Taylar & Dan, Lofoten Islands, Norway

Back in July myself and Chris (my partner and exceptionally talented photographer aka Grainy Boi) had the absolute joy of travelling from England to the Lofoten Islands to capture two friends, in their newly engaged bubble, amongst some of the most beautiful landscapes we've ever witnessed.

I remember arriving at Bodø Airport in Northern Norway, before boarding the ferry to cross to the Lofoten Islands and realising we were stepping into a moment that had already been set in motion long before we got there.

Dan had planned the entire trip himself and while everyone else believed it was a normal holiday, we were in on the secret. He had built the route around places Taylar had always wanted to see, and somewhere along the trip, he proposed.

When we met them towards the end of their trip, they were still processing everything, relaxed and happy, and it didn't at all feel like we were showing up for a job, but more like we were joining friends at an important time in their lives.

I shot digital cameras through the trip, working with whatever happened naturally and letting the photographs come from real interactions rather than direction. Chris shot film, working at a slower pace, giving each frame a sense of intention, our approaches balanced each other well, different but aiming toward the same outcome.

We spent time with Taylar and Dan as friends as much as photographers, talking, walking and sharing the experience as it unfolded. These are some of my images that came out of that time together, from two seperate locations one in the midnight sun and the other on the most beautiful beach we stumbled across. Taylar of course, had to give a nod to her Texan roots, a true commitment to pack and fly a Stetson to Norway but it was certainly worth it!

The trip didn’t feel like a traditional shoot. It felt honest and personal in a way that grew from trust and connection, and when I look back at the photographs now, I see more than a record of an engagement, I see a time in our friendship that brought us closer, and I’m so grateful we were there for it.