So do I, but there are enough people running out of date software that old vulnerabilities are still being actively exploited.

You have any idea how many people don’t update their computers?

VMs have vulnerabilities, if you really want to be safe use a dedicated air-gapped pc, or don’t run it at all.

Next time, see what a local camera shop would charge to rent some equipment so you can do the shoot yourself. It’ll probably be less than $75 to rent the gear for a day. It takes a lot of experience to be a good photographer, so you’re paying for their time and expertise, not their equipment. Modern cameras do a lot of the work for you, so you might be happy doing it yourself. On the other hand, for something like a wedding I would hire a pro if there’s room in the budget.

Only if they get caught. Seems like a lot of money for a flawed system.

OK, then what about the kids who only have 1 phone but claim to have none?

Or buy one that’s 10 years old and learn to maintain it yourself. Worst case, you decide you don’t want it after a year and sell it. Depreciation from year 10 to year 11 is close to zero.

How does this work, are all students required to put a phone in the locker? What about kids who can’t afford a phone?

And what about kids who get a second phone to put in the locker so they can keep their main phone?