Website: https://www.whiteoak-images.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhiteOakImages
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whiteoak_images
**THIS IS NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH WHITE OAK PHOTOGRAPHY IN MORROW, OH WHO IS A REPUTABLE PHOTOGRAPHER!**
The story here isn’t stolen images, although there are those at play here too but mostly it’s just ads that I’m aware of that have images not taken by Tori / White Oak Images originally.
I live in the same service area as White Oak Images and I’ve been watching over the past few years as the complaints roll in on the local wedding groups and then curiously disappear just as quickly. Today was one of those days where one bride posted their experience with White Oak Images / Tori and then the floodgates opened and the comments were lit.
The OP posted that Tori / White Oak Images canceled on them last minute for their engagement session and then the night before their wedding said she wasn’t going to be able to make it but then she ended up showing up, although she was late. Then after the wedding there was a delay in getting the video to them and the whole experience with Tori was not professional in the least.
Other clients commented similar stories – down to the same excuse for canceling on them last minute despite their weddings being years apart. In the past the complaints have been the same but since the posts are now gone you’ll have to take my word for it.
Photographers commented and privately messaged me about how White Oak Images was consistently reaching out last minute (anything from 2 days before to hours before) to cover as a main or second photographer at weddings.
Photographers also told me how there was a styled shoot (possibly more than one) that didn’t take place and wasn’t refunded.
Photographers also reached out to me privately to state that Tori was slow to pay them when they did fill in last minute and getting their memory cards back was another hassle.
Wedding Planners chimed in stating their clients have had issues with this company as well, particularly with cancelations at the last minute.
While the original client posted in a few places, one post was removed, one post had comments turned off and one post remains that I can see. I’m sure they will all be gone soon enough so I’m just done watching local brides not have all the information prior to booking. So here we are. Now they can make informed decisions on their wedding photographer.
Total last minute cancellations for weddings starting in 2022 due to being sick/injured/dog emergency/misc: 35 (so far)
TLDR; This photographer often bails at the last minute sending in someone that she likely found the night before or day of to cover for her, usually when she’s overbooked herself. Often claims to be sick but also has a lot of dog emergencies and random other excuses.
Update 1/12/2024 – I’m told that Tori is working out refunds and cancellation agreements with clients for 2025. There’s already at least 2 dates she is/was double booked for for 2025 and all thought they were booking Tori not the associate package.
Follow & Support Photo Stealers Substack / Facebook / Instagram / TikTok / Discord / Donate
As with others who have shystery things going on along with some sticky fingers I’m going to a timeline format to make the story make the most sense.
8/31/2019 – Tori lost photos from this wedding. Thankfully the second photographer had them backed up.
2022 Summary:
5 weddings Tori backed out on at the last minute
3 dates with multiple weddings booked the same date
1 wedding missing a second photographer.
Unknown dates in 2022 – someone commented that two people they know had similar stories to the bride from 7/20/2024 for their weddings booked with White Oak Images in 2022.
8/6/2022 – Tori canceled the morning of the wedding and the replacement photographer didn’t have the photo list the bride gave Tori and photos were missed.
9/2/2022 – a comment within the main post states the same thing happened to them in 2022 and the video was “fucking awful.” I did some digging and found two public posts with info about what went wrong between this client and White Oak Images.
They hired White Oak Images after Tori replied to a post they made in a Facebook Group looking for videographers about 2 months before their wedding. They were told 8-12 weeks for delivery of the video.
In the end it took well over the deadline to get the video and then there were issues with the video’s quality and sound. There were also parts missing. Tori explained it as someone who was new and an issue when exporting as to why the sound was bad and kept saying how the video isn’t her fault. They went back and forth but I don’t know what the end result was beyond the public Facebook posts the client made.
9/10/2022 – A photo and video client was supposed to have a second photographer the day of their wedding due to not being able to get their engagement session scheduled and one was not present the day of their wedding. Tori approached the bride during the reception and asked to leave early. The photos were delivered on time but the video was late. The clients were promised money back but never received it. They love the photos and video but state hiring White Oak Images is the only thing they regret from their wedding day.
10/1/2022 – a comment within the main post stated the “same thing” happened to them on their wedding with White Oak Images on this date. Tori canceled on her and was sent a replacement photographer.
10/1/2022 – another client for this date that booked the associate package had issues with lack of service and poor planning with White Oak Images.
10/1/2022 – this client booked associate package but Tori led them to believe she’d be their photographer and canceled the night before stating she was sick. Tori blocked client from viewing stories of weddings that were photographed that date but someone else could see them and noticed the dates in the detail photos.
