In Memorandum: Photographer AJ Sokalner

AJ Sokalner: Photographer and Friend

I had the distinct pleasure to be working shoulder to shoulder with him on that tragic night. I would like to share my story of the last hours I spent with AJ:

Photographers gathered outside Cipriani on 42nd Street well before 5pm for the7:30pm event.

We were working the ACE Awards. There was a group of about twenty five photographers working outside waiting for Lady Gaga to arrive. There wasn't much space to accommodate all the shooters. Photographers were two and three rows deep, on ladders, awaiting her arrival.


AJ was concerned about getting a spot, but managed to find a spot right next to me by the curb where the talent was arriving. AJ and I decided we would work together until "all hell broke loose" when she arrived. We couldn't block the sidewalk and obstruct the flow of pedestrian traffic. But, once she arrived, we decided we would swing out and get the shot.

Not to our surprise, Lady Gaga wasn't to show up until about 9pm.

During that time, AJ and I were having one of our usual sarcastic conversations. We poked fun at the nature of our business, we reminisced about previous events we had covered together. We even got into a funny conversation about STP. "The gas company with the orange logo?", I asked. "That's tells me how old you are!" AJ responded, as he was referring to a LSD-like drug from the 60's. He always had great wit to his words. We had spent a good four hours together, shooting the breeze and passing the time with humor.

Lady Gaga arrives and AJ and I sprung into action. Just our luck, she posed right in front of us! We shot like madmen, lighting up the night with a barrage of flashes.

As she went inside we all started to pack up our gear and seek warmth from the chill in the air. I had just left my spot and said my goodbyes to everyone when someone yelled "AJ fell..."

I ran back to where he and I had been standing just a minute prior and saw AJ on the ground. I ran up to him and touched his face "AJ, AJ...you alright?" I got no response. "AJ?". People gathered around, the other photographers now noticed what had happened. "Call 911!', someone yelled. A bystander said he knew CPR. "Get in there!" I yelled. He started to pump his chest. Where's the ambulance? Within minutes we saw EMS coming down 42nd Street. We ran into the street, waving frantically to alert them to our position.

An EMT woman was first on the scene to attend to AJ. She started to pump his chest. Another EMT brought out a heart monitor. They went to work on helping AJ right there. Fire engines arrived, police arrived. Another ambulance arrived. They brought out a stretcher and transported him to the ambulance.

They worked on AJ, pumping his chest. They were doing everything in the world to help him. "Hold on AJ!", I yelled into the ambulance. We all stood there, feeling helpless, hoping our friend was ok.

We all started to call people he knew, his girlfriend, his job. We all wanted to make sure he was alright. A few photographers went to the hospital. Another photographer picked up his girlfriend and dropped her off at the hospital.

After everyone had left, a group of us stood outside Cipriani's dazed. What just happened?

It was about 10:50pm when I heard that AJ passed away. I called and let a few of my colleagues know about the tragic event.

AJ, we will miss you buddy.
Erik Pendzich

Funeral Service for AJ Sokalner:

Friday, November 6, 2009, 10:30am

Beth Israel Memorial Park

Woodbridge, NJ

Nicole Richie gets restraining order against 2 paparazzi

Nicole Richie and her team of lawyers have successfully obtained a temporary restraining order against paparazzi Eduardo “Bam Bam” Arriveben and Ivon Miguel, TMZ.com reports.

The two photographers have been ordered to stay 100 yards away from Richie, 28, her two children (daughter Harlow, 20 months, and son Sparrow, 6 weeks) and her staff. Richie’s statement notes that the duo harass her “on a daily basis” and have been “stalking our home, as we try to go about living our lives.”

On Oct. 6, the two photographers rear-ended Richie’s Land Rover, leading her to seek private medical treatment for minor injuries. Arriveben, the driver in the incident, was arrested for driving without a license.

