Kawaguchiko, Japan

PhotographerGerald
SeasonSummer
Time of dayLate morning
Session length1 hour

Proposal moment at Kogamasao Memorial Park Kawaguchiko summer morning

Couple embracing after the proposal Kogamasao Memorial Park Mt Fuji

Friends surprising the newly engaged couple Kogamasao Memorial Park

The story behind the shoot

When the road doesn't cooperate

Hi everyone! I'm Gerald, the photographer on this shoot. I wanted to share with you how J and C's proposal came together, because it's one that came down to patience more than anything else. Read on!

What they wanted

J had booked a day trip from Tokyo to Kawaguchiko with a private driver, planning to propose to C at Kogamasao Memorial Park with Mt. Fuji behind them. It was meant to be simple: drive out in the morning, propose by the lake, head back the same day. What made it special was what J had arranged without C knowing. Her sister and her closest friends had quietly travelled out too, ready to surprise her the moment the proposal was done.

The challenge

There was an accident on the only road between Tokyo and Kawaguchiko that morning, and traffic backed up for hours. J and C ended up almost two hours late. There's nothing anyone can do about that road once something happens on it, so I went back to the hotel and waited it out. By the time they finally arrived, it was already midmorning. The summer sun had gone harsh, and Fuji, which had been completely clear when I first got to the park, had started clouding over.

This is one of the main reasons we always recommend staying overnight in Kawaguchiko, or taking the train instead of driving. Trains are far more reliable here than the road ever is.

How we shot it

With the sun that high and that harsh, the original spot by the water was no longer going to work. Direct light on the lake creates strong reflections and heavy contrast, and it's unflattering on skin too. So the first call I made was moving the proposal closer to the paved area, where the trees give real shade. We used that shade for as much of the session as we could, working around the light instead of fighting it.