Through the paparazzo's lens

The traveling exhibition "Paparazzi!" at the Shirn Kunsthalle in Frankfurt through October 12, presents 600 paparazzi photos that have gone down in the history books. Exhibition visitors enter via a red carpet while the whirr of a crowd can be heard through loudspeakers. Cameras flash from every corner. The scene is set: Visitors know just what it's like to be it-girl Paris Hilton.

Paparazzi are known for waiting in the bushes - or even in trash cans - for as long as it takes. Getting the perfect shot of the star is all that counts. The most coveted photos usually involve intoxication, accidentally revealing outfits, and romantic interactions. Here, Mick Jagger isn't interested in posing. Arnold Schwarzenegger, on the other hand, doesn't seem to mind.

The lucky paparazzo doesn't always need to hide out in a dark alley. Sometimes the celebrities come straight to him - like when they're getting off an airplane. The gangway is an ideal celeb trap. Actress Anita Ekberg had no choice but to pass through the middle of the dense wad of cameras.

Without paparazzi, there would be no tabloids. And without tabloids, no celebrities. As much as the pushy photographers get a bad rap, they do offer starlets a platform to become the talk of the town. When a top model is spotted in a bikini, an entire page may be dedicated to the size of her thighs. But once she manages to trim down again, she can get revenge with a pose like Kate Moss'.

The unwritten job of the paparazzi is to break the rules and dig deep into the private lives of their victims. Liz Taylor's marriage to Richard Burton was described blow by blow in the tabloids. But that didn't seem to bother them. Instead they appeared to have a symbiotic relationship with the press. Taylor was used to always putting on a smile - especially when she knew she was being watched.

For diva Brigitte Bardot, on the other hand, constant surveillance was a nightmare. She was tired of being watched and followed all the time and refused to be the target of paparazzi photos. As a result, frustrated photographers demonstrated in front of Bardot's house with signs reading, "In 1955 you went after us, in 1965 you reject us!"

The photo exhibition in Frankfurt demonstrates that an entirely new artistic genre emerged with paparazzi photos. They are less about the composition of the setting and more about the spontaneity of the moment. Many photos from the genre are blurry and full of distracting objects. But the star is always the focal point - like Mick Jagger with his second wife Jerry Hall.

Some paparazzi manage to launch themselves to fame, like Ron Galella. His specialty was capturing the greatest stars of all time: Jackie Kennedy, Audrey Hepburn, Madonna, Richard Burton. One time, actor Marlon Brando was so angry that he punched Galella in the face and knocked out a few teeth. After that, the photographer started wearing a football helmet - and continued following Brando.

Rock icon Iggy Pop is pictured here through the lens of Brand Elterman. The paparazzo knew Los Angeles's music scene like the back of his hand. He was friends with a number of bands and was allowed to photograph top musicians. He even published a book about his experiences with the ambiguous title, "Shoot the Stars: How to Become a Celebrity Photographer."

Capturing an image of a camera-shy superstar like Marlene Dietrich is a real feat. But for photographers Pascal Rostain and Bruno Mouron, it wasn't enough. They found a new challenge: They would rummage around in celebrities' trash, drape the treasures in black silk and exhibit the result as works of art. Needless to say, the "victims" weren't thrilled about it.

Catching celebrities while they're out shopping has always been a favorite motif among paparazzi. Ideally, glamour girls are spotted without makeup, in their sweats, bogged down with dozens of shopping bags. Then even Britney Spears (background) and Paris Hilton (right) look like your average woman doing errands. Many of us might even walk right past without recognizing the megastars.

Renowned fashion photographer Richard Avedon created a photo series for Harper's Bazaar magazine in paparazzi style. He captured his favorite model, Suzy Parker, at the back entrance to a hospital, supported by a nurse and protected by director Mike Nichols. The whole scene was reenacted to feature a coat by Yves Saint Laurent.