Camera gear theft story, video brings back pain
Wedding photographer thinks thieves planned robbery
When Kumiko Leung read about a man caught on video in Stanley Park swiping thousands of dollars worth of camera gear, she said she felt the pain all over again.
Leung is the owner and principal photographer of Richmondbased Amara Wedding and in July, she too had camera gear stolen from her while she was helping a happy couple take engagement photos in Stanley Park.
“I feel the pain again because we know it’s not like an accident,” Leung said after reading The Province’s front-page story about photographer Martin Gregorian’s unfortunate experience last weekend.
“We kept on shooting for about five to 10 minutes and when we went to change locations ... we realized the rollercase had vanished.” — Kumiko Leung
“They (the thieves) planned to do that. I think they have stolen my gear and (are) selling it. I am pretty sure they would do it again.”
Leung, along with a second photographer and a makeup artist, were shooting with a couple near Stanley Park’s Lost Lagoon on July 23.
She said there had been very few people around when the group arrived and she set down a makeup kit and a rolling camera case full of lenses and flash accessories with a combined value of about $8,000.
“We kept on shooting for about five to 10 minutes and when we went to change locations ... we realized the rollercase had vanished,” Leung recalled, noting she was never more than three feet away from the case.
After combing through their memories, Leung said the couple vaguely recalled seeing a man behind the photographers who sat down on a rock, close to where the gear was, to watch the shoot for a brief time.
Const. Brian Montague called these criminals “opportunists” who treat thievery like an “occupation.”
Montague couldn’t comment on how many tips had been received since The Province ran its story on Thursday, but said investigators are aggressively pursuing the case.