Blur reflective spray: A messy way to outmaneuver paparazzi

Alex Rodriguez, take note: The latest anti-paparazzi invention making the rounds is a reflective spray dubbed Blur, which purports to neutralize camera sensors with reflective nanoparticles. Once sprayed on a subject's face, photos of that person will be rendered as a white flash, thus protecting the A-Rods of the world from themselves.

Conceived by designer Kok-Chian Leong, this awkward-sounding innovation (I can't imagine that an application of Blur augment's a celebrity's appearance) reportedly comes from the British design firm Troika, although good luck finding any mention of it on Troika's site. Even if Blur does find its way to market, the rich and famous would have to pretty much cover themselves with it around the clock if they want to avoid shots from paparazzi wielding high-power telephoto lenses. In which case, it better not react to Botox.

Listless Lohan gives paparazzi the money shot

X17 cashes in on its photos as demand raises the stakes

The photograph showed apparently soused starlet Lindsay Lohan passed out in a car, mouth agape, oblivious to popping flashbulbs.

That image, with everything it says about Hollywood excess and youthful indiscretion, ran on the front pages of yesterday's New York Post and its rival Daily News, accompanied by headlines that yelled "Smashed" and "Party Pooped."

For X17, the paparazzi photo agency that owns the picture, it was a good day in L.A.

"We are overwhelmed," X17's founder and president, Frank Rohmer, said yesterday from his Beverly Hills, Calif., office as he fielded phone calls from media outlets clamoring to buy photos of the party girl's unconscious visage, snapped by X17 photographer Roberto Maciel early Monday. Lohan was caught slumbering in the passenger seat of a car at a gas station. Lohan's publicist, Leslie Sloane Zelnick, later released a statement that said Lohan had checked into "an intensive medical rehabilitation facility on Memorial Day."

By midafternoon yesterday, Rohmer said, he had sold the image about 100 times, to CNN, MSNBC and magazines, newspapers, TV outlets and Web sites, not only in the United States but in England, Australia, Sweden and Germany. In New York, the Post and the News each paid about $10,000 for the picture, he said, although smaller news organizations were not required to pay that much.

UPFRONT AND IN THE CANNES

Upfronts are over... everyone and their mother is in Cannes...

Things have drastically slowed down in the city... feels nice...doesn't it?

IT'S UPFRONT WEEK!

Happy Upfronts Everyone!

I know how we are all so looking forward to hundreds of known and unknown talent passing in front of our lenses this week.

The hours of editing, hours of captioning....

And the sheer joy of the whole experience!

Lindsay's Gun-Toting Message to Paparazzi

Lindsay Lohan, actress and darling of the paparazzi, strikes a controversial pose on the cover of the June issue of Radar.

The 20-year-old Georgia Rule star agreed to be the cover girl for the mag's story about the dangerous world of celebrity photography.

“Lindsay wants to send a message," the mag's editor-in-chief Maer Roshan proclaims in his editor’s letter.

However, Lohan’s rep Leslie Sloane-Zelnick assures Radar that Lindsay’s beef with the photographers isn’t personal: "This whole thing is just spinning out of control. Sooner or later, someone's gonna die."

Over the course of the photo shoot, Lohan gamely brandished a flamethrower, a Glock and a Thompson submachine gun to ensure she made her point. Before she departed, someone asked why she had agreed to such a provocative shoot.

"I want people to pay attention," she said.

Clearly.

In the latest issue of Nylon, the fickle starlet confesses that she actually enjoys all of the attention she gets from the shutterbugs.

“I obviously like it,” she said. “I wouldn’t ever want them to not take my picture. I’d be worried. I’d be like, ‘Do people not care about me?’”

THE BEST 90 MINUTES OF SHOOTING...EVER!

Costume Gala
Metropolitan Museum of Art, 5:30pm press call

Ok..Ok..I don't know if this truly the best 90 min. ever... but it comes really close!

Like in years past, the arrival area is a huge tent over the main stairs that lead to the museum entrance. Still are set up on either side of the stairs up to the third landing.

About 6:30pm some of the talent begin to arrive. Sparse, even paced... non chaotic.

Then...something strange happens.

