A Huge Chunk of the Miami Herald Building Has Come Down

A huge chunk of the old Miami Herald building at One Herald Plaza in Miami has come down today, Monday April 28, 2014.  Photo By Walt Michot

Video by Walt Michot

A section of the former Miami Herald building near downtown was demolished Monday morning. 

The site, between the MacArthur and Venetian causeways on the bay, is being cleared for a resort and residential complex.

The Malaysian gambling giant Genting in 2012 pulled back on its plans for a mega-casino resort on the site after facing a backlash over the project's proposed size. Last year it proposed a more traditional mix of condo towers, about 500 hotel rooms and a ground-floor cluster of shops and restaurants.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/04/28/4085614/section-of-old-miami-herald-building.html#storylink=cpy

Photo Book: CUBA THEN Rare and Classic Images of Cuba's Glamorous Past

Ramiro A. Fernández Collection

A tribute to Cuba’s glamorous past

through hundreds of vintage photographs and ephemera

Cuba before Castro was defined by boundless tourism and vibrant nightlife. From the streets of Havana to the back roads of rural towns, Cuban life was a heady mix of music, dancing, sports, gambling, politics, and struggle.

Cuba Then celebrates the intensely colorful culture that photography collector Ramiro A. Fernández remembers from his youth. From the earliest daguerreotypes to glamorous shots of movie stars, a century of the country’s history is represented by a rich spectrum of personalities: race-car driving aristocrats, sultry showgirls, gangsters, everyday folk, and revolutionaries who would soon transform the nation, including Fidel Castro and Che Guevera. An introduction by Fernández shares his early memories of Cuba and details how his love of collecting vintage Cuban photographs began. Through a foreword and poems, Richard Blanco, the Cuban-American poet chosen to speak at President Obama’s second inauguration, meditates on the romantic legacy of old Cuba.

A dynamic collage of images, experiences, and memories, Cuba Then presents the glamour and the grit of the island’s tumultuous history, through a collection that passionately preserves traces of a lost homeland.

About the Authors: 

Born in Havana, Ramiro A. Fernández is the author of I Was Cuba, a former photography editor at Time, Inc., and the owner of more than 3,000 vintage Cuban photographs. Richard Blanco is the award-winning author of four collections of poetry, including Looking for The Gulf Motel.

Ramiro A. Fernández

Richard Blanco

EVENTS • 

Friday April 25, 2014 Book signing with Ramiro at the International Center of Photography 

For More Info Visit IPC

http://www.icp.org/events/2014/april/25/book-signing-cuba-then-ramiro-fernandez

Tuesday May 6, 2014 Book Signing and Presentation with Ramiro Fernandez and Richard Blanco at Books & Books, Coral Gables, FL 

For More Info Visit Books & Books

http://www.booksandbooks.com/event/ramiro-fernandez-and-richard-blanco-cuba-then-rare-and-classic-images-ramiro-fernandez-collect

CUBA THEN • 

Ramiro A. Fernández, Foreword and poems by Richard Blanco 

288 pages • 7-1/4 x 9-3/8 inches • 285 color illustrations

ISBN 978-1-58093-383-4 • $40.00 hardcover

www.monacellipress.com • twitter.com/monacellipress

The Monacelli Press • 236 West 27th Street, 4th Floor • New York, New York 10001 

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New book offers glimpse into the Cuba of yesteryear through vintage and rare photos

BY ANA VECIANA-SUAREZ

AVECIANA@MIAMIHERALD.COM

Ramiro A. Fernández, a retired Time photo editor, began collecting photographs of his homeland quite by accident, but that serendipity has proven to be a bonanza for anyone interested in vintage images of Cuba and its colorful culture.

In 1981, Fernández was working as a receptionist at the Museum of Modern Art in New York when a man offered to sell a collection to the museum’s curator. The curator wasn’t interested, but Fernández ended up buying — on an installment plan — another album, one of 20 albumen silver prints from the 1890s by Spanish-born Cuban photographer Jose Gomez de la Carrera. It was the beginning of a lifelong love affair. Since then Fernandez has amassed 4,000 photo images that span about 150 years.

Now Fernández, 62, has put about 270 of those photos together in a book that offers a fascinating glimpse into the Cuba of yesteryear, a visual chronicle of glamorous showgirls, local celebrities, international movie stars and everyday people. Cuba Then: Rare and Classic Images from the Ramiro A. Fernandez Collection (The Monacelli Press) offers a peek into one of the largest collections of Cuban photography outside the island.

Fernández and award-winning poet Richard Blanco, who wrote a foreword and provided poems for the book, will talk about Cuba Then at Books & Books in Coral Gables at 8 p.m. Tuesday.

