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A wedding photographer captured his own romantic proposal on camera - after tricking his girlfriend to unknowingly take pictures along the way.
Che Birch-Hayes, 29, from Hereford, Herefordshire, managed to convince Becky Thompson, 28, that his complex set-up involving three cameras would allow him to take a unique 3D picture.
After being roped in, Becky was stunned to find an engagement ring in the viewfinder of one of the cameras - and soon realised the whole charade was merely a set-up for Che to pop the question at the beautiful Nott Hill spot, on the south Wales coast.
Che Birch-Hayes, 29, from Hereford, Herefordshire, tricked girlfriend Becky Thompson, 28, into unknowingly taking pictures of his proposal at the beautiful Nott Hill spot, on the south Wales coast
Becky was stunned to find an engagement ring in the vi ewfinder of one of the cameras, discovering the whole '3D photoshoot' was merely a set-up for Che to pop the question
Che said: 'I'm always trying out new techniques and experimenting so Becky thought this was just another one of my hare-brained schemes.
'I wanted to ask in a unique way and wondered how I'd hide the ring. I've always liked old film cameras that allow you to look down into a waist-level viewfinder and thought it would be awesome to pop the ring in there.
'Instead of opening a box to present the ring, I'd be opening the viewfinder.'
This then gave Ben the idea of tricking Becky into taking photos so they would always have a reminder of his romantic gesture.
Che (pictured) said: 'I'm always trying out new techniques and experimenting so Becky thought this was just another one of my hare-brained schemes
Che managed to convince his baffled girlfriend Becky Thompson, 28 (pictured), that his complex set-up involving three cameras would allow him to take a unique 3D picture
Che said the beautiful spot on the south Wales coast was special for him and Becy as they had both holidayed there as children
'For months I'd casually mention that I had this 3D photo idea planned, saying that by having the film camera on a tripod and Becky taking a photo of it with another camera, it would somehow produce a 3D image.'
Che took Becky, a human resources worker for Asda, on a week-long holiday to the Gower Peninsula, Swansea, for her birthday when he arranged the 'photoshoot'.
Che said: 'I'd always envisioned asking Becky in the Gower as it's a place close to both our hearts and the location I'd wanted to do it had never changed.
'We both went on holidays there as kids and some of our first dates were just going around taking pictures.
Che took Becky, a human resources worker for Asda, on a week-long holiday to the Gower Peninsula, Swansea, for her birthday when he arranged the 'photoshoot'
Che said: 'I'd always envisioned asking Becky [to marry me] in the Gower as it's a place close to both our hearts and the location I'd wanted to do it had never changed'
'We both went on holidays there as kids and some of our first dates were just going around taking pictures,' said Che of the spot where he proposed
'Even though I talked utter rubbish that would bore most people, Becky still listened and even revealed that she had searched online for 3D images and agreed my idea sort of made sense.'
Che and Becky visited the stunning Three Cliffs Bay for the photoshoot.
Che said: 'When the day came to do it, it couldn't have been more perfect. We'd just arrived and the sun was setting beautifully with hardly any wind at the cliff's edge.
'We started snapping away and Becky was happily taking photos of our surroundings whilst I was setting up several cameras.
'I'd set up one camera to time-lapse everything going on with an 85mm lens, then the film camera on a tripod facing the cliff's edge.
Che and Becky visited the stunning Three Cliffs Bay for the photoshoot. Che told Becky to close her eyes and popped the ring inside the old camera's viewfinder for the surprise
'When the day came to do it, it couldn't have been more perfect. We'd just arrived and the sun was setting beautifully with hardly any wind at the cliff's edge,' said Che
'I took my other free digital camera and unwrapped the ring box and slid the ring into my pocket. My heart was pounding.'
Becky came over and started taking shots of the old camera through her digital one.
'Becky's hay fever had kicked in and some of the wind had started up, so her eyes wouldn't focus.
'I prayed she'd have patience with me while I urged her to do something that wasn't working.'
Che then told Becky to close her eyes, and he popped the ring inside the old camera's viewfinder then closed it.
'She commented it looked like something had broken inside - she'd heard the noise of me dropping a ring in there and there was now a silhouette of a ring.
'I told her to take a look inside, but instead she decided to zoom in on the picture she had taken on the LCD screen.
Becky said yes to Che's proposal and and the couple, who have a seven-year-old son, Rory, and a five-year-old daughter, Erin, have pencilled in a date for August 2017
'It was so funny watching her expression change with each click of the zoom button.
'I got on one knee like an awkward plonker, asked and she said "yes".'
The couple, who have a seven-year-old son, Rory, and a five-year-old daug hter, Erin, have pencilled in a date for August 2017.
But they won't be taking the pictures at their own wedding.
Che said: 'I've always joked about doing the photos at my own wedding - just a load of selfies - but thankfully I've got another photographer friend called Colin Nicholls who's going to do it.
'When I told another friend of mine about the plan for the engagement shoot, he said he would help me out by hiding in the bushes but I think that would have been a giveaway.
'It was such a wonderful moment. After a few moments of hugging, kissing and crying I looked at Becky and said: "You've just been the second shooter at your own engagement".'
Source: They just clicked! Wedding photographer tricks his girlfriend into snapping his romantic proposal - hiding the ring in the camera's viewfinder
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