The Secret Life Of Paparazzi 15 Things You Didn't Know About Celebrity Photographers

We spend so much of our time idolizing celebs. We want to know what they're up to, who they're meeting, where they're eating lunch, and what shops they're browsing. We are so curious to know what's in their grocery carts, what cars they're driving, and where they're vacationing that we often don't stop to think about the background stories we're all reading in the tabloids. After all, we would never be able to catch glimpses of these behind-the-scenes celebrity lives if it weren't for the people behind the cameras who caught these lifestyle shots in the first place.

Celebrity photographers may be an afterthought when we're checking out Hilary Duff's beach bod or what kind of sweats Nick Jonas wears to the gym, but the truth of the matter is that those images are not as easy to capture as we may all think. The life of the paparazzi is a difficult one that many people don't understand. Between enduring terrible weather, terrible people, and even aggressive celebs (we're looking at you Alec Baldwin, Julia Roberts, and Halle Berry), the job is an intense one that many can't survive.

In case you're all wondering about what it would be like to ditch the 9-to-5 and hit the streets for a pap gig of your own, hold your horses and read up on the behind-the-scenes lifestyle of the career that's so commonly snubbed in Hollywood.

15 One Great Shot Can Pay Between $6,000 & $9,000

That's right. One great shot can pay thrice over your monthly rent, and then some! That's a heck of a lot of dough, especially if you sell a few good ones in a month. We can totally see why someone would want to spend gruelling hours in the cold, rain, or scorching heat, dodging traffic, and literally being looked down upon by others, to get that perfect shot. However, it can take a looooooong time to get that amazing picture that so many other members of the paparazzi are also trying to get. Many paps work months before even getting paid, so even though they could have one great payout one month, it could be a long time before they see another chunk of cash. Most celebrity photographers have to really stretch those big pay cheques out just to ensure all their expenses are covered month to month.

14 The Competition Is Cut-Throat

Like we mentioned in the last point, paps are battling each other on the daily to get the best shot out of every other photographer on site. If they can get the best angle of a celeb, under the best conditions, with the best camera that captures all the details, they may just be able to sell that picture among the thousands of others that people are hoping to sell. But most of the time, that's not the case. Usually some other pap has been able to beat you to the punch at selling those images to a magazine, which makes all your effort of trying to snag a shot of a celeb in their hot tub useless. Photographers will literally trip over each other during every celebrity spotting because they're wanting the pay cheque. If they don't act aggressively, it could mean that someone else will be stealing their pay out that they've worked so hard for.

13 When You Catch A Big-Time Celeb, Other Paparazzi Members Treat You With Respect

When you just get started out in the celebrity photography business, it can be extra tough to make any impact in your field. Since you're new, you're yet to pick up on the details and knowledge about the biz that helps you get a leg up. You're also quickly identified as a noob by the gang who are regularly out on the streets making a living. They'll not only view you as a possible threat since you're an addition to the already competitive environment they're working in, but they'll actually try to heckle you and "weed you out". But until you  land a big-time celeb and get the "money shot", so to speak, you're not really valued. However, once you've made it by photographer standards, only then will they treat you differently and welcome you into the industry, and they may even help you out from time to time.

12 There Are Almost Zero Women Who Work In The Field

While it may be unconventional that women aren't found lurking between bushes and behind dumpsters, it's probably not a huge shock given the competitive nature of the biz. Of course, many women are competitive and equally skilled with a camera as any man can be (and may even be a touch better at it, given a woman's keen attention to detail), but the truth is that it's an industry dominated by men because it's not only competitive, but aggressive. Photographers can literally trample each other in pursuit of a celeb, with zero remorse about who gets left behind or hurt. Women can be more vulnerable and timid when push comes to actual shove. So while women do enter this field, they tend to leave pretty soon after beginning because they realize it's just too hard of a lifestyle to adapt to.