READ MORE HERE:

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/05/03/4094796/new-book-offers-glimpse-into-the.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/05/03/4094796/new-book-offers-glimpse-into-the.html#storylink=cpy

Frost Art Museum: Photojournalism in the Digital World - Panel on Wednesday

Please join us this Wednesday afternoon at the Frost Art Museum on the Mitch Madique Campus for a panel discussion, “Photojournalism in the Digital World.”  The panel will consist of distinguished photojournalists and editors Al Diaz, Maria Mann, Luis Rios, Charles Trainor, Jr., and will be moderated by Associate Professor Michael Scott Sheerin. The event will begin with a social hour at 3:00 p.m.  Hors d’oeuvres and beverages will be served outside on the museum patio.  The panel discussion will begin at 4:00 p.m.  This event is open to the public.  We look forward to seeing you there.

Al Diaz

For over 30 years, Miami photojournalist Al Diaz has been capturing dramatic events, sports and important people for the Miami Herald. From the US invasion of Panama and the 50th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, to the attempted coup against Hugo Chavez in Venezuela and the deadly earthquake in Haiti, he has had his boots on the ground. From President Reagan on through to President Obama, he’s captured them all.

Diaz has been presented the Humanitarian Award by the National Press Photographers Association, a member of the Miami Herald staff that won the Pulitzer Prize Gold Medal for coverage of Hurricane Andrew, granted a Green Eye Shade Award for sports and shared a Robert F. Kennedy Award for his portraits of disadvantaged families during the holidays. A graduate of the University of Florida, Diaz doesn’t need an assignment to shoot—he’s always on the move for the next important moment.

Maria Mann

Maria Mann is Director International Relations & Creative Images for European Pressphoto Agency, Frankfurt, concentrating on forging relationships with professionals  in photojournalism, creative photography, education, curating exhibits and conducting workshops.She joined EPA in 2007. Previously, she was director of global current events at Corbis, Paris. She was director of photography for Agence France-Presse for the Americas and international photo editor-in-chief in Paris. Maria was a member of the IAPA/Knight Foundation Workshops for Advanced Photojournalism, conducting workshops in Latin America. She also taught in Lithuania, World Press in Turkey, Pentagon Military Workshops and China. She was editor of a two-year project on the Ukraine, exhibited at the EU. Maria worked with the Newseum, Washington, co-curated several exhibits, and a produced a multimedia piece “Children of Kosovo”. She is co-producer of an e-learning module on visual language of photojournalism for the Poynter Institute.She has lectured in universities in Europe and the Americas, most recently at Cambridge University in the UK, and mentors young photojournalists. 

Maria has judged photojournalism contests including World Press, Unicef, Lithuanian Circle of Life, Belarus Photos of the Year, Bayeux War Correspondents, POY, Joop Swart Masterclass portfolios and CHIPP/China and was the founding chair of the NPPA Best of Photojournalism Contest..She was a member of the Forum: Code de déontologie de la Presse écrite Maghrébine in Tunis, that formulated and ratified the first code of ethics for the media in the Maghreb region.She is the recipient of the National Press Photographers’ Joseph Costa Award for ‘leadership and continuing service to photojournalists and photojournalism.’

Luis Rios

San Antonio Express-News Director of Photography Luis Rios is a national award-winning editor whose editing work is highlighted by two Pulitzer Prizes, a RFK Photojournalism Award, two Scripps Howard Photojournalism Awards and numerous National Headliners photography awards. Rios was the Director of Photography at the Miami Herald from 2003 through 2009. He directed and edited the coverage for the Herald’s 2009 Pulitzer Prize in Breaking News Photography by Patrick Farrell.  He began his photo-editing career as the night picture editor at the Washington Post in 1996.  He edited three Washington Post photographers who won the Pulitzer Prize in Feature Photography in 2000. Carol Guzy, Lucien Perkins and Michael Williamson were recognized for their work after spending numerous months chronicling the ethnic strife and the war that ravaged Kosovo.

Charles Trainor, Jr.

Charles Trainor, Jr. joined The Miami Herald in 1981, and has covered most of the major news events that have impacted South Florida. His extensive coverage of Cuba and the rafter’s crisis’ of 1994 won him awards in national and international photography contests. Trainor recently has been involved in the coverage of the Miami Heat and LeBron James’s NBA Championship title, the University of Miami’s football season and the Miami Dolphins struggle for a winning season.

 Trainor’s documentary work includes an eighteen-year project called “The Corridor”.  The black and white project follows five subjects that live between the railroad tracks and Interstate 95, and it proves that life in this depressed area can be difficult but these subjects still live with hope and success.

In his career he has been honored by University of Missouri’s School of Journalism, Sigma Delta Chi, American Photography Magazine, Atlanta Seminar on Photojournalism, Inter-American Press Association, National Headliner Award and was a member of The Miami Herald news team that won the Pulitzer Prize Gold Medal for the newspaper's coverage of Hurricane Andrew.

