Brian & Kleanza

A hidden waterfall, a secret plan and one very important question

Some portrait sessions are planned around photographs. Others are built around a moment that only happens once.

Brian reached out with a plan to surprise Kleanza with a proposal at the hidden waterfall near Sombrio Beach on Vancouver Island’s west coast.

The location already had everything I look for in a Wild Portrait session: a sense of adventure, a dramatic natural setting and a place that feels completely removed from everyday life. The challenge was making the photography feel natural while keeping the real purpose of the trip a secret until the right moment.

The Approach

The session was built around keeping the experience relaxed and believable while making sure I was in position when Brian was ready to propose.

That meant thinking through:

• The hike and timing

• The waterfall location

• Where the proposal would happen

• Natural positioning and movement

• Staying discreet before the surprise

• Capturing the reaction as it unfolded

• Creating portraits afterward without turning the experience into a heavily posed photoshoot

Once the question had been asked—and answered—the pressure was off. From there, we could slow things down and create a collection of portraits around the waterfall and surrounding landscape.

Built Around the Experience

What made this session work was that the photography never needed to become the centre of attention.

The real story was Brian and Kleanza, the surprise, and the experience of reaching a hidden waterfall on the west coast of Vancouver Island together.

My job was to anticipate the important moments, give direction when it was useful and step back when something genuine was already happening.

The result is a collection that combines:

• The proposal itself

• Genuine reactions

• Relaxed portraits

• Environmental photographs

• Small candid moments

• The landscape that made the experience memorable

The Result

The final gallery tells the story of much more than an engagement portrait session.

It captures the anticipation, the surprise and the sense of place surrounding a milestone in Brian and Kleanza’s lives.

That is what I want Wild Portraits to feel like: less like showing up somewhere to pose for photographs, and more like creating an experience worth remembering—with the photographs there to preserve it.