Wedding photographer gets 1-year probation after last-minute cancellation
May 15, 2024
Alex Baker
Alex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe
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A photographer in Georgia, USA, has been put on a one-year probation and ordered to pay restitution after backing out just hours before the ceremony on a bride’s wedding day.
Wedding and family photographer Danielle Caldwell, said that she had to back out due to sudden illness, even though she fully intended to make the wedding.
The bride, Allison Gardner, described the situation as chaotic in a Facebook post. She allegedly asked for a refund to immediately hire another photographer but was told by Caldwell that the money had already been used to pay her rent and other bills.
This incident prompted other local people to share similar grievances about Caldwell’s unreliability, including missed appointments, failure to deliver photos and no-shows.
In the end, Gardner took legal action, and Caldwell was charged with theft by conversion. Caldwell agreed to a plea deal to serve one year of probation and pay $900 in restitution to Gardner. However, after several months, Gardner has yet to receive the payment, with Caldwell citing an extension granted by the court.
Sadly, this sort of situation happens all too often, giving wedding and portrait photographers a bad reputation. However, these things can sometimes go both ways, with photographers getting stitched up by brides in return. A solid contract and good word-of-mouth recommendations are vital if you’re looking to hire a wedding photographer.
[via petapixel]
Alex Baker
Alex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe
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2 responses to “Wedding photographer gets 1-year probation after last-minute cancellation”
Back when I shot weddings, mostly pre-digital, we ALWAYS had an emergency backup plan in place. We had a small network of local shooters, and if an emergency came about, the wedding was always covered. Now, those who used to be considered valued colleagues are often looked upon as the enemy. I find this to be more common amongst the lower tier shooters.
This is what happens when idiots convince themselves that their hobby is a business. “It’s already been spent on bills”… Until the services are delivered, it’s not their money to spend. Theft is right.