James Risen: Prosecuting the Press event

A few weeks back I was invited to shoot an event at the University of California Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. The event was titled “Prosecuting the Press” and featured the world famous investigative reporter Lowell Bergman, a true badass and currently producer/correspondent for the PBS documentary series FRONTLINE. Bergman is so tough and experienced that actor Al Pacino played him in the feature film “The Insider”, needless to say, he is the real deal!

His guest for this lecture was the currently embattled Pulitzer Prize winning American journalist and New York Times reporter, James Risen. Risen is also as tough as nails and has been challenged by the courts to reveal the name of his source for a chapter in his book State of War: The Secret History of the CIA and the Bush Administration. Chapter 9 in his book talks about a secret mission called Operation MERLIN that the CIA totally screwed up. Risen caught wind of this mishap and wrote about it years later, unfortunately, both the Bush administration and the Obama administration are still trying to punish him for bringing the said incident to light. He is currently challenging the ruling of the court system who looks to send him to jail if he won’t divulge his source of the leak, by taking his case to the Supreme Court. This is currently scheduled to happen in a few months, and that is also why I chose to accept this assignment, the verdict in this case will have HUGE implications on the way the Media/Press deal with acquiring and writing their stories in the near future. Risens’ challenge is one of the bravest things for a journalist to attempt, and I fully support his rights and ideals.  With the amount of hype that Julian Assange (Wikileaks), Eric Snowden and Chelsea Manning have received in the past few years for their specific leaks, the Risen case may seem miniscule in comparison. However, it must be noted that he was not the “leaker”, he merely wrote about the events the occurred, as told to him, by a trusted source…….but he is also a journalist, and is protected by the laws of the land…..right? One would think, but the rules have changed rapidly since 9/11, and the U.S. government is trying to set him up as an example….don’t burn us or we will burn you seems to be the statement they are screaming!

“The basic issue is, can we continue as journalists to protect and offer the confidentiality to someone who knows something going on in the government but doesn’t want to go public?”, asked Risen.

His question and answer event was scheduled at the Berdahl Auditorium on campus and was held in front of 300 invited guests. Among those in attendance was Whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg, one of the first ever to leak secrets, most famously the “Pentagon Papers” that he copied and delivered to The New York Times in 1971. His leak changed the way the Vietnam war debacle played out, and his decision and bravery no doubt helped save the lives of  many U.S. soldiers.

I was fortunate enough to film all of these men and listen to their stories as well….a bonus if you will. I had read the book ahead of time to judge for myself if the leak was really worth going to jail over…..I don’t think it gave away anything that would have jeopardized or hurt America…..unless showing how reckless and childish the whole CIA plan actually was…! I truly believe that the people trying to punish Risen are embarrassed by what he revealed, and the simple fact that they got caught. 

The Berkeley professors, Dean Wasserman and the students/staff who helped and attended this event should be proud of the program that they put together this night and I am glad that I could attend and do my part in capturing this small segment of history….James Risen is a true leader, and will be seen as one by years end.  When asked about his own future and why he published his book, Risen responded to the crowd, “I thought, I either publish these stories or I’m getting out of journalism. The default position for a reporter should be to publish.”

The entire event was videotaped and will hopefully be around for many decades to teach other journalism students the ethics and responsibility of being  professional writers.

In other happenings, I was invited to put together a small workshop on the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism campus and it couldn’t have gone any better! I was to discuss being a “Pool photographer” as well as how uploading images to the Associated Press wire service happens. I had about a dozen excited and curious students in attendance in the library, and we spoke for over 2 hours. We talked ethics, responsibility, PhotoMechanic, editing, cropping, metadata, code replacements, Photoshop actions and FTP servers……and then went through my traveling camera case. Students set up my cameras with Pocket Wizard remotes and tried my selection of different lenses and bodies……Hands on was the motto of the day.   I want to personally thank everyone at Berkeley, and I truly hope to return there one day for a longer workshop to train these excited students. This was one of the best teaching experiences ever. Go Bears!!!

For more photos of this event click here:   http://alexmenendez.photoshelter.com/#!/index/G0000FU69V3m5Np4

Dia De Los Muertos

"DAY OF THE DEAD".....what a title for a Holiday!

