The Trickiest Photo of My Life
Originally photographed in 2019, this remains one of the most memorable and technically challenging shoots I’ve ever done. I’m revisiting it now to share the full story behind the images.
The couple in this shoot asked that their names be kept private, but graciously agreed to let me share these photos.\
In April of 2019, I was asked to photograph a surprise marriage proposal for a couple I’d never met, connected through a mutual friend. The proposal was set to happen inside The Broad Museum in downtown Los Angeles, one of my favorite places in the city. Naturally, I said yes.
My first thought? Would I even be allowed to bring my camera inside the museum?
It turns out that was the easiest part of the entire shoot.
The groom-to-be planned to propose inside Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirrored Room, one of the most breathtaking immersive installations at The Broad. The space is lined floor to ceiling with mirrors, filled with glowing orbs of shifting light, and each visitor gets just 45 seconds inside.
The proposal was meant to be a complete surprise. He wanted the moment to feel intimate and magical, but he also wanted it documented. That meant I needed to be in the room without his girlfriend knowing I was there.
That’s where the challenge began.
The Infinity Room is mirrored on all sides, with only a narrow platform about three feet wide and ten feet long to stand on. There’s nowhere to hide. And to even get access, you have to show up in person the morning of, add your name to a list, and hope you get a reservation. There’s no guarantee.
Let’s recap:
A room made entirely of mirrors ✨
45 seconds inside ⏱
No place to hide 🫣
One chance to capture the proposal 💍
No pressure 😰
I knew I’d have to plan this down to the second. There are no do-overs in a proposal shoot, especially not one with a 45-second time limit.
So the groom and I decided to do a practice run. Thankfully, our mutual friend connected us with someone who works at the museum who became our inside ally.
A couple of days before the big moment, the groom and I met at The Broad. With a little help from our museum contact, we were able to get access to the room for a test run. When we went in, I was reminded that in addition to the room being filled with mirrors and lights, those lights are not static—they shift and change and flicker and brighten and dim in unpredictable sequences within the span of those 45 seconds. There was not one master manual setting that I could make that would cover the whole sequence of light changes.
It was going to come down to instinct, experience, and a bit of luck.
We mapped out exactly how I’d slip in behind them, where I’d crouch, and how I’d stay hidden. I tested my exposure settings as best I could, knowing I’d have to adjust quickly in the moment.
Then came the big day.
I wore all black to blend into the shadows. Our museum friend guided the couple to the line while I quietly followed, pretending not to know them. The groom’s girlfriend didn’t suspect a thing.
We entered the room. The door closed. I crouched down. The lights began to flicker and the future groom dropped on one knee, asking his girlfriend to be his wife. It was beyond magical. They hugged and kissed and she cried (and I cried!). I shot and shot away and after they had a moment, he turned to his now-fiancé and said, “Suzanne is here and has been photographing the entire time.” She jumped back in surprise. She hadn’t seen me once.
I was honestly unsure if I’d even be able to get the shot from a technical perspective given the lighting and reflections—and that’s not even including the challenge of staying hidden and of dealing with all of the moving parts and logistics of shooting in the museum itself. It truly was one of the most challenging shoots I’ve ever done.
But somehow, every piece of the plan came together.
And the photos? Better than I ever imagined.
It was a beautiful reminder: sometimes you have to take the leap, trust your instincts, and believe that everything will fall into place.
Congratulations to the happy couple!
South Africa & A Zulu Wedding
The lovely bride & groom
My trip to South Africa and these photos were originally from 2017. I’m revisiting it now to re-share one of the most beautiful experiences I’ve had.
Late April in 2017, I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to travel to Johannesburg, South Africa for my dear friends' traditional Zulu wedding.
I met Luyanda here in LA before she and her husband, Jerry, moved back to her childhood hometown of Johannesburg, SA in the fall of 2016. Luyanda and I met on a women's Facebook group when she was looking for a photographer and I was looking for a model. We became instant friends and not only that, we worked on a few projects together. Among them, I shot the lookbook and catalog for her clothing line, Revolt and I hired her to model for the campaign for the launch of Zenzee shoes, designed by another good friend, Sharon. Luyanda is one of the funniest, strongest, most badass women I've known. When she told me about the wedding in South Africa and she asked me to be a bridesmaid, we did all the things we could to plan and prep for my first trip to SA to be such a special part of their day.
Luyanda is Zulu and her husband is Mexican-American. Lu's parents wanted them to have a traditional wedding in the village where they have a family farm, about 4 hours from Johanesberg. The wedding was absolutely incredible. The whole village came to the 4 hour ceremony which filled with dancing, singing and a presentation of gifts. At the reception, Lu's parents (founders and owners of Native Rhythms record label) fed every single person who was in attendance, from the village guests to the other wedding guests. After the wedding, everyone of all ages danced to the sounds of Kendrick Lamar and South African gqom music. It was a day I will never ever forget.
Scroll through above for pictures from the wedding.
We spent the days before and after the wedding exploring Johannesburg and Soweto. I stayed in Maboneng, a recently revived area that now draws young people and artists. The fashion in Johannesburg was amazing! I saw a lot of very fashion forward threads mixed with vintage and dandy vibes alongside beautiful local fabrics. It definitely inspired me to start looking for more color in my very dark-colored wardrobe. And yes, I recognize the irony that I'm talking about all the color and these photos are all in black & white.
Scroll through above for fashion pics from Maboneng <3
Lu and Jerry brought his family and me (also in town from LA), to the Hector Pieterson Museum, which documented the Soweto uprising in 1976. It was a beautiful and sobering tribute. We later went to Nelson Mandela's home, now also a museum, which was incredible and inspiring as well. Human rights are still a huge issue in South Africa as racism is very rampant. Visiting both museums was a huge reminder that we still have so much work to do in our humanity and compassion for each other, as well as continuing to stand up for all of our rights.
Johannesburg is an incredible city. I absolutely loved it. I was overwhelmed by the graciousness of my hosts, the people I spoke with on the streets, the beauty, the LIFE that is lived wholeheartedly, despite many challenges. The food, fashion and music were sublime. It was an inspiration and will continue to be so for the rest of my life. I'm ready for my next trip back!