At about 7 pm, Eastern Standard Time, on this day, the seventh day, of the fifth month, of the year 2007, it seems as if all the planets align in a cosmic dance. Man, nature and space all join together in one harmonious song...

and every A-List celebrity that matters arrives to this event in amazing fashion, without stop for 90 minutes of pure adrenaline driven chaos.

Whenever you find yourself in a position that you're shooting Cameron Diaz, Gisele Bundchen, JLo and Marc Anthony, Mary Kate Olsen, Rosario Dawson and Rihanna within a five minute period... followed by Misha Barton, Scarlett Johanson, Mick Jagger, Jennifer Garner, Renee Zellweger, Kate Moss, Naomi Watts, and Jessica Simpson IN THE NEXT FIVE MINUTES... you're in a good place.

It becomes so loud and frantic in that tent for 90 minutes, it is a spectacle to behold.

I've said it before... this event is the OSCARS OF NEW YORK!

ABC UPFRONT NEWS

On 5.15.2007 ABC entertainment is holding their annual upfronts. What contrasts this year from the previous ones is that ABC is turning down all photo and media requests to cover the event. All photo agencies are being told that photos will only be made available through the Wire services which include (AP, Reuters, Getty, Wireimage and Filmmagic)

Several concerned individuals are attempting to launch a protest as soon as the denials reach critical mass.
The contact numbers at ABC are:

PHOTO EDITOR- ETTORE ZUCCARELLI ettore.zuccarelli@abc.com
VP PHOTOGRAPHY DAN RICHARDS 818 460-7407 dan.richards@abc.com
VP PUBLIC RELATIONS KEVIN BROCKMAN 818 460-7756kevin.brockman@abc.com

I would like to escalate this matter to the AD-SALES dept of ABC headed by MIKE SHAW 212 456-7272 mike.shaw@abc.com to inform them and ABC's advertisers on the potentially devastating effect this decision will have on the weeks publicity.

Boo's For DREW Turn Into BARRYMORE and more and MORE!

Drew Barrymore on David Letterman
May 2, 2007

The general mood at today's Letterman was quite frenetic.

Drew arrives late for Letterman and makes a mad dash for the stage door. Jeans, sneakers and hand over her face. This leads to all the Paps to start yelling "Boooo, Boooo!".
Or as Dennis put it, "We weren't saying Booo, we were saying Drewww, Drewww!"

Now we have about an 2 hour wait till she exits. And in this free time...
A family of Israeli tourists start taking pictures with Dan...
Darla almost get a summons for loitering...
The police were quite stern about photographers in the street and on Drew's SUV...

That being said, Drew leaves close to 7pm in a beautiful red dress and poses up a storm. Not once, not twice, but THREE TIMES! Every time she went to sign for fans, we would call her back...and she would pose even more! It was truly astounding the amount of time she posed for us.

We even applauded her when she drove away...

There's A Light At The End Of The (Holland) Tunnel

Tribeca Film Festival is almost over!

Getty Images to acquire ABACA Press?

Acquiring additional revenues as strategy to grow in economically more promising areas: sources indicate that Getty Images has acquired french photo agency ABACA Press and its US subsidiary Abaca Press Americas.

It is said that the contracts were signed on Friday last week.

ABACA Press, with offices in New York and Paris, is best known for its entertainment, celebrity, news, portrait and sports photos, just like MediaVast and its brands.

Abaca US says it has about 400,000 images in its database. Some of these images are also available through the Digital Railroad platform which in all likelihood will lose this customer after Getty´s (rumored) acquisition.

UPDATE!

My information needs to be corrected. I picked this story up off the StockPhotoTalk website.


But, I have just been in contact with Nick (ZeFrenchiePhotog), and he says things are 'talk only' and nothing has been signed.


I apologize for the misinformation.

Diaz runs screaming from paparazzi

Cameron Diaz ran screaming from paparazzi after they caught her off guard while shopping.

The Holiday star was enjoying some retail therapy in New York fashion and lifestyle emporium Lounge when a group of photographers snuck in the rear entrance and surrounded her.

A source told the New York Post newspaper: "She was enjoying a peaceful day of shopping for some new summer dresses, jewellery and shoes when they surrounded her.

"Cameron totally freaked out, screamed and dropped the items she was going to buy and was chased through the store. She was running full speed."

The 34-year-old actress has always had a troubled relationship with the paparazzi.

