Trust Broken: What Recent Events Reveal About the Photography Industry’s Dark Side

What’s happening right now in the North Carolina photography community is heartbreaking — not just because dozens of brides are out more than $300,000, but because it exposes something deeper and far more corrosive in our industry.

I’m not here to attack anyone personally. Domestic violence is real, devastating, and no one deserves to experience it. But we can hold space for compassion while also calling out unethical business practices that harm real people.

What disgusts me — what absolutely turns my stomach — is the sales tactic at the center of this mess. Brides were told “We only have one spot left for fall,” only to discover multiple weddings booked on the same day, hours apart. That isn’t marketing. That isn’t scarcity. That is coercion. That is manipulation. That is a betrayal of trust.

And it’s not just this one situation. This culture of false urgency… This “Book now or lose your chance”… This “Fall minis for $100” race‑to‑the‑bottom mentality… It’s a disease in our field.

It cheapens the craft. It cheapens the artists who pour their souls into this work. It cheapens the clients who deserve honesty, clarity, and professionalism.

Photography is not a hustle. It’s not a cash‑grab. It’s not a numbers game.

It’s an art form. It’s a responsibility. It’s a relationship built on trust.

To every couple affected: you deserved better. To every photographer watching this unfold: do better. To every professional who refuses to cut corners, lie, manipulate, or devalue their work: keep going. You are the reason this industry still has integrity.

I’m proud to stand on the side of ethical artistry — and I won’t apologize for calling out the tactics that poison it.