Mykah + Ayiana

Joshua Tree, California
07-08-2023

Mykah planned a proposal to Ayiana in Joshua Tree in the middle of July. Before the date, Mykah talked to me about the setup for the day. All of Mykah and Ayiana’s friends and family bought books for Ayiana to read for the proposal, with personalized notes inside. And Mykah gave all of the supplies to set up to me.

I arrived at the Air BnB as Mykah and Ayiana drove away for dinner in Palm Springs, figuring out where to set up the proposal while texting Mykah invisible-ink messages about the plan. And I scouted out the different angles that would work well for our shoot. Meanwhile, the waiter at the restaurant took longer than expected to bring Mykah and Ayiana their check, so that our golden-hour plan turned into dusk lighting. Even though we did not anticipate the lighting situation, we were flexible. Mykah and Ayiana pulled up the the location later than expected, and the proposal happened smoothly. I hid behind the building with two cameras, both switched to silent mode. Ayiana had no idea that I was even there, so we ended up with pictures that were authentic, natural, and emotional. Of course, Ayiana said “yes,” and the whole event was documented.

The soft, dusky light, appearing only after the sun faded, allowed the portraits to be much softer and more intimate. Because I knew Mykah and Ayiana before, we had fun and made some silly portraits after the proposal. But we were also able to capture the little things, and the love that exists between both of them. Thank you Mykah and Ayiana for being such an amazing couple to photography, and allowing me to photograph your proposal. 🏳️‍🌈