Cops: Wedding Fotog Recorded Topless Bride

AUGUST 26--A Minnesota wedding photographer hid a camera in a bridal suite and surreptitiously recorded a woman--who was “in her underwear with her breasts exposed”--getting dressed for her nuptials, according to a criminal complaint.

Police learned of the video voyeurism when the photographer’s wife recently provided them with a thumb drive containing the video, as well as “other sexual conduct material” that is not further detailed.

Upon examining the video, investigators were able to identify the bride who was secretly filmed, as well as the wedding venue (The Barn of Chapeau Shores in Albert Lea, a city about 90 miles south of Minneapolis).

The video, “taken from a very low angle,” was shown to the 27-year-old victim, who confirmed that she was the woman recorded. The victim identified Mitchell Ringness, 30, as the still photographer, adding that he was not hired to do “videography or boudoir photography.”

The woman gave police photos from her October 2020 wedding that showed Ringness’s “camera bag with something sticking out.” On the seized video, someone can be heard calling the photographer by the first name “Mitchell.”

Ringness runs MR. Photography, a Duluth-based business whose website promises to “provide you with timeless yet captivating photos and videos that will do justice to your uniquely perfect love story. And while I’m doing just that we’re all going to have a blast along the way!”

Pictured above, Ringness was charged Thursday with interfering with privacy, a gross misdemeanor that carries a maximum 364-day jail term and a $3000 fine. He is scheduled for a September 5 initial appearance in District Court.

A posting about the victim’s wedding was found on MR. Photography’s Facebook page, cops say, but that page appears to have been deleted in the past few days.

Ringness’s website, which remains online, boasts that, “I’ve thrived within the industry these last few years thanks to my core beliefs in staying affordable while always delivering quality content, and having an incredible support system of family, friends, and an ever-growing list of clients and patrons.” (2 pages)