Holbrook
CALVERT COUNTY, Md. – A Reedsville man charged with the murder of a well-known Washington, D.C., area photographer, could face a 10-day jury trial if a plea agreement is not reached in the near future.
Brandon R. Holbrook, 48, was formally charged with killing Joseph A. Shymanski, of Huntingtown, Md., in early September 2023.
According to court officials, Holbrook had a pre-trial hearing on Jan. 8. A court for status is set for Feb. 2, where attorneys will advise Calvert County Circuit Court Judge Mark S. Chandlee as to the progress of the case.
The case will go to trial if an agreement is not reached.
According to court documents, a grand jury charged Holbrook with single counts of murder, first-degree assault, second-degree assault, firearm use in a violent crime and altering physical evidence in a criminal process.
In court, the prosecutor told District Judge Robyn Riddle that Holbrook shot and killed Shymanski in his driveway on Sept. 3. Then, prosecutors allege, Holbrook drove Shymanski’s body 200 miles back to Holbrook’s home in Mifflin County where he burned and discarded the remains in the woods behind his home.
The prosecutor also said Holbrook had been in a relationship with Shymanski’s ex-wife, who had “recently distanced” herself from him.”
In October, Holbrook’s lawyers asked the judge to dismiss charges due to a lack of evidence linking him to it, calling it a “fishing expedition.” Doorbell video and license plate reading cameras were used to place Holbrook’s truck near Shymanski’s home shortly after a neighbor reported hearing gunshots, investigators said.
Media outlets reported Holbrook is currently being held at the Calvert County Detention Center.
SUPERIOR — Can someone ever truly “play” with a fox? I don’t know, but I came close on Saturday morning.
It was Jan. 13, and when I opened the curtains I was glad to see that the inches of snow that we were promised never actually materialized. The wind whipped the snow that we did have on the ground up into the air. You could tell it was going to be one of those cold days.
Jed Carlson / Duluth Media Group
I sat down on my couch and flipped on the TV. I was a couple of minutes into the NFL pregame coverage on ESPN when something caught my eye outside. It looked like a dog was running down the middle of the road.
It was alone and not on a leash — which I thought was weird. Then another creature joined in running down the road. Upon further inspection, I realized they were a pair of red foxes.
Jed Carlson / Duluth Media Group
My immediate thought was to grab my camera, but when I returned to the window, they were gone. I sat down and went back to the pregame show. Less than five minutes went by and I noticed a car driving by very slowly.
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So I looked a little closer and realized the foxes were sitting in the backyard of the house across the street. I hit my car starter and grabbed my camera bag, while I tried to keep an eye on the pair as I put on my boots. I’ve photographed foxes before and know that I might only get one shot.
Jed Carlson / Duluth Media Group
Apparently, things were different on Saturday. They must have been in a good mood. I got in the car and turned out of the alley as they slowly walked down the block to another alley. I moved the car very slowly down the alley as I rolled down my window. The first fox quickly jetted away from me across the street into a yard and I lost sight of it.
The second fox, well, clearly liked the camera. As I followed the pair while they ran through snowy yards, the second fox seemed to be playing with me. It would wait until I got a couple of nice shots, and then run out of sight, only to pop out again when I looked lost.
Jed Carlson / Duluth Media Group
While one fox was totally out of sight, this one would walk along the sidewalk while I drove alongside it. It seemed as though it was even posing for me. It would wander into the nice light and wait for me to snap a few frames.
After about 10 minutes of playing paparazzi to the foxes, it was time for me to go. I didn’t want to wear out my welcome, and truth be told, it was getting really cold in my car. Hopefully, I’ll have another run-in with the fox duo when it warms up a little.
Jed Carlson / Duluth Media Group
Jed Carlson joined the Superior Telegram in February 2001 as a photographer. He grew up in Willmar, Minnesota. He graduated from Ridgewater Community College in Willmar, then from Minnesota State Moorhead with a major in mass communications with an emphasis in photojournalism.
(CBS DETROIT) – According to a new federal lawsuit, Allen Kee alleges the Detroit Lions, Dick’s Sporting Goods, McFarlane Toys, Getty Images, among others, used his copyrighted image without his permission.
The lawsuit states the Lions used his photo as inspiration for the sculpture that is now standing in front of Ford Field.
The problem, according to the complaint, is that many entities, including the Lions, used the image without Kee’s permission. Kee owns the copyright to the photo, which was taken back in 1995.
Read the full lawsuit below.
The lawsuit goes on to state proof can be seen in a documentary titled “Sculpting Barry,” where his iconic photo of Sanders can be seen hanging behind the clay sculpture. At one point in the documentary, the artist states Kee’s photo is the inspiration for the statue.
“We have this photo that is considered the most iconic photo ever taken of Barry Sanders. That’s what’s being recreated in this sculpture,” the artist said in the documentary.
Kee is seeking compensation from the entities that used the photo without his licensed permission.
A spokesperson for the Lions released the following statement:
“We are aware of the suit and are prepared to vigorously defend our position that these claims lack merit.”
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It’s no question that the technology available for creatives nowadays offer solutions for any kind of workflow challenges. However, it’s even more remarkable when you see that a particular tool was tailored specifically for the kind of usage that you require.
When we talk about displays for photo editing, of course the most important factors to consider are color accuracy and resolution. Photographers look for a monitor either as a secondary display or as a primary monitor for a desktop workstation that can be kept in a controlled lighting environment. The goal is to have a screen with high resolution and get colors that are as accurate as possible, especially for projects that have prints as the end goal. At the same time, it is important to acknowledge that a lot of the work that we do as photographers nowadays end up on digital platforms, and it is equally as important for us to proof our images for colors displayed by screens. Most manufacturers have options that often cater to a wider range of creatives with different workflows, but this also means that a lot of the features end up not being utilized. However, this monitor that was specifically designed for photographers aims to fit your workflow like a glove.