11/12/2022 – Double booked date.
11/12/2022 – a comment under the main thread said they would not recommend her after using White Oak Images for their wedding. Tori delivered one image the day after the wedding but the gallery wasn’t delivered until 5 months later. The bride’s brother died the night of the wedding and they begged for images of him and Tori did not deliver any despite saying she would.
2023 Summary:
10 weddings Tori backed out on at the last minute
4 dates with multiple weddings booked the same date
1 wedding missing a second photographer
1/19/2023 – White Oak Images posts ads for a “content day” in Cleveland for 4/23/2023. It was $115 per shoot or $375 for the full day. It is unknown if this took place or not there’s one that didn’t but I’m not sure which one did that photographers are owed money from.
Two of the ad pages use images that White Oak Images have taken, two do not.
Again, “not my images” doesn’t cover your ass when you’re using the images to profit off of, which is what you’re doing when you use these as an ad for your content day.
1/23/2023 – White Oak Images posts an ad to their Facebook page for an upcoming styled shoot in Las Vegas in March. I believe this one took place. The cost was $500 and I am guessing this took place during WPPI. Per Tori’s post, 14 photographers booked this content day with Tori based on these photos (so around $7K was made using these photos).
5/15/2023 – Tori posts in a local photographers group looking for a lead shooter for videography, no date(s) specified.
5/27/2023 – The morning of the wedding Tori texted the client and told them the videographer had an emergency and couldn’t make it so was doing the video and having someone else do photography. She was late to the wedding and seemed to be trying to both photo/video all day. The delivery for video was late and the video wasn’t complete.
6/17/2023 – a comment on the main post saying the same thing happened to her. Tori sent a message at 2:26AM stating she has a stomach bug or food poisoning and isn’t sure if she’ll make it but she is going to send someone better who is her mentor.
7/29/2023 – Tori posts in a local photographers group looking for a second photographer that day in Chillicothe.
8/5/2023 – White Oak Images is double booked this date. Tori tells one client she has a ruptured appendix but is actually photographing another wedding the same day.
8/10/2023 – Tori posts in a local photographers group looking for a lead videographer for 8/12.
8/12/2023 – Tori canceled the morning of the wedding and sent in another videographer. Told clients that their film was delayed due to her grandmother having a heart attack and was in the ICU. Had multiple issues getting video, still doesn’t have all the additional footage that was promised/paid for.
8/19/2023 – Tori canceled an hour and a half before the wedding coverage was to begin for this client. Tori told this client she was having an issue with her pregnancy. Other photographers did come but they weren’t appropriately dressed and one admitted they weren’t a photographer.
8/26/2023 – contacts a photographer to see if they or anyone they know can photograph a wedding that day. The photographer isn’t available.
8/26/2023 – Tori asks another photographer if they can cover a wedding that day, admits to the photographer that she double booked herself.
8/26/2023 – Tori backed out of this wedding at the last minute and sent in a replacement photographer who overrode their memory card and lost images from the wedding day. When White Oak Images was asked where their images were when they were near the deadline for their contracted turnaround time of 7 weeks they were told they signed an old contract and the new turnaround is 12 weeks [that’s not how contracts work!].
8/29/2023 – contacts a photographer to see if they are available to work a wedding the next day. The photographer isn’t available.
8/29/2023 – posts another ad for a styled shoot in Cleveland on 9/24/2024. This one does take place but not as advertised per content day attendees.
9/1/2023 – Tori posts in a local photographers group looking for a second photographer for the next day.
9/3/2023 – Tori canceled the day of the wedding due to being sick and sent in an associate photographer.
9/23/2023 – Tori canceled last minute claiming that her appendix burst and she needed emergency surgery (yes, she’s claimed this prior).
9/23/2023 – Tori was actually a bridesmaid for her best friend’s wedding and was present for the day.
9/29/2023 – Tori posts in a local photographers group at 5PM looking for a second shooter for the next day.
10/7/2023 – Tori claims to be down with the flu and needs to bump up second shooter to associate shooter for 10/7 and asks her on 10/5. Does not tell client until night before their wedding that she isn’t coming.
10/7/2023 – Tori backed out of this wedding the night before the wedding due to being sick. She told the client they’d worked with the photographer she was sending in her place but she had not.
10/7/2023 – Tori from White Oak Images told clients the night before the wedding she thought she had food poisoning and officially cancelled the next morning. Replacements were sent. Video still hasn’t been delivered in full.
10/27/2023 – contacts a photographer to second shoot that day. The photographer isn’t available.
