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Paparazzi (UK: / ˌpæpəˈrætsi /, US: / ˌpɑːpəˈrɑːtsi /; Italian: [papaˈrattsi]; sg.: masculine paparazzo or feminine paparazza) are independent photographers who take pictures of high-profile people; such as actors, musicians, athletes, politicians, and other celebrities who typically go about their daily life routines.
Apr 24, 2019 · Santiago Baez has been a paparazzo since the early 1990s. Camera in hand, he’s witnessed the fallout of extramarital affairs, new babies, deaths, new love and breakups of some of New York’s...
- Overview
- Origin of the term
- Famous paparazzi
- Paparazzi and the law
- Paparazzi industry
paparazzi, freelance photographers who specialize in capturing candid photos of celebrities for media outlets.
The word paparazzi is derived from the name of a character in the 1960 Federico Fellini film La Dolce Vita (“The Sweet Life”). In the film, actor Marcello Mastroianni plays a disenchanted gossip journalist named Marcello who frequents the nightlife scene in Rome while on the hunt for his next story, accompanied by his photographer colleague Paparazzo. The way Marcello tersely and unintentionally accusingly addresses Paparazzo throughout the film helped make the word paparazzo stand out and tie it to the profession.
Time magazine brought attention to the word paparazzo and its plural counterpart paparazzi in a 1961 article titled “The Press: Paparazzi on the Prowl.” The article described photographer Ivan Kroscenko by saying, “He is a paparazzo, one of a ravenous wolf pack of freelance photographers who stalk big names for a living and fire with flash guns at point-blank range.”
Tazio Secchiaroli (1925–98) was the photographer who inspired Fellini to create the character of Paparazzo in La Dolce Vita. At the time, he was known for his street photography that celebrated Rome’s nightlife. Among the many photos Secchiaroli is known for capturing, two of the standouts are a photo of Ava Gardner, considered to be unflattering, with wet hair wrapped in an old bath towel and a photo of an argument between married actors Anita Ekberg and Anthony Steel. He was also Sophia Loren’s personal photographer for nearly 20 years.
Ron Galella (1931–2022) was named the “Godfather of U.S. paparazzi culture” by Time magazine and “Paparazzo Extraordinaire” by Newsweek magazine. He is credited with creating the model for the follow-and-ambush style used by paparazzi to capture photos of celebrities. He was best known for his obsession with and relentless pursuit of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and the photo he called “Windblown Jackie” (1971) was deemed the “most famous paparazzi photo ever” by Time magazine. During his almost six-decade-long career, he photographed a wide range of celebrities, including Elvis Presley, Louis Armstrong, Paul McCartney, Muhammad Ali, David Bowie, Andy Warhol, and Taylor Swift.
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The persistent and intrusive methods used by paparazzi to capture candid photographs have long led celebrities to make claims of invasion of privacy and harassment. In 1997 the death of Princess Diana in a car accident caused international outrage at the paparazzi, because they had allegedly been following her chauffeur-driven car. Since then legislation has been introduced to regulate the behaviour of paparazzi.
In the United Kingdom, the Protection from Harassment Act (1997) allows photographers to take pictures in all public places but stipulates that they may be prosecuted if they threaten, stalk, intimidate, or cause distress to their subjects. Additionally, the Independent Press Standards Organization states that journalists should not engage in those behaviours or in persistent pursuit and should desist if asked to do so by their subjects.
The majority of paparazzi sell their photos to agencies that have relationships with media outlets’ photo editors rather than working independently and selling their photos directly to media outlets.
In the early 2000s, called the “gold rush years,” paparazzi typically earned between 20 and 70 percent of the royalties generated by the photographs they took. The amount varied depending on the photographer’s experience, the deal that was negotiated, and whether the photographer used information supplied by the agency about a celebrity’s location. During this time, paparazzi could make between $5,000 and $15,000 for a candid photo of a celebrity pumping gas, getting coffee, or doing other mundane errands.
Oct 13, 2022 · Known as paparazzi, these photo journalists stop at nothing to catch their prey – climbing trees, hiding in cars and chasing after their quarry on motor scooters at high speed.
Jun 27, 2014 · The paparazzi are distinct from photographers who work in situations — posed photo shoots for magazines, red carpets and parties — that allow celebrities control over how they appear.
- Andrew Mendelson
Apr 16, 2020 · What Do the Paparazzi Do Now? While photographers see an uncertain future, the tabloid machine continues to hum thanks to photos of celebrities in face masks and, as ever, Ben Affleck. By Dan...
Nov 29, 2018 · The concept of the paparazzi took on an identity in its own right, hordes of celebrity photographers that moved in packs and their unsuspecting celebrity subjects even became fodder for organised photoshoots.
