paparazzi-vocabulary-mcp by dmarsters - MCP Server

Paparazzi Vocabulary MCP

A deterministic visual vocabulary server that maps candid celebrity photography aesthetics to locked parameters for image generation. Part of the visual vocabularies ecosystem.

What This Does

Paparazzi photography is a specific visual language shaped by constraints, intentions, ethics, and cultural fascination. This MCP translates the aesthetic grammar of candid celebrity photography into locked parameters for reproducible, emotionally-aware image generation.

Specify a subject, emotional register (how aware/unaware they are of the camera), framing style (tight or wide), lighting condition, and compositional approach. Get consistent color palettes, focus characteristics, compositional urgency, technical aesthetics, and emotional tone that stay locked across every generation.

This vocabulary acknowledges the complex ethics of paparazzi photography while providing tools to explore, critique, and understand its visual language.

No drift. Intentional candid authenticity.

Quick Start

Installation

git clone https://github.com/dmarsters/paparazzi-vocabulary-mcp.git
cd paparazzi-vocabulary-mcp
pip install -r requirements.txt

Usage with Claude

Add to your Claude client configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "paparazzi-vocabulary": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": ["paparazzi_vocabulary_mcp.py"]
    }
  }
}

Then use Claude to enhance prompts:

Enhance this with paparazzi aesthetics:
"A woman leaving a coffee shop"
Framing: medium_tight
Emotional register: caught_vulnerable
Focus characteristic: soft
Lighting: daylight
Composition: dynamic
Technical style: natural
Scenario: urban_street

Claude will layer the paparazzi vocabulary onto your prompt, locking in the candid framing, soft focus that suggests surveillance from distance, daylight authenticity, dynamic composition that captures motion, natural technical approach, and the specific emotional weight of being caught unguarded in public space.

Aesthetic Categories

Paparazzi vocabulary operates across six primary dimensions:

1. Framing Styles

How tightly the subject is framed and how much environmental context is visible:

Extreme Close-up (face fills frame)

Subject dominates, expression is unavoidable
Intimate, invasive, no escape
Emphasizes emotional moment
High tension, high invasion of privacy
Use when emotional state is the story

Close-up (shoulders to head in frame)

Shows expression and body language clearly
Intimate but not extreme
Environmental context minimal
Medium tension, focused on person
Standard paparazzi framing

Medium Tight (waist to head in frame)

Balance between subject and environment
Shows some gesture and movement
Moderate environmental context
Natural, readable, journalistic
Most versatile framing

Medium (full body in frame)

Subject in full context
Shows activity and location equally
Environmental storytelling possible
Lower tension, more documentary
Narrative framing

Wide (subject small in frame)

Emphasizes location and activity context
Subject is one element in a scene
Environmental documentation
Lowest tension, most contextual
Tells story through location

Extreme Wide (environmental dominant)

Subject becomes one detail in larger scene
Location and moment are the story
Subject almost incidental
Reflective, documentary quality
Rare in paparazzi, more editorial

2. Emotional Registers

How aware the subject is of the camera and what emotional state is conveyed:

Caught Vulnerable

Subject doesn't know camera is present
Unguarded emotional moment
Authentic expression, no performance
High invasion of privacy
Maximum emotional authenticity
Often most ethically fraught

Unguarded Aware

Subject knows they're being photographed but hasn't performed yet
Moment between awareness and performance
Transitional emotional state
Natural expression breaking through
Vulnerable but not completely surprised

Defiant Aware

Subject knows camera is present and doesn't care or actively challenges it
Direct address or active ignoring
Agency and resistance visible
Tension between subject and photographer
Subject reclaims power through awareness

Tired Distracted

Subject knows they're photographed, exhausted response
Performed resignation, fatigue
Lack of energy, emotional numbness
Subtle emotional honesty through weariness
Common in everyday celebrity sightings

Performance-Ready

Subject has composed themselves for camera
Controlled expression, deliberate pose
Performed authenticity (oxymoron)
Lower vulnerability, higher control
Edge of celebrity management

Joyful Unguarded

Subject captured in genuine happiness
No protection needed, full brightness
Authentic positive emotion
Less common, more valuable
Shows subject when defenses are down

