Photographer losses digicam gears, consumer’s marriage ceremony pictures in latest automotive break-in in San Francisco

It was supposed to be a one-day trip to San Francisco for Alabama-based photographer Ashtynn Wilhite.

But almost all of the photos she took at a wedding were deleted after her car was broken into near the Painted Ladies on September 21. The disaster, which occurred between 7 a.m. and 7:30 a.m., cost his camera equipment around $ 15,000.

“We had such a phenomenal day there and suddenly it was just torn away,” Wilhite told SFGATE. “It was so sad.”

Her clients, Alex and Tyler Hammel, got married in Birmingham, Alabama earlier this month. The couple offered a $ 2,000 reward for getting their photos back. Wilhite, on the other hand, also gave a $ 5,000 reward for their laptop and the hard drive returned.

The photographer was supposed to be doing an engagement shoot for another couple in San Francisco when the disaster struck. They agreed to come to Alamo Square for the shoot after changing clothes and taking photos in San Francisco.

Wilhite put the camera equipment she helped bring with her in the back seat of the car as the trunk was already occupied. She covered it with sheets and went to the nearby Alamo Square for the shoot.

“I saw the glass, but it didn’t really hit me,” she said. “I thought something was broken. I got out of the car and the window was broken. Then it struck me that someone stole our equipment. “

The photographer said she was “immediately shocked” and cried when she fell to her knees.

Wilhite said she alerted the police and had been instructed to contact the 311 and file a report online. It was the same instruction she received when she went to SFPD headquarters to file the report in person.

“Things like that don’t really happen where we come from,” she shared. “If something like this happens, the police would be more interested in helping. But in San Francisco it happens every day, it sucks. There’s really nothing they can do, it’s such a big city. “

The good thing was that the photographer managed to send the Hamels a wedding “sneak peek” shortly after their wedding. Now there were only around 50 photos left from the couple’s special event.

“I don’t usually do that,” Wilhite said. “I gave them a substantial foretaste because their wedding day was so great. I came straight home and did some work. It was a good thing. “