Celebrity photography is a subset of
photojournalism
Photojournalism is journalism that uses images to tell a news story. It usually only refers to still images, but can also refer to video used in broadcast journalism. Photojournalism is distinguished from other close branches of photography (such ...
where the subjects are
celebrities
Celebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group as a result of the attention given to them by mass media. An individual may attain a celebrity status from having great wealth, their participation in sports ...
in the arts, sports and sometimes politics. There are three main types of celebrity photographs used by magazines and newspapers: event photography, celebrity portraiture, and
paparazzi
Paparazzi (, ; ; singular: masculine paparazzo or feminine paparazza) are independent photographers who take pictures of high-profile people; such as actors, musicians, athletes, politicians, and other celebrities, typically while subjects ...
.
Types
Event photography
Photographers who work Celebrities Photographers related events, such as film premieres, parties and award shows. Event photographers also cover other events such as music festivals, weddings and private functions.
Controversy has surrounded event photography. One of the bigger controversies occurred in 2000 at the wedding of
Catherine Zeta-Jones
Catherine Zeta-Jones (; born 25 September 1969) is a Welsh actress. Known for her versatility, she is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Tony Award. In 2010, she was appointed C ...
and
Michael Douglas
Michael Kirk Douglas (born September 25, 1944) is an American actor and film producer. He has received numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, five Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, the Cecil B. DeMille Award, and the AF ...
. The couple sued ''
Hello!'' magazine for $800,000 after they printed photos from the couple's wedding. They claimed that ''Hello!'' invaded their privacy and damaged their career. In 2003 the court in ''
Douglas v Hello! Ltd
was a series of cases in which Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones challenged unauthorised photos of their wedding in the English courts. The case resulted in ''OK!'' Magazine being awarded £1,033,156.
Facts
Michael Douglas and Catherin ...
'' ruled in favor of Zeta-Jones and Douglas.
Event photographers at red carpet events have been known to sometimes shun certain celebrities. At first, they will boo the celebrity as a warning, and the second time, they will refuse to take pictures of the celebrity. This happens when the photographers are angry at the celebrities actions. For example, if a celebrity decides not to stop for the photographers or doesn't acknowledge them, than that celebrity will be shunned. In recent years stars such as
George Clooney
George Timothy Clooney (born May 6, 1961) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by George Clooney, numerous accolades, including a British Academy Film Awards, British Academy Film A ...
,
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Affleck (' Lopez; born July 24, 1969), also known as J.Lo, is an American singer, actress and dancer. In 1991, she began appearing as a Fly Girl dancer on the sketch comedy television series ''In Living Color'', where she rema ...
, and
Sharon Stone
Sharon Vonne Stone (born March 10, 1958) is an American actress. Known for primarily playing femme fatales and women of mystery on film and television, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1990s. She is the recipient of various ...
have all been shunned.
Celebrity portraiture
Photographers may be assigned portrait sessions with celebrities, shot on location or in a photo studio.
Paparazzi
Paparazzi, or "pap", are photographers who shoot candid photos of celebrities with or without their consent, in the hope of capturing an exclusive image. Sometimes they resort to very long
telephoto lens
A telephoto lens, in photography and cinematography, is a specific type of a long-focus lens in which the physical length of the lens is shorter than the focal length. This is achieved by incorporating a special lens group known as a ''telephoto ...
shots, or
secret photography
Secret photography refers to the use of an image or video recording device to photograph or film a person who is unaware that they are being intentionally photographed or filmed. It is sometimes called covert photography.
A person may be unawa ...
.
The paparazzi have a mostly negative outlook because they tend to do whatever it takes to capture the celebrities off guard.
["Why Paparazzi Are Wrong." CNN. N.p., 13 May 2006. Web. 08 Feb. 2013.] Celebrities have been known to give a heads up to the paparazzi about what they will be doing that day.
Paris Hilton
Paris Whitney Hilton (born February 17, 1981) is an American media personality, businesswoman, socialite, model, and entertainer. Born in New York City, and raised there and in Beverly Hills, California, she is a great-granddaughter of Conra ...
has said that the paparazzi has only helped her career, that all publicity is good publicity.
["Teenage Paparazzo." Teenage Paparazzo. HBO. 2010. Television.]
Teenage Paparazzo
''Teenage Paparazzo'' is a 2010 documentary film about the life and times of a 14-year-old Paparazzi photographer named Austin Visschedyk. It was directed by actor Adrian Grenier and produced by Bert Marcus, Adrian Grenier and Matthew Cooke.
Film ...
is a
HBO
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
documentary directed by
Adrian Grenier
Adrian Sean Grenier (born July 10, 1976) is an American actor, producer, director and musician. He is best known for his portrayal of Vincent Chase in the television series ''Entourage (American TV series), Entourage'' (2004–2011). He has appe ...
. The film is about the everyday life of Austin Visschedyk, a 14-year-old paparazzo. The film interviews many celebrities who talk about Visschedyk and the paparazzi as a whole. It also shows the relationships that Visschedyk has made with his fellow paparazzo. The documentary aired on HBO in 2010.
Other forms of celebrity photography
Some photographers make a living following actors and models. When they get a scoop, many magazines will pay high fees to run the images. The Paparazzi will do almost anything to capture "the money shot".
Eva Longoria
Eva Jacqueline Longoria Bastón ( Longoria; March 15, 1975) is an American actress, producer, and director. After a number of guest roles on several television series, she was recognized for her portrayal of Isabella Braña on the CBS daytime ...
knows how the paparazzi can be annoying but she understands that they are just trying to make a living like everyone else.
Music photography is another form of celebrity photography. Most music photographers focus on capturing the energy of live music performances and some also get to work backstage or on tour with bands.
References
{{reflist
Works cited
* Mazin, Craig. "5 Things You Didn't Know About The Paparazzi." AskMen. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Feb. 2013.
.
* Flores, Henry. "Paparazzo: Our Work Should Be Respected." Web log post. N.p., 03 Jan. 2013. Web. .
* Dickson, Caitlin. "Paparazzi With Drones." Newsweek 10 Dec. 2012: 10-12. Academic Search Premier. Web.
* Howe, Peter. Paparazzi: And Our Obsession with Celebrity. New York: Artisan, 2005. Print.
Photojournalism