- Photographer Macy Alex captured a proposal during the total solar eclipse on Monday.
- She helped Alex Hoffpauir meticulously plan the surprise shoot in Lewisville, Texas.
When Alex Hoffpauir's inquiry hit Macy Alex's inbox, she thought, "What did I get myself into?"
Alex, 32, is a photographer based in Lewisville, Texas. After developing a love of the art as a teenager, she started a photography business as a side hustle for her career in marketing in 2020. The business was so successful by May 2023 that she made it her full-time job, shooting everything from weddings to family portraits.
She also does engagement shoots, and in March, Hoffpauir, a designer, reached out to her about photographing his proposal to his girlfriend Austynn Harbison, a small-business owner who sells high-end pet treats.
Hoffpauir hoped to make his proposal a surprise, complete with a hidden photographer. But the timing made Hoffpauir's proposal one-of-a-kind — he wanted to pop the question during the solar eclipse on Monday, as Lewisville was in the path of totality.
Although she was a little nervous she wouldn't be able to capture the moment, Alex agreed to do the shoot, helping Hoffpauir plan his epic proposal.
Getting the perfect shot
When Hoffpauir reached out to Alex, he didn't have a concrete plan for where the proposal should take place, though he knew he didn't want to do it in a crowded place.
Alex suggested he propose at Murrell Park.
"It's one of my favorite places to shoot because it's super simple, and they have these huge cliffs," Alex said of the park, which overlooks a lake. She also thought it would be ideal for the proposal because she could position the couple on a cliff and set up her camera on the plateau below them, allowing her to line up the shot perfectly.
Hoffpauir loved the plan, so on the day of the proposal, Alex set up the shoot in advance of their arrival, marking the spot on the cliff she wanted the couple to stand on with an "X" in the dirt.
Alex positioned herself below them with an array of gear to ensure she got the perfect shot, including two cameras and tripods, her phone to record a video, and an ND filter to protect her camera's lens. She also knew she would need to use a flash setting on her camera to capture the photo since the sky would become dark.
"I brought everything I could think of because I really didn't know what to expect," she told BI. "I've never photographed in totality before."
She also had to wear eclipse glasses as she set everything up once it started and could only remove them when the eclipse reached totality.
Alex got the perfect photo
When Hoffpauir and Harbison arrived, Alex looked like a space enthusiast prepared to capture the eclipse as she sat in a lawn chair.
Hoffpauir spotted Alex's "X" and quickly covered it with a blanket, positioning himself and Harbison exactly where they needed to be despite Harbison's protests that they were in Alex's way.
Finally, the eclipse reached totality at 1:42 p.m., and Hoffpauir and Alex sprung into action. Alex said she knew immediately she got the shot she needed because of Hoffpauir's timing.
"He nailed it," Alex said. "He got down on one knee right there, right in the middle of the flash, and got that beautiful diamond effect with the totality."
"She got an engagement ring when there's one in the sky," Alex said. "It was almost like this cosmic moment. It was just phenomenal."
Hoffpauir proposed with a raw sapphire ring from Staghead Designs.
Harbison was completely surprised, as she didn't suspect the proposal or that Alex was anyone other than an eclipse viewer.
"She was just beside herself, and he was so stoked, and I was excited," Alex said.
After the proposal, Alex uploaded a behind-the-scenes TikTok about the shoot with Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart" playing in the background, not thinking much of it as she headed to a happy hour with friends.
But hours later, she discovered the video had gone viral. It amassed over 4 million views as of Wednesday.
@macyalexphoto Come with me for the most stressful. Ut rewarding shoot of my career ❤️
♬ Total Eclipse of the Heart (Radio Version) - Bonnie Tyler
"I almost threw my phone across the restaurant," Alex said of her reaction to the video's popularity. "It just really wasn't something I was expecting to happen."
"I'm just so eternally grateful people are as excited about their love as I am," she said. "What a joy to get to share that moment with everybody."