New movie takes aim at celebrity journalism

LONDON — What do Amy Winehouse's flaming beehive and Guy Ritchie's self-inflicted black eye have in common?
Both stories appeared in the pages of Britain's tabloid press. Neither is true.
The two incidents were fake showbiz news tips phoned into newspapers by the makers of the new documentary "Starsuckers," to see whether they would be used without fact-checking. The fact that they were forms part of the movie's argument that the culture of celebrity has undermined journalistic standards and warped society's values.
"I didn't realize quite how much of our news is public relations, or lies, or on the basis of criminal acts," said the film's 33-year-old director, Chris Atkins.
"Starsuckers," which premieres Wednesday at the London Film Festival, takes aim at Britain's fiercely competitive tabloid press, but its real target is much broader. Atkins believes that society's obsession with fame — gaining it and being near it — has distorted everything from the way news is reported to our children's aspirations.
The film opens with the statement that "everybody is naturally and powerfully attracted to fame," and tries to show how big companies in entertainment, media and PR use that desire to create a world full of insatiable consumers.
Through a series of stunts reminiscent of Michael Moore's movie polemics, Atkins aims to show how dignity, truth and even the law go out the window in the pursuit of celebrity.
Atkins is particularly scornful of reality television — the way such shows distort reality and stretch the limits of what people will do to be on TV.
The film introduces viewers to a Nevada boy named Ryan, who wants urgently to be famous — at five years old, he is already a veteran of agents, auditions and public appearances.
In another sequence, Atkins set up a booth in an English shopping mall purporting to be casting for children's reality TV shows. The filmmakers recorded as parents happily signed waivers for their children to appear on shows with titles like "Baby Boozers" and "Take Your Daughter to the Slaughterhouse" — for which he filmed children cheerfully trying to decapitate rubber chickens.
Critics might say Atkins manipulates people in the same way as the shows he criticizes.
"We tricked people into being in our film," acknowledged Atkins, whose last film, "Taking Liberties," looked at what he saw as the erosion of civil rights under Prime Minister Tony Blair.
"Yes, we had moral qualms, but I firmly believe we're doing it for the wider point. There was subterfuge involved to serve a wider public interest."
Atkins uses the same defense for his attempts to dupe newspapers in a bid to prove that Britain's tabloids won't let the facts get in the way of a good story.
Checkbook journalism and stories sourced to anonymous "friends" are long-standing practices in Britain's popular press. Even murkier tabloid methods have come under scrutiny since 2007, when a News of the World journalist was jailed for illegally hacking into the phones of royal officials. The newspaper insisted it was a one-off blunder, strongly denying claims that phone-tapping of celebrities was widespread.
"Starsuckers" suggests that some tabloids, at least, won't let the truth get in the way of a good story. Newspapers as far afield as India printed the too-good-to-fact-check claims that a blown fuse had singed Winehouse's signature hairdo and Ritchie had given himself a black eye while juggling cutlery.
Even more worryingly, perhaps, Atkins also secretly filmed tabloid reporters as he offered to sell them medical records of celebrities' cosmetic surgery.
Buying such records is illegal in Britain, but the reporters seemed keen. They didn't know that the documents offered by Atkins — purporting to prove Hugh Grant's facelift and Guy Ritchie's chemical peel — were fake.
"We're trying to turn the tables — to put the boot on the other foot," said Atkins of his stings, which also included covertly filming celebrity publicist Max Clifford as he talked about the famous clients who pay him handsomely to keep damaging stories about them out of the headlines.
Atkins said his tactics had prompted letters from lawyers, including those working for Clifford, threatening legal action against the film.
Some viewers of "Starsuckers" may feel that Atkins doesn't give people enough credit. Surely most people know that what they see on reality shows or read in the showbiz pages of tabloids might not be 100 percent true?
Clifford, whose clients include Simon Cowell, said a lot of celebrity stories are "25 percent reality and 75 percent exaggeration" — but that we shouldn't worry too much about it.
"It's entertainment," he said. "The public believe what they want to believe."
The subjects of celebrity stories are less easygoing about it. George Clooney, asked about "Starsuckers" by The Associated Press, said a combination of shrinking newspaper staffs and the Internet meant misinformation could spread instantly around the world.
"Somebody will write a story and it will be in 1,800 different outlets from one person's story," Clooney said.
"It'll be false, and you'll go, 'It's not true.' And they go, 'We're not saying that, we're saying that a London tabloid has said it.' They're just reprinting and reprinting things that aren't necessarily true."
Atkins says the problem is that the blurring of fact and fiction is not confined to celebrity stories. British newspaper editors are frequently former showbiz reporters.
It's hard not to see symbolism in the career of Piers Morgan, who went from entertainment reporter to editor of The News of the World and the Daily Mirror. After he was fired by the Mirror — for running fake photos of British soldiers allegedly abusing Iraqis — he became a celebrity himself, as a judge on "Britain's Got Talent," which launched Susan Boyle to stardom.
"It's the same journalists who write about Amy's hair who write about weapons of mass destruction," Atkins said.