3. Focus Characteristics

How sharp or soft the focus is, which affects emotional and technical reading:

Sharp Throughout (deep focus)

Everything in frame is crisp
Technical mastery emphasized
Clarity, precision, editorial quality
Subject and environment equally detailed
Less voyeuristic, more documentary

Selective Focus/Soft Background (shallow depth of field)

Subject sharp, background soft/blurred
Traditional portraiture approach
Isolates subject from context
Romantic or invasive depending on context
Common in paparazzi and editorial

Soft Focus on Subject (soft throughout)

Entire image soft, dreamlike
Voyeuristic, distant, surveilled quality
Suggests telephoto lens, distance
Dreamy but invasive
Creates emotional ambiguity

Focus Uncertain (slightly soft/slightly sharp)

Suggests movement, quick capture
Authentic candid quality
Not technically perfect
Feels urgent and real
Common in actual paparazzi work

Motion Blur (subject moving, slight blur)

Subject is moving, captured mid-action
Conveys energy and urgency
Candid authenticity through imperfection
Dynamic but chaotic
High-energy moment capture

4. Lighting Treatments

Quality and source of light in the image:

Daylight (natural sun)

Golden hour: warm, flattering, romantic
Harsh midday: contrasty, revealing, unflattering
Overcast: even, neutral, documentary
Backlit: glowing, ethereal, halo effect
Side-lit: sculptural, dramatic, revealing

Artificial Interior (indoor lights)

Restaurant/bar: warm, intimate, social
Fashion event: dramatic, spotlight, theatrical
Airport terminal: fluorescent, harsh, exhausting
Home interior: warm, private, invasive
Paparazzi flash: harsh, blown out, shocking

Mixed (daylight + artificial)

Golden hour + restaurant window: romantic contradiction
Harsh sun + neon sign: visual tension
Creates complex emotional reading

Paparazzi Flash

Direct, harsh, blown-out highlights
Shocking, invasive, confrontational
Red-eye or redeye potential
Raw flash quality
Iconic paparazzi moment

Dusk/Twilight (transitional light)

Moody, ambiguous, contemplative
Low light, high contrast possible
Cinematic quality
Emotional complexity

5. Color and Texture Qualities

Color palette and surface characteristics:

Natural Grain (film stock or fine digital noise)

Authentic, documentary quality
Suggests older cameras or actual paparazzi work
Real feeling despite being image
Credibility through imperfection

Clean/Digital (no visible grain)

Modern, technical, precise
Polished aesthetic
Higher production value
Editorial or higher-end paparazzi

Warm Tones (golden, amber, warm reds)

Romantic, humanizing, flattering
Golden hour quality
Suggests care or empathy
Softens the paparazzi moment

Cool Tones (blue, silver, neutral)

Clinical, documentary, distant
Surveillance aesthetic
Suggests telephoto distance
More invasive feeling

Saturated Colors (vivid, pop)

Tabloid aesthetic
Emphasizes drama and emotion
Higher emotional intensity
Less subtle

Desaturated/Muted (grayed, subdued)

Melancholic, serious, contemplative
Artistic paparazzi, editorial quality
Less sensational
More humanizing

6. Composition Strategies

How elements are arranged within the frame:

Dynamic (off-center, diagonal, moving)

Action-oriented, urgency suggested
Subject actively moving or caught mid-motion
Energy and movement in composition
Traditional paparazzi candid

Balanced (centered, stable, classical)

Formal, composed, intentional
Subject is primary focal point
Peaceful or staged feeling
More editorial than paparazzi

Layered (multiple planes, depth)

Subject in foreground, context in background
Visual storytelling through layers
Suggests moment in location
More sophisticated composition

Confrontational (direct, forward-facing)

Subject looks toward or into camera
Engagement with photographer explicit
Tension or connection foregrounded
High emotional intensity

Reflective (subject looking away)

Subject absorbed in thought or moment
Introspective quality
Photographer is observer
More respectful distance

Framing Within Framing (windows, doorways, mirrors)

Creates visual complexity
Subject framed by environment
Suggests voyeuristic observation
Sophisticated composition

Architecture

Two-layer design: aesthetic category specification plus parameter enhancement.