I had heard about this for years, but didn't know if it was the title of a movie or the name of a song, or both.....but it stuck...until a few months back....

A friend mentioned it to me and explained the concept and origins...and I have been waiting impatiently for these few days to begin ever since.
For those of you that aren't quite up to date, or just simply lost like I was....lets take a look at Wikipedia's definition of this worldly ritual:

Day of the Dead (Spanish: Día de Muertos) is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico and around the world in other cultures. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. It is particularly celebrated in Mexico, where the day is a bank holiday. The celebration takes place on October 31, November 1 and November 2, in connection with the Christian triduum of Hallowmas: All Hallows' Eve, All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day.[1][2] Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars called ofrendas honoring the deceased using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed and visiting graves with these as gifts. They also leave possessions of the deceased.
Scholars trace the origins of the modern Mexican holiday to indigenous observances dating back hundreds of years and to an Aztec festival dedicated to the goddess Mictecacihuatl. The holiday has spread throughout the world: In Brazil Dia de Finados is a public holiday that many Brazilians celebrate by visiting cemeteries and churches. In Spain there are festivals and parades, and, at the end of the day, people gather at cemeteries and pray for their dead loved ones. Similar observances occur elsewhere in Europe, and similarly themed celebrations appear in many Asian and African cultures.

Get it? Well, let me take it from what I experienced at the Mexican Consulate event in Orlando, Florida this past weekend.

I saw Skeletons, flowers, food, cigarettes, cerveza, face paint, honest feelings, sad faces and a huge sense of pride. Friendly folks tried in vain to explain the purpose to me, while speaking in Spanish and feeding me and my son Blaze the best Beef and Sausage tacos I have ever eaten..... in short, I was very welcomed, accepted and taken in.

I first made the connection to photograph this event on Friday afternoon after searching endlessly on the internet for "Dia De Los Muertos" festivals in the area. The closest was in Fort Lauderdale........a bit too far to travel for me......but with some persistence and tracking down and translating the El Sentinel newspaper, I came across a very small article about the Mexican Consulate public event. I knew this was my only chance to capture this festival, so I cleared my cards and charged my batteries. My son Blaze also wanted to shoot, so he agreed to tag along with his DSLR.


Saturday arrived with the cold front, and all of the ofretas that had been arranged outside were packed up, and moved indoors. The first heavy rainfall in weeks arrived to try and ruin the event, but it was not to be.....nothing was going to supress this day.

The event went off without a hitch and the Consulate was packed to capacity. The altars were stacked with candles, old photos, Catrinas, sombreros, paper figures and sugar skulls......It was colorful and GRAND!

Blaze and I took many photos of the surroundings and the parade of worshippers......it was a fantastic experience and we hope to film it again next year. Thanks to everyone who granted us permission to photograph.


Please see photos here:

http://alexmenendez.photoshelter.com/#!/index/G0000kZvwSdxZ_I0

All Images on this blog property of Alex Menendez. Don't steal em.
Dictionary text credit: Wikipedia

Cotto- Rodriguez Boxing

Tomorrow night is the first ever Boxing event at the Amway Arena and features a heck of a bout with 3 time Champion Miguel Cotto from Puerto Rico taking on Dominican challenger Delvin Rodriguez.
These two are evenly matched and this promises to be an incredible bout.
Cotto represented Puerto Rico in the Olympics and has gone on to be the best fighter to come off the island. He has previous bouts with Manny Pacquiao, Shane Mosley, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Zab Judah and Antonio Margarito. He has gone on to start his own promotion company and I had the pleasure of shooting one of his first promotions at the Turning Stone Resort in Verona, NY. They put on a heck of as show and this HBO fight will surely gain him more credability in the boxing promo game.
Add that Miguel is bringing in Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach and this has all the makings of a brighter future for Cotto.

Delvin Rodriguez is stepping up to the HBO fight after a series of ESPN Friday Night Fights features. He is of Dominican descent and fights out of Danbury Connecticuit and has appeared on live television 11 times.

Both fighters made weight and are confident they will be victorious.

Check back tomorrow for results and more pics.

