PPAGLA Report - SMPTE 2018

Dan Madden

Dan Madden passed away on October 7, 2018. Dan was a long time staff photographer who retired from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. Dan was Secretary at the PPAGLA Board of Directors 1991, 1992 and MAIC Committee Member.  He also co-authored the Media Guidebook. Dan loved to fish and was quite a fisherman despite his hardship: Parkinson Disease. He was a fighter to the end. Rest in Peace, Dan! 

His Daughter:

Video Seminar for DSLR and news video journalists hosted by Press Photographers Association of Greater Los Angeles (PPAGLA)

RSVP - 11/1 -SOLD OUT

When:  Sunday, November 4:  9:15AM-12:30PM

Where: Culver City Veterans Memorial Complex Iksan Room

4117 Overland Ave, Culver City, CA 90230

(free onsite parking in adjacent lots)

Ever wondered how to make the compelling short news/documentary videos seen on websites and on TV?  Or where the opportunities are for landing your first job, or furthering your career?  

What could be better than PPAGLA hosting a seminar with our own experts in the field?  We will have award winning LA Times photographers, Myung Chung and Mel Melcon,  who have successfully transitioned from stills to shooting video and award winning news video photographers David Fernandez (formerly NBC) and Arturo Quezada (Chief Photojournalist/ Univision.)

This not to be missed seminar includes: 

Myung Chun: staff photographer, Los Angeles Times. Chun began his photography career at the Los Angeles Daily News in 1988, and joined the Times in 1999. Since 2007, he has been a videographer. He found video to be a natural extension of his photography and he fully embraced the technological change. In 2011, He won a national Emmy for a team project about innocent victims of gang violence. Today, he splits his time between still and video assignments. 

Mel Melcon: staff photographer, Los Angeles Times.  A graduate of Long Beach State, Melcon started out with the Los Angeles Times as a summer intern in 1984 and has been there ever since.  After working at the paper on a freelance basis for over 10 years, he was hired as a staff photographer in 1996.  Melcon likes to capture the offbeat and funny side of life in his images and he creates compelling narratives about daily life. 

David Fernandez:  28 year KNBC-TV videographer.  Fernandez was a part of the special assignment department where he won his most prestigious national awards, two Edward R. Murrow awards and a Peabody Award. He also earned many Los Angeles Emmy Awards, Golden Mike Awards and Press Photographer of Greater Los Angeles Awards.  After leaving KNBC-TV in 2009, he stepped into the freelance world.  Fernandez has been a member of PPAGLA for over 35 years.  He led the organization as president from 2012 through 2013 focusing much of his energy to help high school and college students.

Arturo Quezada: Chief Photojournalist, Univision Los Angeles:  With over 30 years experience in television, Quezada has held numerous positions in the industry. 23 of his years have been at Univision where he has been Univision Network News Videographer and Editor.  Additionally, he was Operations Manager for Univision Corporate where he taught editing, videography, newsroom workflow and storytelling.  Recipient of 10 Los Angeles Area Emmy Awards, the Edward R. Murrow Award, the George Foster Peabody Award, 16 RTNA Golden Mike Awards,  5 - time PPAGLA Videographer of the Year, and is an NAHJ and Associated Press Award winner. 

In the seminar, we will learn the process involved in shooting short 1-5 minute videos from concept to finished product.  Our panelists will show some of their work and discuss such topics as what type of shots to use in different situations….establishing shots, tight, wide, pans, zooms, b-roll, editing techniques, subject placement, integrating still images, titles, equipment, lighting and the importance of sound.

Career opportunities will also be discussed!

Each panelist will present their work and field questions from the audience.

FREE for PPAGLA members and non-members!

SAG-AFTRA Strikes against BBH

From Louis Gabriele, PPAGLA President -

Memorial services for Glenn Waggner Jr.

A message from Howard Waggner regarding memorial services for his father, Glenn Waggner.

As you know, my father passed away quietly last month.

I would like to invite you out to his memorial service.

The memorial service will be held on September 29th at 10am at the St Ambrose Catholic Church: 1281 N Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046.

Lite refreshment will be served.

Glenn was a huge influence on many photographers as well as someone that influenced press relations in fire and law enforcement over the years.

My family is looking forward to seeing you in the celebration of my father’s life.

Please feel free to contact me directly for any additional information. Howard Waggner via Facebook

Glenn Waggner 1936-2018

Famed Photographer to the Stars, Glenn Waggner Jr quietly passed away in Los Angeles on August 19, 2018.
By Howard Waggner

He succumbed to complications of pneumonia, with his family by his side, at Cedars Sinai Medical Center.

