Meet Toby Gregory

Meet Toby Gregory:

He wanted the photographer Yasuyoshi Chiba to give him some photos from the Rugby Sevens in Kenya yesterday. For some reason he thought that Chiba should give them to him for free! When he refused he turned rather nasty.

Its funny that Yasuyoshi has won many awards for covering the Kenya conflict in 2008, including First in World Press,  but this is the only time he’s been attacked!  Toby seems to think Kenya is still a colonial country where the white guy can throw his weight around without any come back.

Its bad enough being a freelance photographer without being abused by your ‘clients’!

UPDATE:

According to LINKEDIN Toby works for the sports PR agency FAST TRACK. That’s not true. The managing Director Andy Westlake tells me he left several months ago.

UPDATE 2:

Funny Mr Gregory just called me to say his solicitor would be sending a letter (that will be update three).  Just for the record apparently after arranging for Yasuyoshi to shoot from the hospitality tent at the ground in exchange for some photos of the sponser he did not

1. Demand Yasuyoshi give him all of the photos that he had shot during the day claiming that he owned them

2. Take Chiba to another tent when he refused

3. In the other tent push Chiba around and swear at him

4. Physically stop Yasuyoshi from getting the gear back

6. Finally release Chiba’s bag only for Yasuyoshi to discover his compact flash card was missing

He assures me he did none of those things.  He is a very nice man.

Toby as we’re now best mates and we know you are a diamond geezer, why not have a hunt around for that Compact Flash card.  Chiba might have dropped it in the tent during his flight.

Related posts:

1. Yasuyoshi Chiba wins World Press Award, Amen
2. Where it’s at – Gregory Halpern
3. Yasuyoshi Chiba nails it (again)