Rule number one when dealing with a celebrity that is not an A List actor or actress is never let them dictate where they give you the photo. I don’t know what was on my mind that day when photographing American Idol winner Jordin Sparks, but somehow between me being on my cell phone or not having enough to eat that day, I let young Jordin treat me like I was a rookie paparazzi.
She was at the airport leaving D.C. and I grabbed a few photos of her getting out the car outside the airport, then wanted to get probably about a few more of her inside the airport. Nothing big, because she’s not a big seller, but she does sell. Well anyway, I gave her space and didn’t get any inside because I was going to let her get her ticket from the ticket counter first and then before she heads downstairs just snap a few photos. Then Ms. Sparks catches a diva attitude and tries to shoo me away, her assistant comes over and say’s, “O.K. that’s it, no more.” I instantly turned around because I figured she wasn’t talking to me because first of all, I don’t have to ask for any photos, second of all, I was being as respectful as a paparazzi can be. I politely told her assistant that I was still gonna take a few more photos of her because I hadn’t gotten anything good. Her assistant went back over to the ticket counter and relayed the message to young Jordin Sparks, who then sent her assistant back to me and said she’ll give me and another paparazzi who was also there, one photo each. I couldn’t help but laugh because in the back of my head I’m saying that doesn’t this girl know if I want to, I can snap off over 100 more photos of her walking to the gate before she gets on her flight. Needless to say, she came over and angrily posed for each of us inside the airport.
Now this is the part where I got punk’d. I know photos of celebrities just standing there smiling at the camera doesn’t do anything for me. The photos you want are of them walking with either a coffee in hand, or a handbag around their shoulder smiling at you. I must be losing my touch to let this young singer/actress tell me she’s giving me one photo or her standing still, but that’s what I ended up getting. After walking back to my car I couldn’t believe that I allowed myself to be put in that position, now if that was say Madonna, Beyonce, Angelina Jolie, Oprah, Lady GaGa or even Nichole Richie, then maybe yeah I would have played by their rules, but not JORDIN SPARKS!
