I met Jon years ago playing competitive kickball, of all things, where he was the kind of team captain everyone actually liked. So when he asked me to meet him in Central Park's "Bird Feeder Area" to photograph his proposal to his boyfriend Dom, I said yes without needing to know exactly where that was (I didn't). My phone's GPS lost the signal under the tree cover, and I spent a few minutes picking my way blind through the park before finding a clearing to text Jon from, arriving about five minutes ahead of them. Right on cue, the crowds thinned, Jon and Dom appeared, and Jon dropped to one knee without wasting a second. Dom said yes, obviously — I'm glad I was behind a camera, because as a bystander I'd have been just as much of a mess. Afterward we wandered the park for a few more photos before they headed off toward a lunch reservation, and I headed home to edit and, not for the first time, get a little teary-eyed at my desk.

 

Man proposes to partner on one knee in a forest setting, holding a ring box while the other covers his mouth in surprise.
Two men smiling and sitting together on a rustic wooden bench surrounded by lush green trees outdoors.
Two men standing together in a lush green park, sharing a tender moment near a black iron fence.
Couple holding hands while walking outdoors on a sunny day, wearing casual shirts and khaki and rust-colored pants.
Emotional man covers face during outdoor marriage proposal while partner holds ring box in wooded setting.
People browsing an outdoor portrait art display on a park path surrounded by lush green trees.
Two men sitting together on green grass, smiling and laughing in casual button-up shirts on a sunny day.
Happy couple sitting together on lush green grass in a park, smiling and enjoying a sunny day outdoors.
Two people silhouetted in a stone archway at Bethesda Terrace, Central Park, NYC, sharing a romantic moment.