A Very Big Proposal!
Dateline July 2022, location, the Greeley Depot. I received a request to shoot an engagement from a great friend with a Big idea for a surprise proposal to his girlfriend at Greeley, Colorado. He had the itinerary like organizing an engagement during a rock concert and he had it completely figured out. I was like absolutely, and I was on board to capturing this very special moment for him. Sachit was going to propose on the front high above the huge crowd on stage in front of 100’s of folks of the largest steam locomotive ever built, the "Big Boy".
This was an interesting shoot; not only was it in the most nasty of July midday sun; mostly due to Amtrak 5 being fashionably late over 3 hours, the crowds literally 100’s we’re all over everywhere. Despite the Greeley police force assisting us, bless them; those guys were magic! Without the Greeley police I couldn’t have done my work. In and out up and down working my primes all the spots all the family all the magic that Ed brought to this momentous occasion for the couple. This was a job! Heat, sun burn, hiding in the bushes waiting to avoid giving it away to Sachit’s family, and the elderly Greeley woman that clobbered me over the head with her iPhone! “Listen here you @%*^%!, you step in front of my husband one more time!” And she did that right in front of an officer of the Greeley police. What an experience!
The family was secretly brought in from all over the country to be there for Operation “Big Boy Proposal” and I and railpictures Derek “Buffie” Brown and I were on the case!
Sachit and Kelly, Congratulations for you both! I absolutely loved the opportunity to share in such a historical moment; not only for you guys, also for Ed Dickens and the Steam Team at Union Pacific and the rest of the railfan community! Cool. Oh and she said YES!
