Published: July 04, 2009 10:11 pm      

GAZETTE: Photographer's work makes cover of People

Niagara Gazette photographer Dan Cappellazzo has seen his fair share of history.

He raced to New York City on Sept. 11, 2001 to record what had happened there. His photos of massive abortion protests in Western New York in the 1992 Spring of Life were published in more than 200 publications worldwide, while his picture of Buffalo Bills defensive end Bruce Smith’s sack of New York Giants quarterback Jeff Hostetler in Super Bowl 25 hangs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

For 16 years he has brought memorable images to Gazette readers and now one of those is memorializing pop music icon Michael Jackson.

The current issue of People Magazine, a special memorial edition highlighting Jackson’s life, features a cover photo snapped by Cappellazzo at yet another Bills’ Super Bowl appearance. Jackson was the featured half-time performer at Super Bowl XXVII in Pasadena.

“It was before I came to the Gazette,” Cappellazzo said. “I was working for the Batavia News and also selling my stuff to the Polaris Agency.”

Half-time is normally when photographers covering a football game take a break. Afterall, Cappellazzo said, their job is to cover the game and not worry about what else might be taking place.

In addition, Jackson’s publicist had warned the photogs there was to be no picture taking during the pop king’s performance.

“Telling a (news) photographer not to shoot something is an exercise in futility,” Cappellazzo laughed.

So as Jacko hit the stage, “Cappy” picked up his camera and began snapping. The performance featured several costume changes by Jackson, as well as a massive light show and some pyrotechnics.

Standing between 70 and 80 feet from the stage, that presented some challenges for the photojournalists.

“The challenge was to just get him in focus,” Cappellazzo said. “There were these huge fans and smoke machines and they were blowing the smoke over him right into our face. That was way before auto-focus, so you had to use a telephoto lens and manually focus it.”

The picture Cappellazzo captured is a singular vision of Jackson at the height of his musical success. Bathed in light and smoke, Jackson stands on the stage in his then trademark short black pants, white socks, white T-shirt and unbuttoned white dress short, open and blowing backward.

His arms are outstretched and his mouth is wide open, a song apparently bursting out.

“(As a photojournalist) you are documenting life,” Cappellazzo said.

As for seeing his work on every magazine stand, beginning Friday, and splashed across the world on the Internet, Cappellazzo admits that’s fun.

“It’s exciting, my family and friends are proud,” he said. “My mom is proud. She’s bought three copies (of the magazine).”

Even his 11-year-old daughter, Madeline, has taken notice of her dad’s work.

“She’s proud of her dad, she’s excited,” Cappellazzo said. “She looked at it and then it was out to the backyard to toss a football around.”

Contact reporter Rick Pfeiffer

at 282-2311, ext. 2252.