Wedding Photographer accused of secretly recording bride
(ABC 6 News) — A wedding photographer from Duluth is accused of hiding a secret camera in the bridal suite and recording a woman while she changed.
Mitchell Ringness, 30, is charged in Freeborn County with one count of interfering with privacy – hotel, tanning booth or other – install or use a surreptitious device. Ringness is the owner of MR. Photography.
In April, a woman turned over a flash drive, which reportedly belonged to Ringness, to the Cloquet Police Department, according to court documents.
The woman took the flash drive from Ringness and allegedly saw photos and video of naked women that looked like they had been secretly recorded.
After executing a search warrant, officers found video of a bride changing into her dress at The Barn at Chapeau Shores in Albert Lea in 2020.
Once the bride is done changing, someone in the room goes to get “Mitchell,” then Ringness walked into the room with a camera and began photographing the bride’s “first look” shots.
Detectives confirmed that Ringness had been hired by the couple to photograph the wedding.
In a statement to ABC 6, the owners of the venue said they were shocked, and Ringness was not hired by their venue and they had not met him prior to this event.
“The safety of the wedding couple and all guests is vitally important to us, so hearing this news has been very upsetting. Anyone affected by this individual has our deepest sympathy,” Chad and Jayne Iverson, owners of the Barn at Chapeau Shores, said.
Owners of the venue said he was not hired by the venue as an employee or contractor and was not paid by the venue.
The bride told investigators that she did not consent to having those videos taken of her.
No other charges have been filed against Ringness.
Ringness is scheduled for a first appearance in Freeborn County Court on Sept. 5.