Sam & Katerina. Miradouro do Guindaste, April 2026

Miradouro do Guindaste, late April. Overcast. Not a single person around.

I arrived early. Parked, walked out to the cliff, and for a while it looked like I was there alone to photograph the hillside. That was the point.

Rocky hillside and Atlantic coastline at Miradouro do Guindaste, Funchal, Madeira

Sam had planned the proposal. Katerina thought they were visiting a viewpoint. When they arrived, I was already on the rocks. No one else was there. The overcast sky kept the light flat and soft, which for a moment like this is actually better. Nothing harsh. Nothing competing.

When they walked to the cliff edge, I followed quietly. Stayed back. Kept the camera moving.

Man placing engagement ring on woman's hand at cliff edge with Atlantic waves below, Miradouro do Guindaste, Madeira

The surprise worked.

What I noticed after, once they were both on their feet again: I didn’t have to do anything. No direction, no prompting. I just kept shooting because every few seconds there was something worth keeping. That’s not always the case. There are sessions where you’re waiting for it. Here I was just trying to keep up.

Newly engaged couple kissing with ring raised at Miradouro do Guindaste cliff, Funchal, Madeira

Couple laughing together after proposal at Atlantic clifftop, Miradouro do Guindaste, Madeira

They were genuine from the first frame. That’s the only word for it. Not performing, not trying. Just two people being exactly where they were, with no awareness that any of it was being documented. Those sessions are easy to photograph and hard to forget.

Couple walking together along cliff edge at Miradouro do Guindaste, Madeira

Congratulations to both of you.

Proposal session at Miradouro do Guindaste, Funchal. Related: Proposal photography in Madeira · Couples photography in Madeira