Celebrity photography

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Celebrity photography is a subset of photojournalism where the subjects are celebrities 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.

Contents

Types

Event photography

Event photographers work celebrity-related events, such as film premieres, parties and award shows. They 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 and Michael Douglas. 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 careers. [1] In 2003 the court in Douglas v Hello! Ltd 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 celebrity's actions. For example, if a celebrity decides not to stop for the photographers or doesn't acknowledge them, then that celebrity will be shunned. In recent years stars such as George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, and Sharon Stone have all been shunned. [2]

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 [3] shots, or secret photography.

The paparazzi have a mostly negative reputation because they tend to do whatever it takes to capture the celebrities off guard. [4] Celebrities have been known to give a heads up to the paparazzi about what they will be doing that day. Paris Hilton has said that the paparazzi has only helped her career, and that all publicity is good publicity. [5]

Teenage Paparazzo is an HBO documentary directed by Adrian Grenier. 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 paparazzi. The documentary aired on HBO in 2010. [5]

Other forms of celebrity photography

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.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paparazzi</span> Photographers who take candid pictures of celebrities

Paparazzi are independent photographers who take pictures of celebrities, prominent public figures, and other high-profile people; namely professional athletes and entertainers who typically go about their usual daily life routines. Paparazzi tend to make a living by selling their photographs to media outlets that focus on tabloid journalism and sensationalism.

<i>Hello!</i> (magazine) UK weekly magazine

Hello! is a royalist weekly magazine specializing in celebrity news and human-interest stories, first published in the United Kingdom on May 21, 1988, following the format of ¡Hola!, the Spanish weekly magazine. It often covers aristocrats, celebrities and royalty. Its editorial focus is illustrated by the fact that for 21 consecutive editions, straddling 2022 and 2023, it featured Catherine, Princess of Wales, on its cover; all involved flattering stories.

<i>Paparazzi</i> (2004 film) 2004 film by Paul Abascal

Paparazzi is a 2004 American action thriller film directed by Paul Abascal, produced by Mel Gibson, and starring Cole Hauser, Robin Tunney, Dennis Farina, Daniel Baldwin and Tom Sizemore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Candid photography</span> Photograph captured without creating a posed appearance

Candid photography is photography captured without creating a posed appearance. This style is also called street photography, spontaneous photography or snap shooting. Professional photographers sometimes shoot candid photos of strangers on the street or in other public places such as parks and beaches. Candid photography captures natural expressions and moments that might not be possible to reproduce in a studio or posed photo shoot. This style of photography is most often used to capture people in their natural state without them noticing the camera. The main focus is on capturing the candid expressions and moments of life. Candid photography can be used in a variety of settings such as family gatherings, special events, and everyday street scenes. It is also a popular choice for wedding photos and professional portraits. Candid photography is often seen as a more honest representation of the subject than posed photography. To capture candid photos, the photographer may need to observe the subject from a distance or use a long lens or telephoto zoom lens. This allows for capturing the subject in their natural environment without them being aware of the camera. The photographer may need to be quick and have an eye for interesting compositions and backgrounds. 

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red carpet</span> Marking route used for arrivals of dignitaries

A red carpet is traditionally used to mark the route taken by heads of state on ceremonial and formal occasions, and has in recent decades been extended to use by VIPs and celebrities at formal events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adrian Grenier</span> American actor

Adrian Sean Grenier is an American actor, producer, director, and musician. He is best known for his portrayal of Vincent Chase in the television series Entourage (2004–2011). He has appeared in films such as Drive Me Crazy (1999), The Devil Wears Prada (2006), Trash Fire (2016), and Marauders (2016). In 2021, he acted in the Netflix series Clickbait.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ron Galella</span> American photographer (1931–2022)

Ronald Edward Galella was an American photographer, known as a pioneer paparazzo. Dubbed "Paparazzo Extraordinaire" by Newsweek and "the Godfather of the U.S. paparazzi culture" by Time magazine and Vanity Fair, he is regarded by Harper's Bazaar as "arguably the most controversial paparazzo of all time". He photographed many celebrities out of the public eye and gained notice for his feuds with some of them, including Jacqueline Onassis and Marlon Brando. Despite the numerous controversies and claims of stalking, Galella's work was praised and exhibited in art galleries worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wedding photography</span> Photographer aimed at wedding ceremony

Wedding photography is a specialty in photography that is primarily focused on the photography of events and activities relating to weddings. It may include other types of portrait photography of the couple before the official wedding day, such as a pre-wedding engagement session, in which the photographs are later used for the couple's wedding invitations. On the wedding day, the photographer(s) will provide portrait photography as well as documentary photography to document the different wedding events and rituals throughout the day(s).

