Community rallies around central PA photographer after $10K in gear was stolen
An Osceola Mills-based photographer has received a massive amount of community support after thousands of dollars worth of his camera equipment was stolen earlier this week.
After spending his Wednesday afternoon photographing Penn State graduates in State College, Levi Walk, owner of Walk the Line Photography, returned to his home in Osceola Mills. The next day he discovered that his camera bag, which contained more than $10,000 worth of gear, had been pilfered from the back seat of his truck overnight.
Walk said he usually removes the bag from his truck and locks the vehicle at the end of each day, but an atypical slip-up that led him to leave the bag there may have provided someone who had been stalking his equipment the chance to steal it. He theorized that the sliding door on the rear windshield was accidentally left unlocked, and that’s how the bag was reached.
Along with the bag, several small SD cards with recent shoots from Penn State graduates were also stolen. To Walk, the impact of that loss is felt harder than the stolen gear.
“Those cards have thousands of photos of Penn State grads on them. Those photos were meant to serve as a reminder to them of the life achievements they accomplished and memories they made here, but that’s all gone now,” Walk told the CDT Friday. “To whoever stole my stuff — you can keep all that expensive gear. It’s the SD cards that we’d love to have back more than anything.”
Following the burglary, Walk is trying frantically to reschedule grad photo sessions with the students who had their pictures stolen, although he remains hopeful that the person who committed the crime will come forward to at least return the SD cards.
“My camera and the equipment? Those are things that can be replaced. Those photos can’t,” he said.
State police in Clearfield County said Friday afternoon than an investigation into the stolen gear is ongoing.
Walk’s Thursday post on Facebook about the theft has nearly 3,000 shares, with comments and messages of support from people in the State College, Philipsburg and Osceola Mills communities.
His sister also started a GoFundMe page for him, which has raised more than $1,300 as of Friday afternoon.
“The support that we’ve received since the incident has been mind-blowing,” Walk said. “My family, friends, other photographers and people I don’t even know have all reached out to me with such kind words and help; I don’t even know where to begin to start thanking people.”
Moving forward, Walk has already ordered a new camera and other equipment, and once it arrives, he’s looking to pick his business right back up where he left off. He’s also trying to seek out more bright spots from what he calls “one of the worst days” of his life.
“I started photography when I was 16 years old, and turned that hobby into a full-time business in 2020,” he said. “I’ve had countless challenges throughout those years, and I’m going to have countless more — the best thing I think I can do is just take this head-on like any other challenge, and do my best to spin it into something positive.”
Anyone with information on Walk’s stolen camera and gear should contact the state police in Clearfield County by calling 814-857-3800. Updates on the stolen gear will be posted on Walk’s business and personal Facebook pages.