What Happened to Slow Friday’s?!

I called The Ninja at about 10:00 AM to see how his trek to Vegas is going. I’m about half way, The Ninja responds. The Ninja’s on a secret mission. I hope he does well.

Today I’m working solo. Normally Friday’s are my slowest days. There was a time when I only got one set of a D celeb, and I was happy to get that. On Friday’s, it seems as if celebs are home preparing for either their planned trips/vacations or are just taking the day off and relaxing at home. However, this Friday kicked my ass! I couldn’t stop spotting celebs. As I was on one celeb I would spot another and had to make fast decisions based on Hollywood’s pecking order. For example, as I was following Halle Berry southbound on Doheny Blvd., I spotted Michelle Trachtenberg heading northbound; as I was shooting Nicole Richie having lunch with her new boyfriend I spotted Harry Morton (aka Lindsay’s beau); and I also spotted another celeb driving away from the valet parking across the street from the restaurant Nicole was at. Ok, so on to my day!

I was driving around my normal route as I spotted Nicole Richie. She was sitting with her boyfriend having lunch at La Conversation. As I pulled up, Nicole grabbed her boyfriend’s hat and placed it on her head. Then she checked herself out in the window’s reflection. Luckily, I had my long lens ready. I don’t think the cars behind me minded that I was taking pictures of Nicole since they only honked once. I got the money shot.

Just then, I noticed that I wasn’t alone. Well, I thought I had the money shot. Just like that, my money shot went down to pennies. There was another paparazzo doing it Old School style. He was on the median divider on Doheny Blvd. facing southbound, stopping traffic there also. Well, at least we spotted her at the same time.

I then circled around and strategically parked in front of the fire hydrant, right next to her table. I turned off my car and jumped in the backseat. All of a sudden, I could feel the heat quickly take over the cool car, and I felt the sweat start to roll off my face. I should have left the car on with the air conditioning.

I must have taken over 100 pictures of Nicole sitting at the table when all of a sudden this paparazzo decides to go New School. He gets in front of my car and shoots her from about five feet away. So much for stealth. Nicole got so upset at that paparazzo that she stood up and went inside the restaurant messing up the shots for the rest of us because of his New School way.

I had no choice but to go New School too. I went to find a better parking spot. I got my gear and headed back to the restaurant to wait with the other paparazzi that were trickling in little-by-little because we had been exposed. Nicole is inside by now. To complete the story, I need to get the shots of her leaving the restaurant. Not many paparazzi showed up as typically would because the majority of them were working on Britney Spears, who was also in town.

As we were waiting, Harry Morton rolls by, which, at least, gives us all something to talk about. After about an hour, Nicole comes out of the restaurant and I finished my story. No one followed her and she drove off into the jungle that is LA traffic.

I was once again on my normal route. I headed eastbound just a little past Crescent Heights Blvd. on Sunset Blvd. I made a left into the Coffee Bean parking lot and to my surprise, I spotted Jeremy Piven chatting up this lovely young lady. I took about six shots of him and drove off. I actually like Jeremy Piven’s acting. Well, let me rephrase, I liked Jeremy Piven’s acting when he played the supporting role in “A Family Man” with Nicolas Cage and Tia Leoni. I haven’t seen any episodes of “Entourage” so don’t be saying that I don’t know anything…cause in regards to that show, you would be right, I don’t know anything.

Awhile later, I was on the same part of the route heading eastbound on Sunset Blvd. when I spotted Halle Berry driving the opposite direction. Luckly there was no traffic that I could make a nice, easy, legal U-turn. I didn’t even have to drive on the median divider and I didn’t even run the late yellow light to make a left on Doheny Drive to catch up with her. She did not have a clue that I was there.

I am going back to the Old School ways because I am tired of being in their face, and I am tired of all the non-exclusive shots with 20 to 30 guys after the same person. Not only that, I have thousands of dollars on precision long range lens’ that are collecting dust. I want to start using them again. I want to feel like a secret agent. I want to be stealth. I want the thrill to know that I got the money shot and that the celeb did not have a clue that I was there. Yes! Those are the good ole Old School days!

So, back to Halle. She drove deep into paparazzi territory which gave me more reason to be stealth. She makes a left on Melrose Ave. Darn!, I thought. She is heading straight to Robertson Blvd. Then all of a sudden, she makes a left on this little street called North Almont Drive and she parked at a parking meter. For a second there, I did not know what to do since I didn’t want her to spot me. So, I quickly parked my car on the opposite side of the street. Unfortunately for me, I was parked on a red zone facing the same direction as she did. I was just hoping that she wouldn’t notice me.

She comes out of her car and heads straight to the parking meter. Since I was parked behind her, I could not see her do that and then she starts heading in my direction on her side of the street. She looked at my car but didn’t seem to mind since she could not see me inside the car. My plan worked and I hosed her down through the window tint. I was able to capture a few shots and then she walks into this little home and garden store on the corner of Melrose Ave. and North Almont Drive.

A few minutes later, she walks back to her car and then she heads to another location in Beverly Hills. Well, to conclude this story, I ended up with three exclusive sets of Halle and it was all done without her knowledge.

By the way, I really don’t think that she is pregnant. I think that because she was wearing this tight dress and she looked great. She wasn’t hiding her belly and I even have the side profile shot that shows her flat stomach.

It was now about 7:00 PM when I finished my day with Halle. I was now headed home with over four hundred shots to work on. It was going to be a long night!

At about 10:00 PM the Pap Alert goes off. It was a text message that I didn’t check since I was a little busy with all the editing I had to do. One minute later, the Pap Alert goes off again, this time it was a call. It must be important I thought. It was The Ninja; he was in Vegas still trying to get his shots. I answered the phone and he says to me, “I got a tip for you. Jessica Simpson is at the Factory.” “Thanks!,” I told him. Then I checked my text message, “Jessica Simpson is at the Factory FYI,” from a new friend. Ok! Ok! I get it!

I got my night gear ready and I asked my girlfriend if she wanted to go. She said, “Sure, I’ll go!” I knew that she was going just to be by my side. This is one of the many reasons why she is a keeper; she always wants to be there for me.

So we head off to The Factory Night Club on La Peer Dr., which is one street away from where I was earlier that day with Halle’s story. I get there and I see a few Paps already on high alert. Well, that is good, I thought. That means that Jessica still hasn’t arrived. There was no parking anywhere so my girlfriend dropped me off so that I could go take care of business.

Well, to make a long story short, three hours later, The Factory Night Club Security and the MTV film crew decided to give us some shots. They set up a little barrier next to the entrance of the club where we could get some shots of Jessica as she comes out of her limo.

The Factory Night Club Security and the MTV Crew, thanks for the shots. You guys where real pros. I haven’t seen such cooperation in a long time.

Well, it was now close to 2:00 AM early Saturday morning and I was going home to finish all my edits and hopefully(!), get some shuteye before having to photograph my friend’s wedding at noon!

Henry Flores
Please Visit My Official Henry Flores Website:
http://www.henryflores.com

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Sunday, August 13, 2006, 2:58 AM

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