Britney Spears Settles Lawsuit with Paparazzi

Britney Spears has settled a lawsuit with a photographer who claimed she ran over his foot in 2007.

On Monday, a notice of settlement was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, and while the terms of the agreement have not been released, the photographer, Ricardo Mendoza, had originally sought more than $200,000.

The Oct. 2007 incident occurred as Spears was driving her white Mercedes out of a Beverly Hills parking garage. It was an especially bad day for the singer: Earlier, a judge had temporarily suspended her rights to see her sons Preston, now 4, and Jayden, now 3.

Mendoza, who was working for TMZ.com at the time, claimed the singer intentionally ran over his left foot and told the site that Spears's handlers should have been aware that she "was not in the mental, emotional and/or physical condition to operate the subject motor vehicle in a safe and reasonable manner."

TMZ.com later auctioned off Mendoza’s tire-stained sock and donated the money to charity.

Nikon D3S Digital SLR Camera

Main Features

• ISO performance: ISO 12800 as standard, expandable to ISO equivalent of 102400 (Hi 3)
• Nikon FX-format CMOS image sensor with 12.1 effective megapixels
• Improved D-Movie function including High-Sensitivity Movie mode and flicker reduction function
• Nikon’s Integrated Dust Reduction System including Image Sensor Cleaning function
• Incorporates Nikon’s original EXPEED digital image processing
• Active D-Lighting with bracketing for up to 5 frames
• Picture Control: Standard, Vivid, Neutral and Monochrome (Landscape and Portrait can be downloaded from Nikon website)
• Quick response with approx. 0.12 seconds start-up time and approx. 0.04 seconds shutter-release time lag
• 9-frames-per-second shooting rate in FX format, 11 fps in DX crop (CIPA Guidelines)
• Nikon’s original Scene Recognition System, utilizing 1,005-pixel RGB sensor, for more accurate autofocus, auto exposure, i-TTL flash control and auto white balance
• Multi-CAM 3500FX AF sensor module featuring 51 AF points
• Viewfinder with approx. 100% frame coverage and approx. 0.7x magnification in FX format
• Durable shutter unit proven by 300,000 cycles of testing on fully assembled camera
• Intelligent power management that lets you shoot up to approx. 4,200 frames per charge (based on CIPA Standards)
• Easy-to-access Live View modes with dedicated button
• Quiet Shutter-release mode for nonintrusive shooting
• High-definition (approx. 921k-dot), 170˚ viewing angle, 3-in. VGA LCD monitor with tempered glass

CANON EOS-1D MARK IV DIGITAL SLR CAMERA

The Next Chapter of EOS.
Offering a comprehensive combination of speed, accuracy and image quality, the EOS-1D Mark IV is the perfect choice for professional photographers and subjects on the move. With a completely redesigned 45-point AF system including 39 cross-type points, a new AI Servo II AF focus tracking system with improved algorithm combined with 10 fps continuous shooting, the EOS-1D Mark IV can handle even high-speed situations with ease. An APS-H sized 16.1 Megapixel CMOS Sensor, Dual DIGIC 4 Image Processors, a spectacular ISO range of 100 - 12800 (up to 102400 in H3 mode) with an advanced noise reduction system helps ensure sharp, low-noise images even in low-light situations. Add advanced Live View shooting, Full HD movie recording with selectable frame rates and manual exposure control plus a host of new features that enhance every facet of the shooting process. The EOS-1D Mark IV is the choice of professionals looking for the ultimate in SLR performance.

Shepard Fairey admits to wrongdoing in Associated Press lawsuit

In a strange twist to an already complicated legal situation, artist Shepard Fairey admitted today to legal wrongdoing in his ongoing battle with the Associated Press.

