Being a great paparazzi is not about being a great photographer. Sure, you need to know how to take professional pictures and the right gear to do so, but a paparazzi is so much more than just a photographer. It’s about wits and skill. It’s about information and access.
It’s about daring to do things others won’t. Sure, you can wait for a situation to happen to take a compromising picture of a celebrity. Everybody can. But you are not everybody. You want to use your wits to create or provoke the situation and don’t leave things to chance.
THE TARGETS
Celebrities. You see their pictures everywhere. There are agencies tasking paparazzis with taking pictures of them they then sell to tabloids or gossip sites. They are going to be your bread and butter. They provide you with the target, a time and location. All you have to do is show up and take a picture, right?
You wish. Celebrities go to great lengths to not have their pictures taken when they are private. Closed areas, security, changing schedules and switching locations on a whim are just some of the things you will have to deal with.
You will need your own sources, contacts and some wits to be successful. You have to outsmart your target. You have to study them. You know you will get them in the end.
THE LOCATIONS
Lots and lots of locations. Clubs, hotels, bars, shops, private residences - a whole city of them.
Each and every location offers multiple ways to get in, each with a detailed map so you can plan how to get to the celebrity when he or she gets there.
Sure, you have to bend the rules now and then to get in and might even land in jail if you get caught, but what’s life without some risk, right?
Bribe bouncers, trick security personnel, break in, smooth-talk your way in, pretend to be a customer or part of the entourage - whatever works for you.
THE RIGHT GEAR
You need the right gear for the job, obviously. While there is a ton of equipment for you to buy as you progress and earn money, all the cameras and lenses and other photo gear are just a part of the equipment you are going to need. There is all kinds of other gear that will help you to gain entry into off-limit areas or fake IDs just to name a few.
Think of it this way: you know a celebrity will land on a private jet today, do you really want to be one of those losers waiting outside the airport to get a glimpse and a crapy picture? No, you want to be on the top of the game, you want to gain access to the landing strip and take the picture right there when she exits the plane and doesn’t expect a thing. And that will take some thinking and equipment to accomplish.
THE PERFECT SHOT
Took a lot of photos on your phone lately? Doing professional shots an agency will pay good money for is nothing like that. The quality has to be perfect in every detail. But setting up your equipment and choosing the right tools for the job isn’t going to be your biggest worry. The thing you will be concerned about is getting the perfect shot while working in adverse conditions. There will always be something, like other persons or objects obstructing your view or the target being on the move or even actively trying to prevent you from taking that shot. And that doesn’t even account for all those odd things that by Murphy’s Law are bound to happen…
THE OTHER SIDE
Yes, agencies pay good money for great celebrity shots, especially in compromising situations, but there are other avenues you can pursue. There are some shady characters that might on occasion pay you more for compromising pictures to use them to their own advantage, you can try to come to an understanding with the celebrity or move straight to blackmail. Life isn’t cheap and all the gear doesn’t pay for itself, you know.
Just be careful, you don’t want to tarnish your reputation with the agencies by going behind their back in a too obvious manner.
