Paparazzi Pictures and the sale of them

[nascarmaniac]

Hello All,

I am the resident newbie of this forum and I am thinking that I am going to get chewed out for this being my first post, but I have an interest in it, and would like to learn about it.

I am under the understanding that the 'Paparazzi' can make a whack load of money on a single shot of a high profile celebrity, but how much money is being made, what sorts of legalities are involved in this process?

I live in Calgary, Alberta, Canada so the chances of me ever taking that picture is really small, its just a subject that interests me.

Thanks a lot.

Maniac

[justincase724]

Well, I don't know much about it, but I've talked to a guy on a local forum who does the paparazzi thing, so I'll tell you what I've got from him. He's hired by a couple of agents who take care of selling his photos to magazines and papers worldwide. They send him messages about events going on in the area (a very wide area) and let him know which are the better events to go to based on the celebrity photos that are selling at that time. When he goes out on a shoot, he has his laptop with him so he can upload, edit, and send his images right after he gets them. His agents then sell off his images to many different publictions worldwide, then send him a check. He actually got into it by chance, and he's only been taking photos for maybe 3 years. Seems to pay good, but it's a lot of traveling, lots of late nights/early mornings, and he is after all a paparazzi.

[TeeJay]

First off, Welcome to POTN!

You can make mega bucks selling paparazzi type pics - but do you really want to be despised by all those celebs? :-)

TJ

[nascarmaniac]

First off, Welcome to POTN!

You can make mega bucks selling paparazzi type pics - but do you really want to be despised by all those celebs? :-)

TJ

Good god no! Thanks for the welcome. I am sports to the bone. I am in my final year of Photojournalism. I prefer motorsports of all of the sports, but as long as I enjoy what im shooting Im happy.

The paparazzi life interests me, but I would not ever do it. I would rather work at an LAT or ASP and following racing for the rest of my life.

I shot the Edmonton GP for Motorsport.com, if you want to see what I gave them.

http://motorsport.com/photos/select.asp?N=Covy_Moore

[ssim]

I have had one opportunity to sell a picture of a celebrity that was not all that becoming of her. In the end I didn't on advise from my legal counsel. There in lies a problem, you need to make sure that you have got yourself covered legally and you will have to be packing some good insurance as well.

I am not interested in being a paparazzi shooter but do know it is very hard to be one of the good ones that makes tens of thousands per shot. It is equally hard to become an official photographer for the Grand Prix F1 circuit. The thing that I would tell someone that is just starting out is to set some realistic goals and objectives. Not pie in the sky type of ones, we all have those in the back of our mind. Without a goal in life it is hard to know where you are going and what your next step should be. In either case that I mention here, paparazzi or F1 shooter is it the lifestyle that you want for you (and your family if you have one). Even though you may sell one picture for a few thousand dollars most of the successful ones have agents, drivers, pay informants all of which costs.

I dated a girl once and then found out that her brother is a successful sports shooter and at the time was working for sports illustrated. I had a chance to speak to him once and while he is doing good now the early years of paying your dues were very very lean. He told me some tremendous stories. He did say that he could probably make just as much, if not more, with a successful wedding business and he would be home. There are high paying jobs in this industry but one would be surprised at the ones that you think are, really aren't. He's be divorced twice and has just resigned himself to the fact that the type of work he does, does not lend itself to having a relationship. He is always on the road. You can see his work at Robert LaBerge (http://www.robertlaberge.com/)

I wished that I could only shoot the things that I want a make a living but I can't so I do other things that provide a reasonable return but are not my most favorite things to do. I strongly urge anyone just starting out, whether it be photography or a ditch digger, set those goals and objectives with realistic timelines. You need a road map in life to follow if you are to be successful.

[ryant35]

There is a paparazzi photograph of Britney Spears in a red bikini sitting by the pool on a hotel roof, the photographer earned $30,000!!!!

The guy drives a Chevy Suburban with the door handles removed so security guards have trouble trying to detain him.

[StaticThought]

Sorry but lmao about the door handles. Must remember that one for when my wife is after me :lol:

[deadpass]

I have had one opportunity to sell a picture of a celebrity that was not all that becoming of her. In the end I didn't on advise from my legal counsel. There in lies a problem, you need to make sure that you have got yourself covered legally and you will have to be packing some good insurance as well.

are the laws up north different than down here or were your trespassing or something? 99% of all pap shots here in the states are unbecoming of the celeb in the shot.

[delhi]

Can't blame the paps afterall they shoot whatever their "clients" want and the "clients" want whatever that appeals to the public.

