Collector Wins Fraud Lawsuit Against Photographer Who Sold Him Someone Else’s Photos

A rock-and-roll memorabilia collector has won his fraud lawsuit against a well-known music photographer he accused of selling images he did not take.

Collector Jeremy Wagner was awarded $61,241 in damages after suing photographer Ross Halfin for allegedly selling him four Lynyrd Skynyrd prints for more than $7,300 while claiming authorship of the images.

According to court records viewed by PetaPixel previously, Wagner, who collects rock memorabilia in Chicago, met Halfin, a U.K.-based photographer, at a dinner in Paris in 2017. During the meal, Wagner mentioned his interest in “1970s-era Lynyrd Skynyrd,” and Halfin reportedly responded that he had photographed the band in that period and still held the original negatives and contact sheets.

Wagner expressed interest in buying prints and later emailed Halfin to follow up. In January 2018, he agreed to purchase one print titled Nuthin’ Fancy 75. Days later, Halfin sent him five contact sheets and asked him to mark any images he wished to buy. Halfin then emailed again, offering two images said to be taken at Knebworth Park in 1976, adding that he “only got there as Skynyrd were finishing so got the end of Free Bird.” Free Bird is widely regarded as the band’s most famous song.

Wagner purchased the two Knebworth prints and a third from the contact sheets titled Hammersmith Oct 27 1975. He paid more than $7,300 for the set, believing the photographs were authentic, and later spent over $1,000 on custom framing. After Wagner posted the prints on Facebook, Halfin allegedly asked him to remove the post, according to the complaint.

Wagner ended his dealings with Halfin in 2018 and did not revisit the matter until 2023, when a Lynyrd Skynyrd expert approached him for contributions to a book project. Wagner agreed and sent the expert the images. The expert immediately informed him that the Knebworth and Hammersmith photos were taken by another photographer, Barry Plummer. The Nuthin’ Fancy 75 print was also allegedly shot by a different, unidentified photographer. The expert provided what he said were the same contact sheets Halfin had previously supplied, this time including notes crediting Plummer. Wagner believes Halfin intentionally cropped out this information. Plummer reportedly confirmed by email that the images were his. The expert also questioned Halfin’s claim of photographing the band performing Free Bird at Knebworth, noting the guitars pictured in the images were not used for that song.

Wagner served Halfin with a lawsuit in December 2024 while attending Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett’s wedding in California. According to a newly released summary by Wagner’s attorney George Chin, Halfin failed to attend several hearings and “admitted through his attorney that all the facts of the case are true,” making him liable for consumer fraud under Illinois law. With Halfin allegedly unwilling or unable to continue participating, the court entered a default judgment, awarding Wagner $61,241 in compensatory and punitive damages, attorneys’ fees, and costs.

“Ross Halfin is a well-known music photographer trading as RHP Ltd, with a website selling prints of his photographs directly to fans and members of the public and through various online galleries,” Wagner’s attorney Chin writes on his blog. “It now remains to be seen whether any more purchasers of his prints will come forward alleging fraud following his admission of liability to committing consumer fraud whilst falsely representing himself as the photographer of prints copyright owned by photographer Barry Plummer.”

Image credits: Barry Plummer via Heavy Mental.