 Moderator:  Michael Scott Sheerin

            Michael Scott Sheerin, M.S., Director, SJMC Online, and associate professor at FIU and has been a professional in the broadcast and new media industry for the past 18 years. He has developed interactive TV prototypes for Disney and has worked as a designer, animator, art director, creative director, commercial director and producer for such clients as ABC, The U.S. Armed Forces, DirecTV, J. Walter Thompson and Nickelodeon. He currently sits on the board of the AICP.

    Sheerin’s research includes many aspects of new technologies  and television. He has written book chapters and articles on the history of television, post-production, and digital photography. An award winning photographer in his own right, Sheerin uses photography as an outlet for his artistic side and he brings his knowledge of visual communication, garnered in part to his participation and research in the medium of photography, to the classroom.

Leica Lounge with Charles Ommanney

Leica Lounge with Charles Ommanney | May 1st | 7:00 pm

Join us for our first Leica Lounge presentation featuring Newsweek photographer Charles Ommanney. Charles’ career spans many years and many continents, and includes projects for publications such as TIME, Vanity Fair and Rolling Stone.

Leica Lounge is a new lecture series hosted by Leica Store Miami, which features presentations by working professional photographers local to South Florida. Held monthly, each event is designed to create and inspire a local photography community through sharing images and exchanging ideas.

RSVP online:
http://leicastoremiami.com/collections/workshops-classes-and-trips/products/leica-lounge-with-photographer-charles-ommanney-thurs-may-1-2014-7pm-8-30pm

"Cuba 2014 - Havana and Vinales" - Photography Exhibit by Robert Karafel

Photographer Robert Karafel exhibits at Pitman Photo 

Closing reception on Saturday January 31st from 2 to 4 PM.  Cuba is such a hot topic in the news lately, stop by Pitman to see Karafel's vision of present day Cuba beyond Havana, 
in the 99 photographs on exhibit.   

13911 South Dixie Highway, Palmetto Bay, FL 

On display Now.

This exhibit of color photographs by Robert Karafel were taken in April 2012 during the first week of a two week humanitarian mission trip across Cuba. The 99 photographs displayed were taken in eastern and central Cuba in the towns of Santiago de Cuba, El Cobre, Bayamo, Camaguey, Sancti Spiritus, Trinidad and Cienfuegos.  In April 2014 this photographer had an exhibit of color photographs at Pitman from Havana and the Vinales Valley.

Al Diaz delivers on content and insight at NYPA Spring 2014 Conference

By Jeff Cutler 
http://jeffcutler.com

Let’s get this out of the way upfront - I’m a fan of Al Diaz’. His photography is smart, gripping and professional. What I wasn’t ready for was the insight he provided during his educational sessions at a professional journalism conference in New York this spring.

At the New York Press Association Spring Conference in Saratoga Springs, NY, Diaz tackled two topics all aspiring and professional photographers would be well-served to study. He talked about shooting sports - from action, sports features and portraits; and he presented on always being prepared when you’re in the field.

The first session was a visual candy factory of images from Diaz’ time at the Miami Herald shooting professional sports, college and high school athletes. He shared the steps he took to reach out and arrange for shots as well as the particulars that went into crafting the best image from a limited amount of time with busy subjects.

Further, he showed attendees some of the ways in which he prepares for the fast pace of pro sports - from the floor at an NBA game to field-side at NFL events. He even allowed us to peek into one of his more prominent gaffs as a photographer. Specifically, the time he was dead center shooting Miami Dolphin quarterback Dan Marino’s giving his retirement speech and forgot to shut off his cell-phone ringer.

When the phone went off, Diaz was rattled but did his job and got the shot.

From a preparation standpoint, Diaz (in addition to noting the importance of shutting off your phone ringer) talked about keeping your gear ready to go, being organized and knowing how to shoot quickly in all situations.

Some of his in-the-field examples of shots he’s taken included a non-responsive baby on the side of a highway; a kneeling soldier in Normandy, France; and multi-thousand-frame time-lapse of the retractable roof of the new Marlins Park baseball stadium in Miami.

Ultimately, Diaz offered students tips and tricks that make their journalistic photography and general techniques more professional and efficient.

Winners, Herald photo editor Christina Daly and Herald executive editor John O'Connell
holding door prizes from Peak Design and Think Tank Photo.

Think Tank Photo and Peak Design door prize winners, content specialist, Jeff Cutler and Strausnews managing editor, Pam Chergotis.

Speaker Al Diaz answers questions after the session.

Speaker Al Diaz demonstrates the use of a single Canon Speedlite 600EX-RT 

with the PocketWizard Flex TT5 Transceiver  to improve your portraits.