She and ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake reached an out of court settlement with photographer Saul Lazo after he claimed they had harassed him. Cameron allegedly beat and threatened him and took his camera when he tried to take photographs of them.

The Shrek 3 star was also blackmailed by a professional photographer who took topless pictures of her when she was just 19 and threatened to make them public if she did not pay him over $US3 million.

John Rutter was convicted by a Los Angeles court of attempting to blackmail Cameron and sentenced to over three years in jail.

I AM SOMEBODY... THE POST SAYS SO!

SPREAD THE NEWS: N.Y. FOTOGS HUMAN

KATE WINSLET
Happy to be in New York.

Let's hear it for New York. Kate Winslet and the husband, director Sam Mendes, and their little daughter are happy to be amongst us. Says the little mother: "London is sick. The photographers are freaky. They hide in trees. Here they're not just paparazzi. They're also human beings. In New York, people leave you alone."

Hugh Grant arrested over doorstep clash with photographer

Hugh Grant has been arrested after allegedly hurling a tub of baked beans at a photographer.

He also reportedly kicked Ian Whittaker, and, according to the photographer, said he wished his children would die of cancer. Grant's lawyers, however, have refuted that any such comments were made by the actor.

Grant — who has been arrested before, when caught with prostitute Divine Brown in America — was taken to a police station last night for questioning over the alleged assault.

The arrest followed a clash with the freelance paparazzi photographer outside Grant's Chelsea home on Tuesday morning.

Mr Whittaker said he had turned up to take pictures of the actor's former girlfriend Liz Hurley, who lives in the same street. When Grant, 46, arrived in his car he asked him to smile as he took his picture.

The film star allegedly snapped, swearing at Mr Whittaker, 43, and reportedly kicking him three or four times. Then, as Grant entered his house, he allegedly turned and threw a plastic container of baked beans at him.

The actor, who split from his girlfriend Jemima Khan in February, allegedly then said: “Do you know who I am? I'm a millionaire,” and screamed “Leave me alone.”

Mr Whittaker told a tabloid newspaper: “I said Give us a smile please' and he looked really angry.

“I walked backwards and he walked after me. He was effing and blinding at me. He kicked me hard three or four times then kneed me in the groin.

“He asked if I had a girlfriend or kids and I said I had two. He said I hope they die of f**king cancer'. I'm determined to see this through to the end because of what he said.”

Police were called to the incident and last night Kensington detectives returned to the actor's home to arrest him and take him for questioning.

Grant had his fingerprints taken and provided a DNA sample. His other arrest was in Los Angeles 1995, when Grant was fined £1,000 for the Divine Brown incident.

Scotland Yard could not confirm the names of those involved on Tuesday, but said they were investigating an allegation of assault in Chelsea.

A spokeswoman added: “A 46- year-old man was arrested and has been bailed to a date next month.

Britney's been tipping off the paparazzi!

It seems that pop star Britney Spears is anxious to exhibit her post rehab transformed body.

The 'Toxic' singer is apparently informing the paparazzi in advance, before going for her daily tasks.

"Britney has been tipping off the paparazzi agencies before she heads out for her daily errands. She has been doing it for the past couple of weeks," the Mirror quoted a source, as saying.

Lately, Britney has been looking good, and has regained her previously slender shape.

According to the source, Spears has even managed to employ a political message into the coverage.

"She's also been posing for video paparazzi, hence her recent video rant [on X17online.com] against her management," the source said.

However, Britney's rep has denied any direct contact between the singer and the paparazzi.

Hugh Bastard! Grant Flips Out on Photog

Hugh Grant was caught taking out his aggression by doing his best Woody Harrelson impression on Tuesday.

Apparently fed up with photographers documenting his every move, the 46-year-old British actor threw an unidentified object and unleashed his stellar kicking skills on one of the paps outside his London home. Not exactly the best way to stop your photo from being taken!

We all know that being a celeb can be tough, but next time, Hugh should try demonstrating some better sense and sensibility.

LET THE FESTIVITIES BEGIN!

TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL BEGINS TODAY!

UGGGHH!

I hope that the Vanity Fair party isn't a precursor of things to came.

It was lame. Really lame. I think it was the worst yet. When the biggest names to show up are the local B-Lister's that we get every year for this party, thing are going to be bad.

So... that's why Vanity Fair didn't release a tip sheet. There was no one to announce!

