There has to be SOMEBODY here who is either a pap now, or has worked as a pap.

I just wanna know what it's like.  I've been facinated with paps since I started taking pictures.  I'm probably gonna take flack for this, but it just looks exciting.  A couple celebrity photographers, not paparazzos, were tellin' me about it the other day.  They were saying that basicly to get started you just start checking out the papers and stuff for public appearances, then use that kind of stuff to build a portfolio that you can send to the magazines and paparazzi companies.

I know I'm doing other stuff, and I really don't think I would make a career of it.  But hell, I'm gonna build my self a paparazzi porfolio anyways.

I have a friend who does that for his primary income. He's been at it a very long time and from what I understand is anxious to get away from it. He got started shooting concert photos as wee one. Currently, he works through several different stock agencies.

I'll spare you the flack.  I don't know anyone who's done it but there was a show about it on one of the cable entertainment channels (E! ?).  Basically it looked very competetive (though they were talking about Hollywood, not Texas).  Events where celebs are making public appearences are mobbed with photographers (bigger the event, bigger the mob).  They all push and shove and holler and worse to get a shot, not to mentioned getting herded around by clueless security and trying to swindle your way in to places where you can get a better shot than the rest.  Don't expect any professional courtesy.  Then you have to be able to transmit your images immediately.  These guys basically have a digital dark room in their SUV.  Race back to the car, down load the images, a quick cut and send them off to the editor over wireless internet.  Then hit the road trying to track down the next photo op.  They also used homeless as informants, offering them money in exchange for info on celebs they've sighted.  Of course you have to convince them to give you the tip and not the other guys, it takes time to build up their trust and create a reliable network of informants.

That's the impression I got.  Not for me.

I should specify here that my friend is NOT paparazzi per se, but a celebrity photographer who is considered to be press rather than a nuisance. A lot of that seems to be based on his being a likeable guy that can get along with the people he's supposed to be shooting and not get his face punched in like some of the paparazzi.

Theda,
That sounds like Steve!

Tracey... ssshhh...

I just had to make the second post because I didn't want him to come here, read this, think I was calling him names and kick my ass.

The last thing i would want to be compaired to these days is a paparazzi...even more so the new breed of stalkerazzi...