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Posts Tagged ‘awarded’

Wedding photographer awarded $1.08M in defamation lawsuit against bride and groom

02 Aug

Photographers are cheering the end of a marathon lawsuit today, a case that pinned beleaguered wedding photographer Andrea Polito against blogger Neely Moldovan and her husband, who set out to destroy her career after a minor disagreement over their wedding photos.

The whole dispute began over a $ 125 photo album cover that the couple didn’t want to pay for.

Polito had photographed the couple’s wedding in October of 2014, and when Moldovan followed up a few weeks later to ask about the photos, the photographer reminded her that the photos wouldn’t be released until the album was completed. According to the contract they had signed, the Moldovans would have to submit an order form and select a cover photo.

The couple balked, and Polito sent an email saying she would absorb the cost of the album cover to keep them happy. Two days later, she learned that the Moldovans had contacted several local news stations, claiming she was “holding their photos hostage.” In just a few days, this narrative went viral and essentially destroyed Polito’s 13-year-old business. What’s more, the couple gloated about their success online, liked defamatory statements on Yelp and more.

Polito filed a defamation suit against the couple in April of 2015, and on Friday a jury found in Polito’s favor, ordering the Moldovans to pay $ 1.08 million in damages for the “defamatory, disparaging and malicious statements” they made. Polito’s attorney, Dave Wishnew, took to Facebook to celebrate the verdict:

“Freedem of speech does not mean freedom from consequences,” writes Wishnew. “There are real world consequences for maliciously attacking a business online with venom and lies.”

For Polito’s part, she’s relieved, if exhausted:

“I’m emotionally exhausted. This has been a very long battle,” she tells the Dallas Morning News. “Last Friday when the verdict was read I felt a little bit relieved, but most importantly I feel my reputation was restored to myself. What’s been so hard the past couple of years has been feeling so ashamed of this story.”

The case might not be over yet—as the Moldovans can still appeal the ruling—but this is a big win for photographers everywhere. In the Internet age, when a viral news story can destroy a 13-year career overnight, it’s nice to know that justice is still an attainable goal… even if it does take two and a half years to get there.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Photojournalist Mannie Garcia awarded $45k settlement in police lawsuit

10 Mar

Back in June 2011, photojournalist Mannie Garcia was arrested by Montgomery County police while filming officers on a public street. He was charged with disorderly conduct, but the charge was dropped sixth month later. The following summer, Garcia filed a lawsuit against the police department alleging civil rights violations and abuse by the officers, among other things. The photographer is now being awarded a $ 45,000 settlement.

In the lawsuit, Garcia claimed his arrest was unlawful, and that the Montgomery County police officers violated his 1st, 4th, 8th, and 14th amendment rights. The lawsuit had sought $ 500,000 in damages, and posed the question of whether the public has the right to record police activities in public places.

Speaking about the settlement, Garcia recently said to the NPPA, ‘I’m extremely relieved that it’s come to fruition after five and a half years. I think this lawsuit has given attention to the fact that police departments need to pay attention in regards to an individuals’ rights.’ 

Via: National Press Photographers Association

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Digital camera inventors awarded with Queen Elizabeth Prize

04 Feb
Dr. Tompsett, Prof. Teranishi and Prof. Fossum at the ceremony, image: Queen Elizabeth Prize

This year’s 1 million Pound Queen Elizabeth Prize has recognized the work of some of the key scientists in the creation of digital imaging sensors. The award is shared by British-born Dr Mike Tompsett, Professor Nobukazu Teranishi from Japan, and Professor Eric Fossum and George Smith from the US.

George Smith and Willard Boyle, who are now both deceased, first had the idea for CCD sensors at Bell Labs in 1969, but it was their colleague Dr. Tompsett, who saw the potential of the technology in imaging. The first digital color photo, of Tompsett’s wife Margaret, appeared on the cover of Electronics Magazine. 

Professor Teranishi is the inventor of the pinned photodiode (PPD), which is a more efficient photodiode than previous variants. He undertook the work at NEC Corporation in Japan in 1980.

Eric Fossum worked in the 1990s at the NASA and Caltech’s Jet Propulsion Lab. His goal was to miniaturize digital cameras to reduce the payload of spacecraft. His work resulted in the development of CMOS sensors which can be found in most modern consumer digital cameras.

Digital imaging, together with other forms of digital technology, has transformed the world, and every day billions of digital images are captured by billions of devices, ranging from professional TV cameras to tiny imaging units in autonomous vehicles. At the time of their inventions the scientists might not have foreseen the scale of the impact of the technology but they are certainly more than deserving of this year’s award. 

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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World Press Photo of the Year 2015 awarded for moonlight migrant portrait

19 Feb

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Australian photographer Warren Richardson has won the 2015 World Press Photo of the Year. Richardson’s winning photo, taken on the night of August 28, 2015 at the Hungarian-Serbian border, shows a baby being passed through a barbed wire fence by a refugee.

Speaking about his photo, Richardson explained:

I camped with the refugees for five days on the border. A group of about 200 people arrived, and they moved under the trees along the fence line. They sent women and children, then fathers and elderly men first. I must have been with this crew for about five hours and we played cat and mouse with the police the whole night. I was exhausted by the time I took the picture. It was around three o’clock in the morning and you can’t use a flash while the police are trying to find these people, because I would just give them away. So I had to use the moonlight alone.

According to World Press Photo Foundation, the latest contest received 82,951 images from 5,775 photographers across 128 countries. A total of 41 photographers from 21 countries were awarded prizes across eight categories – see a few above (click for full captions) and a full gallery at World Press Photo’s website.

Via: World Press Photo

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Google awarded patent for folding handheld camera design

14 Jan

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Global tech giant Google could be joining the camera business if a patent it was awarded this month is anything to go by. Filed in June 2014 and just approved on the 12th January this year, the patent issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office is for a design for a folding camera that’s hinged in the middle like a clamshell mobile phone. The design appears to allow the camera to stand upright on its own, which presents a great deal of stability and also the ability to shoot selfies. It isn’t clear from the drawings whether the camera’s screen is inside the fold or on the back outer surface, but the significant bulge of the lens housing suggests the camera has a wide ranging zoom or high class optics.

The design allows the camera to open out so that its backside outer cover/screen can be brought to face in the same direction as the lens, with the front and back of the device creating one long flush surface, other than a gutter in the fold.

The patent might, of course, come to nothing, but it isn’t inconceivable that the company that seems to be into everything should want to create a standalone camera too. We will have to wait and see, but in the meantime can enjoy a little speculation – the patent is good for 14 years.

Do you think the camera will come to life or would Google be crazy to produce it? Let us know in the comments.

For more information visit the US Patents and Trademarks office website. 

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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