ONE OF Santa Monica’s most recognizable Brits made the New York Times this week.
Celebrity photography Giles Harrison – or tall, dark and handsome as he is known in our offices – was featured by the Grey Lady in an article highlighting the challenges faced by paparazzi in a world where everyone seems to be wearing a mask.
from having their picture be worth something.’
But Giles seems to be taking the current situation in his stride, telling the Times that widespread mask wearing has actually not impeded his ability to recognize celebrities on his daily drives around the target-rich environment of LA’s westside.
“I’m really good at spotting people,” Giles is quoted as saying. “I’m pretty phenomenal. I can literally spot somebody from behind — just by their walk, their hairstyle, body language.”
And even if the celebrity he spots is less than hot right now, it doesn’t stop him from snapping them anyway. A case in point for the Times article, Tim Robbins, actor and Santa Monica resident, whom Harrison spotted in Venice recently. The shots may not sell for much now, but they are something, and they could bring in revenue down the line if Mr. Robbins starts a new relationship, say, or shares a controversial political opinion online.
“Everybody’s one story away from having their picture be worth something,” Mr. Harrison said.
Coronavirus has hit Giles and his ilk hard, with celebrity photo sales to top outlets like Us Weekly, TMZ and The Daily Mail down to about 15-20% what they were, pre-pandemic, according to the Times.
But like the adaptable Brit that he is, Giles has rolled with the punches. In 2019, he started an app called MoPho — “money photo” — that allows everyday people to submit photos they catch of celebrities or other newsworthy subjects in the wild.
If they’re good, Mr. Harrison sells them and pays the user a commission. The app has helped his business “tremendously,” he said, especially in this time, when fewer photographers want to go out and shoot.
