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Photographer of topless Duchess pictures was British, French paparazzi claim
Clean Media Correspondent
Paris, Sept 20 (CMC) French paparazzi Pascal Rostain said the snapper who staked out the Royal couple on holiday was an Englishman living in the south of France.
And the photographer was spying on their French chateau on the orders of France's Closer magazine - the first to publish 13 intimate images of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge last week - he said.
Mr Rostain, in his 40s, is a close friend of former French First Lady Carla Bruni and one of France's most notorious long lens photographers.
Kate to blame for topless row, says Labour MP 20 Sep 2012
He told France Metro newspaper in Lyon: "The irony of this whole thing is that the photographer who took these pictures is an Englishman living in the south of France.
"These photos were taken on the orders of Closer, who asked him to sit around for several days to take them.
"For his efforts he did not earn a lot. He could have sold them for 10,000 euros.
"But in fact he was just paid his wages for going to take them.
"And he didn't put them on the open market either, where he could have earned a lot more."
Another French photographer outside the Chateau d'Autet where the snaps were taken was a French woman named Valerie Suau - nicknamed The Sewer.
She has admitted taking pictures of Kate covered up in her bikini top, but said she does not know who took the topless photos.
The Royal couple this week won a landmark injunction preventing further distribution of the images by Closer.
They have also handed over all files containing the images to representatives of the couple on the orders of the judge.
But the court made no ruling for the magazine to name the snapper - which has the right to prect his or identity under France's protection of journalistic sources laws.
Meanwhile a criminal investigation is under way to find and prosecute the photographer - who could face a year in jail and a £36,000 fine.
But the photos are still being touted on the open market, with magazines in Italy, Denmark and Sweden all publishing them.
Closer published 13 grainy images of Kate's breasts and bottom last Thursday, branded 'grotesque and unjustifiable' by a Royal spokesman.
Paparazzi Mr Rostain did not specifically say he knew the identity of Kate's photographer, but is known to be very well connected among the French papparazzi community.
And he defended the snapper who took them, adding: "As a photographer, I take the pictures I want and let the publication decide whether to print them.
"What they choose to print is not the photographer's problem, but the editor's."
There are thought to be up to 200 photos taken of Kate and William at the time - many of them much more explicit.
Closer magazine's editor Laurence Pieau defended her decision to publish 13 of the photos, insisting the images were "joyous".
She said: "These photos are not in the least shocking. They show a young woman sunbathing topless, like millions of women you see on beaches.
"They were not making any special effort to conceal themselves. Critcising our magazine is stupid."
Pieau also warned that Closer had more photos, adding: "Intimate pictures exist that we haven't published and will not publish. Probably other newspapers will choose to publish them."
Photographer of topless Duchess pictures was British, French paparazzi claim
Clean Media Correspondent
Paris, Sept 20 (CMC) French paparazzi Pascal Rostain said the snapper who staked out the Royal couple on holiday was an Englishman living in the south of France.
And the photographer was spying on their French chateau on the orders of France's Closer magazine - the first to publish 13 intimate images of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge last week - he said.
Mr Rostain, in his 40s, is a close friend of former French First Lady Carla Bruni and one of France's most notorious long lens photographers.
Kate to blame for topless row, says Labour MP 20 Sep 2012
He told France Metro newspaper in Lyon: "The irony of this whole thing is that the photographer who took these pictures is an Englishman living in the south of France.
"These photos were taken on the orders of Closer, who asked him to sit around for several days to take them.
"For his efforts he did not earn a lot. He could have sold them for 10,000 euros.
"But in fact he was just paid his wages for going to take them.
"And he didn't put them on the open market either, where he could have earned a lot more."
Another French photographer outside the Chateau d'Autet where the snaps were taken was a French woman named Valerie Suau - nicknamed The Sewer.
She has admitted taking pictures of Kate covered up in her bikini top, but said she does not know who took the topless photos.
The Royal couple this week won a landmark injunction preventing further distribution of the images by Closer.
They have also handed over all files containing the images to representatives of the couple on the orders of the judge.
But the court made no ruling for the magazine to name the snapper - which has the right to prect his or identity under France's protection of journalistic sources laws.
Meanwhile a criminal investigation is under way to find and prosecute the photographer - who could face a year in jail and a £36,000 fine.
But the photos are still being touted on the open market, with magazines in Italy, Denmark and Sweden all publishing them.
Closer published 13 grainy images of Kate's breasts and bottom last Thursday, branded 'grotesque and unjustifiable' by a Royal spokesman.
Paparazzi Mr Rostain did not specifically say he knew the identity of Kate's photographer, but is known to be very well connected among the French papparazzi community.
And he defended the snapper who took them, adding: "As a photographer, I take the pictures I want and let the publication decide whether to print them.
"What they choose to print is not the photographer's problem, but the editor's."
There are thought to be up to 200 photos taken of Kate and William at the time - many of them much more explicit.
Closer magazine's editor Laurence Pieau defended her decision to publish 13 of the photos, insisting the images were "joyous".
She said: "These photos are not in the least shocking. They show a young woman sunbathing topless, like millions of women you see on beaches.
"They were not making any special effort to conceal themselves. Critcising our magazine is stupid."
Pieau also warned that Closer had more photos, adding: "Intimate pictures exist that we haven't published and will not publish. Probably other newspapers will choose to publish them."
ReplyDeletesome people do not have any work than to impinge into others life!