Getty photographer Brent Stirton just won the 2008 Visa d'Or Award for Feature photography for his acclaimed project on the slaughter of gorillas in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Maybe you've seen those photos, maybe you haven't. (We say: Make the effort.)
But there's another set of photos you've certainly spied: the People magazine pictures of Brangelina and their kids. Having shot Shiloh in 2006 and Knox and Vivienne this year (though uncredited), Stirton may have raised more cash ($20-plus million) and awareness for charity with his celebrity puff projects than the serious photojournalism he's made a career out of. CONTINUED »
"In that cover photo, it looks like Vivienne Marcheline — clearly the Ashley half of this Olsen-like combo — is sporting a giant grin. She may even be laughing. Hold on. These babies are purported to be a mere 3 weeks old! Parenting magazine says that babies don't smile from exterior stimulation until two to four months — even if said exterior stimulation is the most beautiful pair of humans in the entire world." [Daily Intel]
When People teamed up with Britain's Hello! to offer a joint bid on Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's baby twins, splitting the $14 million fee (that's $3.5m per twin per mag), the U.S. tabloid secured North American rights to the pics, while Hello! would get to print the photos in the rest of the world. One might've thought this would be an even deal, with shots from last week's photo shoot spread evenly between the tabloids. That wasn't the case, according to Jolie Expert and LAT blogger Elizabeth Snead: "Hello's cover shot is even cuter, more intimate and personal than People's." Did Larry Hackett got robbed?