This BenQ SW272Q monitor comes as a 24 x 14.5-inch panel with a thickness of about 2 inches that tapers down to 1.5 inches towards the sides. It makes use of a hard plastic bezel that keeps the monitor relatively lightweight and easy to adjust. This bezel encases the 23.7 x 13-inch LED backlit IPS panel topped off by a remarkably matte textured finish that disperses any direct hard light that shines on it, emulating the surface of a matte fine art print.
On the back panel is a 100 x 100mm VESA mount that is compatible with the included stand as well as all other VESA mount stands and arms. Below the mounting port are the display input ports that include an HDMI port, DisplayPort, a USB-C port with Power Delivery, and a USB Type-B port for extended connection down to the monitor’s hub features. The USB-C port acts both as an input port display and data transfers, as well as a simultaneous power output port that allows the monitor to charge any device plugged in for up to 90 watts.
On the bottom surface are two USB-A ports, a 3.5mm auxiliary audio port, and an SD card reader slot that act as a built-in hub for additional inputs. When connected to a computer via USB-C, it also functions as the connection for the hub. However, when connected via HDMI or DP, it requires using a separate USB-B to USB-A cable that also came in the box.
The desk stand allows for an additional 14cm (5.5 inches) of height by simply pulling on the handle on the back panel. The neck of the stand also allows the monitor to tilt down 5 degrees, tilt up 20 degrees, and swivel 30 degrees to either side. At the same time, the monitor can be rotated 90 degrees into a vertical configuration perfect for maximizing the screen real estate for editing vertical photos or videos.
The SW272Q has a 2560 x 1440 resolution with a refresh rate of 60hz while the higher variant, the SW272U offers 4K. Both monitors are capable of displaying 8-bit color with the enhancement of FRC, which allows it to closely emulate what a 10-bit monitor can display. This IPS panel has a contrast ratio of 1000:1 with a maximum brightness of 300 nits.
This BenQ AqColor monitor covers 100% of sRGB, 99% of AdobeRGB, and 98% of the DCI-P3 color spaces. Prior to packing onto individual boxes, these monitors are tested and calibrated under both Calman and Pantone standards to test for their capability to display the highest color accuracy. In general, the BenQ SW272Q comes with a peak color accuracy/variance rating of Delta E<1.5 however, each individual monitor comes with its own color accuracy report and this particular unit is reported to have an average Delta E rating of 0.35 which is significantly high for most color accurate IPS panels. Upon personal calibration, what I can attest to is that I would get quite close to this average (roughly values of 0.4-0.8) and visually, I saw very minimal changes from the default upon calibration when done under controlled color temperature (daylight) lighting.
In addition to the color accuracy capability, BenQ offers a feature with this monitor called the Paper Color Sync, which allows the user to match and proof images while emulating certain printers and paper options to get as close as possible to the intended output.
This IR connected wireless remote called the HotKey Puck G3 is also included in the package of the BenQ AqColor monitors such as the SW272Q. This circular controller has one dial with a built-in button, three customizable shortcut buttons, a back button, and an input switch button. This allows for quick access to the monitor’s settings without having to reach over to the buttons behind the monitor. Pressing the dial opens up the monitor’s system menu, the input switch quickly accesses the input options that can be switched by rotating the dial, and the three shortcut buttons can be assigned to different color modes for the display. In addition, an info button can be found on the side of the controller that gives a quick look into the monitor’s current settings. This controller can also be configured to be used with multiple BenQ monitors simultaneously, which can be configured to switch easily using the three-way switch on the opposite side of the info button.
It was absolutely remarkable to see that a monitor was made specifically for photographers, specifically for viewing and editing photographs and preparing them for either high quality printing or for digital viewing and use. The 2.5K resolution in my opinion hits the sweet spot for a 27-inch monitor when it comes to pixel density, however it is undoubtable that where would be an observable difference when using the 4K version.
Among all the features, the color accuracy on this display (judging both subjectively and objectively with the calibration reports) will have to be the biggest and perhaps the most under-rated feature. A max Delta E rating of <1.5 is already quite remarkable for any IPS display, but the actual average rating of 0.35 makes it even more impressive. For someone who calibrates his monitors regularly, it was astounding to see how it achieves visually similar output as the OLED screen on my laptop and even more so, barely any difference upon hardware calibration. This does not mean that the monitor does not need any calibration because actual light environments can vary significantly, but it is impressive to see how close it comes when the indoor lighting is ideal.
When it comes to all the ergonomic and convenience features, this monitor does give a very smooth user experience. From the ability to adjust and even rotate the screen, to the input options as well as the extended hub features on the bottom panel, the SW272Q offers a very straight forward experience, so the user can get right onto the task at hand. The single USB-C cable connectivity and charging is perhaps the most convenient of them all.
The added feature offered by the HotKey Puck G3 also add to the convenience in terms of having quick access to all the monitor settings and switching to different inputs without much effort. However, I believe that this remote control tool has so much more potential as an editing tool. Given the dial and the buttons already on the device, it might be safe to assume that it can also probably double as an editing controller that can be configured for in-app hotkeys and shortcuts specifically on editing software like Photoshop and Lightroom. Perhaps with the flick of a switch it can shift from being a control for the monitor itself into a shortcut tool that can be configured with a driver. While the HotKey Puck G3 was definitely useful, I found that I personally under utilized it. Giving it this functionality will definitely give the user an even more efficient experience and definitely more value for money.
You can purchase the BenQ SW272Q here.
