Last night the Toronto International Film Festival got underway. That means ten days or so of flicks from all around the world and also celebrities, celebrities, celebrities. And with the celebrities of course come the dreaded and evil hordes of the paparazzi with their fangs, horns and fire-belching flash attachments.
At least that's what a lot of people think, and there's been countless portrayals in movies and on TV to make it seem like it has to be so. While I don't doubt that some paparazzi are indeed incredible jerks, I actually have met and studied them in their natural habitat, and I even know the official photographer of TIFF, Jeff Vespa, who started out life as a lowly paparazzi himself. And not only is he an excellent photographer, he's a nice guy, so if you see some paparazzi lingering about the city in the next few days, don't automatically assume they're all bad guys. Most are just trying to make a living.
I'll even confess that I've taken shots of celebrities myself. So now you've caught me!