Sundance films turn cameras on the paparazzi

PARK CITY, Utah (Reuters) - In a celebrity culture that turns the spotlight on its heroes to uncover their flaws, it seems only natural, at some point, to return it to the people who take the pictures -- the paparazzi -- to see if they can live up to their own scrutiny.

Two films at this week's Sundance Film Festival have taken on that cause. One examines the career of one of the industry's icons, Ron Galella, and the other is a turn-the-tables effort by paparazzi target, actor Adrian Grenier of "Entourage" fame.
In "Teenage Paparazzo", Grenier picks up his own camera to pursue Austin Visschedyk, a 13-year-old paparazzo whom Grenier met after he was ambushed by the young photographer.

Initially motivated by curiosity and concern for the teenager -- who routinely stays out until 2 a.m. on school nights jostling for shooting position with men twice his age -- Grenier broadens the focus to the relationship between paparazzi and the celebrities who are their targets.

"One of the reasons I made this film was to diffuse the tension that's so apparent between the paparazzi and the celebrities," Grenier told Reuters at Sundance.
"There's this one-way street, a one-way conversation. They're firing at you, but there's no real exchange."

Grenier, who calls his film a "big, fat kiss to the paparazzi," has a resume perfectly suited for the task. He is, after all, someone who became a star by playing a star on TV -- heartthrob film actor Vincent Chase on "Entourage."

For "Teenage Paparazzo," Grenier dips into his celebrity connections to strike interviews with targets such as Lindsay Lohan, Eva Longoria and Paris Hilton, who eventually becomes a co-conspirator with Grenier in manufacturing a "photo op."
Visschedyk, meanwhile, is clearly ambitious beyond his years, hopping into cabs to chase fleeing starlets and selling his pictures for thousands of dollars.

TURNING THE TABLES

At first, Visschedyk is somewhat awe-struck by Grenier's attention. But when he learns he is the focus of the film, he begins to wield his own power and thrusts Grenier into the role of pursuer, vying for time with Visschedyk to finish the movie.
Ultimately, Grenier confronts the notion that the film itself could be doing damage to Visschedyk. "It becomes a slippery slope when you think you're helping, but you're becoming part of that negative influence," he said.

At the other end of age and experience from Visschedyk is Ron Galella, a 50-year veteran of the trade and widely considered the original Hollywood paparazzo.
Galella, 79, whose life is examined in Leon Gast's "Smash His Camera", is old enough to have been working when the term "paparazzo" -- the sound in Italian made by a buzzing mosquito -- was coined to name a celebrity-chasing photographer character in the 1960 film "La Dolce Vita".

He operated in a time before it became normal for hordes of photographers to wait outside restaurants for celebrities, and he saw himself as an artist, first -- a claim backed up by having five of his pictures housed in the permanent collection of New York's Museum of Modern Art.

"Smash His Camera" gets its name from an order Jacqueline Onassis -- Galella's top target and subject of his most famous pictures -- gave to her bodyguard after he followed her and her children into New York's Central Park as they rode bikes.
Such events led to a lawsuit by Onassis that earned Galella some negative, but hardly unwelcome, publicity of his own.

In fact, Galella reveled in being portrayed as a villain, although he considers himself a breed apart from the armies of paparazzi that stalk celebrities today.
"A lot of paparazzi today are not trained, they're not serious. I was a serious student of art, and that's what makes great photographers," he said.

Lindsay Lohan's Driver Hits Paparazzo With Car

Lindsay Lohan may be facing another lawsuit -- although this time it's not her fault.

The actress' driver ran over a photographer early Sunday morning, with Lohan in the car, TMZ reports.

The paparazzo injured his hand and was treated by EMTs at the scene. The victim intends to sue. "Of course I'm going to sue them ... but I don't care about the money," he told TMZ.

Lohan's driver is now being investigated for criminal assault with a deadly weapon.

