Engaged: Dez + John Pt. 2

This past Saturday I photographed Dez and John’s engagement session at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem. Technically, the museum doesn’t allow engagement photography, but they made an exception for Dez and John. Not only did they have their first date at the museum, but it’s also the place where John proposed to Dez! I was  touched by their story about how John coordinated his proposal with the museum, and arranged to have the Yin Yu Tang house all to themselves when he popped the question.

Dez made me laugh: “I thought it was kind of strange that we were the only ones in the house, and especially when there was a scrabble board on the bed in the museum. I was like ‘they played scrabble in the old days?’” But on the scrabble board John had spelled out his proposal: Dez will you marry me?

The more that I photograph people, the more I realize that what I’m really interested is the relationships between them. I think that photography can capture some of that. And that’s why I didn’t pose Dez and John too much. With the exception of some minor direction, I just let them be themselves. What’s captured is probably more honest than if I had given them tons of direction. Anyway, that’s just kind of my approach to engagement photography.

Dez and John’s wedding is this July in Boston.