We went to California last month to attend a surprise party for my oldest son, Eric, on his 50th birthday.  All was going well: the entire family showed up, we got group shots of everyone, a great time was being had.

Then his mother told me to get prepared: Eric was going to use the occasion to propose to his girlfriend.

I jumped into professional photographer mode, just as we’ve learned at SSCC.  Envisioning the final pictures, I staked out a position to get a clear shot of the two of them.  She was sitting between the kitchen and the dining room; he would be in the space in front of the dining table. Not the greatest location, but as we have learned in Club, “The best camera is the one you’ve got.”  Ditto for places to propose marriage.

Then I set my camera. ISO: indoors, fast.  Light balance: incandescent.  Shutter speed: medium fast.  No camera blur tonite, no sirree.  Check, check, and check.  I was ready.  Bring it on, Eric.

Eric suddenly called everyone’s attention; he had something to say.  He thanked everyone for coming tonite, for being in his life.  Looked back at 50 years, bla bla.  Thanked his mom and me for creating him.  We waved to the crowd.

Then he launched into a paean about Toby, his girlfriend of the past 2 years.  I started shooting. His mother had told me Toby had reportedly not wanted ever to be married, too many bad experiences.  So this would be for her an existential moment.  How would she respond?  Yes? No?  Later, maybe?  Can we talk?

As he went on in his lead-up, she began to suspect where this was headed: her eyes looked like a cornered rat.  I kept firing away.  Oh, the drama!

Then he dropped to his knee and proffered the ring.  This is it: the money shot!  I squeezed off as fast as I could –a dozen times or more.  Surely at least one of these would capture That Moment.

Finally it was over.  She had covered her mouth with her jacket but apparently said yes.  Hugs and kisses, congratulations all around, she showed the ring to all.  We toasted, gobbled cake and ice cream, and the evening came to a close.

I didn’t look at the pictures until we’d returned to MD, unpacked and resettled.  Next day I plugged the SD card into my computer, and we gathered around the screen to relive the adventure and admire how far I’d come as a photographer.  Scrolled thru hundreds of travel shots, finally came to The Proposal.

Every.  Single.  Shot.

Of Eric on his knee.

Had a chair in front of him. 

No amount of photoshopping was going to remove that chair.  Not a single shot was worth a pinch.  I had captured picture records.  Period.

So competition nite at Camera Club will have to wait another year, or until another proposal, for B. Schaefer to collect his accolades.

So well deserved, but yet so distant.