He was 82 years old.

Glenn Jr was born in Richmond, Virginia to Glenn Sr and Rose WaGGner. His family moved to the Hollywood area while he was a teenager. He was a graduate of Hollywood High School.

Glenn WaGGner Jr.'s historic career in the photojournalism field began very simply, through a program in high school shooting local high school football and basketball games in the Los Angeles area.

Before he was done, he'd end up being nominated for multiple Pulitzer prizes (including three in one year, in 3 different categories), and got to photograph prominent politicians and celebrities at the apex of their careers.

Talking with WaGGner about his career was better than sitting through a 20th Century U.S. History class.

He was on a train as a child when President Roosevelt passed by in a wheelchair, giving him a chance to photograph the first of many presidents in his illustrious career.

Nixon, Carter, Reagan. You name them, he shot them.

He was there for tragedy – Waggner was one of the first on the scene at the death of Marilyn Monroe – and triumph, having shot the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles and multiple Super Bowls.

Monroe's death wasn't the only major celebrity event where WaGGner was one of the first on the scene. He also was able to get some of the first photos of a young Frank Sinatra, Jr., after he was recovered in December 1963 following a kidnapping for ransom.

Even when things appeared to be against him, such as when UPI cut him loose in the early 90s, he still kept on, teaming with a writing staff to form their own entertainment wire and utilizing the early days of the Internet to change the ways in which newspapers and emerging news and entertainment websites received photos.

Family was critically important to Glenn, who took his wife and children with him to a number of events, including Presidential press conferences in the early days of his career and the Academy Awards. He'd use his sons, Howard and Glenn III, to help serve as runners to the deadline room to deliver film and collect tear sheets as Glenn snapped away.

He'd go on tour with Bob Hope, traveling on USO tours and blending right in with the celebrity culture.

And as crazy as that might seem, WaGGner was nearly face-to-face with someone who was truly just that.

“Charles Manson said I looked crazy,” WaGGner said. “I'll take that as a compliment.”

He covered protests during the Iran hostage crisis, more fires than he can remember and had cyanide-laced bullets ricocheting off the curb in front of him during a 1974 shootout between Los Angeles police and members of the Symbionese Liberation Army.

He was a witness to some of the most memorable events and people over the latter half of the 20th Century, and despite knowing at the time he was witnessing history, he never lost focus of his job at hand.

“When you're shooting presidents and the like, it's always interesting when you get to tell them where to move and what to do,” he said.

Glenn was considered a mentor to many talented photographers during his tenure, included several that became personal photographers for several US presidents, and many in other specialized fields.

One of his biggest legacy achievements that he worked on was to change California law regarding press access during major disasters. California Penal Code 409.5 section D forever cleared the way for the press to gather information, as real time witnesses, for the public.

Along with the countless awards he received over his amazing career, Glenn WaGGner recognized with a Lifetime Achievement award from the Press Photographers Association of Greater Los Angeles in 2014. He served as President of the organization in 1978.

Glenn Jr. Is survived by his wife of 56 years, Phyllis; son Glenn III (Cecille); son Howard (Starla); granddaughters An and Lisa and grandson Daniel.

Report released for entrapments on Horse Park Fire

“Additional information has been released about the entrapments that occurred on the Horse Park Fire May 27 in a remote area of Southwest Colorado. Earlier we posted two videos that were shot when firefighters hurriedly retreated as the fire advanced, plus information from a “72-hour report”.

Now a 56-page Facilitated Learning Analysis and a 12-minute video are available that break down the incident in even more detail.

To very briefly summarize what happened, while scouting a road for a potential burnout operation, a hotshot crew superintendent and foreman encounter a wall of flames and attempt to retreat. Their truck becomes stuck, forcing them to flee on foot, narrowly escaping the rapidly advancing fire front. Just as they reach safety, they learn that their crew lookout is missing. After nearly 40 agonizing minutes, the lead plane pilot locates her after she ignited an escape fire. It is a compelling story, which is pretty well summed up in this video.”

