This was a tough proposal to remain inconspicuous – usually I’m at a beach where there’s plenty of space to pretend to be photographing something else – birds, waves, flowers, etc. However, Victor had planned to propose to his girlfriend Colie at Babbling Brook Inn, a quaint boutique hotel near downtown Santa Cruz. on the plus side, there was nobody else milling about. On the minus side, there was nobody else milling about – i.e. as soon as Victor led Colie out of their room and down the rose petal and candle-adorned pathway, I couldn’t really pretend to be anything other than a guy hired to capture this special moment. Thankfully Victor didn’t waste much time trying to explain, as soon as they topped the stairs to the gazebo he got down on his knee and popped the question. We took a few minutes to explore the property together; I think we got some pretty great engagement shots to show off to the family and friends!