Buying celebrity pictures from the paparazzi is a simple affair, as long as one condition is met – you have the money. Don’t expect the latest photos of the hottest celebrities unless you have upwards of $500,000. Photos of lesser celebrities not so in demand may still go for over $1000 if you wish to purchase full rights.

Most paparazzi are self-employed, independent contractors and so their photos are available to the first person who meets the asking price. However, getting to a paparrazo before he finds a buyer can be a little tricky as they will proposition the well-known tabloids and celebrity magazines that they have experience dealing with before looking for new buyers. Many of the paparazzi use an agency to sell their photos, so that makes it easy for potential buyers. The photo agency sells the photos to the highest bidder, usually under a contract of 60 percent to the photographer and 40 percent to the agency. An agency can also take an extra cut if they provided the information of where to spot the celebrity subject.

The use of celebrity photo agencies makes it easy for both the photographers and the buyers. It is easy for the buyers because there are a lot fewer agencies than there are paparazzi. Most of the best-known agencies are in Los Angeles. Bauer-Griffin, Splash News, X17, and MB Pictures are the most recognized of agencies and any search for celebrity photographs should start with these.

Other options for buying celebrity photos are looking through a stock photo website. These are usually older photos and less expensive. Alternatively, you can learn the names of photographers by looking through the credits of celebrity magazines and see if they are selling any photos personally. Some paparazzi have websites for just such a purpose.