STORY | AMSTERDAM

The Day of a Proposal, on Film in February

By Aleksandria Rudenko | Updated 8 November 2026

Two women hug on a canal bridge and smile into the lens, a cognac coat and a cream jacket, a proposal on film in February

Avery and Robin flew over from the US in February, and Avery had a ring in her pocket. Next to my digital camera, I brought one roll of color film. That way, the day of their proposal, on film in February, would also live on negatives.

Film is at the heart of my analog photoshoots in Amsterdam. For this day, it came as the Analog Photofilm add-on, next to the digital photos.

The Canals on Film in February

The first frames of the roll went to the canals themselves: bare trees, tour boats under stone bridges and gabled houses against a white sky.

A tour boat glides under the arches of a stone bridge on a gray February canal, bare trees and gabled houses behind, on color film — A tour boat under the arches of a stone bridge, February

Kodak Pro Image 100 was first made for warm climates in Asia and South America. It only came to Europe in 2018. On a gray February day in Amsterdam, it kept the brick warm and the water a quiet green.

A canal running straight toward a church with two spires, a tour boat on the water and bare trees on both banks

Moored boats by a stone bridge arch, a tour boat passing and bare winter trees over the canal houses, on color film

On film, every frame counts, so I take one photograph at a time instead of a burst. A wall lantern, a corner with bikes and an old door the color of honey each got just one.

Gabled canal houses under bare branches, an old wall lantern and a café sign at the edge of the frame on a gray day

An old lamppost and bikes on a corner, a church with two spires rising above the canal houses in February light

A honey-colored wooden door with small barred windows, framed by gray stone columns, on a roll of film in February

A Proposal on Film in February

The question itself, with Avery on one knee on a canal bridge, is in the digital story of this day. For this proposal on film in February, the roll followed everything around it.

On the bridge, they held both hands and leaned back, laughing, with two church spires at the end of the canal.

Holding both hands on a canal bridge on the proposal day, on film, two church spires and gabled houses behind them

Then they stood at the railing, face to face, and a little later arm in arm, looking out over the water toward the church.

Face to face and holding hands by the bridge railing, a bike parked beside them and dark canal houses behind

Arm in arm at the railing, looking out at the church spires and gabled houses across the water, seen from behind

In a long hug, both smiled straight into the lens, and a moment later their foreheads touched.

Foreheads touching in a long hug on the proposal day, a cognac coat against a cream jacket, on film in February

Stone Steps and an Iron Railing

A few streets on, we found the stairs of an old canal house with a black iron railing. Robin wrapped an arm around Avery, and for a few frames they simply sat there, close together.

Sitting close on the stone steps of a white canal house, a black iron railing beside them and gabled houses behind

On the canal-house steps, one rests her head against the other, cognac coat and black turtleneck, on a roll of color film

A Carved Door the Color of Honey

Down a quiet sidewalk lined with bollards and olive trees in pots, they walked side by side.

Walking side by side down a quiet sidewalk lined with bollards and olive trees in red-brown pots, seen from behind

At the end stood a carved wooden door the color of honey, set in gray stone. There they held each other for a long time, and then simply stood hand in hand.

A long hug in front of a carved honey-colored door in a gray stone facade, an olive tree beside them, a proposal on film

Hand in hand before a carved wooden door the color of honey, smiling at each other in February, on color film — A carved door the color of honey, the last frames of the roll

Within 15 days, the lab had developed and scanned the roll. Then the film photos of their proposal day in February joined the digital ones in their gallery.

Would you like your own day on film? Discover my analog photoshoots in Amsterdam.