A grainy scanned in photo from my film camera.Thought it was appropriate seeing as this post is about paparazzi.
Found this article today on my favourite feminist blog, Jezebel. It gives a view of what happens behind the camera as a paparazzi photographer. One of the writers of Jezebel accompanies the photographer through the city of New York as they bike, run, wait just to capture the couple shots that will make it on the internet or magazines.
One of the interesting points the writer makes and the commentors discuss is why we have such a hate for paparazzi. Many of the commentors go into their own personal experience and opinions. The link is at the bottom so I'll let you read as you please rather than me trying to summarize the whole thing.
But if you'd like my humble opinion, if theres a demand there will always be a supply. Magazines that run off paparazzi photos get their funding by consumers eating up all the new gossip. I won't lie and say I've never bought a gossip magazine, I think we all have. Once you create something like this - a celebrity and media dominated society - there is no turning back. You can't just stop what just happened.
Common opinion is that having your picture taken constantly comes with being a celebrity. Others think the paparazzi are crazy jerks and harass actors/actresses/models etc. Who's to say its a bit of both? Being in the public spotlight of course people want to see your picture, what you're wearing, who you're with. Does that really come with the job of actor/actress/model? Isn't the reason why you're famous because you started out as one of the above? With exceptions from certain heiresses whose names we know too well. If I were an actress or model and I entered the public sphere, I know that my private life would be breached and people would know or pry to get to know me. It's just something that, in modern world, is actually part of 'the job.'
At one point the photographer featured in the article says as he is trying to get a picture of Kourtney Kardashian "Wagner comes over to me, cursing. "Right after the guard moved us out of the way, they kissed," he fumes, referring to Scott and Kourtney. "I said, my friend, I know you are doing your job. But you have no idea how much you doing your job just cost me."
It's so interesting and weird. How obsessed we are with others lives. Photography wise, the photographer is amazing. I mean, I think it takes real raw talent to get very good photos, under pressure, in tight situations where people (celebrities) can potentially flip out at you.
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