— http://wildfiretoday.com/2018/07/15/report-released-for-entrapments-on-horse-park-fire/

2018 CWA District 9 Leadership Conference in Hawaii: “This is a dangerous time to be a journalist”

May 22, 2018:  "Week after week, President Trump and this Administration seem to break new ground in their attacks on the press. The president and his cabinet officials view the free press as the enemy. CNN and the Associated Press were barred from entering an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) summit on water contamination where Administrator Scott Pruitt was speaking. When a reporter asked questions about why she was prohibited entry, she was forcibly removed by security guards.”                                                                                                   -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

May 25th 2018 Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) filed a bill in the Senate that would make it a federal crime to assault a journalist. A similar bill was introduced in the House by Rep. Eric Swalwell of California in February of this year. Unions representing 30,000 reporters, photographers, and broadcast employees are praising the bill. News Guild President Bernie Lunzer said, “The Journalist Protection Act addresses a real need. This is a dangerous time to be a journalist.”

“NABET members are easy and tempting prey for anti-media extremists and thieves because they often work in the field alone or with just one other person. They also carry equipment that’s expensive and cumbersome,” said NABET Sector President Charlie Braico. He also said, “The Journalist Protection Act will permit the authorities to properly punish people who attempt to interfere with our members as they work in dynamic and challenging newsgathering situations,”

The bill would make it a federal crime to intentionally cause bodily injury to a journalist engaged in reporting or with the intention of intimidating the journalist or impeding newsgathering. It calls for punishment of up to six years in prison.

                                                                                                                        By Louis Gabriele 

2018 Communications Workers of America Leadership Conference in Hawaii

By Louis Gabriele

Fire Safety Seminar on June 23

Let’s talk fire with those on the front line

PPAGLA Member Fire Safety Seminar 2018

Listen to seasoned photojournalists who get right on the fire line and share some pretty amazing work. Feel their adrenalin as they stand next to the guys and gals charged with quelling the beast. Learn what photojournalists and firefighters do to prepare for survival and work in harmony.

Saturday, June 23, 2018
Time: 10:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M.
Location: Veterans Memorial Complex
4117 Overland Ave., Culver City, CA 90230 held in the Iksan room

Cost: FREE to members! Non-members $50.

Benefits: Priceless
You seriously don’t want to miss this event!

Visit www.ppagla.org/fire for more information and to RSVP. 

Herman Alphonse Conant

Simi Valley, CA
Herman Alphonse Conant, 80, of Simi Valley, CA passed away peacefully on May 2. He leaves behind his beloved bride of nearly 55 years, Martha Jean (Metoyer) Conant, his two sons, Kevin and Douglas, his daughter-in-law Chloe, and his beloved granddaughter, Mara Jade. Herman is also survived by his sister, Mrs. Valma Veronica (Conant) Metoyer, his brothers Willie and Charles Conant, and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Roque Conant and Florence (LaCour) Conant Llorens, his brothers, Joseph and Ralph Conant, and his sisters, Ezora (Conant) Bryant Parker, Rosa Mae (Conant) Roque, and Catherine (Conant) Colson Couty. Herman, a United States Army Veteran, was an award-winning television news cameraman for NBC for more than 30 years and a proud member of the Knights of Columbus Council 5803 and the Father McDonagh Assembly 2557. He will be remembered for his warm smile, his easy laugh, and his kind and generous heart. Services will be held on Thursday, May 17th, beginning at 9:30 a.m. at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Simi Valley, California. Memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society or the Herman Conant Scholarship Fund through the Knights of Columbus. Herman will be laid to rest at St. Augustine Catholic Cemetery in Melrose, Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana.

 - https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/herman-conant-obituary?pid=189022175

Through The Lens With Mike Goulding

 “I like to see photography as a recipe to a perfect cake,” said Mike Goulding to his workshop at the Journalism Association of Community Colleges, on March 28, 2018, as he explained how photography required depth of field, shutter speed and light."

  -https://www.theskylineview.com/the-focal-point/features/2018/05/17/through-the-lens-with-mike-goulding/

Gary Friedman Memorial Photo Exhibition

Gather with us to celebrate the photography of Gary Friedman. Gary may be gone, but his photographs will live forever. Known as “our spiritual leader” please come see his amazing body of work that stretches 40 years from the streets of Detroit to Beverly Hills. If it was a news story, Gary was there. Please join other photogs, some of whom were lucky enough to be nicknamed by Gary, to see Gary’s unique view of the world. You won’t be disappointed.

BBC reporter and famed photographer among 31 killed in Afghanistan

“Ten journalists were among 31 people killed in a series of attacks in Afghanistan on Monday, including a BBC reporter and a well-known photographer who had written of the dangers of reporting in the Afghan capital.

