Wedding Photographer Apologizes For Not Delivering Couples’ Photos Due to Drug Addiction
A wedding photographer has apologized for not delivering images to 36 couples while suffering from a crippling drug and alcohol addiction. He is now completing the jobs that he never completed for newlyweds.
In an exclusive report by The Columbus Dispatch, wedding photographer John Ferreira shares how he is making amends with dozens of former clients in Central Ohio after recovering from substance abuse and depression.
A Reddit Post by Disappointed Couples
Ferreira, who is now 34-year old, tells the publication that he recalls seeing a Reddit forum post about him and his wedding photography business “John R Photo” two years ago.
The Reddit post warned other users not to hire him. It said that Ferreira had taken payment for wedding photos and never followed through with the photos for his clients.
“People started bombarding me with phone calls, fake requests, harassing text messages, all that stuff,” Ferreira tells The Columbus Dispatch about the Reddit post.
“I just completely disconnected and was dead-set on that was just what my life was going to be — no real will to live or do anything besides get high.”
At the time of the Reddit post, Ferreira says that he was grappling with alcohol and drug addiction that was brought on by a deep depression following an unexpected divorce paired with the COVID-19 pandemic. However, during this period, Ferreira did shoot some weddings for clients.
“I would try and do things that made me feel normal. One of the things that was familiar was shooting weddings, so I would still go, and I would shoot the gig,” he explains.
“Once I would get back home, that was it. I would just sit there and exist — drunk. I just stopped doing the other half of the stuff for weddings.
“Drugs took over, and obviously the depression was tenfold.”
According to The Columbus Dispatch, Ferreira eventually lost his apartment as a result of substance
abuse and depression. He later began living out of a van and was homeless for about two months.
“I would think about all of this stuff that I had to fix, right. And it became so overwhelming,” he tells the publication.
“So my only solution was to keep getting high and drunk instead of just slowly trying to do it.”
‘Redemption is Possible’
However, in 2023, Ferreira’s friend showed up at a crack house that the photographer was staying in and firmly told him to get help.
A few days later, Ferreira checked himself into New Day Recovery in Youngstown, Ohio. The photographer has been sober ever since.
The Columbus Dispatch reports that Ferreira began using his friend’s laptop to edit and send photos he had taken for clients, finally completing the work people had paid for.
In total, he had 36 weddings to complete — as well as birthday parties, engagements, and other events that he shot.
Several of his former clients had opened a case with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office General’s Office, and he would often get calls from the office. One day while he was in rehab, the photographer finally decided to answer the calls.
Throughout 2023, Ferreira worked away at the outstanding photos he owed couples and completed them until he had no images left to deliver.
The photographer says that many of his clients seemed to be understanding and pleased that he had got the help that he needed.
Ferreira has been sober for over a year now and currently works as an activities director at Ohio Addiction Recovery Center. He even says he hopes to return to shooting weddings, concerts, and other events.
“Redemption is possible,” Ferreira tells The Columbus Dispatch.
“My story’s similar to so many other people’s stories.
“Just because the damage that I caused was more widespread and felt in different ways doesn’t make it different.
“Everybody has the bridges they burned, or the ones that are burning, the ones that are gone. The amends that need to be made if possible.”
Image credits: Feature photo licensed via Depositphotos.
