Business Opportunities Weblog

April 28, 2008 by Rich Whittle | 2 Comments

Newsday:

On a recent Wednesday afternoon, photographer Izaz Rony waited across the street from an office building on Chambers Street in Manhattan. As he sat on a bench eating a late breakfast, a visibly pregnant young woman wearing a black-and-white striped dress walked out the door, exactly on schedule.

Rony jumped up and ran down the block, snapping photos of her as she walked toward him. Trying to blend into the crowd, he followed her – to the grocery store, then the dry cleaner, through an outdoor market and down to South Street Seaport – taking pictures the entire time. She appeared natural and beautiful in the photos, exactly what she wanted.

Rony was hired to take these pictures by his subject, Kaiama Glover, a 35-year-old professor at Barnard College. And he’s been hired by many others like her – mostly female New Yorkers in their early 20s to late 40s – who are looking for paparazzi-inspired photographs of themselves captured as they go about their daily lives.

Google “paparazzi for hire” and you’ll see a host of results from companies such as Celeb-4-A-Day, which allows you to hire your own temporary entourage, including photographers, publicists and bodyguards.

Long Islanders dreaming about having their own moment on the red carpet will soon be able to pay for a celebrity-like paparazzi encounter – complete with flashing cameras, publicists, bodyguards and coverage in tabloid magazines.

Celeb-4-A-Day, a company operating in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Austin, Texas, says it’s coming to New York City in six months. For $250-$1,500, clients will be able to get the royal celeb treatment.

“Everyone likes a little bit of attention and to feel special,” says founder Tania Cowher. “Everyday people should get just as much attention, if not more, than celebrities.”

Photo by celeb4aday.com.

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Tags: Creativity, Niche, Public Relations