Pamela Colleen Springsteen is an American actress and photographer. She had a short acting career and is best known for playing the role of serial killer Angela Baker in the cult slasher/comedy horror films Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers (1988), and Sleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland (1989). She had two co-starring roles in the obscure comedies Dixie Lanes (1988), The Gumshoe Kid (1990) and smaller roles in mainstream films like Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), Reckless (1984) and Modern Girls (1986). She is a still photographer in the film and music industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homerazzi</span> 16th episode of the 18th season of The Simpsons

"Homerazzi" is the sixteenth episode of the eighteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 25, 2007. It was written by J. Stewart Burns, directed by Matthew Nastuk, and guest starred J.K. Simmons as the tabloid editor, Betty White as herself, and Jon Lovitz as Enrico Irritazio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timothy White (photographer)</span>

Timothy White is an American celebrity photographer. He has photographed film actors and music artists, and shot for movie posters, magazine and music album covers. He has directed advertising campaigns and television commercials. He has published books of his photography works.

Skip Bolen is a Southern photographer of musicians, architecture, lifestyle and the culture of New Orleans. Born in Lafayette, Louisiana, he moved to New Orleans where he began his publishing career as a designer and art director. After moving to New York City, he began working at House & Garden, renamed HG, as Senior Designer in January 1988 with Anna Wintour and Alexander Liberman at Condé Nast Publications. Spending evenings in jazz clubs, he began photographing jazz musicians in New York City and often when he regularly returned to New Orleans. After three years at Condé Nast Publications in New York City, he returned to New Orleans to pursue his jazz photography full-time. In 1998, he moved to Los Angeles where he became art director of House of Blues for seven years while photographing at night and weekends. He continued photographing jazz musicians and had his first major solo exhibition at the Jazz Bakery in Los Angeles on August 9, 2002. On July 4, 2006, he returned to New Orleans to pursue photography full-time documenting the recovery and rebuilding of New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina, documenting the jazz scene, night-time photography and other photographic projects.

An artist's portfolio is an edited collection of an artist's best artwork intended to showcase their style or method of work. A portfolio is used by artists to show employers their versatility by showing different samples of current work. Typically, the work reflects an artist's best work or a depth in one specific area of work.

<i>Douglas v Hello! Ltd</i>

Douglas v Hello! Ltd[2005] EWCA Civ 595 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.

Brad Elterman is a professional photographer from Los Angeles, California, who addressed the rock 'n' roll lifestyle in Hollywood encompassing pop, punk and rock bands. He started his career at the age of 16 taking and selling a photo of Bob Dylan in concert in 1974. He went on to photograph bands and artists of the 1970s, including the Faces with Rod Stewart, David Bowie, Robert Plant, Sex Pistols, the Runaways, Bebe Buell, Kiss, Queen, Blondie, the Ramones, Bay City Rollers, ABBA, Boney M, Kenny Rogers, The Who, Leif Garrett and Michael Jackson. Some of the magazines, newspapers and other publications that he contributed to include Creem, Circus, Rolling Stone, People, Hit Parader, New York Post, National Enquirer, New Musical Express, and Melody Maker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Photo op</span> Photograph opportunity as media event

A photo op, short for photograph opportunity, is an arranged opportunity to take a photograph of a politician, a celebrity, or an event.

Mary Ellen Matthews is a photographer based in New York City and East Hampton, New York. She is best known for her photographs featured on the television sketch comedy and variety show Saturday Night Live (SNL); her portraits of the celebrities who appear as guest-hosts and musical guests of SNL are displayed as the show returns from commercial breaks. Since 2010 she has also directed videos for SNL.

Invision Agency is a celebrity entertainment photo agency formed in 2012 by The Associated Press and several photographers in the entertainment industry. It was conceived by Blake Sell, at the time the director of photo products at The Associated Press and shortly after being presented as a viable business model to AP's management committee, was approved by AP's board of directors, moving substantially AP's entertainment photo operations to the new company.

David M. Benett is a British society and celebrity photographer based in London. Since 2004, Benett has been a contributing photographer for Getty Images, specialising in candid photography of celebrities — work for which he has twice been awarded Photographer of the Year awards from the UK Picture Editors' Guild.

Celebrity privacy refers to the right of celebrities and public figures, largely entertainers, athletes or politicians, to withhold the information they are unwilling to disclose. This term often pertains explicitly to personal information, which includes addresses and family members, among other data for personal identification. Different from the privacy of the general public, 'Celebrity Privacy' is considered as "controlled publicity," challenged by the press and the fans. In addition, Paparazzi make commercial use of their private data.

References

  1. McNamara, Kim (2009). "Publicising Private Lives: Celebrities, Image Control and the Reconfiguration of Public Space". Social & Cultural Geography. 10 (1): 9–23. doi:10.1080/14649360802553178.
  2. McKay, Hollie. "Red Carpet Photographers Mulling Photo Ban on Charlize Theron; It Wouldn't Be Their First." Fox News. FOX News Network, 24 Feb. 2012. Web. 07 Feb. 2013.
  3. Robertson, Royston. "Paparazzo Cartoon 1." Cartoon. N.p., n.d. Web. http://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/p/paparazzo.asp.
  4. "Why Paparazzi Are Wrong." CNN. N.p., 13 May 2006. Web. 08 Feb. 2013.
  5. 1 2 "Teenage Paparazzo." Teenage Paparazzo. HBO. 2010. Television.

Works cited