Looking back on more than 25 years in the photo business, and still counting, my memories are often turning to the thousands of captured moments in black and white and then back to the same wonderful world of color. For more than ten years of my career I was living and working in Los Angeles, California, taking photos of celebrities, mostly on the red carpet.
from that description you might think I was one of the paparazzi, those obnoxious stalkers of famous people photos. May I have stood shoulder to shoulder with some of the paparazzi during my time on the red carpet, but I've been hunting for a very different image types.
It started back in March 1992, when I was hired as a runway photographer who for years Oscars. As someone who enjoys shooting people, I have always appreciated the subtleties of any shoot. To get the best results, you must pay attention to all details. clothing and hair styling, make up, time and angles of light wherever they come from, and different expressions of the subject
When you hunt for the perfect pictures of famous people, these May take thousands of photographs during the event and from all the exposure you are very lucky to get one or two good shots. It is very rare that all of the puzzle come together in a single click. This is probably why most of the paparazzi to shoot for quantity, not quality.
my official work on this sunny day back in March (and for the next 10 years) is to shoot the standard posed paparazzi style pictures of famous people. My agency would stand, smiling at the camera type shots ready to be splashed on the tabloids around the world the next day. It took me only a few seconds to realize that I'll be missing a huge opportunity if I limited the photos on this narrow view.
As I stood shoulder to shoulder with other photographers in the world famous 60-meter carpet watching the waves of Fame pass just a few feet in front of me, I've played a double role. I have been a photographer for snapping my agency Standard and celebrity photos with my other camera and mini-telephoto lens, I shot for my personal collection, mostly in black and white.
for as many years as I covered the Oscars, there was really nothing can prepare you for such an event. Apart from time pressure and all the technical maneuvers requires this type of shooting, near the circus atmosphere is all around you creates an unusual work zone.
This event attracts hundreds of photographers lined up shoulder to shoulder with TV crews, reporters and producers, all dressed in black tie and evening gowns. There were long lines for parking attendants in red uniforms, a huge crowd of screaming fans to hear their favorite stars and a dozen helicopters circling endlessly around a bee hive. In less than two hours over a thousand limousines drop off after celebrity celebrity with each arrival of a star while it is invisible "on" button for the media machine set off the shock and awe of flashes and activities.
and deep into the madness that is Oscar, somewhere behind all the smiles, bright lights and endless discussions are those magical moments that are waiting to be caught. With my old 35 mm SLR and the mini-telephoto lens, I waited for the perfect storm that has interrupted the red carpet. In a strange way, and those familiar faces crossed my path, a mixture of screen legends, super models, music icons, foreign directors and action heroes, my heart becomes. My senses all merge in my virtual hunt for those perfect pictures of famous people and my job is a very meditative quality.
of this kind of photos are few and far between, but they tell a story that the average star shot just can not. With much effort and patience and a little luck, a photograph can open the door to the mystery that we all love to create some of our celebrities. As any movie fan can tell you, smiling head shot is fine, but the famous photographs of people who cut through the facade, even slightly, are worth their weight in gold. These are images that can raise our consciousness of the individual, as well as an art form.
I no longer live in Los Angeles and more to shoot an annual event known worldwide as the Oscars. My photos muse has taken me into other aspects of the media, but whenever I want those magic again this afternoon, I can simply pull out my special book, my famous people photos, the ones that I carefully hunted down oh so long ago and am still proud of today.
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