LOS ANGELES, Nov. 22, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — Seventies pop culture photographer Brad Elterman (www.bradelterman.tumblr.com) and Buzz Foto (www.buzzfoto.com), a leading paparazzi photo agency based in Los Angeles, will co-exhibit their photographs at the Tabloid Museum (http://www.tabloid-tcd.com) in Tokyo from November 27 – December 28, with an opening night reception on November 26. The public is invited.
The exhibition showcases and contrasts the coverage of pop culture between the 1970′s and today. Highlights on display from Elterman’s early work include images of Bob Dylan, Michael Jackson, Joan Jett, Debbie Harry, David Bowie and Madonna. “The Seventies was a different era than what we are experiencing today,” says Elterman. “I was hanging out and photographing icons who were also cultural heroes, like The Ramones and Bob Dylan. Fast forward to today where Buzz Foto photographers are covering celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Lindsay Lohan. To me the difference is like night and day.”
Representing Buzz Foto at the Tabloid exhibition is the work of Buzz Foto co-founder Henry Flores (www.henryflores.tumblr.com) and New York photographer Christopher Peterson. Flores argues, “Pop culture is still alive in 2010, but it is a whole new breed of talent and a new generation of followers. Sure, finding the true icons is like finding a diamond in the rough, but talent today still needs to be photographed for the magazines and now especially for the internet, where huge audiences wait every moment for the next image.”
“It is incredibly important as a photographer for my imagery to stand out from the millions of images on the market, and that is what makes my profession so interesting,” says Christopher Peterson. “I try to achieve an iconic image that will catch the editor’s eye and hold the attention of the reader. Most importantly, I want my images have a sense of style and elegance. Today it is all about the fashion in the streets and what brands the stars are wearing.”
Elterman made his first trip to Tokyo in 1979 with pop star Leif Garret. “Japan has always been a very warm and special market for my early photographs. I worked for Music Life and Rock Show magazines for years, starting in 1975. These great magazines started my career in the photo world,” says Elterman. “I am honored and emotionally touched to be part of this exciting photo exhibition in Japan and I look forward to meeting as many fans as possible.”
Tabloid is produced by Isao Murayama, Masayuki Asayama and Yoshiihiro Ikka, head of Libro Arte Publishing. “It all started when Brad visited my photo gallery bar in Shinjuku last spring. Looking at the images in his book… they brought me to 1970′s America. I was deeply moved by those timeless images and decided to show them to as many people as possible,” commented Ikka. Legendary Tokyo photo agent Asayama added, “I am thrilled to be involved in this historical event. It would be the first celebrity photo exhibition in Japan showing both archive images and present day celebrity images. Japanese people will love them.” Producer Murayama summed it up saying, “An accumulation of coincidences brought us an exhibition of Brad Elterman in Japan. God knows when it would happen again. The essential value of the collaboration and materials related to this event is huge and will have a big impact.”

BuzzFoto’s Brad Elterman was searching for new talent for these pages and he lucked out when he met and photographed Alexia Starchild last week. Brad’s predication is that Alexia will be the new queen of Pop Culture. We tend to agree!

Photo by Brad Elterman/BuzzFoto.com

Talk about a RAW photo! This is what it is all about. Doesn’t matter what kind of camera you are using. The goal is to get a RAW photo that captures a special moment!

This polaroid of a sixteen year old Matt Dillon comes from our very own Brad Elterman’s upcoming coffee table book, “Like It Was Yesterday”. Here is an excerpt:

1980: I received a phone call from the editor of Superteen magazine to do a photo shoot with this unknown sixteen-year old actor, Matt Dillon. She asked me to call Vic Ramos, his manager, at some hotel and set it up. I called and the next day Vic and Matt showed up at my home. Vic read a magazine and I took some photos. No hair, makeup, or stylist. No over-produced sets or publicists getting in the way. I shot this with just one strobe head. That was the way film stars were shot back then. I ran into Matt at Barfly about fifteen years later. He did not have a clue who I was, nor did he care. He also walked off with the girl whom I had just met in the parking lot that evening.

Photo by Brad Elterman/BuzzFoto.com

Today is Michael Jackson’s birthday (1958-2009) which would have made him 52 today. In honor of the day, we thought we’d post a pic that BuzzFoto’s Brad Elterman took of the pop legend in 1980. The world will never know “Celebrity” like it did with Michael Jackson. Brad said of this photo:
” I was shooting this evening for the P.R. department of then Columbia Records. It was at the Universal Amphitheater and I remember David Geffen was somehow involved with the event. Back then, Michael did not travel with a gang of bodyguards and umbrellas. Liza had been performing that evening and she gave Michael a bit hug just for my camera.”

We were very honored to see a feature that camerabag.tv did on Co-owner of BuzzFoto,
Brad Elterman. Watch the video above to learn about the life and work of one of BuzzFoto’s founders. Brad has been in the business a long time and you might have seen his photos on television, in biopics, books, magazines or around the web. (The video is a little NSFW for some photos that are artistic, but a little risque. Hey, it was the 70′s!) This is an amazing tribute and camerabag.tv were so generous and cool to work with!

BuzzFoto’s Brad Elterman was honored to be asked to speak to a classroom full of LA’s up and coming best and brightest photographers at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. Brad had a wonderful time talking about his iconic imagery and rubbing elbows with the talented artists.

Check out the amazing photographer who snapped this photo of Brad, David Gin Lee on Facebook!

Photo by David Gin Lee/BuzzFoto.com

Here is another excerpt from Buzz Fotos’ Brad Elterman’s new coffee table book, “Like It Was Yesterday”, which will be released this fall by Seventy Seven Press LLC.

Duran at the Riot House

1981: I was a really big Duran Duran fan. Everything about the band was so cool. I read about them in the European press and of course, I had heard their records all over the radio. A couple of days before their debut showcase at the Roxy, I called up their road manager at the Hyatt House (we used to call it the Riot House) and asked for a photo session. I could have told him I was shooting for Music Life and Rock Show, which were amazing magazines in Japan regularly publishing my work. The band had nothing better to do, so it was arranged and I met them at the hotel pool.

They did not have a clue about getting around in Los Angeles; so, I piled them into my old Mercedes and gave them a tour of the Sunset Strip. The photo session was amazing and John Taylor made sure that I was on the guest list for the gig that evening. The following year, Andy Taylor got married at the Chateau Marmont Hotel and I just kind of showed up with some friends and joined the bash. Camera in hand, of course.

Photo by Brad Elterman/BuzzFoto.com