Ninja at home

So, my boys decided to create “Sugar Glass”, you know, the material that is used on movie sets to crash over the actors heads, or in the old cowboy Western’s, the window that was broken as the villain get kicked out of the saloon. This is all the rage apparently with 8 and 10 year old boys….as this is all they spoke about for a week.

Now, if you don’t know my boys, they are actual Ninjas….honest to God, actual living and breathing NINJAS! The actual spinning, flying, grunting and cussin little buggers who are 2 stripe tests away from earning their brown belts…(one belt away from BLACK)……so you can probably see where this little story is headed.

I digress….....so anyways, they mixed the concoction up in the bowl and then cooked it in a 9x9 cake tin. It turned into a rather large Ricola cough drop looking thingy, about half an inch thick and sticky as hell….but it was transparent for the most part.  We left it in the fridge overnight to harden….as the boys went to bed for the night, smiling and planning on the next days adventures, and how to break the glass.

Sunday morning was like Christmas to them as I apparently overslept for the grand breaking ceremony. I was pulled from my somewhat comfy bed with the demands of Blaze to "grab my camera and shoot this thing"…………Y A W N!

I told him to go to the garage and retrieve the black backdrop, stands, beauty dish and a kicker light for the background. We took a 4x8 foamcore sheet and tried our best to block the sun streaming through the front door, as total darkness what my ultimate goal. This didn’t really work out as planned, but I proceeded to attempt the shot anyway.

We took a simple tripod and Blaze gaff taped a normal spring clamp to it, to hold the glass in place. This stuff was as sticky as molasses I tell ya.

It was very important for the two

of us to get our timing down, we only had the one chance to nail the shot and I was already up……..I counted him down at least 10 times until I felt we were in sync. When he finally got consistent in his throwing of the punches and his screams were at the optimal NINJA volume, we decided to go for it!

One more test of the flash was necessary to make sure the lights were firing…they didn’t?  The cable release had fallen out,….phew….quick fix.

3………..2………..1………POP!!!!!!.......then a second later the shattering echoed throughout the living room……….it was over….DONE!

Chimping on the back of the camera was almost as glorious as seeing my Space Shuttle remotes for the first time….we had done it….Perfection on one take.

He laughed as we ate the glass that was still stuck to the tripod………….not a bad days work.

Check the new website at www.AlexMenendez.com

Bay Bridge San Francisco

I recently traveled to California for the assignment of filming the new construction of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. The new east span is the largest suspension bridge in the world as was built on the premise of public safety in the event of an earth shattering earthquake occurring again. The current (Original) bridge buckled and a section collapsed after the last major earthquake struck years ago.

This new structure is built of hollowed out steel sections that are joined together, almost like a large train, but with the girth of an aircraft carrier….a total of 5 lanes wide with a bike path and hi-tech LED lighting fixtures.

This particular assignment was for me to capture the build and archive the way the structure is connected, both above and below the bridge. Entering through the roadway was almost like climbing down into a manhole in a major city street.  The backpack and the two cameras I carried over my shoulder made the entry very difficult, with a very narrow steel ladder to climb down.

Once in the structure, I quickly noticed that each section was lit by the orange halogen bulbs, and the air was thick with various gasses and welders smoke.  The hollowness of the steel made the construction work above sound like I was in a motorized subway, hum after hum followed by the never ending buzz of electric lines over my head. To describe it would be like the sound of a stirred up bees nest in your attic.

The steel walkway that went down the center of the aisle was still cluttered with nuts, bolts and boxes of steel connectors.

After assessing the scene, and with no tripod for long exposure shots, I decided that an onboard flash would be the only lighting I could use. I snapped shots, then moved on down the walkway, capturing images as we went.  The hard helmet I was required to wear was surely needed, as hidden steel rods and corners protruded every 20 yards.  The whole setup reminded me of setting strobes in the rafters at an arena, above an NBA basketball game, only much darker and confined.

The highlight of this adventure was gaining access to the never before filmed “Splay Chamber”. This is where all the cables that support the bridge meet, and connect, to hold the bridge up over the bay. I was allowed about 5 minutes to spray this area and boy did I. These photos will one day be worth their weight in gold, and I was so lucky and thankful for the opportunity as this area has now been deemed off limits. (Due to the construction controversy of bad steel rods and the recent discovery of cracked bolts installed in various locations on the new structure).

