Bride Drowns During Photoshoot From Heavy Dress

Bride Drowns During Photoshoot From Heavy Dress

Today, during a photoshoot in Canada a bride slipped in less than 1 foot of water. The Photographer attempted to pull her out but the dress became too heavy.  The bride was swept down stream and then pulled under the water. The bride's body was found a few hours later on the bottom of the river. This will come as a complete shock to most wedding photographers because shooting near or even in water is a very common theme these days. 

The photoshoot was taking place near a waterfall and many, including the police, assumed that she fell from the top of the mountain but this is not the case. The photoshoot was taking place at the foot of the waterfall and she fell in less than 1 foot of water. Someone at the scene pointed out "There's not a very strong current there, and not much water. Her dress became full of water. It became too heavy."

I think we can all agree that this tragedy was not anyone's fault and could have happened to any of us. We all  need to remember to be extremely careful when shooting around water, especially during trash the dress sessions. Our hearts go out to the bride's family, husband, and the photographers who did all they could. via DailyMail

 

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Lee Morris is a professional photographer based in Charleston SC, and is the co-owner of Fstoppers.com

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49 Comments

so horrible °!

:(

Seriously, this is absolutely shocking. When I saw the headline I thought, "Oh, great, some idiot photographer talked a bride into doing one of those "trash the dress" sessions in a lake." I can't believe no one has died doing one of those. 

But to then read that it was a typical bridal photo shoot with a sensible photographer and bride? This is just tragic. My heart aches for everyone involved and affected. 

 Darling, most of the time it's the brides who want the water-logged shot. I know I did. :) It was fun.  Fortunately my photographer had backup and jumped into the water before me to make sure it was safe.  No one could imagine that an adult would run into problems in a foot of water.  And REGARDLESS of what kind of shoot it was, it's tragic that someone died. That you'd think both bride and photographer were less worthy of sympathy if it was a TTD shoot is extremely cold.

Sweetheart, how are you not understanding that a photographer isn't enough to save a bride who is wearing an extra hundred pounds of fabric and water, particularly with a design that would create a powerful vacuum under the fabric as she tries to get out of the water?

It is a foolish practice. No one argued that it wasn't fun. Many high risk behaviors are regarded as fun. Just ask the residents at your local rehab clinic. That doesn't make it a good idea.

Yes, someone who wasn't even trying to get in the water in a bridal gown is deserving of far more sympathy than one who stupidly does so consciously. That's the nature of high risk behavior.

Worn out idea and overall dangerous shot idea. Stop doing this.

 bummer.. freak accident though. nothing you can really do.  i've definitely done many things a lot more dangerous than this, and most of the time its fine.  this is just one of those things that happens from time to time- couldve happened to me or anyone.  rest in peace

im sure the tog will be suide.

It's Canada. We can't sue for everything that bad luck brings like in the states....

Calling a photographer a "tog" is like calling a musician a "sic".

deam so sad 

Damn that sucks...

That is a tragic story... photographer must be traumatized.

So sad to hear :(

O good
That is horrible
Die because of dress
Now I not sure with trashing dress any dress :/

I couldn't even imagine how the husband feels. Love of his life, married for mere minutes... I'd want to die.

Tragic accident.. It was NOT a trash the dress shoot! .

Umm actually it was a Trash The Dress Shoot. It was all in the papers up here.

Yes it was a TTD.  It happened 2 months after the wedding.

 Try to use your brain, get the real facts and stop spreading lies! She fell in the water by accident.

 -_- Am I the only one confused here in noting that by calling it a "TTD" that it's apparently a lie and that she fell in the water by accident? How do these correspond? Just by saying it was a TTD doesn't mean that we're blaming anyone whatsoever or anything BUT an accident. I'd call it a trash the dress shoot too!

I don't understand this "Trash The Dress" trend. But damn! Husband and wife for a brief while; that's tragic. My nephew lost his wife a few weeks after a severe car/truck accident. They were in their 20's, married for about 3 years.

It wasn't a trash the dress session. If you go to the link at the bottom of the story, it goes to the original posting at the Daily Mail. She got married in June but they hadn't done their wedding photos. 
It is a very sad story.  

 It was a TTD session.  The groom was not even there.  See also: http://montreal.ctvnews.ca/bride-drowns-while-modelling-wedding-gown-nea...

