‘I’m a veteran pap, David Beckham took me on LA chases like I’ve never seen before – plus why celeb casino snaps are so valuable’
Veteran paparazzi snapper Mark Karloff opens up on his ‘craziest’ career experiences
We know the FruitySlots community is always interested in what goes on behind the scenes. Speaking to FruitySlots.com Paparazzi Podcast host Mark Karloff reveals what it’s like photographing celebrities, from Mike Tyson to Julia Roberts.
With nearly two decades of experience shooting stars in Los Angeles, Karloff shares that David Beckham is among the hardest to capture.
Reflecting on his career, he also explains why casino photos are the most valuable, his most priciest photo, and the lengths he’s gone to for the perfect shot.
Speaking to FruitySlots.com, Mark Karloff reveals:
Who has been the toughest celebrity to capture in your career?
“There are plenty of tough celebrities to shoot. Brad Pitt is tough, David Beckham made it extremely tough.
“If he’s on a motorcycle it’s next to impossible, if he’s in a car he’ll take you on a chase like you’ve never seen before. But Julia Roberts is one I worked on many, many times and I still have not taken a proper paparazzi photo of her. I’ve shot her on movie sets plenty of times, but as a paparazzi I have not been successful.”
Can you tell us more about Beckham?
“There have been many chases with Beckham. I spotted him on a motorcycle once, he’s crazy. He’ll drive the motorcycle, we’ll be following him and he’ll have one hand on the wheel and he’ll be looking back over his shoulder to see if he’s lost you.
“I remember looking at him going ‘turn around dude’. On a motorcycle it’s impossible. But he’s also taken us on chases, U-turns, darting into parking structures, down alleys to ditch you, then we find him and it turns into another chase.
“But I think he has fun doing it. It’s not necessarily getting away to avoid a picture, he has fun. Sometimes we indulged and sometimes we had to give up because it was too dangerous.”
What is the most expensive shot you’ve ever sold?
“I generated up to $80,000 (£63,000) for a shot of Tom Cruise on a motorcycle filming Top Gun 2 with Jennifer Connelly on the back.
“That was a photo that went everywhere. Charlize Theron when she was playing Megyn Kelly, that was sold to multiple outlets, probably up to $30,000 (£23,000).”
Have you shot any celebrities in and around a casino before?
“I have been on movie sets in Las Vegas, so it’s not exactly the same. But I have heard stories. I remember back in the days, guys would run through casinos shooting Britney Spears. I think Justin Bieber too.
“It’s up to the property, if you’re on the property of the casino it’s private property so they can kick you out. I don’t know if they are really concerned about not letting you have the images, but they will tell you to leave and get off the property.
“It’s obviously up to the photographer if they want to move or take it to the next level.”
Is getting a celebrity at a casino a valuable shot?
“Getting a shot of a celebrity at a casino is a valuable shot, it’s a rare thing for you to see. I don’t see it too much and I know there are not too many celebrities that live in Vegas.
“I’ve shot a couple celebrities in casinos, candids with my iPhone, not actually sitting at a machine or table but walking through. I shot Shannon Elizabeth in around 2008, then during productions in Vegas I knew where the celebrities were staying so we would get them while they were out and about.
“So Olivia Wilde, Steve Carrell, Jim Carrey, people like that. Heidi and Spencer, I was their personal photographer for a few years, but those were set-ups.”
At a casino, would anyone give you a negative response if they caught you?
“Yes, security would always say leave, they would always say something but as far as the public goes they love it as they are tourists so they want to see that kind of stuff.”