Fairey said in a statement issued late Friday that he knowingly submitted false images and deleted others in the legal proceedings, in an attempt to conceal the fact that the AP had correctly identified the photo that Fairey had used as a reference for his "Hope" poster of then-Sen. Barack Obama.

"Throughout the case, there has been a question as to which Mannie Garcia photo I used as a reference to design the HOPE image," Fairey said. "The AP claimed it was one photo, and I claimed it was another."

New filings to the court, he said, "state for the record that the AP is correct about which photo I used...and that I was mistaken. While I initially believed that the photo I referenced was a different one, I discovered early on in the case that I was wrong. In an attempt to conceal my mistake I submitted false images and deleted other images."

In February, the AP claimed that Fairey violated copyright laws when he used one of their images as the basis for the poster. In response, the artist filed a lawsuit against the AP, claiming that he was protected under fair use. Fairey also claimed that he used a different photo as the inspiration for his poster.

After Fairey's admission, a spokesman for the Associated Press issued a statement saying that Fairey "sued the AP under false pretenses by lying about which AP photograph he used."

Fairey said that his lawyers have taken the steps to amend his court pleadings to reflect the fact that "the AP is correct about which photo I used as a reference and that I was mistaken."

The artist expressed his remorse in his statement, saying that he is taking "full responsibility for my actions which were mine alone. I am taking every step to correct the information and I regret I did not come forward sooner. "

He added: "I am very sorry to have hurt and disappointed colleagues, friends, and family who have supported me in this difficult case and trying time in my life."

Fairey's statement said he regretted that his actions would distract from the issue of fair use for artists. "Regardless of which of the two images was used, the fair use issue should be the same," he said.

Gerard Butler aim at nightmare paparazzi

Hollywood actor Gerard Butler has hit out at rude paparazzi who made shooting of his latest film with actress Jennifer Aniston almost

Gerard Butler

impossible.

The 39-year-old actor thought he was used to the coverage location shoots get from snappers until he teamed up with Aniston in 'The Bounty', when the paparazzi blocked shots and forced them to re-take, reported Daily Express.

"Unfortunately for poor Jennifer, this roadshow comes out all the time, and then of course there were all the rumours about her and I dating, just because we're doing a movie together, which brought out even more paparazzi," the actor said.

"A lot of the paparazzi are really good people but some of them are a nightmare. They go out of their way to disrupt filming and it's really sad because you're there with a crew of 200 just trying to make a living. You're there for 16 hours a day and you have these guys who don't care if they're standing in your shot," Butler added.
The '300' star also said that he was shocked by the way photographers conduct themselves around a outdoor shoot and the liberties they take.

"They'll flash, so the film you just shot is useless. It's unbelievable sometimes what they do and you're thinking, 'This is allowed?' That can be very frustrating," Butler said.

Schwarzenegger signs tougher anti-paparazzi law

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed an anti-paparazzi bill making it easier to sue media outlets that use photos that invade celebrities' privacy.

A statement issued Monday says the former "Terminator" star had signed a number of bills, including the amendment to a decade-old law that allows fines against paparazzi who illegally or offensively take photos or recordings.

The amendment permits lawsuits against media outlets that pay for and make first use of material they knew was improperly obtained.

Tabloid magazines, TV shows and Internet sites sometimes pay millions of dollars for celebrity fodder.

The amendment takes effect in January.

Nicole Richie Hurt, Rear-Ended by Paparazzi

Actress Nicole Richie was hurt Monday after being rear-ended by paparazzi, according to Beverly Hills police.

Lt. Mike Hill of the Beverly Hills Police Department says the 28 year old actress was rear-ended by two photographers driving in a car behind her at the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Canon Drive about 2:00 p.m.

"There was a complaint of pain injury. She told officers at the scene that she's going to seek her own medical treatment, " according to Lt. Tony Lee. It's unclear what her injuries might be.

No ambulances were called and the damage to Richie's Land Rover is said to be moderate, Lee said.

Freelance photograher Eduardo Arrivebee, 29, the driver of the car that rammed Richie, was arrested and booked for driving without a license. His car was impounded.

Richie had an adult passenger in the car. There is no word on his condition.