Paparazzi have become more aggressive, says Cameron Diaz

Cameron Diaz thinks she is pursued more "aggressively" by the paparazzi now than she was when she first shot to fame in 1994.

The actress insists she accepts people will always be interested in her life while she is in the public eye, but thinks photographers have become more aggressive in their pursuit of her since she first shot to fame in "The Mask" in 1994.

"Some people say that being a celebrity I should just deal with things like the paparazzi but, honestly, 10 years ago it wasn't like this," contactmusic.com quoted Diaz as saying.

"I don't know what happened to America society, but all of a sudden this pack of really aggressive people emerged. But I guess you have to make peace with it. It is part of what society wants and expects from people in my position."

The 37-year-old says she has learned to take steps to be more cautious about the attention she receives.

"I'm very aware of my words and who I say them to. I'm aware that what I said gets overheard, and people can take it and twist it, and I have no control over that."

Aniston named as force behind paparazzi law

Jennifer Aniston is said to be the force behind a new law that puts a check on the paparazzi in 2010 and beyond.

Democrat and Assembly Speaker Karen Bass said the former Friends star was instrumental in pushing the legislation that comes into effect from the January 1, 2010.

According to the new law, members of the paparazzi and media outlets that sell and buy unlawfully taken photos and video footage of people, including celebs and their families, will be charged with civil penalties.

"There have to be some boundaries. When you have children in the car and the photographers are rushing you, its just absolutely out of control," Contactmusic quoted Aniston, as telling the Los Angeles Times.

"Its become a public safety issue. Somebodys going to die if we dont do something," she added.

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed Assembly Bill 524 into law in October this year.

NYPD Press Pass Extension

The NYPD has apparently backed away from the idea of getting out of the press credentials business.

All working press passes that were due to expire in January will automatically be extended to July 15 while the NYPD transitions to a biannual system.

"We want to be able to issue press cards that are good for two years," said Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne. Currently, the cards have to be renewed every year.

Each year, the department issues about 2,500 working press passes, which allow reporters to cross police and fire lines that the general public can't. They also are used to secure the coveted NYP plates issued by state motor vehicle de partments.

Browne said he could not just jettison the one- year passes because it is part of the NYC administrative code and requires public input.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/conde_subpoenas_google_at_in_hacker_L4IUVSDpfj56L5Gcq7PSvN#ixzz0bDIYqVQh

The Malibu Times: New year laws include anti-paparazzi statute

The year 2010 kicks off with several new state laws that go into effect Jan. 1, including anti-paparazzi legislation that will affect media outlets and publishers.

Perhaps the most pertinent to Malibu, however, is the new law that will allow civil lawsuits to be filed against any media outlet that publishes an illegally taken photo.

The law imposes fines from $5,000 to $50,000 on a publisher who causes or condones a paparazzo to engage in offensive behavior?such as persistent following, chasing or trespassing?while in pursuit of photos or video footage of celebrities. The law will heavily affect media outlets seeking first-time publication rights.

Historically, only a paparazzo who took a photo would be held accountable and the publication that published the photo would not be liable.

Supporters of the new law, which include many Malibu residents and some city officials, have long called paparazzi efforts to capture celebrity photos a threat to public safety and an invasion of privacy. But oppositionists, which include the California Newspapers Publishers Association and various celebrity gossip Web sites and TV shows, have expressed that the law does a poor job at balancing the issue with First Amendment rights.

Councilmember Pamela Conley Ulich, who earlier this year said many of her friends whose children attend Malibu public schools have been mistaken for celebrities and harassed by paparazzi via car chase, lauds the new law.

?I think it gives an added layer of protection and gives an opportunity for anyone whose privacy is invaded to not only pursue paparazzi but publishers as well,? Conley Ulich said Tuesday in a phone interview. ?You get to go where the deep pockets are, and this will hopefully give incentive to publishers to not buy illegally obtained photographs.?