It was NOT a TTD session!  This is the Internet, people.  It only takes a couple of minutes to find the original facts, but takes less than a minute to ruin someone's life with lies and misinformation.  According to all of the original reports and police statements, Ronald McInnis, a spokesman for the Quebec Provincial Police, out of complete speculation, referred to "trash the dress" as a possible reason for the photo shoot.  Proving the reason why he should be trained to understand how important it is not to say such unfounded things, many articles have, now, been written, misinforming the public that this was, in fact, the purpose of the shoot.  He had no evidence of this and should have kept his mouth shut.  In fact, the police originally reported that she fell off a cliff!

We cannot stop people from saying stupid things, but we CAN be more responsible and considerate not to repeat them as if they were true, especially in a public forum where a grieving family will be hurt and where a blameless photographer could lose his career.

How is calling it a "trash the dress" shoot any different than calling it bridal portraits? A woman died, in her wedding dress, while having her photograph taken in the water. I do not understand why you are hung up on the verbiage. Referring to it as trash the dress or bridal portraits does not change the outcome or level of tragedy.

That's a very good and valid question.  There wouldn't be a difference if people were mature and thoughtful, but, unfortunately, when TTD is mentioned, assumptions are made that the bride and the photographer were being silly and irresponsible.  That just does not seem to be the case, here.

I doubt it was a trash the dress. A lot of brides have separate photo shoots now. Perhaps she had only been able to book that photographer for her own personal shoot on a certain day, maybe her actual wedding pictures of just her turned out poorly, maybe she just likes her picture taken in that dress!!!

If it was a TTD then they wouldn't have said she just fell into the water and there would likely be more people there just in case if they knew she was going into the water all dressed up. 

I doubt the photographer is lying about their reasons for being there or that she just fell into the water when she actually threw herself in for that perfect trashing photo...

  Try to use your brain, get the real facts and stop spreading lies! She fell in the water by accident.

Very tragic. :( 

It was not intended to be a TTD. According to the story (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2193579/Horror-bride-plunges-dea...) the bride decided she wanted some pics with her in the water. That's when everything went wrong.  

It WAS a TTD. You are reading an article from the UK from something that happened in Canada?? Strange cause all the Canadian News sources listed it as a TTD.

I've had several requests before to do underwater fashion photography with the model wearing a heavy gown.  I refused to do all such requests because of safety concerns.

It's not unsafe to shot underwater it is just expensive to do it safely.

my prayers go out the groom, her parents and everyone, including other family and friends related to the bride. 

ARE YOU REALLY ARGUING OVER IF IT WERE A TTD OR NOT!!?!?!?  REALLY!?!?!? NO MATTER WHAT THE HECK KIND OF SHOOT IT WAS, ITS TRAGIC!!!!!

My prayers go out to the families of the bride, the groom, to the photographer and crew and the people on here arguing over what type of shoot it was!!!!

I think people just want to be able to place blame on either her or her photographer. If it was truly a freak accident then they have no one to blame. If it was the result of a TTD shoot gone wrong then they have a whole industry to blame.

a no swimming area

A tragic accident.  I live nearby and know these falls.  The river loses altitude quickly through this region so while the water looks calm and slow on the surface it can be moving significantly through the deeper areas.   A dress in a slow current is like a big umbrella in the wind...it's easy to underestimate the effect it will have.  If anyone wants the 'swimming' shot just pretend in the shallows and be prepared.  Many fit and capable fishermen die every year when their boats overturn and they're wearing waders, or just jeans and rubber boots!  A dress is bigger than these and practically impossible to get out of on your own...

My deepest condolensces to her husband and family....

Looks like the photographer is getting more of the blame now...yet another reason to cover your butt and not let a client do/try something stupid during a shoot.

There was no falling, slipping, cliffs or waterfalls.  She wanted (says the photographer) to have a picture of her swimming and got weighed down and then got pulled by the current into deeper water.

http://www.montrealgazette.com/Family+drowned+bride+would+never+life+ris...

Holy Toledo...what a nightmare for all ......

Wow, this is really sad. I don't think they will be rescheduling this shoot in the near future...

Hope the session is a freebie...

recycled April Fool's, you can do better

Holy shit.