HILTON: 'PAPARAZZI AND STALKERS TERRIFY ME'

Celebrity socialite PARIS HILTON is terrified of the paparazzi and stalkers who make it impossible for her to live a normal life.

The HOUSE OF WAX beauty feels so threatened she has been forced to employ four bodyguards to protect her.

She says, "The paparazzi, they're scary. They pretty much live outside my house: they're so annoying.

"And stalkers. I come across them all the time."

And the hotel heiress is frightened that snappers and intrusive fans will damage her relationship with shy fiance and Greek shipping heir PARIS LATSIS.

She says, "My boyfriend hates it all: he's very low-key and he hates cameras and says the only bad thing about dating me is them."

Britney Spears Baby Photos Nabbed from Chopper

This story comes from The National Ledger:

The race is on to grab the very first photo of Britney Spears' baby and the paparazzi will go to any length to grab the first baby picture. As it appears, they will go to any height as well.

The first photos of the baby boy appear to come from a helicopter. The photos are blurry but the first pics show Brit tending to her son, Sean Preston Federline, while her mother Lynne holds the baby.

You cannot see the baby's face.

Bang Media reported earlier that Britney and Kevin have allegedly accepted over $3-million to show home-video footage of the birth on their popular reality TV show 'Britney and Kevin: Chaotic', and will be a paid a further $1.5-million for a magazine deal (Reportedly OK! Magazine) featuring exclusive pictures of the child.

The couple is also rumored to have agreed a deal worth over $1.5-million to video the first few weeks of Sean Preston's life for TV.

These pictures are too blurry to ruin that deal, and that means the paparazzi will keep trying.

An Open Letter to The Early Birds From Lupo

Dear Early birds:

Congratulations!

You will have front row because you got to Letterman at 10am. Perhaps you will even have the best spot. Gee- it’s really too bad that you are putting in 7-8+ hours to get a few frames of George Clooney. For the average working American that’s a full day’s work!

Have you ever done the math in that?

If you are one of the lucky few to sell that perfect headshot of George of Gywneth or whomever you will probably get paid 75 dollars. That’s assuming of course that your picture will be selected over mine or that guy who comes in at the very last minute and always seems to get his stuff published - from the third row (Power to him!).
So 75 dollars divided by 7 hours- That’s about 10 dollars an hour!
This of course is assuming that imaging will only take several minutes.

– Now here's another factor. Because you arrived at 10 or 11 am to this the rest of us are also forced to arrive earlier than we usually might. So if I am the one to sell that 75 dollar headshot to People my take will also be divided by x number of hours.

Yes I am aware that in stock photography we will make more than one sale-possibly.
However these days we won’t make too many more. Read your statements people-study them!

George is having his premiere on Friday! Generally speaking next week the person we shoot will be in better fashion and more amicable to photographers in Europe or LA.

Back to the Letterman door - that Lindsay in the black dress, or Jlo in the tan outfit or even George will quickly fall to the wayside on many editor's lightboxes.
Considering this – do you realize that you are considerably reducing the amount of money that we are making from this shot?
That’s right! You are screwing up the whole business for the rest of us.
I have to get there early now so that I get a better spot than third row! With magazines paying less and less money per photo and YOU making us put in more hours we will get pennies for that stupid headshot. Perhaps you have nothing better to do with your life. Perhaps you feel very comfortable sitting on your ass on a tiny stool on a public sidewalk of New York City all day long.

Don’t you feel like a homeless person? Get used to it.
The way things are going you just might be one day!
Just do me a favor—don’t drag the rest of us down with you!
I would like to shoot other events during the day without having to wait all day for one picture.

Hint: if you get off your ass which by now has a huge imprint of your turtle stool on it (and has probably grown from your sedentary work ethic) , and start making more than one set of pictures (i.e. go to different events) you might actually start making money!

George Clooney is big – but the need for his picture in market is very finite in the bigger scheme of things.
I have gotten him very well in the past (when he was even younger and more popular).
A couple years later the aggregate sales still do not equate a full day’s work.

But don’t worry - when the time comes, I’ll put money in your cup to make up for it.

What Is The Deal With No Sarah?

New Yorkers for Children Gala
Cipriani's, 42nd St.
6pm

Sarah Jessica Parker was on the inital press tip sheet.
The closest Sarah got to Cipriani's tonight was on a passing bus advertisement.

But hey...we got Anna Wintour (not posing), Ahn Duong, Tinsley Mortimer, Debbie Bancroft, Dayssi Olarte de Kanavos and Russell Simmons. A real who's who of who cares. Oh yea, they almost all wore black, on an unlit arrivals area, at night. YEAH!

Seinfeld/Jessica gave us a great expression (see photo), Lenny Kravitz showed (all in black), posed quickly, and Melissa Etheridge ran by.

Paris Hilton Blames Paparazzi For Ticket

Los Angeles, CA (AHN) - Paris Hilton is issued a ticket in Beverly Hills for making an improper turn and equipment violation.

The hotel heiress was on her way up Rodeo Drive in her Bentley when officers asked her to stop.

Onlookers claim Paris tried to coax the officers, telling them she was trying to escape ensuing paparazzi.

Photographer Frank Rohmer tells The New York Post, "She was pointing at us, saying that it was our fault. She always drives crazy."

The "Simple Life" star could face a $300 fine.

Leo Looks In Every 'Direction'

No Direction Home: Bob Dylan DVD screening
Ziegfeld Theater
September 19, 2005/ 5pm arrivals.

This was one of the better arrival set ups that I hyave seen in a while. Red carpet extended from theater half way down the block towards 6th Ave. Long seamless backdrop, risers provided, and large studio lights every 20 ft. illuminating the carpet.