The issue received further attention through a scuffle between paparazzi and local surfers in June 2008, when a pack of photographers staked out actor Matthew McConaughey as he surfed at Little Dume Beach. Malibu residents Skylar Peak and Philip ?John? Hildebrand have each charged with one count of misdemeanor battery for their alleged involvement in the beating of French paparazzo Rachid Aitmbareck during the altercation.

The Photographer Project

The Photographer Project
Celebrity Photography Revealed
By Brian Ach 


It’s all in a day’s work for celebrity photographers, who regularly grace red carpets and are granted inside access to exclusive events, concerts, and parties.

The Photographer Project, the new coffee table staple from photographer Brian Ach, consists of full-length studio portraits of entertainment photographers who are based in New York City, along with ten standardized questions they answered about celebrities and celebrity photography.


The Photographer Project prompted over 60 photographers to answer questions such as:

“Which celebrity undeservedly gets a bad rap?”

“Who is your favorite/least favorite

celebrity to photograph and why?”

“Tell, please, in detail, about the most crazy, interesting, funny, odd, or touching celebrity story that you have been part of.”

The Photographer Project gives the tabloid-hungry public a unique, exclusive glimpse into the world of celebrities and entertainment photography.

The book is available for purchase HERE.

Gyllenhaal 'involved in paparazzi mixup'

Maggie Gyllenhaal has said that she felt "important" when photographers "swarmed" her at a New York café.

The Dark Knight star and husband Peter Sarsgaard were reportedly surprised when "a ton" of paparazzi came into the same café in which the couple were enjoying their coffee - only to realise that the photographers were only there to spot Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes.

The 32-year-old told E! Online: "There were a ton of paparazzi in the café with their huge cameras and laptops. I was like, 'Peter, oh my God, they are so into us. They're swarming us. We are so important'.

"It turns out Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise were living on that street. It was the winter, so the photographers would go into the café to download their pictures."

Paparazzi Cry `No Fair' as N.Y.C Tightens Access to Film Shoots

 Dec. 2 (Bloomberg) -- When paparazzo Steve Sands arrived at the Coney Island set of Will Ferrell’s movie “The Other Guys” in mid-November, he caught a break. That day they were filming New York Yankee Derek Jeter in a cameo.

Sands got shots that he sold to the celebrity magazine InTouch, among other outlets, and notched what he called a handsome payday.

 A 30-year veteran of the camera ambush, Sands worries that those opportunities, gleaned from regular visits to New York City’s Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting, will disappear since New York City ended its weekly Wednesday public viewing of film-shoot permits yesterday. Mayor Michael Bloomberg is the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg News parent Bloomberg LP.

 The permits contained information on filming locations for movies and television shows. The movies “Precious” and “It’s Complicated,” which stars Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin, were shot in New York City. The TV shows “30 Rock,” “Gossip Girls,” “The Good Wife,” “Ugly Betty” and “White Collar” also use city locations.

“There are so many projects in New York, so that’s why you go to the mayor’s office,” said Sands, who sported the paparazzo’s typical unshaven face and disheveled hair. “Now the city is going to make it hard for us to find this information. They’re taking away our rights.”

Requests to view the film-shoot permits now have to be made by mail or e-mail through New York State’s Freedom of Information Law.

“We’re looking to try to have a system to get back to people within a week,” said Marybeth Ihle, a city spokeswoman.


Stolen Documents

The city decided to end the public viewings because of space constraints and reports of stolen documents, Ihle said. The system had been in place for longer than anyone at the film office could recall, Ihle said. The best estimate was more than 15 years.

 To Chris Doherty, president of INF, a New York-based celebrity-photo agency, the decision is an attack on the paparazzi and an effort to cull favor with the film and TV industry that Ihle said contributes about $5 billion a year to the city’s economy.

“There are suggestions that the film industry is getting annoyed with the number of people showing up at these shoots,” Doherty said. “But these are public records that help us to do our job.” Ihle denied that outside pressure prompted the change.

