# Paparazzi photographers



## analog1 (May 18, 2012)

Hi

This might be in the wrong section but I don't have a clue where to put it else. 
For a documentary about Hollywood/LA I'm looking for paparazzi photographers (it's a paid job) , the guys that are always surrounding celebrities in LA. Since the production company I work for is based in Europe it is hard for me to track them down because I'm not an LA native. Anyone here who knows a paparazzi photographer or can point me in the right direction? Feel free to P.M. me. with advice and any further questions

Thanks
Jonathan


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## imagemaker46 (May 18, 2012)

Paparazzi are the lowest form of scum.  I think you could probably track some of them down in LA, just flip over a few rocks.


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## fokker (May 18, 2012)

^ That's a bit harsh don't you think? They are just people earning a living and not (usually) breaking any laws.


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## imagemaker46 (May 18, 2012)

fokker said:


> ^ That's a bit harsh don't you think? They are just people earning a living and not (usually) breaking any laws.



Paparazzi bring down the professional side of photography. They may very well be just people trying to make a living by ambush photography, sleezing around in back alleys, peaking in windows, sounds professional to me. Some people assume that all professional photographers act like this, look how long it took the public to condem photographers after the Princess Diana crash, and they were only part of the problem, a drunk driver was the reason, but these photographers were still responsible for a portion of it. These guys are the reason that there are so much garbage reality shows being produced. Upskirt/nip slips, these people look for the lowest form of photographs possible.


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## analog1 (May 18, 2012)

I've asked where I could find paparazzi photographers , not what you did think about them. I also did post this in the beginner forum because I don't consider paparazzi photographers as professionals. Please only post topic-related answers.


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## belial (May 18, 2012)

imagemaker46 said:
			
		

> Paparazzi bring down the professional side of photography. They may very well be just people trying to make a living by ambush photography, sleezing around in back alleys, peaking in windows, sounds professional to me. Some people assume that all professional photographers act like this, look how long it took the public to condem photographers after the Princess Diana crash, and they were only part of the problem, a drunk driver was the reason, but these photographers were still responsible for a portion of it. These guys are the reason that there are so much garbage reality shows being produced. Upskirt/nip slips, these people look for the lowest form of photographs possible.



It's still photography. Don't act stuck up.


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## fokker (May 18, 2012)

imagemaker46 said:


> fokker said:
> 
> 
> > ^ That's a bit harsh don't you think? They are just people earning a living and not (usually) breaking any laws.
> ...



No, the reason for all the garbage reality shows, celeb gossip magazines etc is because of public demand, and if someone can get paid because of that demand, then no amount of moral high-horsery by elitist photographers is going to change that.

OP, sorry but I can't you. Please just ignore this side-discussion and take the free bump, someone here will hopefully know.


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## Mot (May 18, 2012)

I understand the resentment towards paparazzi but I think a certain degree of that resentment comes from ignorance. Paparazzi are often deliberately given tip-offs by the celebrity's management about their whereabouts simply because if a celebrity isn't photographed they won't appear in the magazines and won't still be considered 'celebrity enough' to get decent work.

It may be difficult to source Paparazzi, a large proportion work freelance so an agency might limit your search. I'm guessing that simply searching for elaborate occupation names to disguise 'paparazzi' might be a good bet.


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## Heitz (May 18, 2012)

To understand why the paparazzi are terrible, one must look only at the motivation.  Its not to create art.  Its not to get a great shot.  Its not for the love of photography.  Its not even for the admiration of the subject.  Its solely to make money, at any expense.


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## vipgraphx (May 18, 2012)

Yeah but thats what people like just like all these reality shows. There just controlled video paparazzi's......in a made up distortion of reality.

There are other things to complain about and I am sure not the paparazzi's have interfered with any ones business on here.


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## BlairWright (May 18, 2012)

Man, you guys can get off topic with a small wind.. The OP asked a question and everyone is ignoring him with their personal views... Personally I don't care how you feel about paparazzi but I'm guessing he is still looking for an answer. This is a public forum, please respect the OP.


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## fokker (May 18, 2012)

BlairWright said:


> Man, you guys can get off topic with a small wind.. The OP asked a question and everyone is ignoring him with their personal views... Personally I don't care how you feel about paparazzi but I'm guessing he is still looking for an answer. This is a public forum, please respect the OP.



Guess what, your reply didn't help either.

the forum is what it is, trying to control people from posting their opinion on a contentious subject is pointless. If the OP can't do his research and find the information on his own, then he can at least deal with scrolling past half a dozen replies that are of no interest to him in order to have his request viewed by more people. That's sort of how forums work.


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## belial (May 18, 2012)

Heitz said:
			
		

> To understand why the paparazzi are terrible, one must look only at the motivation.  Its not to create art.  Its not to get a great shot.  Its not for the love of photography.  Its not even for the admiration of the subject.  Its solely to make money, at any expense.



So many legit photographers and artists are in it for only the money as well. I don't see the difference


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## imagemaker46 (May 18, 2012)

belial said:


> Heitz said:
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> 
> ...



Any of you that responded to this working as professional photographers that have had to deal with people treating you like dirt, being called scum because you are out shooting.  It's not much fun having people saying it's people like me that were responsible for Diana's death.  Just offering my side of the story.

To answer the Op's question, try buying copies of all the shopping store tabloids, and magazines, look at the photo credits and then do a name search to find  their webs sites, or just contact the photo editors of the magazines and contact them.  Try Getty, or Corbis, contact TMZ, they use a lot of that stuff.

 Have I done enough of your homework on this?


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## analog1 (May 18, 2012)

imagemaker46 said:


> belial said:
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> > Heitz said:
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Thanks a lot mate  Really appreciate this answer. Have a great weekend and thanks everyone for responding


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## raider (May 18, 2012)

the paparazzi documentary has been done


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## Steve5D (May 19, 2012)

raider said:


> the paparazzi documentary has been done



Are you talking about the one the OP spoke of, or the idea in general?


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## gsgary (May 19, 2012)

fokker said:
			
		

> ^ That's a bit harsh don't you think? They are just people earning a living and not (usually) breaking any laws.



It down to them that Princes Diana died


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## imagemaker46 (May 19, 2012)

raider said:


> the paparazzi documentary has been done



Everything has been done at least once, there is nothing saying it can't be done again, but different, or better.


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