Neither of Richie's two children was involved in the crash. Sparrow, who was born last month, and big sister, 2 year old Harlow, were at home when the accident took place.

Leibovitz Settles $24M Loan Lawsuit

Annie Leibovitz has settled a lawsuit with Art Capital Group over her outstanding $24 million debt, the New York Times reports. The celebrity photographer bought back the rights to her homes and intellectual property—both collateral in the loan—for an undisclosed sum as part of the restructuring deal. Struck before her Sept. 8 payment deadline, the agreement "extends the maturity date" of her loan, a joint statement said.

“In these challenging times I am appreciative to Art Capital for all they have done to resolve this matter and for their cooperation and continued support,” Leibovitz said. “I also want to thank my family, friends, and colleagues for being there for me and look forward to concentrating on my work.”

Canon 7D DSLR: 18 Megapixels, 24FPS Full HD Video for $1699

Yep, it's real. The Canon 7D is an 18-megapixel semi-pro DSLR that shoots 1080p video in 24—or 30—glorious frames per second for $1699.

The 7D feels like Canon took the results of a survey they handed out to people about what they wanted in a camera and crammed 'em all into one product targeted at semi-pros. Full HD video with manual exposure in 24, 25 or 30 frames per second, check. More rugged, weatherproof body than 5D, check. Customizable buttons, including a new multifunction button, check. A dedicated button for switching to RAW+JPEG mode. Um, check. Electronic axis level? Also check. It has dual DIGIC IV image processors, the first model outside of the pro 1Ds line with dual image processors for fast burst shooting: 8FPS with 94-shot JPEG bursts (124 with UDMA card) or 15 RAW shots, all at full resolution with 14-bit A/D conversion.

But, it's not full-frame: They've crammed 18 megapixels into an APS-C-sized sensor (like in the Rebel series or 50D, versus full-frame in the 5D) with an ISO range from 100-6400, and a Hi setting of 12,800. Canon says they've shortened the distance between the photodiodes in the sensor, which decreases light falloff, supposedly translating into better high ISO performance.

The Canon EOS 7D Digital SLR camera is scheduled to be delivered to U.S. dealers at the end of September, and will be sold in a body-only configuration at an estimated retail price of $1,699.00. It will also be offered in a kit version with Canon's EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM zoom lens at an estimated retail price of $1,899.00. The Canon WFT-E5A wireless file transmitter is scheduled to be available in early November and sell at an estimated retail price of $699.99.

President urges media shutterbugs to respect daughters’ privacy

The Obama White House, like administrations before it, has gone to great lengths to accommodate the press corps traveling with the president on his first official vacation in office. Staffers arranged for a filing center at a local school, assembled “pools’’ of reporters to tail the president if he goes out, and promised to brief the press daily.

But the real message to those hoping to cover the president’s vacation is: really, we wish you wouldn’t.

Unlike recent presidents, Obama has two young children, and the first couple is adamant that the girls be left alone. That means no approaching, cameras in tow, when Sasha and Malia are trying to get ice cream, or perhaps ride on the island’s famed carousel.

Aside from wishing a good time for all, in fact, the president had one clear message yesterday for reporters, said Bill Burton, the deputy White House press secretary: “The first family would very much appreciate if you respect the privacy of the girls while they’re out here on vacation.’’

That was before Burton even got to the matters of whether the president would be conferring with advisers while on vacation (yes, some) or how he felt about the recent elections in Afghanistan (looking forward to hearing the results along with everybody else).

“I asked him if he had a message for the press corps, and that’s what it is,’’ Burton told those of the press that traveled to the Vineyard on the White House charter.

Further, added press aide Katie Lillie, there will be no tolerating reporters using cellphones to call or text friends with the president’s latest movements on the island. Since the Vineyard has relatively few roads - and it’s easy to figure out how Obama would travel from one venue to another - those in the press pool must agree not to telegraph where he’s going.

Violators, she said, would be thrown out of the pool.

Annie Leibovitz, photographer of stars, faces ruin

Annie Leibovitz is as famous as the people she photographs but now the genius behind the lens is close to financial ruin -- a victim, some say, of her own relentless artistic ambition.

