Can you keep a secret? Nothing spreads faster in the world than the words that usually follow that phrase. Well, we kept a secret for 2 years! Joe, the groom and I, kept this photo a secret until yesterday when we delivered his bride a super 1 year anniversary present, prints from this surprise.
To capture these photos I got to live out the life of papparazzi photographer for one afternoon. Joe and I scouted an open area at Zilker Park where he would walk with Kara. I was perched up on the rock outcropping in the middle of Zilker Park with a 600mm lens. I was there about 30 minutes ahead of Joe on the day of the engagement. While waiting I don’t think I have ever shook with excitement more in any shoot I have done. I was really having a hard time holding the camera steady plus the length of the lens made every movement amplified. So I am setup, ready to shoot and spot them driving in once Joe sends a surreptitious text to let me know they were here.
I start tracking them with my sniper lens as they start walking to the pre-determined point. While waiting for them to walk two thing have happened. One, I have a small crowd gathering around me asking what I am shooting with such a monstrous camera setup. Second, just before Kara and Joe get to the meeting point, they start walking back to the car. My mind is racing! Did Joe get Cold Feet? Is Kara onto us? Turns out Kara just wanted to get something from the car. Gah! I am shaking with anticipation at this point. Joe corrals Kara again and they start taking the long way back to the picture spot. My trigger finger has been on the shutter button for 15 minutes at least and I really want to start taking the photos..
They finally get to the spot, Joe drops to one knee and Kara is floored! My shutter starts ripping off frames and the crowd around me, now about 20 people start cheering!
We have the photos, now I have to hide in case Kara looks up to see the crowd 200 yards away. And then for the next two years I have to keep quiet! Couldn’t say anything as we took enagement photos at Zilker Park (wink, wink Joe), or while we photographed their wedding or anything. I am so happy to share them now.
Joe, you get major brownie points for planning, devising and executing this plan. What a great guy so in love with his wife!
–JB
Josh loves a good adventure and some of his favorite wedding and engagement shoots have involved “getting crazy” or going somewhere special to the couple.
Josh is a Texas native and long time Pflugerville resident. He started his photography business in 2009 and has never looked back. His photo business even allowed him to be daddy-day-care before his two sons reached school age. Over the years his business has expanded to include just about every type of photography including automotive, editorial portraits, corporate events, sports and food. Through it all, he has continued to love wedding photography for genuine moment, the fast pace and the diversity of subjects it offers. Josh is a co-founder of North Austin Pfoutographic Society and a resident instructor at Precision Camera & Video in Austin, Tx.