In our new column, Friday Five, we spotlight weekly photo news, features and event updates that you may have missed the first time around. Here’s what caught our attention this week (January 23-27, 2023) for you to stay informed about.

WEEKLY PHOTO NEWS ROUNDUP FOR JANUARY 23-27, 2023

Glasser Images and ND Attorney General Settle Lawsuit (KFYRTV)
We first reported on wedding photography studio Glasser Images shutting down abruptly in 2021, and the North Dakota Attorney General’s office launching an investigation after prepayments were not returned for wedding photos never taken or delivered to clients. Since then, there have been many updates, the most recent one being that the defunct Glasser Images studio is now being ordered to pay back $807,188 in restitution to its customers (they’ve also incurred a $30,000 civil penalty.). In addition, owner Jack Glasser and his employee, Jace Schacher have been banned from owning or operating a photography studio in North Dakota for at least 15 years. Read more here.

AI Watermark Remover Easily Vanishes Photographers Logos (PetaPixel)
According to an article on petapixel.com, there’s a new AI watermark remover that can make a photographer’s copyright or logo on an image disappear. As written on PetaPixel, company WatermarkRemover.io’s premise is quite simple: “Get rid of the watermarks from your images using our powerful AI technology,” as hawked on its website. “It’s also available as an app on the Google Play store and even provides examples of images where the pesky watermark has been removed.” If you are a photographer, you should be very concerned. Read the full article here.

Photographer Shares Why Brides Shouldn’t Dread a Wet Wedding (Newsweek)
One thing brides most likely fear is having rain pour down on their wedding day. And it’s not great for the wedding photographers covering the event, either. But many consider rain on the wedding day to be good luck, as it supposedly washes away bad memories and implies a new chapter in life is beginning. According to photographer Daniel Vertiz, as quoted in a recent Newsweek article, “Every bride dreads a wet wedding day, but couple Claire and Curtis took this in their stride and turned it into something magical. A true testimony to their love.” In this case, the wedding photos came out well, with the bride and groom “sharing a clear umbrella, doing their best to shield themselves from the heavy rain. All the bridesmaids, in their colorful dresses, are also seen lined up and each holding their own clear umbrella for the pictures, looking incredibly coordinated.” It would seem that every cloud does have a silver lining after all!” Read the full article here.

[Read: How to Freeze Rain with Off-Camera Flash]

Camera Jabber Photographer of the Year Winner (Camera Jabber)
Camera Jabber, a British photography news, reviews and technique website, has just published its Photographer of the Year after 12 rounds of judging last year. And the winner is—drumroll please—Angi Wallace. “Yes, Angi has come in second and first,” writes Camera Jabber on its website. “This stunning image of a puffball dispersing spores was shortlisted for the sixth round (‘Sport and Action’) and it demonstrates that ‘action’ doesn’t have to be high-octane! We loved Angi’s interpretation of the brief and so did our panel of judges.” Wallace also took second place for the image above, of a Cuban tree frog. Find out who won third place here.

WPPI Podcast with Elena S Blair (WPPI)
Have you heard? WPPI, the trade show and conference component of Rangefinder, is launching a brand new podcast on February 1. Tune in every Wednesday as host Elena S Blair welcomes photographers and filmmakers from the WPPI community to share stories about their professional journeys, bringing you tips and inspiration to help you grow your craft and business. Subscribe on Apple or Spotify.

What weekly photo news or photo feature has caught your attention? If you have photo news links you think we need to know about, send them to: rangefinderonline@emeraldx.com