Among the qualities making Leibovitz, 59, the most sought after portrait photographer in the world are legendary perfectionism and the pouring of resources into lavish sets.

Over the course of her long career, nothing has been too extreme in Leibovitz's pursuit of the perfect picture.

She put former action icon and current California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on top of a mountain, submerged black actress Whoopi Goldberg in a bath of milk and closed France's Versailles palace to shoot Kirsten Dunst posing as Marie-Antoinette.

Circus animals, fire, airplanes -- she was rarely denied a requested prop, however seemingly outrageous.

That kind of imagination, and the stylized, hyper-realistic portraits she produced, had a long line of celebrities, from Hollywood stars to Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, beating a path to Leibovitz's door.

Yet behind a facade of unlimited financial means, Leibovitz was spending her way into nightmare.

In what now appears as a disastrous decision to raise funds, Leibovitz took a 24-million-dollar loan from Art Capital Group (ACG) -- in effect a high-end pawn broker -- in December 2008 using her own photographs as collateral.

That debt is due September 8 and if she can't pay up, she could lose her life's work.

ACG, which specializes in making loans to owners of high value art works, is unlikely to adopt a soft line.

Leibovitz must "comply with the sales agreement she signed authorizing Art Capital to sell the fine art and real estate assets and to pay the invoices that are due," ACG spokesman Montieth Illingworth said in a statement.

The over-leveraged photographer not only risks losing her photo archives, which The New York Times estimates could be worth 50 million dollars, but also her house in the trendy Greenwich Village district of Manhattan and a second home outside the city.

If she is forced to declare bankruptcy, it will then be up to the courts to decide how to distribute the assets.

Banking giant Goldman Sachs entered the fray this week with a claim to own part of Leibovitz's debt.

ACG disputes that, but says Goldman Sachs could be invited to bid for the loan.

Leibovitz's career has few parallels. Her famous shoots include a nude portrait of John Lennon and Yoko Ono -- just before the Beatle was murdered -- and nude and pregnant actress Demi Moore.

Despite moving in such glamorous circles, Leibovitz has never been known for having a knack for finance.

When she was hired to shoot ads for American Express in the 1980s, it emerged she had been previously turned down by the company when applying for a credit card.

New York's chattering classes are aghast at the renowned photographer's downfall, making her the latest spectacular victim of the bad debt crisis and nationwide recession.

The weekly New York Magazine published a lengthy article recounting her perfectionism at work and her lavish personal taste, including an apartment on the banks of the Seine in Paris to please her lover, writer Susan Sontag, who died in 2004.

Anna Wintour, the equally famous editor of Vogue magazine, said in a documentary that Leibovitz was priceless.

"Budget is not something that enters into her consciousness, but it is worth it because at the end of the day, she gives you an image that nobody else can," said Wintour.

Beyonce's bodyguard assualted by paparazzi on video

Beyonce and her husband Jay-Z have been working overtime lately, so the couple decided to take a vacation in Croatia. The singer took a hired yacht into the ocean and had a blast riding the water waves!

Unfortunately their vacation turned out to be not so fun when one of Beyonce's bodyguards was hit in the back by a paparazzi with a camera stand!

Pitt 'enjoyed arse-kicking in Basterds'

Brad Pitt has reportedly confessed that he enjoyed his role in Inglourious Basterds because he got to shoot numerous fight scenes.

The 45-year-old plays a Nazi-hunting American soldier in Quentin Tarantino's latest movie.

Contactmusic quotes him as saying: "I just like kicking arse, period. Didn't have to be Nazi, I can beat any ass. Any arse I like kicking, I just kick it.

"The role made me a little tougher. I now walk with a little more swagger."

However, Pitt explained that he is comparatively calm when it comes to the paparazzi, joking: "The [paparazzi] are my friends, they take good care of me. They are really kind and generous and thoughtful people who make the world a better place."

George Clooney Suing Paparazzi Over Underage Pictures

It’s George Clooney versus the paps! He’s reportedly suing the pesky photographers for crossing the line recently at his home in Italy.

According to TMZ, a photographer climbed over the wall on Clooney’s property and took pictures of a 13-year-old girl changing in one of his guest rooms.

