Life imitating art

Don't get me started on the glorification of paparazzis at the expense of serious photojournalism. It is even more offensive when the photographer becomes a celebrity himself. The upcoming HBO documentary on 17-year-old Austin Visschedyk continues this trend.

Here's the trailer for "Teenage Paparazzo":

Speaking of celebrity paparazzis, Austin reminds me of Ron Galella, who arguably invented the genre. His iconic pictures of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and other stars are seldom matched by today's practitioners. I've had to reconsider my opinion of him a bit after watching the documentary "Smash His Camera". The guy is still doing it at age 79.

_{Ron Galella / Wire Image file}
Photographer Ron Galella chases Jacqueline Kennedy in New York in this 1971 picture.

Trailer for "Smash His Camera":