Immoral?

Would I do it for free? Absolutely not. Would I do it for £200? Yes, if it was an opportunistic snap requiring next to no effort and I was in my current financial position (i.e. Student). My morals can be swayed by money :D Would I do it for a career? No, I hate the industry.

I don't really buy in to the whole celebrity culture. I don't feed celebrity's egos by buying magazines with their pictures all over. I'll support their profession by buying their product if I like it, in this case that would mean buying a Girls Aloud CD (not likely!). I'd rather that was as far as their public image went. I don't like the idea of celebrity watching. Who actually cares if this girl buys an Aston Martin or not? That's not of interest to me and I'd be reluctant to support that industry.

So as a one off yes I'd do it in my present financial position, but I could never work as a pap or for the comics that publish images/photo's (whatever you'd rather they be called, seems there's discussion about this currently in another thread) because it's an industry I really don't value or like. If you feel otherwise that's fine, you do what makes you comfortable and allows you to sleep at night.
 
no, not immoral


Dman said:
So, a few weeks ago we were on our way home from a barbecue and I have all my kit in the boot. Going past the local Aston Martin garage, my wife spots one of the girls from Girls Aloud (ginger one). She starts getting excited because Heat magazine would give me £200 if I 'papped' her, so she turned the car around.

Within a couple of minutes, I've got the zoom lens on at around 1/60 (Only the f4.5-5.6 version) and I've taken a couple of shots. I crop them for her and think no more of it, although I did feel that it was all a bit wrong.

Anyway, she gets an email from Heat this afternoon, apparently they used it in their last issue and wanted bank details to forward the payment. A nice little earner, but I still feel like it's 'dirty money' so to speak.

Would anyone else have done this for the possibility of earning a quick buck, or would you have taken a moral stance and refused to do it?
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I bet she wants to buy one of the new "mini" Astons based on a remodelled Toyota IQ?

I would love to have the money to in an Aston Martin Garage kicking some tyres of a DB9. But at least no one would want to tog my ugly face whilst I was doing it.

Get enough £200 payments and you could be buying the Aston, opertunity taken.

The last remaining question is who got to spend the money.....?
 
Eighth Avenue said:
if it feels wrong but you'll get £200.. DO IT!!

I would DEFINITELY do it, to be honest I'd love to spend one day as a pap to see what it's like :)
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Friend of mine stayed out in new york with a mate from here who is now living in NY and working as a pap. He went out with him one night chasing celebs round town - sounded like an interesting night but it would be a pretty horrible job imo.
 
grum said:
Friend of mine stayed out in new york with a mate from here who is now living in NY and working as a pap. He went out with him one night chasing celebs round town - sounded like an interesting night but it would be a pretty horrible job imo.
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That must have been amazing but must admit it would be fun for a few night but must be tedious doing it full time. Having said that, get one good shot and you could take a few years out :)
 
Dman said:
So, a few weeks ago we were on our way home from a barbecue and I have all my kit in the boot. Going past the local Aston Martin garage, my wife spots one of the girls from Girls Aloud (ginger one). She starts getting excited because Heat magazine would give me £200 if I 'papped' her, so she turned the car around.

Within a couple of minutes, I've got the zoom lens on at around 1/60 (Only the f4.5-5.6 version) and I've taken a couple of shots. I crop them for her and think no more of it, although I did feel that it was all a bit wrong.

Anyway, she gets an email from Heat this afternoon, apparently they used it in their last issue and wanted bank details to forward the payment. A nice little earner, but I still feel like it's 'dirty money' so to speak.

Would anyone else have done this for the possibility of earning a quick buck, or would you have taken a moral stance and refused to do it?
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She is a person in a public place and there is no law against taking photos in a public place. I don't see anything wrong, and it's hardly taking advantage.
 
If it was a model that you had hired to pose in front of a topend car showroom, in the hope that your image would get published / sold / credited...... would that be any different? you took the shot in the foregone knowledge that it MIGHT earn you some money. It paid off, well done, mission complete, you have papp'd for a day!

Send her a thank you card for improving your life through her fame, I would ;)
 
I would have done it at the drop of a hat, and would have put the money in my high end glass fund.
 
£200 for a dodgy photo, hanging out of a car-window...?
Bonus!

Do it! I'd probably not recognise her either BTW...
 
I wouldn't say it's immoral but considering that you've taken advantage of a rare instance and it's left you feeling slightly uneasy or ambivalent, would you do it again?

Would I have done the same? Maybe...:shrug:

I suppose the ultimate question is: Would you do it continuously for a living?

A paps success seems to rely in being in the right place at the right time or make considerable effort to intrude/invade someones private affairs whereas you've stumbled across the right place at the right time purely by chance.

A paps photographic and artistic skills aren't the elements that make them the cash, it's the tracking, hunting, recon, stakeout skills that bring in the cheese, oh and not forgetting a large amount of luck = Britney's clever decision - "Tonight I shall go commando!".

Even if celebs are aware that exploitation comes with the territory, you may be one that'll be pushing those daisies all the better knowing that your living was earned more honestly.

I guess that for me, the paparazzi mechanics doesn't have much to do with the kind of photography I know and understand.
 
Tyke Tiler said:
I wouldn't say it's immoral but considering that you've taken advantage of a rare instance and it's left you feeling slightly uneasy or ambivalent, would you do it again?

