Paparazzi Face Stiff Competition from Camera Phones

The professional paparazzi have for years had a lock on the market for celebrity photos. However, now that we're all armed with camera phones and tools like Flickr and Twitter, the game is changing. They face a lot of competition. Just wait until the image quality starts to get more sophisticated. (Hey Twitter dudes, start supporting MMS so we can upload photos and videos too.)

Exhibit A: Apple CEO Steve Jobs at leisure. He's just enjoying his kid's soccer game and, oh, talking on an iPhone you can't buy yet. Had the snap been higher quality it could have been worth a lot. It is a sign of where things are going. Of course, the privacy implications are massive and some celebs are banning camera phones from key events, like weddings.

The ramifications here are significant for PR. Nothing is hidden anymore. If it's in plain sight, it's game to be hunted. (Via TUAW)