By Aleksandria Rudenko | Published 28 October 2026

Man in a tuxedo kneeling on the cobbled quay as she stands by the Maas, the Willemsbrug behind them, a proposal on black and white film

This proposal on film in Rotterdam started as a black-and-white photoshoot, or so Lotte thought. Bram had a ring in his inside pocket and one spot on the Maas in mind.

The two of them met at a film festival in the city, so real film felt right for this day. As a photographer in Rotterdam, I planned a short route along the river and its bridges. I kept one quiet quay for the big moment.

Where
The quays of the Maas, by the Willemsbrug and De Hef
When
Late March, a sunny day
Session
B&W Film Photoshoot
Light
Bright spring sun, often straight into the lens

Dressed for the Silver Screen

They came dressed for a premiere. Bram wore a tuxedo, a bow tie and black glasses. Lotte chose a long black dress, pearls and a pale fur coat. First, we stopped on a quay with the Erasmusbrug behind them, the spring sun straight in my lens.

Couple in silhouette against the sun on a quay by the Maas, the Erasmusbrug and old houses behind them, a soft flare over her fur coat
The Erasmusbrug, with the spring sun straight ahead

Then we moved into the shade of a brick wall, where the sun only reached their faces. Lotte leaned into Bram and simply looked at me, calm and amused.

Woman with blond bangs and a pale fur coat leaning on a man in a tuxedo and bow tie, sunlight on their faces by a brick wall
She wraps her arms and fur coat around his shoulders and looks into the lens, pearls at her neck, on black and white film in Rotterdam

On an empty stretch of quay, white painted lines made a pattern of their own. So I framed the two of them from above and let them meet in the middle for a kiss.

Seen from above, the couple kisses in the middle of white painted lines on an empty quay, the river glittering behind them

A Proposal on Film by the Maas

Across the water stood Het Witte Huis, a white Art Nouveau tower on the Wijnhaven and one of the first high-rises in Europe. Bram led Lotte to the edge of the quay and went down on one knee. Before he could stand up again, she bent down and threw her arms around him. Meanwhile, I stayed back on the cobbles, so the moment stayed theirs.

He kneels with the ring while she bends down to hug him, Het Witte Huis across the Maas, a surprise proposal in Rotterdam
Across the Maas from Het Witte Huis

A little farther along, the pylon of the Willemsbrug rose above the river. There Lotte held a hand to her cheek and kissed him, while Bram pulled her close. Afterward, they stood arm in arm for a while and just looked at the bridge.

Kiss by the railing of the Maas in Rotterdam, her hand at her cheek, the pylon of the Willemsbrug rising behind them and bikes in front
He kisses her temple as she smiles with her eyes half closed, pearls and a fur coat, an old facade behind them on Ilford film
Seen from behind, the newly engaged couple stands arm in arm on the quay, looking at the Willemsbrug after the proposal on film

Small Things the Film Kept

Still, some of my favorite frames are the small ones. Lotte lit a cigar for Bram with a metal lighter, her fur sleeve in the picture. Her new ring rested on his hand, and later on the shoulder of his black jacket.

Close view of him lighting a cigar from a metal lighter she holds, her fur sleeve in the frame and his cufflink catching the sun
Her hand with a new engagement ring and dark nails resting on his hand, the soft fur of her coat behind, shot on black and white film
Ring on her hand as it rests on the shoulder of his black jacket, the Willemsbrug blurred far behind, a detail from their proposal in Rotterdam

On a wide flight of stone steps, Bram kissed her hand like a leading man in an old film. Because the sun was low, every step drew a long, sharp shadow.

On wide stone steps in Rotterdam he bends to kiss her hand as she walks down in a long slit dress and fur coat, long shadows on film

Rotterdam on Black-and-White Film

For this proposal on film in Rotterdam, I used Ilford Delta 100, rated at 400 instead of 100. As a result, the negatives show deep blacks, bright whites and a visible grain. With the sun behind them, the two of them turned into outlines against the towers, a soft halo around her hair.

Backlit and almost nose to nose, the couple stands out against tall towers, a halo of sun around her pinned-up hair

Wondering whether film would suit your own day? I compare both in my guide to choosing digital or film.

We ended at De Hef, the old railway lift bridge, with one last kiss under its steel frame. For two people who met at a film festival, this proposal on film in Rotterdam could only end in black and white.

Couple kissing on an open square under the steel tower of De Hef, the old lift bridge in Rotterdam, the last frame of the proposal
De Hef, the old railway lift bridge

Planning a proposal of your own by the Maas? Discover how I work as a photographer in Rotterdam.