the relationship between the "photog" aka paparazzo and the celebrity

It took me a while to realize something, maybe until yesterday or today, that is that without a close encounter of the 4th kind, by that I mean the meeting between a photog and celebrity at an undisclosed location without their explicit permission or knowledge, the lack of that "meeting" creates a certain sense of disappointment, specially when you know you are supposed to crash into them one way or another, does this make sense? are you understanding where I'm coming from?

Its not about your agency getting mad with you because you didn't get the shots, Its about a "relationship" of sorts, the subject and the paparazzo, the person-photographer that is supposed to capture at one point a story, my stories usually consists on people arriving from a short on long flight, coming back from a business or pleasure trip, but who cares, its still a story it means they went somewhere and now they came back in one piece, with a tan, with a new friend, hopefully, maybe they broke their ankle like Mandy Moore did recently.

So she's travelling with a broken ankle what is the big deal? Perhaps the big deal is that she's a tough cookie, she shows up at an airport gets out of the town car by herself, carries her big bag all the way to the check-in counter and then proudly walks all over the terminal, no crutches, no assistant, no wheelchair. Then again I haven't had any of my bones or joints broken, ever, (knock on wood). Mind you she's 20? Twenty to me now a days sounds like a baby, I'm almost 28.

Gab0 / Bauergriffin.com


Then the night of April 2nd, Rose McGowan lands and I stupidly ask her to teach me some Italian since its her native language, so she says "Testa di Merda", which translates to either "dipshit" initially, she later said it "its their way of saying shithead". She obviously was trying to be funny and insulting at the same time, I didn't take it personally because its just my job, she doesn't know me and probably doesn't even want to know me, but same for her.

It all comes down to... with this job at least for me, after 11 months, if I don't see or photograph a celeb, I get disappointed, because the story is blank and my job is bad one. But if I do see a celeb and get some nice footage, I get a sort of "high", a sense of completion, "good job you've got a story". Its not about getting paid, its not about seeing your images published, I'm not a freelancer, I do not get paid per sq. inch of photo in a magazine.


me shooting Paris Hilton at LAX.
Ben / Bauergriffin.com



I didn't come into this industry being obsessed with celebrities, knowing everything there is to know about their past, present and future. But it is a necessary evil, you need some background, you need to know some history in order to make things work in this job, like any other job, be "prepared".

You look them up on IMDB and see place of birth "New Jersey", then you realize Anne Hathaway grew up in Jersey, I've lived in Jersey. They are regular people with a very special job and a celebrity status that is more so useful and abused in the birth place of celebrities, Hollywood, where they get made and destroyed, celeb factory USA.

Befriending a celebrity? A celebrity getting to know you on a regular basis on or off the job? That is a topic for later.

Fin