly captured the joy and excitement of this beautiful moment in their relationship. Congrats again, Ben and Danielle! Are you looking to propose in the Windy City? Contact us for more romantic Chicago proposal ideas! You can also see some of the other awesome Chicago proposal ideas we have helped pull-off.

The post Chicago Proposal Ideas – Millenium Park “Bean” – Ben & Danielle appeared first on Paparazzi Proposals.