11 Paparazzi Can Really Hate Each Other

Aside from the obvious competitive nature that brews in their stomachs when another celebrity photographer gets an angle that most would only dream of, the rivalries are much more complicated than that. Since every photographer has their own strategy for capturing those great photos, some of those techniques can be pretty conniving and devious. They may actually throw another photographer under the bus (both literally and figuratively), in order to have some leverage over them. They spit on each other, step on each other, and beat each other up… deliberately, not by accident. They'll even run each other off the road when they're in pursuit of a mobile celeb. Some paps have also been known to "tattle" on their fellow photographers in hopes of them being scorned for things such as bad driving or photobombing their pics. Many paps say that their is a "silent abuse" between photographers, but it's also very visible, physical abuse, too.

10 Most Paparazzi Are Friends With The Celebrities They Take Photos Of

While it may be an unexpected reality, since everyone assumes that celebs hate the paparazzi, there are many celebrities who actually want to have their photos taken. After all, the better the photos, the better the publicity for the B-listers who want to make it to the top. The photographers who tend to follow around specific celebs are the ones who benefit the most from this give and take relationship. Celebs get to know these photographers on a personal level, and so they will work with them specifically if they want certain shots taken of them. Celebs will get to know the pic-snapping gang on a first-name basis and may even laugh and joke with them while getting from A to B.

9 The Expectation That Paparazzi Taunt Celebs Is A Lie

Stereotypes about the paparazzi tend to suggest that the desperate photographers have no morals or empathy for the celebs they're hunting down, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Most of the time, they try to be friendly with celebs and make them smile. After all, a smiling celeb makes for a better snap than one showing no emotion. One former pap has said that in her three years of snapping pics of celebs, 90% of the time it was a friendly encounter and she had never seen or been part of any negative interactions between the paparazzi and celebs. The truth is, everyone is just trying to make a living (both photographers and famous folk), and most celebs understand that. Just as much as the paparazzi understands that maybe the celeb just wants to be left alone, they also know that it's either this, or going broke, so they may as well try and make everyone happy.

8 Celebs "Work" The Paparazzi When They Want To

One of the best strategies for celebs to make friends with the paparazzi is not only to help make the experience more enjoyable for everyone, but for their own benefit to get ahead when the time is right. Stars such as Kim Kardashian, Paris Hilton, and Cameron Diaz are all "pap-savvy" and know how to "work" the photographers at times when they're looking particularly hot, or are going to be somewhere with someone that will result in great publicity for their own careers. For example, when Cameron Diaz and Justin Timberlake broke up, Cameron wanted the paparazzi on her at all times to capture the fun she was having without JT by her side. Low move? Maybe. Smart? Yes. Basically, they all use each other to make more money. Everyone is happy.

7 When You're With Specific Celebs A Lot Of The Time, You Start To Care For Them

When the infamous meltdown happened with Britney Spears back in 2007, it was at a time when the paparazzi was around her at all times (thus, the umbrella attack). Aside from the swarms of photographers who happened to be popping out of the blue, Britney had a small group of regulars who had been capturing photos of her for years. These photographers knew her on a personal level, and she also interacted with them regularly. It was during this meltdown that this close and specific group really felt empathy for her and some chose to not even profit off of her misery. Instead, they felt protective of her and Britney viewed them as her only true friends, which is probably why she ended up dating one of them.

6 You Become Desensitized To The Stardom

Just like anything you spend a lot of time with, the excitement and novelty of it tends to wear off. This is why we refer to new relationships as the "honeymoon stage". After a long enough exposure to the thrill, you adapt and it just starts becoming meh. This is exactly what happens to paparazzi. Since their day jobs are to literally hunt down stars, coming in close contact to them is no longer awe-inspiring. While it may have been the case in the beginning, every celeb just starts to be the same. You quickly learn that they're just people like everyone else, and so the thrill fades away. However, some paparazzi members have admitted that if it's a particularly HUGE celeb who is hard to capture on film, like George Clooney or Brad Pitt, they do tend to get a little excited.

