A New York photographer built an elaborate indoor set on a Brooklyn sidewalk for a man to propose to his girlfriend on Valentine's Day. Justin Bettman caught the media's attention a few months ago when he began his 'Set in the Street' project. Bettman, sometimes with the help of designer Gozde Eker, would build sets that, in pictures, looked like the inside of a living room, child's bedroom, or a bathroom complete with a clawfoot tub. Jose Luis proposed to his girlfriend on a set designed and built by New York photographer Justin Bettman . Although it looks like a dining room, the photo shoot actually took place on the edge of the water in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where the couple had their first date . But zoom out of the picture and it was revealed that Bettman was actually building these sets right on the street, using mostly furniture that had been given away or left for garbage. Bettman's work caught the attention of Jose Luis, who saw a feature on the photographer in New York Magazine and sent him an email with an idea, according toPetaPixel. 'I am planning to propose to my girlfriend, and I was wondering if there is a way for you to help me do it,' he wrote. 'As you can understand, I am not the richest man in the world. I am simply in love.' Bettman said after he read the email there 'wasn't even a question' on whether he would say yes. 'Of course I was going to build a set for this guy to propose on,' he said in a video chronicling the proposal. Bettman told Daily Mail Online that Luis' girlfriend thought they had been cast in a photo shoot before Luis got down on one knee and popped the question . The set was built on the edge of the water in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, the very spot where Luis and his girlfriend had their first date. Bettman and his crew began building the dining room on the snow-covered ground at 4am, using furniture they had found on Craigslist, friends' apartments and right off the sidewalk. Meanwhile, Luis told his girlfriend that he had submitted them for a casting to be in a photo shoot by a random photographer he found on Craigslist. After Luis revealed to his girlfriend they had been chosen for the shoot, they arrived on the set and Bettman pretended he had never met either of them, the photographer told Daily Mail Online. Bettman and his crew began building the dining room on the snow-covered ground at 4am, using furniture they had found on Craigslist, friends' apartments and right off the sidewalk . Bettman (pictured) caught the media's attention when he began his Set in the Street project in December 2014 . Bettman than directed the couple through a regular photoshoot, before asking Luis if he wanted to try any poses that the photographer hadn't asked for yet. That's when Luis popped the question. 'It was pretty surreal to see him get down on one knee and ask her,' Bettman told Daily Mail Online. 'It was emotional for everyone -- my makeup artist started crying.' After the excited girlfriend said yes, Bettman left the set standing, as he does with all his creations. Bettman posted a sign that invited passerbys to pose and take pictures with the set and share their photos on Instagram under the hashtag #setinthestreet, so that people could see how it transformed with both time and different personalities. The photographer now leaves his sets after he finishes his photo shoots, inviting passerbys to take photographs and add their own spin to the backdrops . The proposal project was especially special to Bettman, who told Daily Mail Online it was surreal to watch .
Justin Bettman began the popular Set in the Street project in December .
Caught the attention of Jose Luis, who asked for his help .
Luis told his girlfriend that they had been cast in a photo shoot .
When Bettman asked during the shoot if Luis wanted to try any more poses, he dropped on one knee and popped the question .
Bettman told Daily Mail Online the scene made his makeup artist cry .