I remember a time when Nicole Kidman, Angelina Jolie and the Olsen's would show up.

It's all a distant memory now.... fading...fading....

Scarlett Johansson Fall Down Go Boom

Scarlett Johansson might think she's clever, what with the way she's been ruining the pictures taken of her by the paparazzi, but she didn't look so clever after landing on her ass.

TMZ reports that Scarlett Johansson took a tumble outside the Saturday Night Live after party while trying to hide from the paparazzi. Scarlett tried to run to her car with a coat over her head, but while that meant the paparazzi couldn't see her face, it also meant she couldn't see where the hell she was going.

Catch the video HERE.

Could a Paparazzi Site Play a Role in Alec Baldwin's Custody Battle?

Celeb gossip site, TMZ.com, has uploaded an alleged voicemail Alec Baldwin left with his 11-year-old daughter Ireland.

After Ireland didn't answer her father's scheduled morning phone call from New York on April 11, Alec left her a nasty message.

Highlights from the tirade include:
"Once again, I have made an ass of myself trying to get to a phone."
"You have insulted me for the last time."
"I don't give a damn that you're 12-years-old or 11-years-old, or a child, or that your mother is a thoughtless pain in the ass who doesn't care about what you do."
"This crap you pull on me with this goddamn phone situation that you would never dream of doing to your mother and you do it to me constantly over and over again."

Before hanging up Baldwin screamed, "I am gonna get on a plane, and come out there for the day, and I'm gonna straighten your ass out when I see you... I'm gonnna really make sure you get it. So, you better be ready Friday the 20th to meet with me so I can let you know how I feel about what a rude little pig you really are."

TMZ's learned that on Wednesday, Los Angeles County Superior Court commissioner Maren Nelson heard the tape and temporarily suspended Baldwin's visitation rights. A hearing is set for May 4, where the judge could permanently deny Baldwin visitation or contact with Ireland.

If you listen to the audio, it seems to be cut and pasted (if it's Alec at all). The tone in his voice changes quite radically from screaming to calm throughout, especially at the end when he's talking about the April 20th meeting. It makes me wonder if this isn't doctored. If it is, this is a seriously low blow by either TMZ or Basinger's legal camp.

Baldwin's lawyer, Vicki Greene, did tell TMZ that, "Whatever happened yesterday was sealed and confidential. What you're telling me you've got you shouldn't have."

Hmm...That doesn't sound like denial.

Halle Berry Protects Paparazzi At LAX

Halle Berry was the paparazzi’s best friend on Tuesday at Los Angeles International Airport.

The 40-year-old actress had to restrain her model boyfriend Gabriel Aubry, 31, from getting into a scrum with the shutterbugs.

The flowering couple were at the airport returning home from a Mexican getaway after spending five days in Cabo San Lucas.

One would think that Aubry would be a little less testy after spending five days in paradise with Berry… then again, he could’ve been bummed out that the trip had come to end!

Britney Spears Lashes out at Paparazzi

Everything seemed to be going well for Britney Spears since she completed her rehab treatment a few weeks ago. She was seen having dinner with friends and hanging out at basketball games with her cousin. But all isn't well with Brit as a small group of paparazzi found out this weekend. Britney is apparently fed up with rumors circulating about the pop princess being pregnant again and she had no problem telling the photographers and paparazzi how she was feeling.

According to Post Chronicle, Brit told her fans to "believe everything you read" while sarcastically stating that "The world is so nice".

When Britney lashed out at the paparazzi it was very clear that she had been hurt by rumors claiming she was pregnant again. The 25 year old mother of two said ""I just want to talk and say, like, how nice our world is. It really is. Like the other day, I saw this magazine and it said I was pregnant. And I went up to my mom and my mom knew, like, she was right, as I am really pregnant. Always believe everything you read everybody! Because I am!" It was clear that Britney was using sarcasm as a defense mechanism but she didn't stop there.

Apparently the pregnancy reports aren't the only rumors that Spears is dealing with. According to the pop princess, there have also been reports that she has been drinking since she left rehab. Britney addresses these issues as well: "I went to see, like, this person, like, on USA Today and they said I was drinking a lot and it was just so true. Because, like, my management so knew what they were doing sending me to rehab. Like, totally. Isn't it nice how nice our world is? Nobody is going to talk about this. The world's so nice, that's all I want to say."