After a hot hour exploring underground…..it was time to go back up to the main deck.

The workers in their orange vests were scurrying around pretty quickly and the guys on the wires, high above, were doing their jobs as if they still had their boots on the ground. They were all tethered in, with a giant crane dropping materials, and these were some of my favorite images to capture. The workers blasting with the blowtorches made for some very artsy looks as well.

Once done on the bridge itself, we were brought to the marina area and boarded a boat to float on and shoot under the new span of the bridge. The weather was less than ideal with a grey and white sky, which caused my photos to look as if they were shot in black and white, but the experience was so surreal, and authentic, and we all know that you cant change the weather! .We floated the entire length of the new span, both under and around the new structure. The Bridge Media Liason, Andrew, was a true professional and was one of the most patient and accommodating media reps I have ever dealt with, a true professional who knows how to get play for his project. My producer on the job was local, Linnea Edmeier, and many thanks to my Editor Doug Benc at Associated Press.

Currently there are over 300 images posted on the Associated Press Website as well as my Photoshelter site, found here:

http://alexmenendez.photoshelter.com/gallery/Bay-Bridge-Construction/G0000hSARCVr0MkM/

Altas V Launch with my sons

I missed the remote control camera setup on Tuesday
for the Atlas V rocket launch, but couldn't get the thought of missing this opportunity to film at Cape Canaveral out of my mind. When a rocket blasts off and you are within sight and close enough to taste the smoke, there is no better feeling. To describe it would not do it justice.....AWESOMENESS exploded!!!!

So I decided that with perfect blue skies, I would go for the 5:38 launch on Wednesday.

Keeping in mind that both of my sons have a science fair at school this Monday, and both of them are featuring rockets and launchers....I decided to pluck them from school, grab our swimming trunks and 4 Canon cameras.....and off we were...they were thrilled!

We of course had to stop at the Twistee Treat ice cream stand on the way, (Don Montague, you know what Im talking about).....with our bellies full we set out towards Playalinda Beach.

The crowds at the park were pretty fierce and we had to drive a bit to park in a secondary parking lot. After loading up, we crossed the boardwalk over the dunes to see 4 foot waves and about 1000 spectators who had the same plans we did.

After setting up a pocket wizard remote to the 70-200, the boys jumped into the Florida surf.  You could barely hear their screams of joy over the hovering helicopters flying overhead, but the smiles on their faces told the whole story.

Twenty minutes later, we were lined up in the waves, firing 4 cameras as the rocket lifted off towards space....

The  launch actually went on time without a hitch and it was back into the water until the rangers ordered us to leave...

We had to stop on the way out to let a 5 foot long alligator cross right in front of my truck......thats when I heard the words I love to hear....."This is the best day ever Dad!"

I hope this wont be our last launch......

More pics here

Bill Clinton UCF

Had another opportunity to film former US President Bill Clinton today.
He was the featured speaker at the University of Central Florida for their commencement day graduations. Listening to him speak, whether scripted or off the cuff, is always a treat, and today was no exception.....

Some of my favorite quotes follow....

"We need each other. We need to grow together. We need to learn together."

"Too many of us still believe our differences are more important than our common humanity,"

"Most of the people who have ever lived on planet Earth never had the choices your degrees and your mortarboards give you. Most people didn't choose what they do for a living, but even in a tough economy, you have been given that."

"My advice — do what makes you happy," he said. "I hope you will do well. I hope you will do good. I hope you will have a good time doing it."

All Photos Copyright Alex Menendez/2013 

Snap Orlando Workshop

Today I had the opportunity to fulfill a dream that I have had for many years.
My photography has taken me around the world to various locations and into some really wild adventures, and all these hidden stories have been buried in the back of my brain....until today!
SNAP ORLANDO, the only real art event featuring still photography in the Central Florida area, invited me to speak at one of their smaller events.

Founders Patrick and Holly got to talking with me a few weeks back and the idea of my speaking at a workshop at Downtown Credo in College Park came up. After some hesitation and a slight bit of prodding by Patrick, my lack of speaking experience and fear of saying yes disappeared. I committed and then let the lump in my throat get the best of me......     I was booked.

