 |
| I would have walked right by her if it hadn't been for the paparazzi. |
As promised a few months ago in my Welcome to the Rileys post, I'm finally sharing the story behind the picture I got of Angelina Jolie in New Orleans.
I'd taken a carriage tour earlier that morning that featured the sights of the French Quarter. The tour guide pointed out Nicholas Cage's house, as well as Angelina and Brad Pitt's home. Both were behind gated walls that lead to courtyards and entrances like many homes that line the narrow French Quarter streets.
As soon as the tour was over, a friend and I raced back over to the street where Brangelina live so that we could take a picture of the outside of their abode. As we rounded the corner, we were stopped by a policeman and men in suits who held us back and told us to stay on the side of the street we were on. We didn't understand what was happening until we noticed photographers with zoom lenses as long as my arm pointing their cameras down the street. Naturally, our line of vision followed theirs and then we saw her: Angelina Jolie, walking on the opposite side of the street with children in tow.
We whipped our cameras out, too, and snapped her picture. We were giddy with excitement and were about to take a second shot when the suited men said, "That's enough," and ushered us on. We were the only tourists on the street. It was just us and the paparazzi as my friend and I continued walking down the street, passing Angie and the kids as we tried to contain our excitement.
The same picture I took was soon featured in People, or some other magazine. (I can't remember which. This was in 2008.) Later, I was ashamed of myself for not letting her walk down the street to their house in peace. But honestly, who could have resisted that opportunity! I justify my actions by saying that I didn't intrude on them personally. They were the only people allowed on their side of the street. Still, I could have let them be. But I was too starstruck to be respectful.
*Please do not copy this image without the express permission of the photographer.
Very cool!
ReplyDeleteYeah, it's hard for me to know what I would do. *Probably* take the picture but not bother them, as you did. I think what would be most fun would be to ask for a picture *with* her, but I wouldn't do that with the kids there.
I'm guessing that fans/ordinary folks like yourself don't bother celebrities, really. It's the paparazzi that are pests.