To be sure, the advent of Twitter Inc., Facebook Inc. and Web sites such as OnLocationVacations.com, dedicated to tracking film shoots and celebrity whereabouts, has made once-elusive information almost commonplace, Doherty said. Still, the film office is a dependable source for leads, he said.


‘Catch-22 Situation’

Doherty, whose agency employs about 30 people in New York and Los Angeles, said he was wary about the Freedom of Information process because of the potential for long waits and because it largely requires photographers to know what they’re looking for.

 “If we don’t know the document exists, how can we ask for it? It’s a Catch-22 situation,” he said.

Norman Siegel, a civil-rights lawyer, said the decision appeared to favor one set of New Yorkers and even non-New Yorkers (TV and movie people) over another (paparazzi and not- so-famous actors who use the listings to seek walk-on leads.)

“The fact that the city has been doing this for so long says that at one point they thought this was something they should do,” Siegel said. “It’s possible the city can do what it’s doing legally but whether it should be doing it is another issue.”


Crowd Control

James Devaney, 32, has placed his photos of Angelina Jolie, Katie Holmes and others in People and Star magazines and the New York Post newspaper. Besides checking the permits, he has gotten tips from film-production people and even public-relations agents. Celebrities often want the publicity afforded by the paparazzi, he said. Still, he’s torn about the city’s change in policy.

“What the city is doing isn’t right,” said Devaney, who has been photographing celebrities for 12 years. “Then again, film shoots have gotten really crowded, so I kind of wondered why it took so long for them to do this.”

Sam Dickerson, a photo editor at Splash News & Picture Agency, said it’s common to find 10 to 12 people waiting to get into the permit office. The city allows just two people at a time to view the documents, and only for 30 minutes.

 “People are going to have to lean a lot heavier on blogs and Twitter and sightings than just going down to the permit office,” said Dickerson, whose agency’s photos adorned the Nov. 15 cover of the New York Times’s Sunday Styles section.

As he has done for years, Sands went down to the city’s film office on Broadway in mid-November a week after the new permit viewing process was announced. For a half-hour he leafed through a stack of the green onion-paper documents before being told his time was up.

“The film office can be a good place but there are just too many photographers, Web sites and paparazzi agencies now,” Sands said. “They killed the golden goose.”

Mike Tyson Arrested After Allegedly Punching Photographer at LAX

Mike Tyson and a photographer made citizen's arrests of one another after getting into a scuffle Wednesday at Los Angeles International Airport, police say.

At 4:30 p.m., the former boxing champ, 43, was passing through LAX from Europe en route to Las Vegas when a celebrity photographer began taking his picture at the United Airlines terminal, Sgt. Jim Holcomb tells PEOPLE.

"The two men got into a scuffle, and it's alleged that Tyson hit the photographer once in the face with one hand, causing him to fall to the ground," Holcomb says. "The photographer sustained a laceration to the forehead, and was taken to a local hospital."

Officers arrived on the scene and detained Tyson, who was booked at a nearby LAPD station and held on $20,000 bail, according to police records. Documents also show that Tyson was released at 8:24 p.m.

Tyson was reportedly traveling with his wife and 10-month-old baby. The incident was first reported by Radaronline.com.

"Mr. Tyson did absolutely nothing wrong, he was the victim in this case," his attorney, Richard Schonfeld tells PEOPLE. "We look forward to vindicating him and pursuing his rights."

Earlier this year, the boxer's 4-year-old daughter, Exodus, died in Phoenix after accidentally getting her neck wrapped in a cord from an exercise machine. In November 2007, Tyson was sentenced by an Arizona judge to 24 hours in jail and three years probation for drug possession and driving under the influence.

It remains to be seen whether the airport incident will be deemed a violation of his probation terms.

Paparazzi peeved: Mayor's film office changes the rule on giving out info on film shoot locations

The guy with the flash thinks this policy's trash.