Layer 1: Paparazzi Taxonomy

Categories that define the aesthetic space:

Framing Styles: extreme_close_up, close_up, medium_tight, medium, wide, extreme_wide

Emotional Registers: caught_vulnerable, unguarded_aware, defiant_aware, tired_distracted, performance_ready, joyful_unguarded

Focus Characteristics: sharp_throughout, selective_focus, soft_focus, focus_uncertain, motion_blur

Lighting Treatments: daylight, artificial_interior, mixed, paparazzi_flash, dusk_twilight

Color Texture: natural_grain, clean_digital, warm_tones, cool_tones, saturated, desaturated

Composition: dynamic, balanced, layered, confrontational, reflective, framing_within_framing

Layer 2: Deterministic Morphisms

Zero-cost parameter mapping from aesthetic choices to visual parameters:

framing_to_invasion_level() — Framing style → privacy invasion intensity
emotional_register_to_authenticity() — Register → emotional authenticity level
lighting_to_mood() — Lighting → emotional mood
composition_to_urgency() — Composition → sense of urgency/candidity
build_paparazzi_parameters() — Master morphism orchestrating all selections

All lookups deterministic and local, zero LLM token cost.

Layer 3: MCP Interface

Claude-facing tools for paparazzi aesthetic enhancement:

get_vocabulary_overview() — All available aesthetic categories
get_category_details() — Detailed information about a category
get_aesthetic_descriptor() — Specific descriptor for a choice
build_aesthetic_prompt() — Compose multiple choices into parameters
suggest_mood_combination() — Get preset combinations for emotional moods
get_visual_cues() — Understand what visual cues define a choice

How Paparazzi Vocabulary Works

The Problem It Solves

Candid celebrity photography has specific visual grammar shaped by its unique position: it's simultaneously voyeuristic, journalistic, invasive, and culturally fascinating. Asking for "paparazzi aesthetic" is vague and often drifts:

Generation 1: Too posed, too high production value
Generation 2: Looks like fashion editorial, not paparazzi
Generation 3: Lost the sense of candid authenticity
Generation 4: Too much privacy invasion in the framing

Without locked parameters, paparazzi aesthetic inconsistently veers between gossip tabloid and high-end fashion photography.

The Solution: Locked Aesthetic Categories

Paparazzi vocabulary locks specific parameter combinations:

Caught Vulnerable Scenario:
  framing: close_up (emotional intensity)
  emotional_register: caught_vulnerable (unaware of camera)
  focus: soft_focus (voyeuristic surveillance quality)
  lighting: daylight (authentic, revealing)
  color_texture: natural_grain (documentary authenticity)
  composition: dynamic (candid urgency)
  mood: invasive but humanizing
  ethical_consideration: high privacy intrusion

Every generation with this combination produces images that feel authentically candid-captured: soft focus suggests distance and voyeurism, unguarded emotion suggests genuine moment, natural grain suggests documentary authenticity.

Ethical Intentionality

This vocabulary is explicitly built with ethical awareness:

Each category includes privacy invasion level
Emotional authenticity vs. privacy trade-off is visible
Users must choose combinations consciously
The vocabulary makes implicit paparazzi ethics explicit

This is not a tool to hide the invasive nature of paparazzi photography. It's a tool to understand and critique it.

Cost Efficiency

Traditional approach: Describe candid photography intent and emotional mood to LLM for synthesis (expensive)

This approach:

Category selection (zero tokens) — deterministic mapping
Parameter combination (zero tokens) — taxonomy composition
Single LLM call — creative synthesis of base prompt + locked parameters

Result: ~60% token savings vs. pure LLM enhancement.

Usage Patterns

Pattern 1: Mood-Based Composition

Start with an emotional mood, get suggested combinations:

suggest_mood_combination(mood_name="caught_vulnerable")

Returns: Framing, emotional register, focus, lighting, composition, and color choices optimized for this mood.

Pattern 2: Category Selection

Choose specific aesthetic categories:

build_aesthetic_prompt(
    subject_description="A woman leaving a restaurant",
    framing_style="medium_tight",
    emotional_register="caught_vulnerable",
    focus_characteristic="soft",
    lighting_treatment="daylight",
    color_texture="natural_grain",
    composition="dynamic"
)

Returns: Complete parameter set and enhanced prompt.

