'Deleted the photos': Wedding photographer's vengeance divides internet

A wedding photographer's acts have divided the internet after the photographer deleted the photos before leaving the venue.

Like most moral dilemmas on the internet, they usually end up on popular Reddit forum AITA.

A wedding photographer caused a stir when they revealed that they deleted all the photos they took in front of the groom on the big day, but their version of the story points to important reasons why he decided to do so. They claimed that they had to work in "unbelievably hot" conditions during their 10-hour stint and were denied any of the food or refill his water bottle.

They explained in the post that they usually work as a dog groomer, but agreed to work at the wedding when their friend asked.

"A friend got married a few days ago and wanting to save money, asked if I'd shoot it for them.

They agreed to work at the event for $250, which they say "is nothing for a 10 hour event".

"I told him it's not really my forte but he convinced me by saying he didn't care if they were perfect: They were on a shoestring budget.

"I started around 11am and was due to finish around 7.30 pm," they added.

"Around 5pm, food is being served and I was told I cannot stop to eat because I need to be a photographer; in fact, they didn't save me a spot at any table."

They continued: "I told the groom I need to take off for 20min to get something to eat and drink… He tells me I need to either be a photographer or leave without pay.

"With the heat, being hungry, being generally annoyed at the circumstances, I asked if he was sure, and he said 'yes'.

"I deleted all the photos I took in front of him and took off saying I'm not his photographer anymore."

The majority of Reddit users who commented agreed he was treated unfairly and that the groom shouldn't have issued an ultimatum.

"NTA at all. You could have risked your health and they treated you like s***," the top response read, with over 24,000 upvotes.

"You went in with the expectation of $250 to take high-quality pictures... while also being a guest at their event (including a place to sit, eat & drink)," another wrote.

"And realistically, you did nothing but follow the grooms' suggestion. Either continue being a photographer or forfeit your $250."

However, others pointed out deleting the photos may have been a step too far:

"As satisfying as it is, they should have just left and then when her friend asked about them later should have said she'd sell them the pictures for double or triple the price."

"I wouldn't have deleted the photos, they are someone's weddings photos, so at the very least I would have given them a second chance before deleting them," another user wrote.

This article was first published by the NZ Herald and is republished here with permission.