Paparazzi Struggle to Scrape by as Celebrities Stay in their Homes

As people sit at home with nothing to do but peruse the internet, demand for celebrity photos has soared. But with hot spots and movie sets shutdown, and red-carpet events canceled, the only source for celebrity images is casual street snaps. Along with the rest of us, however, celebrities are confined to their homes and these photo ops are few and far between. Randy Bauer, founder of celebrity photo agency Bauer-Griffin, reported that his agency’s photo output dropped almost 95% overnight.

As a result, paparazzi photographers are competing for the same few photos and even those are obscured by mask and sunglasses. On the bright side, the nature of paparazzi photography allows for social distancing and, for the first time, gig workers are eligible for unemployment benefits due to coronavirus.

Image courtesy of © Ben Kelway Editions.

£20 Newspaper with Isolation Photos will Raise Funds for 20 Charities

All across the world, artists are finding creative ways to support their communities during COVID-19. One photographer’s answer is a £20 newspaper, entitled 2020, that raises funds for charities that are under additional pressure during this time. Edited and published by Ben Kelway, 2020 will feature unseen, unpublished, or new images that have been created in isolation. Almost 70 artists have contributed to the cause, including Jack Davison, Buck Ellsion, Colin Dodgson, Harley Weir, Senta Simond, and more. Proceeds will be donated to 20 different charities and organizations, such as the British Red Cross, CALM, Great Ormand Street Hospital, Help Refugees and many others.

A funeral ceremony for Anthony “Tony” Thomas-a legendary Paramedic in the New York City area, who died of Covid-19 related causes. Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, New York. April 30, 2020. © Peter Turnley

Peter Turnley’s Short Film Captures the “Human Faces of Covid-19”

From the first day of lock-down, Peter Turnley started photographing New York City in its unprecedented state. With New York as the epicenter of the pandemic, Turnley understood the importance of documenting this moment in the city’s collective lives and the stories of heroes and victims that are bringing us together as a community, a country, and a world.

To document the universal impact of the pandemic and the unique stories of each individual, he started a new project, “New York Lockdown Visual Diary,” and used these photographs to create a short film entitled, “The Human Face of Covid-19: New York.” This Wednesday, May 6th, Turnley, along with photographers Iri Greco and Travis Keyes, will be discussing the project at PhotoCloser “Projections” a virtual event on Zoom.

Though these photographs are shot in New York, they are in solidarity with every country and every person around the world who are in the middle of this “World War with an invisible enemy.”

Image courtesy of © Times Books in association with The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

Joel Sternfeld’s 1987 Book American Prospects Continues to Hold Relevance Today

In 1987, Joel Sternfeld published American Prospects, a project that chronicled life across the US. and became an instant classic. And four decades later, these photographs continue to hold as much relevance as ever.

Time away from any project allows for a new perspective and sifting through the negatives of his original images enabled him to see beyond the original contacts and create something new. Featuring texts by Kerry Brougher, Andy Grunberg and Anne W. Tucker, Joel has launched an updated version of American Prospects that will include iconic works with the addition of 16 new and unpublished images. The revision of American Prospects serves as a stark reminder that these issues continue despite the passing of time.