The public will no longer be allowed to leaf through the weekly stack of city film permits - a longtime treasure-trove for celebrity-hunting paparazzi - at the Mayor's Office of Film, Theater and Broadcasting.

Instead, starting Dec. 1, anyone who wants to see the permits, which detail when and where movies, TV shows and ads are being made, must request them in writing under the Freedom of Information Law.

Mayoral spokesman Andrew Brent said the film office is committed to turning over requested documents within a week.

Christopher Peterson, a photog with Buzz Foto agency, fretted that by the time the agency gives up the info the lights, cameras and action may be long gone.

"If you shut down Fifth Ave. so Angelina Jolie can [film a movie], you're not entitled to think you can just sort of cloak it and keep it from people," he said.

The 15-year-old policy of letting the public leaf through the permit pile is being changed in part because of staffing issues, office space constraints and complaints about copies being pocketed - not complaints from the stars, officials said.

The permits "were essential to a number of people making a living," said freelancer Dennis Van Tine, who has photographed news and celebs in the city for 13 years.

It's not just the paparazzi who call the change questionable. "Access to that information should be as easily and readily available as possible," said AP Senior Managing Editor Michael Oreskes.

Raise a Glass to A.J. Sokalner

Those of you who could not attend the funeral this past weekend, come "Raise a Glass to A.J. Sokalner" at The Black Door, 26th between 6th and 7th ave. Friday, November 13th, from 6-9pm.

Remember Veterans Day 

Honoring All Who Served

In Memorandum: Photographer AJ Sokalner

AJ Sokalner: Photographer and Friend

I had the distinct pleasure to be working shoulder to shoulder with him on that tragic night. I would like to share my story of the last hours I spent with AJ:

Photographers gathered outside Cipriani on 42nd Street well before 5pm for the7:30pm event.

We were working the ACE Awards. There was a group of about twenty five photographers working outside waiting for Lady Gaga to arrive. There wasn't much space to accommodate all the shooters. Photographers were two and three rows deep, on ladders, awaiting her arrival.


AJ was concerned about getting a spot, but managed to find a spot right next to me by the curb where the talent was arriving. AJ and I decided we would work together until "all hell broke loose" when she arrived. We couldn't block the sidewalk and obstruct the flow of pedestrian traffic. But, once she arrived, we decided we would swing out and get the shot.

Not to our surprise, Lady Gaga wasn't to show up until about 9pm.

During that time, AJ and I were having one of our usual sarcastic conversations. We poked fun at the nature of our business, we reminisced about previous events we had covered together. We even got into a funny conversation about STP. "The gas company with the orange logo?", I asked. "That's tells me how old you are!" AJ responded, as he was referring to a LSD-like drug from the 60's. He always had great wit to his words. We had spent a good four hours together, shooting the breeze and passing the time with humor.

Lady Gaga arrives and AJ and I sprung into action. Just our luck, she posed right in front of us! We shot like madmen, lighting up the night with a barrage of flashes.

As she went inside we all started to pack up our gear and seek warmth from the chill in the air. I had just left my spot and said my goodbyes to everyone when someone yelled "AJ fell..."

I ran back to where he and I had been standing just a minute prior and saw AJ on the ground. I ran up to him and touched his face "AJ, AJ...you alright?" I got no response. "AJ?". People gathered around, the other photographers now noticed what had happened. "Call 911!', someone yelled. A bystander said he knew CPR. "Get in there!" I yelled. He started to pump his chest. Where's the ambulance? Within minutes we saw EMS coming down 42nd Street. We ran into the street, waving frantically to alert them to our position.

An EMT woman was first on the scene to attend to AJ. She started to pump his chest. Another EMT brought out a heart monitor. They went to work on helping AJ right there. Fire engines arrived, police arrived. Another ambulance arrived. They brought out a stretcher and transported him to the ambulance.

They worked on AJ, pumping his chest. They were doing everything in the world to help him. "Hold on AJ!", I yelled into the ambulance. We all stood there, feeling helpless, hoping our friend was ok.

