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How the paparazzi were created out of the postwar Italian film industry

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All of us, no matter who we are, have an opinion on the paparazzi. Many photographers believe that they’re the lowest form of life that wields a camera. Celebrities also usually aren’t great fans of them, either – particularly after the events that allegedly led up to this incident in 1997. But they’re here to stay and it’s unlikely they’re going to disappear any time soon. But how did they begin to exist in the first place?

This video from Nerdwriter takes a look at the history of the paparazzi, all the way back to the origins of the Italian film industry. An industry that movie fan and fascist dictator Benito Mussolini attempted to create prior to World War 2 when he opened the 4.3 million square foot Cinecittà Studios in 1937. But it was the postwar era that created the paparazzi after Cinecittà went through something of a transformation.

How I photographed the one and only Mike Tyson

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Every so often a photoshoot comes along that both excites you and terrifies you at the same time, and today’s article is about one such instance.

When I was in college, and more specifically in Russian History 401 at ASU, I got a phone call and had to leave class, much to my teachers chagrin. It was Getty Images (my rep at the time) with a photo request for me to photograph the one and only, Mike Tyson. To add a little stress to the mix, I had less than two days to prepare for the shoot and at the time I hadn’t worked with that many celebrities.

Kim Kardashian sued for posting photo of herself to Instagram, hires personal photographer to share his photos from now on

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Kim Kardashian seems to be following the celebrity trend of posting photos of herself to Instagram without photographer’s permission. And just like many celebrities before her – she got sued over it. Photographer Saeed Bolden is suing Kardashian after she shared a photo that she took of her and Kanye West. Funnily enough, she hired a personal photographer after the incident in order to avoid future legal dispute.

Actor Bill Murray accosted a photographer at Martha’s Vineyard restaurant

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Disagreements between celebrities and photographers aren’t all that uncommon. On Wednesday night, famous actor and comedian Bill Murray got into a dispute with photographer Peter Simon at a Martha’s Vineyard restaurant Lola’s. According to the police report, Murray accosted Simon and he looked furious. And there were some “Do you know who I am?” that emerged during the conflict.

Anti-paparazzi scarf has become a popular celebrity fashion accessory that’s rendered completely useless by turning off the flash

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It’s a neat idea.  Anti-paparazzi clothing.  Clothes that makes photographing you a fruitless exercise.  The idea first came up at the beginning of last year, when Chris Holmes came up with the Anti-Paparazzi Collection.  This recently popular version has been made by ISHU.

It’s a fairly simple concept, that works on exactly the same principles as signs on the highway that shine bright in your car’s headlights, or Hi-Vis clothing to help cyclists and pedestrians be seen when out in the dark.  For those applications, it works brilliantly.

An Optical Illusion That Turns Celebrities Photos Into Monsters (But Only In Your Mind)

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Take a minute to watch the video above. Focus on the middle cross. Now watch it again and focus on either on the sides.

We have grown and were taught that celebrity headshots represent the ultimate beauty. And they usually do. But not always. An optical illusion called the “Flashed Face Distortion Effect”.

But…. It turns out that if you place two faces (attractive as they may be) next to each other and flash them rapidly, both faces features become exaggerated. While this is a relatively new find, Matthew B. Thompson explains some of its aspects:

Attorney Faces Suspension After Photoshoping Herself Into Photos With Celebrities

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A California lawyer, Svitlana Sangary, is facing legal trouble of her own after she was caught posting fake photos to her business website. Sangary added herself to dozens of photos, making the images appear as though she were personal acquaintances of different celebrities and politicians. The California Bar Association is now suggesting to the Supmreme Court that Sangary’s license be suspend for 6 months, followed by a 2 1/2 year probation period.

In her response to the disciplinary charges, Sangray sent the court a mini-novel which the courts called a “16-page soliloquy with little to no rational connection to the charges.” According to CNN, inside those 16 pages of  irrational response, Sangray attached a copy of an email she received which was addressed from President Obama (with whom she “posed” with for one of her photos) asking her to donate “$3 or more” to help his political campaign. 

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