Would I have done the same? Maybe...:shrug:

I suppose the ultimate question is: Would you do it continuously for a living?

A paps success seems to rely in being in the right place at the right time or make considerable effort to intrude/invade someones private affairs whereas you've stumbled across the right place at the right time purely by chance.

A paps photographic and artistic skills aren't the elements that make them the cash, it's the tracking, hunting, recon, stakeout skills that bring in the cheese, oh and not forgetting a large amount of luck = Britney's clever decision - "Tonight I shall go commando!".

Even if celebs are aware that exploitation comes with the territory, you may be one that'll be pushing those daisies all the better knowing that your living was earned more honestly.

I guess that for me, the paparazzi mechanics doesn't have much to do with the kind of photography I know and understand.
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Quite.

I met a freelance Sun togger in Afghan last year who was branching out from his usual Pap duties as he'd got sick and tired of it all.
He showed me a few of his better-earners and without exception they were terrible photographs - no artistic merit whatsoever - proper long-lens 'surveillance' work.
The monetary sums he was quoting for each picture was ridiculous though: "paid for my new car with this one - paid for the conservatory with this one - bought a new plasma TV with this one" and on and on and on...

A chance encounter like yours is fine.

But actively persuing those celelbs, day-in, day-out? I wouldn't unless I really had to.
 
£200 for a chance encounter is fine. its not like you ve been camping outside her house.
 
As a woman, I hate celeb & fashion magazines. I refuse to read them. But I don't see a big problem with snapping them and making a little earning from it, after all it's still doing her good by giving her exposure, as long as its not one of those bitchy things. There are far worse ways of making cash, like Kipax says, do what you feel is right.
 
I can't stand the celeb mags either but I'd have taken the shot too... I can't see anything wrong with having the sense to make the most of an unplanned opportunity. If the OP got £200 out of it, that's fine. :)

On a personal note, I'd have felt a bit uncomfortable... I was walking along the prom here in Aber a few weeks ago and spotted Simon Weston (Falklands vet) walking into one of the seafront hotels. I had the 5DMKII and the 70-200mm on the front so I was more than able to get a couple of shots. I didn't bother because I have a lot of respect for the work he's done since he left the army. I did think about going up to him and asking if he'd mind me taking a few shots but by the time I decided to cross the road, he was in the hotel so I left it.

If he'd been some 'C-list' celeb, I wouldn't have hesitated but this guy deserved to be treated differently.

Si
 
Spiritflier said:
If he'd been some 'C-list' celeb, I wouldn't have hesitated but this guy deserved to be treated differently.

Si
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Interesting that you think it's fair game unless the subject has 'proved' their worthiness as a society contributor .... or is it really down to peoples own comfort zone of what's right or wrong? How you perceive them or how you would be perceived for pressing the shutter...?

just playing devil's advocate here but some interesting thoughts opened up. So who is fair game for a quick selling snap or who should be left alone? Surely it has to be a personal decision.... as Kipax mentioned, if it feels right do, if not.. don't.
 
I often feel sorry for celebrities who are hounded by the press day in and day out but then I think 'they chose this life of fame and fortune', 'they seek out the press and photographers when it suits them'...

£200 for being in the right place at the right time ... congrats

Would be good to see the image ...
 
Dman said:
This particular rag pay £200 regardless. I think I felt bad because she looked like she'd just got out of bed and wasn't looking her best.....
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That has got to be worth at least £300, surely?
You were ripped off mate :D
 
phil8139 said:
Interesting that you think it's fair game unless the subject has 'proved' their worthiness as a society contributor .... or is it really down to peoples own comfort zone of what's right or wrong? How you perceive them or how you would be perceived for pressing the shutter...
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In this particular instance, I consider Simon Weston to be someone who does a lot of good and through no fault of his own, has already suffered enough. On the flipside of that though, I'm sure he's aware of his own status and has already got used to having his picture taken. It was just a personal decision... If it had been some glam rag celeb, I wouldn't have hesitated to grab a shot.

You play the cards that are in front of you... Exercising discretion is half the fun. :)

Si
 
I take the view that the magazine will print something, so why not your image.....

If it is not the sort of image that will cause distress to the subject (probably not too embarrassing looking at an Aston, unless you are the CEO of Mercedes), and if you feel bad, give the money to a charity like "Help for Heroes", or the local dog's home.
 
If Heat magazine is giving out £200 a throw for celeb shots it would be immoral not to take it surely. More worrying is the fact that someone in your family obviously reads Heat.
 
Bob_D said:
I take the view that the magazine will print something, so why not your image.....

If it is not the sort of image that will cause distress to the subject (probably not too embarrassing looking at an Aston, unless you are the CEO of Mercedes), and if you feel bad, give the money to a charity like "Help for Heroes", or the local dog's home.
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She'd appreciate that.
 
Yeap I would do it in a flash... no pun intended.
I don't see any problem "papping" a celebrity if spotted out in the open as it were. The real scummy paps are the ones that sneak over walls and invade the privacy of the celebs... they should be shot and not with a camera.
 
Spiritflier said:
You play the cards that are in front of you... Exercising discretion is half the fun. :)

Si
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Thats the whole point though, if you're a celeb hunter your morals must take a backseat, in this instance it's like winning a good payout on a scratch card.

glad you took it in the manner it was intended Si. (y)
 
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