engagement pics...the real deal

So I'm not sure which forum this fits in, but here it goes. I've been asked to follow a couple around some gardens because the boyfriend will be proposing to his girlfriend and he wants some candid photos of the whole event. So I want to hear what some of your advice would be. I have a 70-200mm with the 1.6 conversion is quite long enough I think, so I can be far enough away. It is in a tourist attraction location so there will be lots of people taking photos anyways. I know it's hard to give advice when you don't know the location etc. but has anyone done this before? Any advice would be appreciated!

A spy mission!

How fun. Good luck!

Definately different - but then again what a wonderful idea. Are you "Spying" as such, if so you need to be VERY careful lol i only say that because what if the girl see's, what if other people see - and kick up a stink? Just be wary and try NOT to "Hide" in bush's etc. Sit on bench's etc. pretend your taking photo's of flower's etc. lol
The 200mm sounds OK, but how far away are you goign to be? Do you want to get right in, if so a 300 or 400 might be better, but if you can't afford that right now i guess bump up to RAW and get as close as you can without being noticed, and then you can always crop.
Never done it before but good luck - want to see the photos too

Del

Haha, that is fun.
I did that for a couple. Both doctors. He staged this whole event where she was called to pick up her brother from these gardens. Right when she got there, a guy (his friend who she's never met) ran to the front ticket booth and yelled "my mom is having a heart attack! Call 911!" The girl at the booth (who is in on it too) yells "is anyone a doctor?" and of course she says she is, so they run to the garden and there is the guy giving CPR to a medical training dummy (looks real from a distance). She arrives and she's like, "what the hell are YOU doing here?" He sings her favourite song and then proposes. Haha, it was great.

I hid in the bushes using a variety of lenses, from telephotos to standard zooms. (I even used the 18-55 kit, it worked well)

She didn't even know I was there until it was all done. This was their favourite pic of the event, while he was singing to her.

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I did this a few months back.. my cousins soon to be husband and I planned.. (or as amy puts it plotted).. did one of those.. "hey I got the afternoon free how about lunch? your mom is going to come.. and when she showed up turned out that jake 'happened' to be running errands in that part of boise.. she was completely suprised.. quite frankly so was I at how loud he got.. but it was fun.. I do have pictures but they were taken with my old Pro 1.. and I excused myself to go to the restroom so I could get my camera out of my purse....

here are the shots. (just snap shots) we absolutely know she was shocked because she would never have allowed herself to be proposed to in a baseball cap...

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I think a 70-200 mm lens wouldn't be long enough to stay inconspicous, the girl would work out something's going on. They don't need photos of their entire lives, let him propose in peace, if he really wants photos you can be ready and come over if he wants you, then you can do some nice photos. Just IMHO.

Well if he WANTS you to "stalk" them and its in a public place (which I assume is outside?) then I think I would just go ahead and use the 75-300 that you have listed there.

Thank you everyone! Yes he does want photos of the whole thing, he knows where I'm going to be so I've told him just to make sure their backs aren't to me, because I won't be able to leave my perch! Thanks again!

Do you have any shots yet? How did they turn out? Or is it a few days from now?