Photojournalist Patrick Farrell has joined the blog with his weekly feature, The Sunday Still. Farrell selects one image each week that showcases the best photojournalism by photojournalists from around the world. The feature runs weekly in The Sunday Long Read. The goal of the newsletter, edited by Don Van Natta Jr. and Jacob Feldman, is to put the week’s best journalism in your hands every Sunday morning. The Sunday Still from Patrick Farrell

Skyrockets in Flight Freelance photographer Joe Rimkus Jr., who retired in 2013 from an amazing 40-year career at the Miami Herald, provides a ringside seat to Florida’s Space Coast from his dramatic Instagram feed. On May 23, he captured the launch of the Space X Falcon 9 rocket as it streaked across the sky from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Shooting from Jetty Park in Port Canaveral, his long exposure displayed the trail of fire cutting through clouds and darkness in an arc over the Atlantic Ocean, with the shadow of a lifeguard stand in the foreground providing a sense of place. Patrick Farrell, the curator of The Sunday Still, is the 2009 Pulitzer Prize-winner for Breaking News Photography for The Miami Herald, where he worked from 1987 to 2019. He is currently a Lecturer in the Department of Journalism and Media Management at the University of Miami School of Communication.

Photojournalist Joe Rimkus Jr. Reflects On His 40-Year Career At The Miami Herald

For the first time since the Miami Dolphins have started playing football, there won't be a Joe Rimkus on the sidelines.

By Joe Rimkus Jr.

My father worked as a photographer at the evening newspaper, The Miami News, covering everything from John F. Kennedy to the Miami Dolphins. I followed in his footsteps and started work at the Miami Herald in 1973 while still attending Florida International University. At first I worked in the photo lab developing and printing reporters film from all the Miami Herald bureaus all over the State, gradually working my way up to staff photographer. I’m now retiring after 40 years photographing history.

I mainly worked in the Broward County bureau of the Herald, but I often covered news and sports in Miami including the Dolphins, Florida Marlins, several Super Bowls, college championships, the University of Miami football team and traveling to Omaha with UM for the College World Series.

Some of my most memorable assignments were covering the Olympics for Knight-Ridder and then McClatchy newspapers. The best time was the Torino Olympics. Based in the Italian Alps in a ski condo with Alan Greth of the Contra Costa Times, I learned fast how to cover sports I’ve never heard of like snowboard cross competition. Living in South Florida I never had much experience covering luge, bobsled, ski jumping, halfpipe and curling. Alan and I had a good time working during the day and eating "anti-stress spaghetti" in a family run great Italian restaurant in this 500 year-old town.

 

One of my stories I often tell was the time I was covering the NFC Championship game at Soldier field with the wind chill at minus 30 degrees. For a Florida boy it was quite the education on how not to shoot in cold weather. Besides my film getting brittle and tearing from the cold, my Canon T90's viewfinder flashed HELP then died. Frozen up!

For now, my time will be split time between Sunrise and Vero Beach where I have my "retirement" home. I’m hoping to catch more fish, reduce my golf handicap, take art classes at the Vero Beach Museum of Art, do some freelance and finally take it easy.

It’s been a whirlwind ride and a great experience working with some of the greatest photographers and journalists anywhere. I've learned an awful lot about photography and life from our staff and I will never forget that.....

Bye,

Joe

Related Stories: 

• Three veteran journalists prepare to say goodbye to Miami Herald
• Farewell: Marice Cohn Band and Joe Rimkus Jr., Miami Herald Staff Photographers

Dolphins rout Jets in Joe's final game.

Doug Flutie celebrates win

Joey Marino

Farewell: Marice Cohn Band and Joe Rimkus Jr., Miami Herald Staff Photographers

Miami Herald photo legends Marice Cohn Band and Joe Rimkus Jr. say their final goodbyes in the Herald photo studio with colleagues as they retire today after a combined 75 years of documenting life in South Florida.

Marice spent most of her time pushing peoples buttons as well as her camera's as a staff photographer for almost 35 years. Joe Rimkus Jr. spent most of his time following jocks on the field, courts and rinks.

On Monday Joe will reflect on his memories with a story about his life's work during the last 40 years. Marice will follow-up with a story of her own soon after.

Joe Rimkus Jr. and Marice Cohn Band in the Miami Herald photography studio.

 

Left to right at front are Gregory Castillo, Joe Rimkus Jr., Marsha Halper, Marice Cohn Band, John Van Beekum, Emily Michot, David Walters, Shannon Kaestle, Patrick Farrell and Luisa Yanez. In back, at left is Roman Lyskowski and Al Diaz at right. 

Holding Marice Cohn Band, left to right at front are Gregory Castillo, Emily Michot, John Van Beekum, Joe Rimkus Jr., David Walters, Shannon Kaestle, Patrick Farrell and Marsha Halper. In back, at left is Roman Lyskowski and Al Diaz at right.

Seen up front is Roman Lyskowski while holding Marice Cohn Band are, left to right, Joe Rimkus Jr., Al Diaz, David Walters, John Van Beekum, Patrick Farrell and C.W. Griffin. 

From Joe's perspective, Left to right are, Nancy San Martin, Emily Michot, Marsha Halper, Patrick Farrell, Roman Lyskowski, Al Diaz, John Van Beekum, and David Walters.

New Photo Work Room at Miami’s Sun Life Stadium

Allen Eyestone works in the new photo workroom at Sun Life Stadium.

By Al Diaz

aldiaz305@aol.com 
The Miami Dolphins and the University of Miami Hurricanes have a new photo workroom at Miami’s Sun Life Stadium.

When the Miami Marlins baseball team decided to bug out of Sun Life for the new Marlins Park, photographers Allen Eyestone and Dave Cross went to work on lobbying for a better work space in the football stadium.

Working independently of each other, Eyestone staff photographer at The Palm Beach Post, produced a video showing the hazardous conditions working out of an old trailer outside the stadium and the obstacles photographers faced getting to and from the field. Eyestone then photographed the better facilities around the country. He submitted his research to Miami Dolphins
 Senior Vice President of Media Relations, Harvey Greene.  

The steps to the old trailer was always dangerous while carrying gear.

Miami Dolphins
 Senior Vice President of Media Relations, Harvey Greene. 

 At the same time, Cross the Miami Dolphins team photographer, lobbied for the upgrade as well.

The result is a spacious 1,750 square foot media work room at event level inside the stadium with a capacity for 175 people. The room is equipped with free Wi-Fi and about 40 locations in the room have hard wired Ethernet.

Greene is glad the room is being well received by photographers and says the current space used to house the former Marlins equipment room and players lounge.

He goes on to say that photogs are allowed to eat with everyone else in the main press box before the Dolphin game. At halftime hot dogs and chips are provided in the photo room for free.

If that’s not good enough, master technicians from SouthernPhoto Technical Service will be providing complimentary sensor cleaning, general camera maintenance and minor camera repairs on site.

SPTS is a Factory Authorized Service Center for all major brands of photographic equipment and has been in Miami since 1948.

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SPTS Master technician Wifredo Cruz and Annie Bone at the media center.

Owner Isaac Hadid says they will also be providing the same service at this years Sony Ericsson Open tennis tournament on Key Biscayne and Florida Atlantic University Football games.

The Miami Herald's Charles Trainor Jr. inside the new work room.

The Miami Herald's Joe Rimkus Jr., at left, and The Palm Beach Post's Allen Eyestone at right.

South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Jim Rassol at work.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers team photographer Mike Carlson heads to the field.