Catching Oscar With His Guard Down

By: Brian Dakss

Hollywood's elite are getting ready for its most glamorous event of the year, next weekend's Academy Awards.

On the big night, fans aren't only interested in who wins. A big part for many is seeing arriving stars walking down the red carpet.

And The Early Show National Correspondent Hattie Kauffman spoke with a photographer who prides himself in capturing the stars when their spirits are up, and their guard down.

We're used to seeing photo of celebrities looking cool and calm on the red carpet, she points out.

But, she says, many are actually giving the performance of a lifetime, filled with adrenaline and nerves.

Rachel Griffiths, a 1998 Oscar nominee, says, "Nothing prepares you for that Red Carpet, and how absolutely insane it is. Insane!"

What would it be like to be a "fly on the wall," catching the stars when they think no one is looking?

That, says Kauffman, is Art Streiber's assignment. For the past five years, as Oscar's official photographer, he's had an "all access" pass.

"I'm trying to find moments backstage that kind of shed some light on, what is it like behind the curtain?" he told Kauffman.

Oscar headquarters in Beverly Hills, Calif. has raised now the curtain on a special exhibit of Streiber's photos.

The lobby is filled with 120 of the artist's most prized pictures.

Streiber dubbed one, "When A-Listers collide." He explains that, "Julia Roberts had just presented Denzel Washington with his Best Actor Oscar, and Mel Gibson and Tom Hanks were presenting."

"Do you have a sense," Kauffman asked, "of, 'Look who I'm standing in front of? This is Denzel Washington, Julia Roberts, Tom Hanks?' "

"Uh, in a situation like this, where there's more than two, yes!" Streiber responded.