[justincase724]

I think I'd be okay being a paparazzi guy if all I did were special events and red carpets and things like that. It's the ones that follow all the celebs around in public that I can't stand. If I were a celeb and I had people following me around with cameras while I was trying to eat out somewhere with my wife or family, I'd be very tempted to destroy them (the photographer).

[ryant35]

I think I'd be okay being a paparazzi guy if all I did were special events and red carpets and things like that. It's the ones that follow all the celebs around in public that I can't stand. If I were a celeb and I had people following me around with cameras while I was trying to eat out somewhere with my wife or family, I'd be very tempted to destroy them (the photographer).

Yeah and when they attack you, you sell the pictures for tens of thousands and sue the celeb.

Thats the paparazzi mentality.

[Big WIll]

Its all part of being a celebrity though.

[mikep00]

are the laws up north different than down here or were your trespassing or something? 99% of all pap shots here in the states are unbecoming of the celeb in the shot.

The problem is that to make the big bucks you need to "bend" the law. Nobody will make $30,000 for a shot of paris hilton walking down the street (public area, legal to photograph her), but they will pay big bucks for a photo of her sunning topless in her back yard (legal if that shot was visible to the public viewer ie. from the street, but it gets gray when you took that shot with an ultra telephoto lens up on the hillside to get the shot. That isn't exactly a normal public viewer.).

And when you shoot in those grey areas and make big bucks, you will have the lawyers battling whether it was legal or not.

[cosworth]

My 300 2.8 took the first pics of Posh and Beck's baby in public. Sadly I wasn't operating it at the time.

I won't say how much the shot earned the shooter, but when he sold me the lens he didn't worry about my low ball offer too much since he made a STOOOOOOPID amount of money on the shot.

Here in Vancouver I could make a good living at it wth a couple high priced spotters - but I like to sleep in a bed, not a car.

[ryant35]

The problem is that to make the big bucks you need to "bend" the law. Nobody will make $30,000 for a shot of paris hilton walking down the street (public area, legal to photograph her), but they will pay big bucks for a photo of her sunning topless in her back yard (legal if that shot was visible to the public viewer ie. from the street, but it gets gray when you took that shot with an ultra telephoto lens up on the hillside to get the shot. That isn't exactly a normal public viewer.).

And when you shoot in those grey areas and make big bucks, you will have the lawyers battling whether it was legal or not.

No body will pay that much for a topless photograph of Paris Hilton. Now a celebrity that hasn't been topless in pictures and video all over the internet may bring in that kind of money.

[delhi]

Here in Vancouver I could make a good living at it wth a couple high priced spotters - but I like to sleep in a bed, not a car.

My office overlooked the location where they filmed Fantastic Four 2's wedding scene. I should've brought my telephoto to capture Jessica Alba spilling coffee over her white dress. But no, I had to have my dinky camera phone.:rolleyes:

[tokyopunk]

I have access to a lot of press con and red carpets events and I've sent some pictures to be sold by agents, but I have yet to see some money...

It's not really pap work, but I'm often the only freelance there..
http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/3327/adiehard4134ca4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Here's an example of a shot that wouldn't sell because they are not facing me! ;)

[AussieCat]

i am new to the celebrity work of taking pics

but at red carpet events - many of the celebrities actually warm to u as they want to pose up for the camara.

i think its a myth when people think that celebrity photographer are the enemies all the time.First off, Welcome to POTN!

You can make mega bucks selling paparazzi type pics - but do you really want to be despised by all those celebs? :-)

TJ

[TeeJay]

i am new to the celebrity work of taking pics

but at red carpet events - many of the celebrities actually warm to u as they want to pose up for the camara.

i think its a myth when people think that celebrity photographer are the enemies all the time.

Maybe my point didn't quite come across as intended....

Many "paparazzi" photogs go out of their way to take intrusive photo's of celebs, that they then go on to sell for big bucks. (the rights and wrongs of this practice is another discussion entirely ;-))

I don't think that the 'red carpet' style of photography would count in my appraisal - I totally agree that celebs will almost always P&P (Pause & Pose) for that type of photo.

TJ

[AussieCat]

haha


good point

Maybe my point didn't quite come across as intended....

Many "paparazzi" photogs go out of their way to take intrusive photo's of celebs, that they then go on to sell for big bucks. (the rights and wrongs of this practice is another discussion entirely ;-))

I don't think that the 'red carpet' style of photography would count in my appraisal - I totally agree that celebs will almost always P&P (Pause & Pose) for that type of photo.

TJ