Shoot to thrill: Inside the world of paparazzi

• PHILIP MWANIKI takes a close behind the scenes look at the multi-million dollar business that keeps the paparazzi stalking your favourite celebrity and can, like was the case last week, end in disaster.

In showbiz, celebrities are the currency and the mega international stars, who are some of the most sought after personalities are a prized possession. Millions are obsessed by them and their pictures circulate far and wide.

Welcome to the world of Paparazzi. A celebrities’ life is their business. A picture is worth a thousand words but in this business, it is a multi-billion dollar industry that depends exclusively on the hawk-eyed and blunt behaviour of the people celebrities love to hate.

They are relentless in their pursuit of their targets and their pictures, mostly unflattering, fetch millions from gossip magazines that splash the pictures on their covers.

Fans love to see their stars look “ordinary” without make up and doing daily chores like shopping, walking their dogs, hanging out with family and yes, even eating. The magazines of course make millions but for the celebrities, the target of the mega zoom lenses, it is a bitter-sweet relationship.

A celebrities worth can be told by the number of cameras that come out whenever they leave their houses. The whole A-List celebrities rank is based on how much a particular celebrity’s picture is in demand.

Also, the more a celebrity is seen in magazines, the higher the demand to have them in movies, endorsing products and releasing music. It shows the fans know them and they draw attention. It’s a typical catch-22 situation.

Stars like Beyonce, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Angelina Jolie, Halle Berry, Kanye West, David Beckham, Kim Kardashian are some of the most sought after by the paparazzi and a picture can easily sell a magazine and that means more money for the cameraman as he can make thousands of dollars off one picture.

The more scandalous or unflattering the picture is, the higher it sells for. If one can get a picture of Beyonce without make up and chowing down on food like a commoner, or her kissing another man that is not her husband rap mogul, Jay-Z, then the paparazzi can afford to take a vacation to St Barts. Pictures of newborns are also a prized commodity.

They will go to any lengths for that one picture and it doesn’t always end well. Many are still stunned by the death of a 29-year-old photographer who was hit by a car and killed on Tuesday as he crossed the road after snapping pictures of teen sensation Justin Bieber’s new white Ferrari.

Police in Los Angeles said the 18-year-old Canadian-born heart throb was not in the luxury sports car when it was pulled over for speeding on New Year’s Day and the unidentified photographer was hit by an oncoming vehicle.

“While I was not present nor directly involved with this tragic accident, my thoughts and prayers are with the family of the victim,” said Bieber in a statement relayed to several US showbiz websites.

The death of the camera man has reignited the debate in Hollywood on whether the paparazzi need to be reined in and several celebrities took to social media to blast the people who were labelled as “the last of the real hunters” in the movie Paparazzi wanted tougher laws.

Actor and singer Miley Cyrus slammed paparazzi after the death calling them “dangerous” and saying such an incident “was bound to happen.”

“Hope this paparazzi/JB accident brings on some changes in ‘13,” the singer/actress tweeted Tuesday night. “Paparazzi are dangerous! Wasn’t Princess Di enough of a wake up call?!”

The death of Princess Diana on 31 August 1997 was blamed on paparazzi who were in hot pursuit of her and boyfriend Dodi Fayed.

One of the most famous of paparazzi’s, Ron Galella is best known for hounding Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis from New York to the Greek Isles for years, a situation that culminated in a 1973 restraining order banning him from coming within 125 feet (38 metres) of the former first lady.

After that, Galella still would don disguises, hideaway in trees and taxis and even violate his restraining order in order get another image of Jackie O.

They use many tactics to get that one photo that nobody else will or can and like Galella, they can follow one star abroad.