Local Photographer Relies on "Good Vibes" for Credit; Shocked When It Fails
Ms. Layla of Gravity Photography showing her stolen photos
LAYTON, OH — A local photographer is reeling after discovering her latest wedding gallery was published in a magazine entirely devoid of credit to her or her business.
Layla Gravita, owner of Gravity Photography, expressed total shock that the strict verbal "vibes" she established for the use of her work were not honored by Stolen Times Magazine. “I strictly remember telling the venue to please tell the magazine who I am,” Layla lamented.
The Chain of Custody
The incident began when Layla photographed a wedding at the On S’en Fout Hotel several months ago. The magazine, desiring to feature the wedding, requested the images from the hotel. According to Ms. Layla, the hotel staff provided the magazine with the names of the couple, the florist, and various other vendors, ostensibly including her own.
The magazine proceeded to run the spread, featuring her photos prominently, but with no mention of the photographer.
“It’s really upsetting. I worked hard on those photos,” Layla told The Tog Times. “I provided the hotel with all my info and the magazine just neglected to credit me.”
The "Honor System" Defense
When questioned, Ms. Layla admitted that neither the hotel nor the magazine had received any formal, written stipulations or licensing agreements regarding the usage. She confessed that she simply assumed people would "do the right thing" because the work was hers.
Having never spoken to the magazine’s editors directly, Ms. Layla remains unsure if the hotel actually passed her information along or if it was lost in a game of professional telephone. Regardless, she remains certain of one thing: she told a hotel employee her name, and she believed them when they said they’d share it.
“I shoot at that venue all the time. I know they care about my copyrights as much as I do,” Ms. Layla shared. “I mean, shouldn’t they?”
Legal Realities
As of this writing, Ms. Layla has retained a law firm to represent her interests in the matter. Notably, unlike Ms. Layla’s approach to her own business, the law firm required a signed, twenty-page contract and a substantial retainer before they would even consider pursuing the case.