I had three weeks to assemble a talk on how best to capture "motion"!  Keep in mind that I have almost 50 Lacie harddrives dating back some 10 years, chock full of crazy images and some never before seen photos as well. My goal was to resurrect some of these for the workshop, and boy let me tell you, was it ever a  challenging process.

I was to travel for 13 straight days to San Francisco, San Diego and then to Washington D.C, with about 5 days left before this talk to assemble and color correct the 130 images I finally ended up choosing to feature. I culled these down from about 350 original selects. With a little guidance from top notch producers and editors that I regularly work with, I selected some that weren't particularly my favorites, but the ones that told the story at hand.

Scripting my talk was even harder. How long to talk? What to discuss? Who is the audience?   Not doing this on a recurring basis, heck, having never really spoken publicly about my work was hard enough, but to outline it and assemble it into some type of order was a nightmare. This process took me up until midnight every night this week.
In the end, I stuck to about 70 percent of what I had originally planned, swaying off topic every now and then, but for almost 2 hours straight, I think I did a decent job of storytelling, explaining and answering questions for the guests that attended.

Someday I would really like to teach a class for aspiring photographers and today kickstarted me in ways I couldn't imagine! I am both blessed and humbled.

I want to thank EVERYONE at SnapOrlando, Downtown Credo, Conduit and to my friends and all the photographers who showed up for my workshop today. There were so many of you also behind the scenes that encouraged me and gave me guidance, who will never even be recognized, and I thank you most of all!

I will sleep well tonite.

Black and White photos by Romeo Guzman, thanks man.....

Proposition 8 Supreme Court

What a week, Spring Break and the kids in Washington, D.C.!  The Smithsonian, Capitol Building, Lincoln Monument, Natural History Museum , Metro trains and taxis........oh yeah, and a little Supreme Court action thrown in for fun!!

Vacationing in the Nation's Capitol was quite an adventure I must admit. My 8 year old, Zane was captivated by the Washington monument, so tall and grand, and older bro Blaze was digging all the snow, the Spy Museum and the MTA subway trips......me, well, lets just say I have a small issue with wanting to film everywhere I go. The plan was to leave the big guns at home, as well as the Apple laptop.....I resolved myself to bringing just the Ipad and the Canon G12, point and shoot....

.......................my bad!

Had I done a little more research, I would have known that the Supreme Court would be settling down this week for a challenge of California's proposition 8 bill that basically, in short terms, discriminated against gay couples who want to get married and the benefits that come with......

On my second day of the trip, we ran across the demonstrators lining up to sleep overnight on the steps of the Supreme Court building. It was in the low 30's, the rain was falling, melting the snow on the sidewalk that had accumulated the night prior.   I knew at that point I was in trouble, my trigger finger was twitching uncontrollably,  I caught myself already scouting shooting positions and angles for the next day........."sorry boys",  was on my mind already. After a few snaps on the Iphone and an upload to Linnea at KGO Radio in San Francisco for a sound clip, we were back on our way.

The next day was gorgeous out, the air was extremely crisp, and the chants and cheers could be heard the minute I stepped up from the bowels of the MTA station....."GAME ON!!!"..... I only had one quick chance to capture what I could.   The boys were headed to the restroom, just steps away in the Library of Congress.......I bolted for the event and shot for exactly 14 minutes, and only got screamed at 3 times by DC's finest......

Those damn Westboro idiots yelled at me every time I stuck the lens in their red, childish looking faces, I gave them the dirty look as I mashed the shutter button with all the FLASH I had in that little camera.......

Most couples holding signs were laughing and having a grand old time, and the person dressed in the devil outfit was spinning in circles, dancing and rubbing up on anyone within his grasp.......it was almost as if I had entered a rumbling, synchronized carnival full of laughter....

I was gone as quickly as I had arrived, and uploaded a few dozen frames to the Associated Press. Shooting events like this always gets my spirits up and my instincts on edge.  I can't wait to go back in June when the final verdict is due....I sure hope they win!

