Immoral?

Dman

Dman

Suspended / Banned
Messages
3,656
Name
Dave
Edit My Images
No
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?
 
I'd refuse to do it to be honest, I'm not in photography to make money at someone elses expense. Not something I could do.
 
Absolutely, definitely, for certain ......
 
Personally I don't see the interest in these celeb mags but they seem to make their cash by selling issues with "papped" celebs or varying familiarness....... and I assume they pay more depending on say an A list looking a bit rough than a C list in Sainsburys? :shrug:

Most of the celebs crave their celebrity status by feeding off Joe Public and many make a fortune doing it, so I guess, that makes them "fair game" to be photographed? Does it come with part and parcel of the job? If no one took any notice of them would they be a celeb?

So in this case, mag is offering £200 or so, you've provided images - nothing (IMO) interesting / naughty etc, other than female with lots of cash goes to look at an Aston or 3 ?

Supply and demand are there. Take the cash. Put it towards camera gear etc.....
 
Lynton said:
and I assume they pay more depending on say an A list looking a bit rough than a C list in Sainsburys? :shrug:
Click to expand...

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.....
 
Dman said:
I think I felt bad because she looked like she'd just got out of bed and wasn't looking her best.....
Click to expand...

I think the Ginger one looks like that 24/7 :gag:

Show me the money, it's an opertunist shot you haven't stalked her.
 
I'd have done it in a heartbeat, but then again i'd probably not recognise the person in the first place :shrug:
 
The only people you're exploiting are the unwashed masses who buy that sort of trash magazine. Fair play.
 
TheBigYin said:
I'd have done it in a heartbeat, but then again i'd probably not recognise the person in the first place :shrug:
Click to expand...

Indeed, I wouldn't have recognised her personally. Cheryl Tweedy on the other hand..... :love:
 
AliB said:
I'd refuse to do it to be honest, I'm not in photography to make money at someone elses expense. Not something I could do.
Click to expand...

Quite... but what expense did the ginger lass suffer? :) A story about her buying a nice car.. says she's got money and is doing well! I'd be quite happy to be papped buying an Aston.. it'd show all them ex's of mine who's doing well... shame it'll never happen mind :lol:

I'd have done it. £200 for that is easy money :)
 
Sorry, it's win win win IMO.
Celebs know what they're getting into, mags need the pics and togs need the money.

I don't see this is at anybody's expense or is dirty money. Do it, take it, spend it.
 
Absolutely I would do it.

I would also see who would be willing to pay the most for the images as well
 
Keith W said:
Absolutely I would do it.

I would also see who would be willing to pay the most for the images as well
Click to expand...

To be honest, they were technically some of the worst shots I've ever taken. Hanging out of a car window after numerous beers in low light at f/5.6 :gag:
 
purpleclouds said:
Quite... but what expense did the ginger lass suffer? :)
Click to expand...

By not being able to go out looking for a car without someone pointing a camera at her because they can make £200 from some low brow scum mag :razz:
 
I'm a student. I'd crawl through fire for £200!

It may not feel quite right, but a celebrity gets most of their money from being famous. We only know who celebrities are because they're on TV, billboards etc. Their livelihood comes down to people knowing who they are effectively, and I think this sort of thing comes with the territory.

Following them around, stalking, camping outside their homes etc is a bit too far, but your example is not much different to street photography really. Except street photography will leave you poor, even if it's excellent, whereas if there's a celeb and an aston martin in the shot, even if it's rubbish someone will still pay £200 :D
 
If I could actually recognise any of these so called celebs, I would have no hesitation in photographing them and selling the images to the highest bidder.
 
AliB said:
By not being able to go out looking for a car without someone pointing a camera at her because they can make £200 from some low brow scum mag :razz:
Click to expand...

As has been pointed out, that's the lifestyle she has subscribed to. If she didn't want to be spotted, a hoodie and a big pair of sunglasses would have done the trick... or perhaps getting the dealer to drive the car to her home for a viewing, I'm sure they can accommodate such things for big spenders!

You are confusing yourself, with a celebrity..

Besides, I'm sure they sell Astons on Amazon too these days ;):p
 
Perhaps I have a different view on it because I don't do the whole celebrity mag thing anyway and as for the lads mags :gag:

The question was, would I do it and my own answer is no.

Perhaps if more of us were disinterested to the extent I am then the whole media circus would collapse :D
 
£200 for 5 mins doing your best papparrazi impression, sounds like a great bit of opportunism to me.
Don't feel like it's immoral, just supply and demand, celebs know the score and it's part of their job to get photographed shopping as apparently people like seeing 'that girl from the tele that's not Cheryl or nadine or Sarah or that other one that talks a lot' kicking tyres in an Aston dealer.
 
AliB said:
Perhaps I have a different view on it because I don't do the whole celebrity mag thing anyway and as for the lads mags :gag:

The question was, would I do it and my own answer is no.

Perhaps if more of us were disinterested to the extent I am then the whole media circus would collapse :D
Click to expand...

I have absolutely no interest in celebs or their magazines either.. but perhaps that just makes it easier for me to do. I wouldn't go out looking for the opportunity, but if I stumbled across it... why not :)

I would quite happily watch the end of the celebrity culture go up with a bang, but it won't happen :(
 
Photographing a victim of crime, politician or non-celeb news story is questionable...

But photographing someone who makes their living from being photographed and videod? What's the problem?!

Fame is her career. She should pay you!
 
I think there could be a moral argument if you had followed her to a quiet beach and got her topless, climbed into private property... but in effect the shot you did is no different to a candid we see on here every day. Obviously the mags would pay nothing for a well composed candid, sharp and looking good!
 
These things almost always hinge on the circumstances, at least from a moral point of view. A good test is to ask how you would you feel if it was you?
 
if it feels right..do it
if it feels wrong.. dont do it

Life can be that simple :)
 
HoppyUK said:
These things almost always hinge on the circumstances, at least from a moral point of view. A good test is to ask how you would you feel if it was you?
Click to expand...

If Heat magazine were willing to pay a couple of hundred quid for a picture of me, I'd be quite chuffed :D
 
You could always donate the money to a charity if you feel wrong about taking it yourself?
 
A large chunk of my day job is buying pictures of celebrities to stick in magazines - mostly posed, but a fair few random shots. They'd only have used another image if they hadn't used yours...all good.
 
I would do it, I have done it but never sent the photos to anyone.

£200 will buy a few weeks of food or a few tanks of fuel.
 
The ginger one? No way!

Not on any moral grounds, just that I have more respect for my sensor.

The thought of her behind the wheel of an Aston makes me feel sorry for the car.
 
If "celebrities" did not want attention from paparazzi, togs and snappers, then they would not choose that lifestyle in the first place. They love the attention, they love being photographed, and they love being featured in magazines - any publicity after all.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top