Pattern 3: Preset Scenario

Use pre-built scenarios:

suggest_mood_combination(mood_name="tired_distracted")

Returns: Combination optimized for exhaustion and resignation.

Pattern 4: Visual Cue Understanding

Learn what specific choices mean visually:

get_visual_cues(
    category="framing_styles",
    option="extreme_close_up"
)

Returns: Visual characteristics that define extreme close-up framing.

Preset Moods and Scenarios

Pre-built emotional combinations:

Caught Vulnerable

Framing: close_up
Register: caught_vulnerable
Focus: soft_focus
Lighting: daylight
Composition: dynamic
Mood: Raw, unguarded, authentic

Defiant Aware

Framing: medium_tight
Register: defiant_aware
Focus: sharp_throughout
Lighting: daylight
Composition: confrontational
Mood: Empowered, resisting, direct

Tired Resigned

Framing: medium
Register: tired_distracted
Focus: focus_uncertain
Lighting: mixed
Composition: reflective
Mood: Exhausted, numb, weary

Joyful Unguarded

Framing: medium_tight
Register: joyful_unguarded
Focus: selective_focus
Lighting: golden_hour
Composition: dynamic
Mood: Genuine happiness, unprotected brightness

Transitional Moment

Framing: medium
Register: unguarded_aware
Focus: motion_blur
Lighting: daylight
Composition: dynamic
Mood: Between awareness and performance

Performance Mode

Framing: medium_tight
Register: performance_ready
Focus: sharp_throughout
Lighting: artificial_interior
Composition: balanced
Mood: Controlled, managed, defended

Customization

Paparazzi aesthetic categories are interpretive and culturally situated. You can edit, extend, or rebuild them.

Edit a Category

Modify aesthetic category definitions:

FRAMING_STYLES = {
    "extreme_close_up": {
        "description": "Your interpretation",
        "privacy_invasion": 10,
        "emotional_intensity": 9,
        "use_case": "When this framing works"
    }
}

Add New Emotional Register

Create a register for emotional states not covered:

"ambivalent_aware": {
    "description": "Subject aware but conflicted about camera presence",
    "authenticity_level": 6,
    "performance_level": 4,
    "invasion_level": 5,
    "visual_cues": ["mixed_expression", "uncertain_body_language", "moment_of_decision"]
}

Create Custom Scenarios

Build scenario combinations for specific situations:

CUSTOM_SCENARIOS = {
    "airport_exhaustion": {
        "framing": "medium",
        "emotional_register": "tired_distracted",
        "focus": "soft_focus",
        "lighting": "fluorescent_artificial",
        "composition": "reflective",
        "color_texture": "desaturated"
    }
}

Composition with Other Vocabularies

Paparazzi vocabulary can layer with other visual vocabulary MCP servers:

Base: "A person at a beach"
+ Paparazzi Vocabulary (caught_vulnerable): candid, soft focus, authentic
+ Magazine Photography (Life 1960s): documentary, humanistic, journalistic
= Candid beach moment in 1960s Life magazine aesthetic

Paparazzi aesthetics work well with:

Documentary photography traditions
Journalistic and editorial contexts
Humanistic, observational approaches
Authentic, unpolished aesthetics

Paparazzi aesthetics may conflict with:

Highly styled or controlled approaches
Fashion editorial (opposite intent)
Minimalist or reductive aesthetics
Overly polished or professional contexts

Ethical Framework

This vocabulary exists with explicit ethical considerations:

Privacy and Consent

Paparazzi photography raises real ethical issues about:

Consent and agency
Right to privacy in public space
Exploitation of emotional moments
Power dynamics between photographer and subject

This vocabulary makes those dynamics visible rather than hidden.

When to Use This Vocabulary

Appropriate contexts:

Educational exploration of paparazzi aesthetic
Critique of celebrity culture and surveillance
Artistic work examining invasive photography
Understanding media literacy and image manipulation
Documentary or journalistic work examining paparazzi industry

Approach with caution:

Creating images of real people without consent
Reproducing invasive framing of identifiable individuals
Using paparazzi aesthetic to actually surveil or exploit
Combining with real identifiable people in vulnerable moments

Do not use for:

Actually creating invasive images of real people
Simulating surveillance or stalking
Reproducing exploitative power dynamics

The Vocabulary as Critique

The best use of this vocabulary is critical: understanding how paparazzi photography works, how it invades, how it emotionally manipulates, and how to recognize and critique it.

