This photo of Hilary Duff is from the 2006 Children’s Choice Awards at the Hollywood Palladium. I think this was my first real red carpet gig and was clueless on which settings to use on my camera and flash and unacquainted with what to say to someone like Hilary or Ben Stiller (another attendee at this event) to get them to smile, etc. Having experience as a wedding photographer certainly helped.
After shooting a couple hundred movie premieres, benefits, and after parties I’ve become pretty good at getting the shots that will sell and look good in my portfolio. For me, it’s a hard way to make a buck. Since the advent of the digital camera and smartphone it’s really a hustle. Being flanked by loud, highfalutin, and overly-aggressive photographers can make for a shitty experience. But I have had some really fun experiences stoking the star-maker machinery as well.
Hilary Duff – November 5, 2006