It looked great, but there wasn't much to shoot.

Leonardo DiCaprio arrived, and mildly posed. Wasn't a 'great' take, but you could pull out some photos. After that, it fell off. Matt Damon, Mike Myers were on the list but no shows.

Fashion Hell Week

I could post every day about how good/bad Fashion Week is going....but I'll leave it as an open posting forum, day by day....as things evolve.

So... Please share your stories!

CAAN BLASTS PAPARAZZI COMPLAINERS

Movie veteran JAMES CAAN has blasted celebrities who complain about paparazzi intrusion - insisting they should be thrilled that snappers recognise them.

THE GODFATHER star claims he has never had a bad encounter with the paparazzi, and he encourages them to take pictures of him.

He says, "When you start in this business, you pray for the day that people recognise you, that's your goal. And now these schmucks get there and then they go, 'Leave me alone.'

"What are you talking about? If I was a doctor... I'd have to expect phone calls at three in the morning - that's part of their job."

Protesters and Paparazzi Punctuate 'Life' Premiere

AN UNFINISHED LIFE screening
DGA Theater
September 7, 2005

Gosh...this was a great mess.

Fist of all, this is a small theater, right on a busy 57th Street. Anytime a screening is held here it always turns out to be a headache. And this time was no exception.

It looked good on paper. The arrival area the PR created was the best I’ve seen at this theater. Red carpet, backdrop, and even a riser was built. Shooters were able to go two deep on the ground and the riser was close enough for a third row. But...the front row was very close to the backdrop, so it was a tight crop.

Secondly, PETA had a bunch of protesters at the beginning of the carpet and at the theater entrance. Security was nice enough to warn me in advance that JLo wasn't going to walk the carpet. I tried to warn my fellow shooters that this was going to get even uglier, but it was at this time that....

JLo and Marc arrive. Now remember, there are about 40+ shooters facing the backdrop, lining the entire carpet, in a very small cramped area, with chanting protesters a few feet away, with rush hour traffic...and Jlo and Marc pull up to the theater and exit their SUV by the entrance of the theater. Not by the beginning of the carpet. They were then whisked into the theater and didn't pose for any of the photogs that had been waiting for hours.

So to make up for the debauchee, the PR decides they are going to escort all the shooters into the theater for a photo-op. HA HA HA! Yea...that'll work. Only the photogs on 'their list' were allowed into the theater (about 20) leaving another 20+ with nothing.

The only good thing to come of this is if you waited for exits. There were about 5 of us waiting on the street but the SUV for them to exit. Security and the police moved us behind a barricade to the right of the theater's doors. Somewhere about 10:15p they exit. And they pose....and pose....and pose. Together and then JLo even gives us fashion's. We shot for a good 2 minutes straight. But if you were buy the SUV's door, tempers flared between security and photogs. A lot of pushing and shoving created a small 'scene', but nothing too drastic.

You can read Liz Smith's take on the whole thing HERE.

FASHION ROCKS The Red Carpet

Fashion Rocks at Radio City Music Hall
6-8pm arrivals
September 8, 2005

The PR said there was no room. We proved them wrong! There was tons of room provided for TV, print, photo, radio and who ever else wanted to cover the event.

Arrivals ran from the stage doors of Radio City on 51st St. to the entrances towards the corner towards 6th Ave. They provided a two level riser to accommodate all the media.

There was a strict credential process which required calls to the PR, faxing letters, pre-marked spots. What did those who didn't have a credential do? They (including myself) walked down the middle of the street, right into the press area with no hassle! Go figure.

That being said, arrivals ran very smoothly. All the talent stopped, posed and were accommodating. Lisa Presley, Gwen Stefani, Alicia Keys, Beyonce, Rebecca Romijn, Heather Graham, Petra Nemcova, Shakira, Joss Stone, Ashanti, Macy Gray, Nelly....damn good list if you ask me!

Charlotte: Paparazzi make me smoke

Charlotte Church says it's the paparazzi's fault she can't stop smoking.

She says she craves cigarettes when photographers follow her around.

She said: "I've been trying to give up smoking so I was quite irritable as you can imagine. And they were following us around and I just wanted to throw something at them.

"I've not be using the nicotine patches, just willpower. But I have been told to chew on a straw every time I want a cigarette."

The singer said she has managed to cut down from 20-a-day to just two or three after meals reports ITV.com.

Realizing the health threat that camera equipment may cause to celebrities, Lexar and SanDisk have teamed up to offer Compact Flash cards in Regular, Light, 100's and Menthol.

Actresses Fight Back At Paparazzi

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Hollywood celebrities are at war.

Their target: the very people who help make them stars — photographers.

In recent months, three young A-list actresses have been in dangerous chases or collisions involving swarms of SUV-driving paparazzi.

Lindsay Lohan, 19, suffered cuts and bruises after her Mercedes was smashed by a minivan driven by a photographer; Scarlett Johansson, 20, sideswiped a car while fleeing swarms of paparazzi who had chased her for an hour; and Reese Witherspoon, 29, claims photographers used their vehicles to box in her car outside her gym, then followed her home, where they blocked her gate.

The stars and their handlers say some celebrity photographers are out of control, having crossed the line from doing their jobs to breaking the law.

"They'll do anything to provoke the stars," says legendary Hollywood publicist Warren Cowan, who has guided the careers of Paul Newman and Kirk Douglas and whose firm now handles red-hot Eva Longoria. "They really are stalkers."

The stars are fighting back.

Read the rest of the article HERE.