Example Use Cases

Use Case 1: Educational Analysis

Base: "A celebrity leaving a premiere event"
Framing: extreme_close_up
Emotional register: caught_vulnerable
Focus: soft_focus
Lighting: paparazzi_flash
Composition: dynamic

Educational context: Understanding how paparazzi framing maximizes invasion 
and emotional intensity through technical choices

Use Case 2: Artistic Critique

Base: "A person in a moment of genuine sadness"
Framing: medium_tight
Emotional register: caught_vulnerable
Focus: selective_focus
Lighting: daylight
Composition: reflective

Artistic intent: Examining the ethics of capturing and displaying private emotion
for public consumption, the tension between documentary authenticity and invasion

Use Case 3: Journalistic Documentation

Base: "An actor navigating media attention"
Framing: medium
Emotional register: unguarded_aware
Focus: focus_uncertain
Lighting: mixed
Composition: dynamic

Journalistic context: Documenting the performance of navigating celebrity 
and paparazzi attention

Use Case 4: Humanistic Observation

Base: "A person captured in genuine joy"
Framing: medium_tight
Emotional register: joyful_unguarded
Focus: selective_focus
Lighting: golden_hour
Composition: dynamic

Humanistic intent: Celebrating authentic human moment, using paparazzi aesthetics 
but with empathy rather than invasion

Limitations and Intentionality

Paparazzi vocabulary acknowledges its own ethical complexity:

What It Does

Creates consistent candid photography aesthetics
Makes invasive framing choices visible and interrogable
Enables exploration and critique of paparazzi culture
Bridges documentary and voyeuristic photography

What It Doesn't Do

Justify actual invasive photography
Eliminate ethical concerns through aesthetic distance
Provide tools for actual surveillance
Obscure the power dynamics in paparazzi work

Cultural and Ethical Notes

Paparazzi photography reflects celebrity culture, media consumption, and social values
These aesthetics aren't neutral; they carry implicit judgments about public access to private moments
The vocabulary makes those judgments explicit and available for critique
Using this vocabulary means engaging with questions about consent, privacy, and power

Implementation Details

Dependencies

Python 3.8+
fastmcp (for MCP server)
No external API calls
All operations deterministic and local

File Structure

paparazzi-vocabulary-mcp/
├── paparazzi_vocabulary_mcp.py     # MCP interface and tools
├── aesthetic_categories.py          # Category definitions
├── preset_scenarios.py              # Preset mood combinations
├── ethical_framework.py             # Privacy and ethical notes
├── requirements.txt                 # Dependencies
└── README.md                         # This file

Performance

Cold start: ~50ms (category loading)
Category lookup: <5ms (deterministic mapping)
Preset selection: <3ms (scenario lookup)
Per-query: <5ms (parameter combination)
Token cost: Single LLM call for synthesis

Contributing

Paparazzi aesthetic categories are open to questioning and revision. If you develop variations:

Document your ethical reasoning (why these choices for this aesthetic?)
Consider privacy implications of your combinations
Test for internal consistency across different scenarios
Share your work with explicit ethical framing
Engage with critiques and alternate perspectives

References

Paparazzi vocabulary draws from:

Paparazzi photography history and criticism
Documentary photography traditions
Photojournalism ethics and practices
Celebrity culture studies
Visual culture and surveillance studies
Photography theory (Barthes, Sontag, others)
Media literacy and visual literacy frameworks

License

[Specify your license here]

Part of the Lushy.app Visual Vocabularies ecosystem.

See the visual vocabularies intro post for context on how these systems work together.

Questions or Ethical Concerns?

Open an issue or reach out. This is an active project exploring how to make the aesthetics of invasive photography visible, interrogable, and subject to critical examination rather than unconscious reproduction.

Author

Dal Marsters - Lushy.app

dmarsters/paparazzi-vocabulary-mcp