11/27/2023 – A photographer works for and it takes Tori a while to pay afterwards. She claims her grandma is in the hospital on life support when approached for the money and return of SD cards. It take about a month to get fully paid.
12/2023 – a commenter stated they hired Tori with White Oak Images for a Christmas mini session and Tori canceled at the last minute. They ended up using another photographer the week of Christmas. Due to this issue they opted to not have photos taken professionally in 2024.
2024 Summary:
18 weddings Tori backed out on at the last minute
11 dates with multiple weddings booked the same date
2 weddings missing a second photographer
1/6/2024 – A post is made on the Northeast Ohio Wedding Page Facebook Group about White Oak Images signing a lease in Utah and is moving. The comments are lit with a lot of clients chiming in with issues with Tori canceling at the last minute/sending in subpar coverage. The post gets deleted. *this isn’t the only one but it’s one I have a screen cap of, there has been MANY posts in this group over the years about subpar service from Tori but they always get deleted*
5/18/2024 – Tori posts in a local photography group looking for a second photographer that day.
5/18/2024 – Tori messages photographers looking for coverage the same day.
5/18/2024 – The client commented to the PS post and saw the post above trying to find coverage for their wedding the day of. They state they wouldn’t do it [hire Tori] again.
5/22/2024 – contacts a photographer to second shoot for White Oak Images on 5/25/2024. The photographer isn’t available.
6/1/2024 – a comment on the main thread from another client said they had similar issues as the OP with White Oak Images. She was slow to reply to questions, canceled on their engagement session shortly before and overall they don’t feel it was worth the stress of not knowing if she will show up to the wedding or not.
6/7/2024 – contacts various photographers to see if they can work the next day.
6/8/2024 – a comment on the main thread from another client for this date talked about their experience with White Oak Images and a review on White Oak Images Facebook Page from these clients expressed their disappointment with their experiences with White Oak Images.
Tori / White Oak Images rescheduled their engagement session the day of due to an “emergency” and luckily the clients were able to scramble and find someone else to photograph the engagement since they were already ready.
The day of the wedding Tori sent a message around midnight the day of the wedding saying that she had an emergency and wouldn’t be at the wedding.
The clients forced White Oak to hire their friend as a second photographer due to the issues with the engagement session and they ended up being the primary photographer and the photographer Tori sent was the second the day of, whom they don’t feel was as experienced that Tori claimed she was.
They did get a partial refund but said that it didn’t make up for the stress they went through.
6/29/2024 – a comment on the main thread from another client also experienced issues with the delivery of their video from their wedding. Their contract stated 8-12 weeks and it took 21 weeks after many promises of delivery that didn’t happen.
7/11/2024 – contacts a photographer asking if they are available 7/20, they are not.
7/20/2024 – The client who started the thread in a few groups covering Northeast Ohio. They hired White Oak Images for photo and video for their wedding day. Shortly before their engagement session in 2023 (the clients were on their way), Tori emailed the client to tell them she needed to reschedule. Later she would claim there was an emergency with her dog when the client was upset with the email and lack of heads up.
Eventually they reschedule for a month later and the delivery date was late for the engagement photos. They did eventually get them but the communication was lacking.
The night before the wedding Tori sends the client a text telling them that she has been throwing up and may not make their wedding. She tells them that if she can’t make it she is sending girls that have been working with her a long time and her videographer will be the same. Or, if the client has a photographer friends she’d rather have step in that’d work out too. She then has the gall to ask for tips to feel better since the client is in the medical field.
*SEE ABOVE* Tori was looking for coverage for this date 11 days prior to the event (which honestly seems like a record for her as it’s almost always the night before).
The client replies and is understandably upset. Tori reiterates that she may feel better by the morning but she wanted to keep the client in the loop.
Tori ends up having a miraculous recovery and is able to make it after all… however she is late. The rest of the team was on time and was able to start without her though.
The photos are delivered on time but the video is delayed, per Tori, due to her health. Eventually the video is uploaded but things are missing from what they agreed upon in the contract and there is audio that isn’t correct.
I thought this text from Tori was curious…
7/20/2024 – Tori is booked for a multi day wedding for a couple with the final day of events on 7/20, Tori cancels the morning of citing the same food poisoning issue as the other client from this date. It is unknown if someone else was sent in her place.
8/16/2024 – contacts two different photographers to see if they can work the next day. Neither photographer is available.
8/24/2024 – client comments on thread about White Oak Images that while they love their photos communication was a huge issue. Tori was also late to the wedding. They got their photos after their quoted delivery time but only over by a few days. They gave her a list of family photos that weren’t included.
