Papa Paparazzi

There's a fascinating documentary you can watch on HBO right now called "Smash His Camera", debating the merits of the career of pioneering celebrity photojournalist Ron Galella.

It chronicles the litigious relationship he had with his favorite subject, Jackie Onassis. The curious thing is that his photos of her seem to document his deep affection for her, supported by the way he still talks about her fondly.

What makes the documentary more interesting is that it questions the validity of Ron's art—even further ruminates on the art of photography itself.

I'm going to butcher/paraphrase a quote from the documentary: "Anyone can be a competent photographer... people are only interested in Ron's photographs because of his subjects."

I hate the paparazzi. I dislike the basic idea of people taking pictures of you when you don't want them to. And the lengths some of these people will go to get their shots is stomach-churning.

But I've got to say... Galella's taken some amazing photographs, particularly in the 70s and 80s, documenting a period of time that's fascinating to me. Candid images you couldn't get from a traditional photo shoot.




Roger Ebert on "Smash His Camera"