5 It's Not All About The Photos, You've Got To Have Many Different Skills

If you're dreaming of grabbing your Nikon D850, a shoulder strap, and a bag of trail mix to try and capture a few great shots of a local celeb, keep dreaming. Just because you've got a camera and the ability to focus a lens, doesn't mean that you can cut it in the paparazzi world. First of all, your camera has got to be one of the best out there in order to capture the lighting, details, and zoom you need for those magazines to purchase those shots from you. But the right camera isn't all you need. You've got to have additional skills such as "stealth mode" and sneak capabilities. Without the ability to travel undetected, you may as well give up now. Paparazzi also has to have great intuition, research and detective skills, street smarts, the ability to navigate your hood, the knack for persuasion, and a deep understanding of the celeb in question; where are they going, what are they interested in, what are their schedules like?

4 It's An Expensive Life, And If You're Not Good At It, You Could Go Broke

The pap life may seem as glamorous as being a celeb - what with those big payouts from big-time magazines and the ability to hang around luxe neighbourhoods 24/7 - but achieving success and big pay cheques takes time and a helluva lot of effort. Just merely being part of the paparazzi includes a slew of expenses that you wouldn't initially think about. For example, the camera equipment alone can cost upwards of $30,000! You'll also be paying out of pocket every day for expenses such as eating on-the-go, gas, and paying for tips to learn of where celebs will be and when. Add the fact that most of these celebs are hanging out in hella expensive neighbourhoods, and you're looking at an easy $50 just for a stop at a trendy Hollywood cafe for breakfast. If you work tirelessly for that one great shot, it could take weeks - if not months - to see any money coming in.

3 You Can Either Be Employed By An Agency Or Work For Yourself

Just like most careers nowadays, you can either work for a company or pursue the freelance life. Both have their perks, and it really depends on what you value in terms of what direction you take. If you're employed by an agency, you have the camaraderie of "pap pals" who you can strategize with and vent about the day-to-day of this lifestyle. You'll also have a regular pay day and other work perks that you're not going to get by working for yourself. However, all the pictures you take are owned by the agency and, even if you don't particularly want to publish a picture, that decision is not yours to make. If you're freelancing it, you get to set your own hours and choose which shots are worth sharing and ultimately selling. You also can take time off whenever you want, like after you get multiple pay-outs and want to take a month-long vaycay. But one thing you might not expect: it gets really lonely out there.

2 You're Either Always On The Move (Or You Might Be A Squatter)

One thing you've also got to figure out when you're a member of the paparazzi tribe is what kind of photographer you want to be: the squatter or the follower. Some paps travel all over the city in a wild and frantic rat-race to hunt down celebs in different neighbourhoods. You could be the uber-mobile pap, who drives all over getting tip-offs as to the whereabouts of certain celebs, and trying to beat the mad rush to the gate. If you're an impatient person, or just hate waiting around, this route may be your best option. Although, it can be stressful. Or, you could be the type who waits around endlessly, desperately hoping that one specific celeb is going to come out of hiding. You'll be camera-ready the moment they leave their home and enter their chauffeured vehicle. If you're more of the camper type, you'll quickly learn that the paparazzi have labeled this term "doorstepping".

1 Paparazzi Who Have Been Doing This A Long Time Pick Up On The Little Details

When someone has been working in the biz for a long time (which could be as little as three years in this fast-paced industry), they're going to be able to fine-tune their skills in the field and pick up on the slightest details while on the hunt to land a pic of a celeb, and it's often that they're able to get a positive lead on a celeb. It's almost as if they develop a sixth sense for the job, being able to virtually sniff out a celeb a mile away. These seasoned veterans will be able to recognize a specific celeb's car, the way a star walks or styles their hair, and will generally just get a "feeling" and act on it, and it usually ends up panning out. Whether it's just a deep awareness of the celeb in question - knowing what they like and where they usually go - they almost begin to think like them and can predict their every move.

Credits: Cosmopolitan.com