8/26/2024 – contacts a photographer to see if they are available that day to photograph a wedding. The photographer isn’t available.
8/29/2024 – contacts two different photographers to see if they can work a wedding on 8/31 or 9/1. Neither photographer is available.
8/30/2024 – contacts a photographer to see if they can cover a wedding the next day. The photographer isn’t available.
9/1/2024 – a client from this wedding posted on Photo Stealers and had a similar issue as the others. Tori from White Oak Images canceled the day fo the wedding due to being sick and sent in two associate photographers in her place. They did not book an associate package. The client was ultimately unhappy with the experience and the images.
9/1/2024 – Another client commented on Photo Stealers that they also hired her for the same day as the above commenter and she canceled because she was sick the night before the wedding. They did not book an associate package.
9/1/2024 – Another client commented [yes that makes THREE booked for the same date] on Photo Stealers that they also hired her for their wedding and she did show up for their wedding but acted like she didn’t want to be there. They paid for 2 photographers but only Tori showed up. They did not like their photo editing style.
9/6/2024 – contacts a photographer to see if they can second shoot the next morning. The photographer isn’t available.
9/10/2024 – White Oak Images posts an ad for their fall mini sessions. One image is not White Oak Images’.
9/12/2024 – contacts two different photographers to see if they can associate or second shoot a wedding on 9/14 because she “hasn’t been loving my associates stuff lately.” Neither photographer is available.
9/13/2024 – contacts a photographer to see if they can associate shoot a wedding in Cleveland the next day.
9/14/2024 – per a list I’ve been given there are 5 weddings booked for this date. One client had their videographer who Tori sent show up late after Tori canceled. I have not heard from the majority of the clients from this date, yet.
9/21/2024 – A client had this date booked but fired Tori after multiple issues with her during the process of working with her, especially in relation to their engagement session.
10/5/2024 – A client commented on the main post about White Oak Images and said she’s also had issues with communication and deadlines. Their contract stated 8 week turnaround for photos and video, when they reached out at 10 weeks, Tori told the client that she had two relatives in the hospital and she was also unwell. She also told the client that her current contract is 12 weeks not 8. The clients got the photos at 13 weeks but still do not have their video.
10/12/2024 – per a comment on the Photo Stealers thread about this post, client’s best friend stated that Tori backed out of her wedding last minute. Despite paying for two photographers, only one showed up and was late.
10/12/2024 – Another bride for the same date as the client above commented in her thread that Tori was at her wedding on 10/12/2024. From a list I’ve been sent there is one more client out there for 10/12/2024 that was likely canceled on (E&J if you’re out there message me!)
10/12/2024 – A photographer filled in last minute for a wedding on this date when Tori couldn’t make it.
10/24/2024 – contacts a photographer to see if they are available 10/26. The photographer is not available
11/1/2024 – contacts a photographer to see if they can associate shoot a wedding the next day.
1/2/2025 – posted a rant to The Law Tog Facebook Group about a client from Wyoming.
While the situation is not great, it also doesn’t appear to have been strictly a trip just to photograph this Wyoming bride as she has been tagged with another couple while there.
No dates for these but this is the kind of things that were being alleged in the comments by other industry professionals:
This was Tori’s response on the thread yesterday:
Today (1/8/2025) Tori posted to her business Facebook Page that basically it’s been a big misunderstanding and she’s going to do better going forward.
While some comments were supportive of her and saying they are still looking forward to working with her, there were many comments from past clients who were rightfully upset with how everything was handled.
Some of these comments were deleted but luckily I screen capped them.
Tori’s Dad chimed in a few times with his support of his daughter stating that basically you’re not paying for HER but the reputation as the company. It doesn’t go over very well and the commenters let him have it.
Once the post started to not go the way the way I imagine Tori hoped it would go she limited the comments on the thread.
Back on the home turf Tori started calling me non stop for HOURS on end while sending me a slew of messages. I finally blocked her and I don’t know if she’s still messaging or not.
Then when that wasn’t enough someone with a brand new Facebook account posted my name/address and this sweet missive:
By this morning the comment on the Facebook thread was gone.
This morning the bride that started this off posted an update showing that Tori had offered her a refund to get her to take the post down and then the admin of the group confirmed that she was offered money to get the original post and following one down as well.
Going forward they are only allowing brides with proof they booked White Oak Images to post in the group about the business but that’s a step in the right direction I guess.
For 2025 there has already been found to be at least two dates that was double booked.
That’s where we are now. There are news stations that are talking to clients – if you want the information let me know and I can put you in contact with them.