We all started to call people he knew, his girlfriend, his job. We all wanted to make sure he was alright. A few photographers went to the hospital. Another photographer picked up his girlfriend and dropped her off at the hospital.

After everyone had left, a group of us stood outside Cipriani's dazed. What just happened?

It was about 10:50pm when I heard that AJ passed away. I called and let a few of my colleagues know about the tragic event.

AJ, we will miss you buddy.
Erik Pendzich

Funeral Service for AJ Sokalner:

Friday, November 6, 2009, 10:30am

Beth Israel Memorial Park

Woodbridge, NJ

Nicole Richie gets restraining order against 2 paparazzi

Nicole Richie and her team of lawyers have successfully obtained a temporary restraining order against paparazzi Eduardo “Bam Bam” Arriveben and Ivon Miguel, TMZ.com reports.

The two photographers have been ordered to stay 100 yards away from Richie, 28, her two children (daughter Harlow, 20 months, and son Sparrow, 6 weeks) and her staff. Richie’s statement notes that the duo harass her “on a daily basis” and have been “stalking our home, as we try to go about living our lives.”

On Oct. 6, the two photographers rear-ended Richie’s Land Rover, leading her to seek private medical treatment for minor injuries. Arriveben, the driver in the incident, was arrested for driving without a license.

New movie takes aim at celebrity journalism

LONDON — What do Amy Winehouse's flaming beehive and Guy Ritchie's self-inflicted black eye have in common?
Both stories appeared in the pages of Britain's tabloid press. Neither is true.
The two incidents were fake showbiz news tips phoned into newspapers by the makers of the new documentary "Starsuckers," to see whether they would be used without fact-checking. The fact that they were forms part of the movie's argument that the culture of celebrity has undermined journalistic standards and warped society's values.
"I didn't realize quite how much of our news is public relations, or lies, or on the basis of criminal acts," said the film's 33-year-old director, Chris Atkins.
"Starsuckers," which premieres Wednesday at the London Film Festival, takes aim at Britain's fiercely competitive tabloid press, but its real target is much broader. Atkins believes that society's obsession with fame — gaining it and being near it — has distorted everything from the way news is reported to our children's aspirations.
The film opens with the statement that "everybody is naturally and powerfully attracted to fame," and tries to show how big companies in entertainment, media and PR use that desire to create a world full of insatiable consumers.
Through a series of stunts reminiscent of Michael Moore's movie polemics, Atkins aims to show how dignity, truth and even the law go out the window in the pursuit of celebrity.
Atkins is particularly scornful of reality television — the way such shows distort reality and stretch the limits of what people will do to be on TV.
The film introduces viewers to a Nevada boy named Ryan, who wants urgently to be famous — at five years old, he is already a veteran of agents, auditions and public appearances.
In another sequence, Atkins set up a booth in an English shopping mall purporting to be casting for children's reality TV shows. The filmmakers recorded as parents happily signed waivers for their children to appear on shows with titles like "Baby Boozers" and "Take Your Daughter to the Slaughterhouse" — for which he filmed children cheerfully trying to decapitate rubber chickens.
Critics might say Atkins manipulates people in the same way as the shows he criticizes.