The pap also got shots of George and his new lady friend Elisabetta Canalis getting cozy in the back yard. The pics have been published in two magazines, and now Georgey boy is suing mad.

He released a statement saying, "We're suing two magazines AND a photographer. I don't know about the law in the United States but in Italy it's illegal for photographers to climb over my wall and to take long lens pictures of a 13-year-old girl in her bedroom.

"I draw the line of privacy at that."

Hayden Panettiere Blames Paparazzi For Life's Woes

The 19-year-old actress has spent a lot of time growing up in front of the cameras, having worked in the industry since she could barely walk.

But she’s still not used to the celebrity gossip limelight.

She blames the paparazzi for ruining her relationships, most notably the one she had with Heroes co-star Milo Ventimiglia. Panettiere said she’s pissed by the endless cycle of the public craving details about celebs, and the paparazzi who feed it.

Not that she plays into this by posing in Details or anything.

Hayden at the Teen Choice Awards, hating having her photo taken.

“It’s very, very difficult and people have no idea what they do to peoples’ relationships. They destroy them. The paparazzi and the public,” she told Company.

“The public wants to read about your personal life, and the paparazzi give it to them by nosing into your personal life and saying things that are horrible.”

Sure, she's got a point. But she also dated a 30-year-old guy when she was 18, and stars on a hugely successful show. That's going to attract some attention.

Since breaking up with Milo, she has been linked to British TV presenter Steve Jones (age 32, for those keeping score). She's sported some bikinis and a misspelled tattoo lately, both of which are going to be magnets for attention, too!

Brigitte Bardot and the Original Paparazzi

As fashion legend Brigitte Bardot turns 75, a new exhibition of iconic images of her life through a lens opens in London.

Fittingly placed to coincide with this year’s London Fashion Week, the exhibition at James Hyman Gallery focuses on the 50-year history of the paparazzi and explores Brigitte’s pivotal role in creating an entirely new image of female sexuality and youth fashion.

Alongside exclusive shots of the beautiful Brigitte, the exhibition showcases the work of Tazio Secchiaroli – the man behind the character Paparazzo in Federico Fellini’s La Dolce Vita – and, ironically, the most famous paparazzo ever.

Innovatively charting the development of photography, the collection explores the ever-powerful rise of celebrity and probes our present-day obsession with shots of stars in front of the flashbulbs.

Old begets new as images of Brigitte on the set of Jean-Luc Godard’s Le Mépris point enticingly to Jean Paul Gaultier’s brand-new and exciting collection. Inspired by the seminal film, the s/s 2010 line promises to be presented with elegance by Brigitte lookalike model Lara Stone.

As well-known pictures nestle among previously unseen gems, debating both the history and the future of fashion, this exhibition promises an enthralling and rare experience redolent with meaning for past and present times.

Brigitte Bardot and the Original Paparazzi: An exhibition of rare original vintage photographs
3 September-3 October 2009
James Hyman Gallery, W1 (020 7494 3857)

Gerard Butler bodyguard under investigation for paparazzi flack

Once again, a paparazzo is at the bottom of an ongoing police investigation, this time to question the bodyguard of actor Gerard Butler. Butler is co-starring with Katherine Heigl in "The Ugly Truth," a major motion picture now in wide release.

Currently, Butler is on location filming "The Bounty" and sparking rumors of a possible romance with Jennifer Aniston. Paparazzi who got wind of the shoot have saturated the locale trying to catch the pair in a tell-tale embrace. No amount of denials can keep the curious in line. Allegedly, this potentially inflammatory situation pushed Butler's bodyguard Chris Tsipouras over the line. Unsubstantiated reports say Tsipouras became enraged over the paparazzi's behavior and purposefully damaged the exterior of cameraman James Devaney's car.

This isn't the first time paparazzi have inspired retaliation in an effort to make them disappear. Last year, rapper Kanye West and his manager were arrested after an airport scuffle with a paparazzo devolved into a smashing experience.

I don't think anyone blames Tsipouras for taking matters into his own hands. But when balanced against the rights of a free press under the First Amendment, paparazzi do have a right to work freely i.e. snap photographs, without threat of loss or intentional bodily harm. Property damage, although completely understandable, is not the answer, nor should it be tolerated in a law-abiding society.