More images here:   http://alexmenendez.photoshelter.com/gallery/Supreme-Court-Gay-Marriage/G0000ZxkEvja3wPM/

NASCAR Kyle Larson Autoracing

NASCAR Drive4COPD Crash

Rookie NASCAR Nationwide driver Kyle Larson was having one heckuva week at his first ever Daytona International Speedway Speedweeks. He took second place in the ARCA race on the track and captured first place in the special night race that the track held for drivers. He never imagined however how his week would end, with him being the centerpiece of one of the most spectacular crashes the track had ever featured. It was the final lap of the Nationwide Series opener, the Drive4COPD event, that was being broadcast live across the world.

Larson was in the top 10 coming out of turn 4 and in racing for a top 5 spot, he got tangled up with a few other cars as they raced near 200 mph down the front stretch.  As race winner Tony Stewart was crossing the finish line with almost every camera focused on him with the checkered flag a wavin......a mere 300 yards behind him, all HELL was breaking loose!

Larsons car got tangled with a few others and the newly designed "Generation 6" car flew like a kite up against the catch/safety fence, spitting fire like an angry dragon. His racecar slapped right up in to the safety barrier about 15 feet in the air, with parts flying off like it was a lego toy. The madness only took about 3 seconds before the sound diminished into screaming fans, blood and utter chaos. As the race winner was being announced over the P.A. system and lightbulbs were flashing, the smoke started to settle, and cries for help could be heard coming from a few of the lower sections of seating.

Larsons car came to a rest on the infield, with the entire front half of the vehicle missing....he had left the entire front portion of the car, engine included, in the front sections of the grandstands.  An entire wheel, not just the rubber, but the rims and axles, as well as his entire engine had appeared to fly through the fencing and was burning at the feet of the security personnel standing in the front row.  Shards of metal, plasting and glass had sprayed the crowd like fireworks that had been lit on the pavement.  Chaos ensued and the medics were scrambling like pissed off fire ants to the scene. The burning engine block was quickly extinguished as the smoke began to rise into the already heated stands, and the television folks began to scan the victims with their broadcast cameras.

To say the tone was quickly turned down is an understatement, even Tony "Smoke" Stewart, the race winner, didnt celebrate like he should have, he said thanks and wished the best for the injured fans. The next day he would visit those same gearheads in the local hospital.

I was filming from the roof and after 15 races, can honestly say Ive only captured the race winner 1 time, when I could see that there would be no crash on that final lap, this time I felt it and decided to hold off on the winner once again. The following frames are the exact reason why I held off........pure Instinct.  

I am so glad that no one was seriously injured in this crash, and glad the race organizers were smart enough to place this catch fence when they did. Many worse things could have happened here, and Larson was the luckiest of all....

More images can be found at this link below.

Larson Wreck

Color Run Orlando

First I must start off with an apology to the half dozen followers that still stop by this blog from time to time, I haven't been here in months and I am sorry....
Cool? K, lets move along.........

So with that, I will start 2013 anew with a shoot I filmed this morning, the Color Run of Orlando. This is another 5K type event but since it was competing head to head with the Disney marathon, I chose to cover this instead. The concept is pretty cool, show up wearing bright white and run 3 miles while volunteers pelt you with various colors of a corn starch like powder.....to say this was a visible shoot is an understatement!
My mother in law gave me the heads up about the event, and since it is only 3 miles from my house, I figured I'd give it a shot........so GLAD I did.
I wish I was running in this one lemme tell ya........nothing but smiles all the way around.
I sent a quick email to the event organizers and was invited to shoot away....so once I arrived there I made my way to the volunteer tent, secured an orange t-shirt and got to filming.
A word of warning to any future photogs wanting to cover this event...bring your oldest camera and lens....the powder (dust) gets everywhere and does not come out easily. I grabbed my oldest Canon 5D MKII and MKIIN, with old plastic style kit lenses.....I did miss my pro glass and wide angle lenses..but the risk was not worth the loss if I ruined one....

The event featured about 10,000 runners/walkers and the weather could not have been much better! I look forward to shooting this next time it comes to Florida, if I'm not running in it myself.

More images here, and thanks for stopping by.

/http://alexmenendez.photoshelter.com/gallery/Color-Run-Orlando/G0000VY4w9XDpEJg/