Just a Good Conversation

Peter Proemba worked at Dynalite Lighting for over 40 years, 28 as the CEO. One of the best strobe company in the photo business for many of those years. In January of 2020 the New Jersey-based company founded in 1970 filed for Chapter 7. Peter and I sit down and talk about finding the business, it's growth and the end.

Bill Alkofer hails from the hinterlands of North Dakota. He received a degree in journalism in 1985 and has been shooting pictures professionally for over 42 years, including stints at the Orange County Register, the St. Paul Pioneer Press and the Daily News. Bill was shooting a football game in late to 2018 when he started having trouble lifting his arms. Weeks later Bill was diagnosed with ALS. 

Bill Alkofer has been shooting pictures professionally for 42 years, including stints at the Orange County Register, the St. Paul Pioneer Press and the Daily News. In spite of a dearth of opportunities in Southern California, Bill is a prolific curler, having won the 1979 Walsh County, North Dakota Curling Championship. He drew up in Minnesota, lives in Long Beach—but is a die-hard Pittsburgh Steelers fan. He’s also an expert in United States presidential history; in his view, the best presidents were James Buchanon, Andrew Johnson and Warren G. Harding.

Ben Liebenberg is a 4-time Emmy award winning, Los Angeles based photographer. His passion and drive has allowed Ben to travel the world. For the last 14 years, Ben has worked for the National Football League as the Director of Photography and Lead Photographer. He has covered and managed the imaging of hundreds of games and professional media events, including many Super Bowls. 

Coach Ted Jablowski lives his life motivating others. He wants you to be the BEST at the one thing you desire to dominate. Ted Jablowski is a passionate man who has coached many sports including Live-Action Chess, Interpretive Dance Battles, Aqua Badminton, Kick-Ball, Greco-Roman Mud Wrestling, and Frisbee Golf. He was cast as “Lil’ Lightning In A Bottle” on the television show American Gladiators in the early 90’s. He never made it to episode one due to a tennis ball to the growing accident during rehearsal. A man with positive goals for others, Coach Ted Jablowski is a genius who can coach every sport that nobody wants to coach… even your life. www.youtube.com/channel/UC3kfBlFRfbIHxZw8fGeKxqg

Part 2: Marcus Yam is a roving Los Angeles Times foreign correspondent and staff photographer. Born and raised in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, he left a career in aerospace engineering to become a photographer. In 2019, Yam was awarded the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Journalism Award for his unflinching body of work documenting the everyday plight of Gazans during deadly clashes in the Gaza Strip. He was also part of two Pulitzer Prize-winning breaking news teams that covered the San Bernardino, Calif., terrorist attacks in 2015 for the Los Angeles Times and the deadly landslide in Oso, Wash. in 2014, for the Seattle Times. His previous work has also earned an Emmy Award for News and Documentary, World Press Photo Award, DART Award for Trauma Coverage, Scripps Howard Visual Journalism Award, Picture of the Year International’s Newspaper Photographer of the Year Award, Society of Professional Journalists’ Sigma Delta Chi Award, National Headliner Award and an Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award.

Part 1: Marcus Yam is a roving Los Angeles Times foreign correspondent and staff photographer. Born and raised in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, he left a career in aerospace engineering to become a photographer. In 2019, Yam was awarded the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Journalism Award for his unflinching body of work documenting the everyday plight of Gazans during deadly clashes in the Gaza Strip. He was also part of two Pulitzer Prize-winning breaking news teams that covered the San Bernardino, Calif., terrorist attacks in 2015 for the Los Angeles Times and the deadly landslide in Oso, Wash. in 2014, for the Seattle Times. His previous work has also earned an Emmy Award for News and Documentary, World Press Photo Award, DART Award for Trauma Coverage, Scripps Howard Visual Journalism Award, Picture of the Year International’s Newspaper Photographer of the Year Award, Society of Professional Journalists’ Sigma Delta Chi Award, National Headliner Award and an Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award.

Stephanie Sampson was an athlete at Long Beach State were she was on the track team. We talk about working in sports at UCLA and Long Beach State and dealing with the craziness that comes with the jobs. She has been working at LAX for 6 years now, the last two as the Director of Communications at airport. We dive into all that and more.

It's been a year and I thought I'd have a conversation with my two youngest son Malcolm and Willem Brown about Covid and how it's been for them. When the pandemic start Willem was in 8th grade enjoying time with buddies and getting ready for high school. Malcolm was a sophomore at Servite high school where he was doing great and loving to learn how to pole vault. A year and I wanted to see what they thought of the whole experience. 

Ric is commercial photographer with an emphasis in creating sports imagery. He has been recognized three times by the National Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio for Action Photography. Ric’s work has been viewed by millions of people across all platforms including: Los Angeles Rams billboard, Sports Illustrated covers, ESPN poster, Skechers in-store displays, Kia television commercial, and all over the internet for the NFL. We talk about finding photography and building clients as well as managing his business.