"We tricked people into being in our film," acknowledged Atkins, whose last film, "Taking Liberties," looked at what he saw as the erosion of civil rights under Prime Minister Tony Blair.
"Yes, we had moral qualms, but I firmly believe we're doing it for the wider point. There was subterfuge involved to serve a wider public interest."
Atkins uses the same defense for his attempts to dupe newspapers in a bid to prove that Britain's tabloids won't let the facts get in the way of a good story.
Checkbook journalism and stories sourced to anonymous "friends" are long-standing practices in Britain's popular press. Even murkier tabloid methods have come under scrutiny since 2007, when a News of the World journalist was jailed for illegally hacking into the phones of royal officials. The newspaper insisted it was a one-off blunder, strongly denying claims that phone-tapping of celebrities was widespread.
"Starsuckers" suggests that some tabloids, at least, won't let the truth get in the way of a good story. Newspapers as far afield as India printed the too-good-to-fact-check claims that a blown fuse had singed Winehouse's signature hairdo and Ritchie had given himself a black eye while juggling cutlery.
Even more worryingly, perhaps, Atkins also secretly filmed tabloid reporters as he offered to sell them medical records of celebrities' cosmetic surgery.
Buying such records is illegal in Britain, but the reporters seemed keen. They didn't know that the documents offered by Atkins — purporting to prove Hugh Grant's facelift and Guy Ritchie's chemical peel — were fake.
"We're trying to turn the tables — to put the boot on the other foot," said Atkins of his stings, which also included covertly filming celebrity publicist Max Clifford as he talked about the famous clients who pay him handsomely to keep damaging stories about them out of the headlines.
Atkins said his tactics had prompted letters from lawyers, including those working for Clifford, threatening legal action against the film.
Some viewers of "Starsuckers" may feel that Atkins doesn't give people enough credit. Surely most people know that what they see on reality shows or read in the showbiz pages of tabloids might not be 100 percent true?
Clifford, whose clients include Simon Cowell, said a lot of celebrity stories are "25 percent reality and 75 percent exaggeration" — but that we shouldn't worry too much about it.
"It's entertainment," he said. "The public believe what they want to believe."
The subjects of celebrity stories are less easygoing about it. George Clooney, asked about "Starsuckers" by The Associated Press, said a combination of shrinking newspaper staffs and the Internet meant misinformation could spread instantly around the world.
"Somebody will write a story and it will be in 1,800 different outlets from one person's story," Clooney said.
"It'll be false, and you'll go, 'It's not true.' And they go, 'We're not saying that, we're saying that a London tabloid has said it.' They're just reprinting and reprinting things that aren't necessarily true."
Atkins says the problem is that the blurring of fact and fiction is not confined to celebrity stories. British newspaper editors are frequently former showbiz reporters.
It's hard not to see symbolism in the career of Piers Morgan, who went from entertainment reporter to editor of The News of the World and the Daily Mirror. After he was fired by the Mirror — for running fake photos of British soldiers allegedly abusing Iraqis — he became a celebrity himself, as a judge on "Britain's Got Talent," which launched Susan Boyle to stardom.
"It's the same journalists who write about Amy's hair who write about weapons of mass destruction," Atkins said.

