Scary picture

Axel Koester grabbed this scene (for the New York Times) of photographers swarming actress Mandy Moore's arrival at a Beverly Hills restaurant.

The term paparazzi increasingly encompasses not only the photo agency photographer and the TMZ videographer, but also a teenager with a camera, an opportunist with a cellphone and even the waiter who once tipped photographers to celebrity sightings. This mix has intensified an already aggressive atmosphere and altered the ecosystem for both paparazzi predator and celebrity prey....

As photographers new and old jostle, crucial rules of conduct seem to have gone out the window.

Mr. Hodgman [William Hodgman, head of the DA's target crime division] said the competition has led to several assault prosecutions involving photographers attacking one another. Harvey Levin, managing editor of TMZ, which posts pictures and videos from its staff and from freelancers, said working conditions have reached “a dangerous level” because of the inexperience of many photographers.

Of course, most of the best L.A. restaurants don't have stalkerazzi waiting outside — stars could just go there if they wanted. Anyway, it's bad in Manhattan too: "I know people hate hearing us complain about it, but New York isn’t what it used to be for anonymity, unfortunately," Natalie Portman said.

Photo: Axel Koester for The New York Times