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Photographer accused of staging SARS-period wedding shot
The case involving Qiu Yan, who recently took third place in the World Press Photo (WPP) contest, was held on Monday in Wuhan, Hubei Province.
Qiu, a photographer with Wuhan Evening News, is accused of staging the photo, titled "Wedding During SARS". The WPP contest, held in the Dutch capital of Amsterdam, is considered one of the most prestigious press photo competitions in the world. The plaintiff, Chen Ying, the apparent "groom" in the photo, is unmarried. He says that not only was he not in a relationship with the girl in the photo, but it's also ruined his relationship with the girl he was going out with at the time. He said Qiu Yan and Wuhan Evening News have infringed on his reputation and he's demanding 150,000 yuan in compensation. It's the first time the WPP has been involved in a lawsuit since it began in 1957. Chinese photogaphers have been recognized by the WPP since 1959, and 10 have won prizes, with three taking the top prize. Prize leads to lawsuit On February 13, 2004, the website sina.com released an item of news that drew attention from all over the country. It reported that two Chinese photographers had picked up awards at the WPP awards for 2004.
Freelance photographer Lu Guang's "AIDS Village, Henan Province" earned him the top prize in the Cotemporary Issues Stories category. And Qiu Yan took third prize in the Daily Life category.
The second day, on February 14, Wuhan Evening News covered the news on the front page and published Qiu's photo again.
It was the first time Qiu had won after being in the running on four previous occasions. However, the trouble soon followed.
Models required
On March 23, Chen called Wenzhou City News, a local newspaper in Wenzhou, his hometown, and claimed that the photo was a fake. Chen said the whole thing had been staged.
Chen claimed in the court that on May 5, 2003, Qiu came to the Sese Wedding Dress Photo Shop to ask for models to help shoot photos. Qiu picked Chen and another girl as the bride and groom. "I've been in Wuhan for two years, and I am a model for Sese Photo Shop. You can tell from the picture that it was taken just outside our shop. The little girl who was selling the wedding dress was also picked from our photo shop," said Chen in court. Chen recited the caption for the photo in court: "On May 5, a couple cross Yangzi road to have their wedding photo taken. Love and marrige still continue during the SARS outbreak." Wuhan Evening News published the photo on May 7 and republished it on Valentine's Day after the WPP awards. Chen said that the photo caused his break-up with his girlfriend, so he filed a lawsuit against Qiu and Wuhan Evening News on March 25. Chen brought a reporter from Shanghai Morning Post to Sese Wedding Dress Photo Shop on Monday afternoon. The reporter saw the same railings outside the shop that were in the photo. "When shooting, we left the shop and walked across the road. Qiu stood opposite and took the photo," the newspaper quoted Chen as saying on Tuesday. "I am under great pressure now. The poto shop had promised to bear witness, but then they changed their minds," said Chen. Teenage bride In court, Chen showed the written witness statement provided by the "bride", Liao Hong (pseudonym) and a copy of her ID card. According to the ID card, Liao was born in July 1986, which means that she wasn't yet 17 years old when the wedding photo was taken. In China, it's illegal for a woman to get married below the age of 20. Liao, in her witness statement, claimed she had a good friendship with Chen, but denied they were lovers. "One day in May, 2003, I was introduced by a model in our shop to Qiu Yan, who was seeking wedding models for his photo series themed ‘Love stories during SARS'. He picked me and Chen out of four models. Liao said that under the direction of Qiu, they made about 40 photos on May 5. Qiu pointed to the photo that later won the prize and said, "This one would be perfect if the old man in the photo moved a little forward and give a little space for the girl who is holding te wedding dress." Beijing Today called Sese Wedding Dress Photo Shop. A staff member admitted that Chen had worked there, and was not in love with Liao.
"We are not going to get involved in this case. But because of the lawsuit, our photo shop has had a rising number of customers," said the staff member.
Qiu absent from the court
Qiu, who has won the China News Prize award and Ten Excellent Youth Photographers prize in China, did not show up on the court. Instead, the chief of the Legal Section of Wuhan Evening News took the defendant's stand.
He denied that the shot had been staged. When asked how Qiu confirmed the identities of the bride and groom in the photo, he answered: "Qiu did ask Chen and Liao whether they were lovers, but considering it was the SARS time, he did not have much conversation with them." The defendant provided various witnesses from the photo shop, trying to prove that the two were in love at that time. Shanghai Morning Post said last Sunday that Qiu denied the accusations. He claimed the photo was not staged. Qiu told the newspaper that Chen and his family found him after he won the WPP prize and asked for 100,000 yuan as a reward, but Qiu refused. Chen said that his father did ask for compensation since the photo had broken up Chen's relationship with his girlfriend. Qiu was willing to offer 20,000 yuan, but the family did not accept that offer. Is this kind of thing common? "There has been a fierce debate on made-up photos in Chinese phoography. Many of the photos considered by the WPP are created through design and planning. The final effect is the only criteria for judging a photograph," said Wang Wenlan, Chief of the Photography Department from China Daily and vice chairman of the Chinese Photographer's Association. However, Li Shuanglong, dean of the Department of Journalism and Communication of Fudan University, said that whatever the situation is, journalists and photographers should be responsible for the truth. "Photographers should have their ethics. Not intervening in the affair that a photographer is shooting is a top rule," said Li. |
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