Brad Elterman: Then and Now

A little Q&A follows.

Brad Elterman (on the right), then:

How did you get started in the paparazzi business?

I was not always a paparazzo. I shot for all of the record companies and rock magazines. I was friends with many of the bands and we all hung out. Back in 1975 I wanted to take photos of David Bowie while he was
in L.A and I was turned down by the publicist. Bowie was such a
provocative figure back then and every move he made was controlled by
his management and PR. That was really something back then, because
there was very little control between the media and the talent back
then.

I got word that he was recording at Cherokee Studio on Fairfax
and I thought to myself that it would be fun to try and make a photo of
him as he left the studio. I waited all night for him and around 6am he
emerged with with producer Paul Buckmaster holding the tapes for Man
Who Sold The World. He left in a unwashed Mercedes and that photograph
made a full page in Creem Magazine’s section “Stars In Their Cars”. I
was a bit concerned if my first paparazzi gig would ruin me in the
industry, but I was all of about 19 back then and all of the PR adored
me and got a great laugh out of it.

What are your favorite images that you’ve taken through the years?

My favorite is Bob Dylan backstage at The Roxy. Ronee Blakley who appears
in the photo introduced me to Dylan and he asked me to set up this
wonderful photograph of him with Robert DeNiro, Lainie Kazan, David
Blue, Sally Kirkland and Martine Getty. I swear that today I can still
feel the adrenaline rush. There are so many other cool moments. The
Ramones, Joan Jett, Frank Sinatra. Photographers today just do not know what it is like to
make a photograph of a real icon. The stars who the magazines run today
are totally boring to me.

Joan Jett, Santa Monica Boulevard, 1977

I did numerous photo sessions of Joan back in the day. It was not just
to help promote The Runaways, but we hung out as friends. Joan and I
did photos all over town including the park, the beach, playing
softball, in the recording studio, the street, eating a hot dog, the
list goes on and on. This photo was taken in front of the old Tropicana
Motel when she was shacked up at the time. You would not even recognize
the street today, and I would never in my wildest dreams imagine that
she would go on to become such a star and cult figure. I wish Joan
would call me one of these days!

Matt Dillon in My Living Room, 1980

You could never make this photograph today; it would be impossible. Today,
you would need a major magazine assignment, total control of the P.R.
and management, hair, makeup, dancing midgets and a full-on catering
truck. The P.R. would want approval of all photos and someone would
probably want a check. 

I received a phone call from the editor of Superteen
magazine to do a photo shoot with this unknown 16-year-old actor, Matt
Dillon. She asked me to call Vic Ramos, his manager, and set it up. I
called and the next day they showed up at my home. Vic read a magazine
and I took photos. No hair, makeup or stylist. No overproduced sets or
useless publicists wasting oxygen. Most importantly, I was able to keep
my syndication rights; that meant I could sell the photos wherever I
wanted without restrictions.

I shot this with one strobe head — the way film stars were shot back then. I ran
into Matt at Barfly about fifteen years later and he did not have a
clue who I was, nor did he care. He also walked off with a girl whom I
had just met that evening in the parking lot.

Marie, Vickie & Cherie, San Fernando Vallery, 1976

I was hired by Nippon Phonogram Records in Japan to do this session of
the Runaways lead singer Cherie Currie at her Van Nuys home. I
previously photographed her on stage, backstage, hanging out, etc. Her
twin sister Marie, pictured on the left, also became a singer and the
girl in the center is Vickie Ronald, with whom I attended Van Nuys High
School. Record producer Kim Fowley later discovered her when he
transformed her into “Vickie Razor Blade” in a band called “Venus And
The Razor Blades.” Like me, they all wanted to get out of the Valley to
the other side of the hill to discover the magic.

Cherie, at a 2007 show of Elterman’s work

What was your goal with the formation of Buzz Foto, and have you found that
the idea of paparazzi as an art form has been accepted?

I came from a family of art collectors and I have always been active in
the arts. It dawned on me one day that if you knew your craft was a
photographer, you could make a beautiful iconic photograph that would
be published in the magazines and could eventually hang in a gallery or
at MoMA in New York. There is nothing different from what were are
doing today compared with the work of Walker Evans or Helen Levitt. The
concept of Paparazzi As An Art Form has been accepted, and we did our
first gallery exhibition early this year at the Seyhoun Gallery on
Melrose Ave. The response from the public and the media was
overwhelming.

What is your favorite images in the collection?

My personal favorite is Paris Hilton with her pink surfboard. It is
the quintessential paparazzi photograph. The photo was taken last
summer when Paris was renting a Malibu beach house. We sent over a new,
but incredibly talented photographer, Mr. Nunez, to watch Paris. He had
probably held a camera in his hand no more than a week when he made this legendary photograph.

She comes out of the beach house holding her
pink surfboard in one hand and her doggie in the other. She is wearing
a leopard swimsuit and high heels. All of this going on and she shoves
the prink surf board into her $300,000 Bentley, and the photo was
exclusive! You could have asked for a more beautiful paparazzi
photograph. It was on the cover of our invitation for the gallery.

How
do you think the idea of paparazzi will evolve in the future? Will
there be a time when it will become less of an invasion in celebrities’ lives?

Paparazzi will always be around. The PR will continue to have a stranglehold on
the media and that will only continue the demand for this type of
imagery. I hope that it becomes less invasive. There must be boundaries
and I am shocked to see what goes on these days.