Britney Spears Settles Lawsuit with Paparazzi

Britney Spears has settled a lawsuit with a photographer who claimed she ran over his foot in 2007.

On Monday, a notice of settlement was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, and while the terms of the agreement have not been released, the photographer, Ricardo Mendoza, had originally sought more than $200,000.

The Oct. 2007 incident occurred as Spears was driving her white Mercedes out of a Beverly Hills parking garage. It was an especially bad day for the singer: Earlier, a judge had temporarily suspended her rights to see her sons Preston, now 4, and Jayden, now 3.

Mendoza, who was working for TMZ.com at the time, claimed the singer intentionally ran over his left foot and told the site that Spears's handlers should have been aware that she "was not in the mental, emotional and/or physical condition to operate the subject motor vehicle in a safe and reasonable manner."

TMZ.com later auctioned off Mendoza’s tire-stained sock and donated the money to charity.

Nikon D3S Digital SLR Camera

Main Features

• ISO performance: ISO 12800 as standard, expandable to ISO equivalent of 102400 (Hi 3)
• Nikon FX-format CMOS image sensor with 12.1 effective megapixels
• Improved D-Movie function including High-Sensitivity Movie mode and flicker reduction function
• Nikon’s Integrated Dust Reduction System including Image Sensor Cleaning function
• Incorporates Nikon’s original EXPEED digital image processing
• Active D-Lighting with bracketing for up to 5 frames
• Picture Control: Standard, Vivid, Neutral and Monochrome (Landscape and Portrait can be downloaded from Nikon website)
• Quick response with approx. 0.12 seconds start-up time and approx. 0.04 seconds shutter-release time lag
• 9-frames-per-second shooting rate in FX format, 11 fps in DX crop (CIPA Guidelines)
• Nikon’s original Scene Recognition System, utilizing 1,005-pixel RGB sensor, for more accurate autofocus, auto exposure, i-TTL flash control and auto white balance
• Multi-CAM 3500FX AF sensor module featuring 51 AF points
• Viewfinder with approx. 100% frame coverage and approx. 0.7x magnification in FX format
• Durable shutter unit proven by 300,000 cycles of testing on fully assembled camera
• Intelligent power management that lets you shoot up to approx. 4,200 frames per charge (based on CIPA Standards)
• Easy-to-access Live View modes with dedicated button
• Quiet Shutter-release mode for nonintrusive shooting
• High-definition (approx. 921k-dot), 170˚ viewing angle, 3-in. VGA LCD monitor with tempered glass

CANON EOS-1D MARK IV DIGITAL SLR CAMERA

The Next Chapter of EOS.
Offering a comprehensive combination of speed, accuracy and image quality, the EOS-1D Mark IV is the perfect choice for professional photographers and subjects on the move. With a completely redesigned 45-point AF system including 39 cross-type points, a new AI Servo II AF focus tracking system with improved algorithm combined with 10 fps continuous shooting, the EOS-1D Mark IV can handle even high-speed situations with ease. An APS-H sized 16.1 Megapixel CMOS Sensor, Dual DIGIC 4 Image Processors, a spectacular ISO range of 100 - 12800 (up to 102400 in H3 mode) with an advanced noise reduction system helps ensure sharp, low-noise images even in low-light situations. Add advanced Live View shooting, Full HD movie recording with selectable frame rates and manual exposure control plus a host of new features that enhance every facet of the shooting process. The EOS-1D Mark IV is the choice of professionals looking for the ultimate in SLR performance.

Shepard Fairey admits to wrongdoing in Associated Press lawsuit

In a strange twist to an already complicated legal situation, artist Shepard Fairey admitted today to legal wrongdoing in his ongoing battle with the Associated Press.

Fairey said in a statement issued late Friday that he knowingly submitted false images and deleted others in the legal proceedings, in an attempt to conceal the fact that the AP had correctly identified the photo that Fairey had used as a reference for his "Hope" poster of then-Sen. Barack Obama.

"Throughout the case, there has been a question as to which Mannie Garcia photo I used as a reference to design the HOPE image," Fairey said. "The AP claimed it was one photo, and I claimed it was another."

New filings to the court, he said, "state for the record that the AP is correct about which photo I used...and that I was mistaken. While I initially believed that the photo I referenced was a different one, I discovered early on in the case that I was wrong. In an attempt to conceal my mistake I submitted false images and deleted other images."

In February, the AP claimed that Fairey violated copyright laws when he used one of their images as the basis for the poster. In response, the artist filed a lawsuit against the AP, claiming that he was protected under fair use. Fairey also claimed that he used a different photo as the inspiration for his poster.

After Fairey's admission, a spokesman for the Associated Press issued a statement saying that Fairey "sued the AP under false pretenses by lying about which AP photograph he used."

Fairey said that his lawyers have taken the steps to amend his court pleadings to reflect the fact that "the AP is correct about which photo I used as a reference and that I was mistaken."

The artist expressed his remorse in his statement, saying that he is taking "full responsibility for my actions which were mine alone. I am taking every step to correct the information and I regret I did not come forward sooner. "

He added: "I am very sorry to have hurt and disappointed colleagues, friends, and family who have supported me in this difficult case and trying time in my life."

Fairey's statement said he regretted that his actions would distract from the issue of fair use for artists. "Regardless of which of the two images was used, the fair use issue should be the same," he said.