Nine journalists were killed in suicide bombings in the capital, Kabul. Shah Marai of Agence France Presse was among a group of journalists who died when a bomber disguised as a TV cameraman detonated a second bomb at the site of an earlier explosion. Both attacks were claimed by Islamic State.
In a separate incident, Ahmad Shah, a 29-year-old reporter with the BBC’s Afghan service, was shot dead by unknown gunmen in Khost province, the BBC said. Najib Sharifi, director of the Afghan Journalists Safety Committee, said Shah was on his way home when the attack took place.”

— https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/30/asia/afghanistan-kabul-blasts-intl/index.html

2018 Awards Luncheon Winners

Linked is a PDF of the 2018 Awards Luncheon Winners held on April 7, 2018. Complete photos and videos will be posted this weekend. It can be viewed in browser or downloaded to your computer (3rd button on the top right).

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1sfkDZu_PqCHgThlHmzDSlhQN_XLniw9T

Letter to Barstow Police Chief and Barstow City Council from PPAGLA

CES 2018

Awards Luncheon Date Announced

Mark your calendars for the annual Awards Luncheon. This year's will be held at the Quiet Cannon in Montebello. Tickets will be available to purchase on the PPAGLA website soon.

Saturday, April 7, 2018 - Social Hour 11am - Lunch 12am
901 Via San Clemente
Montebello, CA

RSVP PPAGLA Events Friday Feb. 23 and March 2

Upcoming Events for Members!

RSVP for the LA Times tour - https://goo.gl/forms/HL8kb2vXT3dUkG1W2
RSVP for the Associated Collegiate Press talk. - https://goo.gl/forms/bFT4eKRRzUbKveOv2

Two Fridays!  Feb. 23 and March 2, 2018

Friday, Feb. 23, 11AM Los Angeles Times tour and speakers!  Ever wonder what goes on at the LA Times?  What is it like to work there?  Join LA Times longtime employee Darrell Kunitomi as he guides you through the history of this storied institution.  Then, attendees will have the opportunity to hear from working LA Times staffers in the photography department and have their questions answered.

Don’t miss this rare and unique opportunity!  

For security and capacity reasons, attendees MUST RSVP to prior to Weds. Feb. 21. RSVP here - https://goo.gl/forms/HL8kb2vXT3dUkG1W2

Open exclusively to PPAGLA members in good standing.

Tour begins in LATimes lobby.  Plan on being present by 10:45AM to check in with security.  Tour begins promptly at 11AM.

Space is limited!  RSVP now!

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Friday, March 2, 9:30-11:20AM PPAGLA Speaks at Associated Collegiate Press, National Scholastic Press Association’s Convention!

RSVP here - https://goo.gl/forms/bFT4eKRRzUbKveOv2 

Location:  Hyatt Regency Hotel
200 South Pine Ave, Long Beach, CA
Regency ABC room

**PPAGLA Members — go directly to the Regency ABC Room.  Members have free entry permission by going directly to this room.

Session One of Two: 9:30 - 10:20 AM - Amy Gaskin “Building Relationships: Finding and Telling Stories Through Photos”

Have you ever wondered how to find compelling photostories as a student?  How do you gain access and build trust with subjects?  Learn how one college student covered issues on a national level, including traveling to Triple Crown races.  Hear “behind the scenes” stories and tips that will help your photostories have greater impact. 

The Washington Post, The Guardian, and others have published her work.  Her story on California Chrome, an unknown horse who rose to become one of history’s most winning thoroughbreds, rose to second position on Google behind Sports Illustrated.  She is the 2017 Leica Emerging Photographer, Palm Springs Photo Festival and is 2017 American Photographic Artists National Emerging Photographer winner.  Other awards include Eddie Adams and Sports Shooter Workshops, and PPAGLA Student of the Year, sponsored by Nikon, American Photographic Artists’ Top 100 exhibitions as selected by curators of the Getty Museum and Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Session Two of Two: 10:30-11:20AM - Panel Discussion: Landing Your First Job - Careers in Photography

Are you a student and now wondering what comes next?  In this constantly evolving world of photojournalism, how do you stay afloat?  What are editors looking for?  What are your career options and prospects?  Learn about various careers in photography and hear valuable advice from recent graduates to those with decades of experience.  What worked for them?  What didn’t?  How do you move ahead today in our current landscape?

