Proposal Pictures

Some long time friends of ours asked that I hide and take pictures of their new "to be" son in-law and daughter as he popped the question. Neither of them had a clue I was there. He had told the parents his plans to propose in the city square. I sat and waited. I didn't want to give it away so I started with no flash then went to flash.

Their approach

Awwwww how cool!

I know I didn't get the greatest composition, but, it was all undercover, in plain site. I would appreciate any comments.

Great captures. I thought you did great.

lol this is awesome, so did u hide in a bush or something?

I arrived an hour and a half early. However, I didn't know I was that early. When I first got there, I walked around trying to see if I could get shots without flash if they sat at any of various benches. Not knowing how long I had I sat in my truck and waited.

While I was waiting I thought that maybe the big lights that are pointing at the statue in the center could work for me in that I may be able to use the bright light to hide me. I thought if I got behind one of them, they wouldn't be able to see past it.

When they showed up I thought I could shoot from my window initially. But all of a sudden car lights from the far corner of the square were pointing straight at me into my lens. It was the heat of the moment. I piled out!

The young lady has known me for 18 years. I was very concerned that she would make me while all the time worried I would miss everything if I didn't start firing. Thus, I would shoot and move. I got behind the big light right in front of them. I noticed the big light on the other side of the statue was pointing my way. I felt I was on stage. I shot and moved around the square.

I was right behind their bench by the time he dropped to a knee. I had to blast, with flash. They never knew I was there. Later at her parents house, they said we thought we heard somebody taking pictures. They said they joked that maybe somebody will post some pictures on facebook.

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Sneak Photography at it's best!
Sounds like it was a lot of fun.

wow! Ive never even heard of this
I cant believe people didnt notice a person with a big camera... lol

Jill-of-all-Trades wrote in post #8973741
Sneak Photography at it's best!
Sounds like it was a lot of fun.

I recommend it! I'm not entirely new to the concept. I actually stalked and shot my own daughter's proposal. It was my new son in-law's idea.

I'm here to tell you, those girls like having that moment to relive.

We have laughed about how she wanted to take in the moment and he was packing the picnic basket. He knew the whole family was waiting to celebrate, she didn't. I actually missed the actual proposal because I was jocking for position. If anybody would recognize me, she would.

this is awesome!

nice emotion in the pictures, the pictures themselves are pretty bad...

anorphirith wrote in post #8975696
nice emotion in the pictures, the pictures themselves are pretty bad...

It would have been nice to end up with both, emotion and quality. I was mostly concerned with the former. I had time to think about what settings to use prior to them arriving. I chose to use a slow shutter 1/50, relatively high iso 800-1000 and wide open 2.8. I know the 1/50 is way too slow for 200mm, but, I just wanted to make sure I could get decent light with no flash. I knew I would turn the flash on as soon as he dropped to his knee, but, I didn't think to increase shutter speed in the heat of the moment. The flash was set ettl.

The daylight shots of my daughter were from shooting way off 200mm + 1.4 tc and cropping. I would rather get the picture than get busted.

I appreciate the comments. Something about being told your pictures are bad makes you go in to the excuse mode.

I find all this surreptitious photography a bit disturbing

beeng wrote in post #8976604
I find all this surreptitious photography a bit disturbing

Look at it on the bright side, you have a nice vocabulary. Maybe you could see somebody about being disturbed