Panelists include:

Calvin Alagot, Editor, Los Angeles Times Features (recent student) Prior to becoming editor at the Los Angeles Times, Calvin was a graphic designer at The Malibu Times from 2014-2016 where he assisted with the weekly production of the paper as a page designer. Calvin also began designing graphics for www.FairWarning.org, a non-profit investigative news site in 2016.  His photography has twice been featured at The Getty Museum's College Night in the student gallery accompanying the Masters Class Series.

Daniel Bowyer, Los Angeles Rams team Photographer — Recently a student, Daniel Bowyer is making the transition to professional photography and currently is a team photographer at the LA Rams.  Bowyer is a runner-up in PPAGLA Student of the Year competition.

Gerard Burkhart, Mojave Artist in Residence, Educator, and former LATimes photographer part of Pulitzer winning team.  Gerard’s work has appeared internationally through assignments or via the wire services Agence France Presse and Associated Press. He was a member of 3 Pulitzer winning teams as a freelancer for the LATimes.  Recently, he was Artist in Residence at the Mojave Reserve and teaches Photojournalism at Santa Monica and Pierce Colleges.

Jim Caccavo -  A former Los Angeles Times staffer, Jim Caccavo was the Red Cross Photographer for the Vietnam War, and later a contract photographer for Newsweek magazine in that same conflict. Upon returning to the US in 1970, he attended the Art Center College of Design where he earned a BFA in Photography & film while working for Newsweek.  After a stint at the LA Times, he worked for Time/Life while  running  his own studio.

Mike Nelson, EPA (currently in LA, former bureau chief, Middle East). Michael has been involved in photojournalism since 1981 and has had a number of personal photo exhibits in Europe, the United States and Egypt.  Over his 30 year long career he has been honored with a number of awards including World Press Photo and NPPA and has extensive coverage experience in the Middle East, Africa and the United States.

John McCoy, LA Daily News (Chairman, PPAGLA). John McCoy worked at the Los Angeles Daily News for over 30 years covering events across Southern California from fires, to professional sports.  His work has won numerous awards.  

Arturo Quezada, Chief Photojournalist/Operations, Univision Los Angeles With over 26 years experience in television, Quezada has held numerous positions in the industry. 21 of his years have been at Univision where he has been Univision Network News Videographer and Editor.  Additionally, he  was Operations Manager for Univision Corporate where he taught editing, videography, newsroom workflow and storytelling.  Recipient of 9 Los Angeles Area Emmy Awards, the Edward R. Murrow Award, the George Foster Peabody Award, 16 RTNA Golden Mike Awards,  5 - time PPAGLA Videographer of the Year, and is an NAHJ and Associated Press Award winner. 

Karen Quincy Loberg, Freelance - Karen served on the photography staff of the Ventura County Star, a daily newspaper, from 2000 - 2017 and now freelances.  Her clients include European Pressphoto Agency, Associated Press/Boston, LIFE Magazine, Getty Images, Annenberg Space for Photography, Community Newspaper Company, Ventura County Farm Bureau. Maienza Wilson, Davis Reed Construction, Lou Diamond Phillips & the Pipe-fitters, Megan Mullaly and Bravo TV Network. Her work has won numerous awards.

Moderator: Amy Gaskin, Vice President PPAGLA, Freelance press and corporate (bio above, please see 9:30 event)

All panelists are Members of PPAGLA

There will also be a PPAGLA table in the foyer.  Come see us there and network!

Richard Kay Smith

Noted cameraman Richard Kay Smith passed away peacefully at his home in Studio City on Thursday December 21st, surrounded by those he loved. Dick, affectionately called "Kay" by family members, was born and raised in Redlands, California. His father, Malcom, was a coach; his mother, Gertrude, was a church soloist. Kay was recruited by Stanford University to play football. While attending Stanford, he was drafted by the U.S. Army and served his country during the Korean War.

He returned to Stanford and completed a degree in journalism, then moved to Burbank and joined NBC News in 1958. If you watched TV news in the 1960s-1990s, you undoubtedly saw Kay's work. During his 36-year career with NBC, he received numerous awards, including two national Emmys and a Golden Mike.

In 2012, he earned a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Press Photographers Association of Greater Los Angeles. Kay married Ann Wellen on February 7, 1959 in Pasadena. Family was the central part of Kay's life. He is survived by his wife, Ann; four children: William (Rose Hayden), Debra (Rick Simon), Michael and David; three grandchildren, Natalie, Taylor and Emma; his extended Wellen and Smith family; and many close friends. 

Published in the Los Angeles Times on Dec. 31, 2017.