Photo credit: Tony Bennett/Detroit Tigers

Alex has been an Emmy-award winning visual storyteller for over 20 years.

His areas of expertise are shooting and editing video, including live and recorded interviews, and still photography. 

Alex produces “Uniquely Detroit” on WDIV-TV, which is a weekly micro-documentary series. He does the research for story ideas, schedules interviews, shoots on location, write storylines and edits the video for on-air. The goal of the series is to highlight positive action by one-of-a-kind characters in Detroit and surrounding cities. 

His personal business, CameraGuyAl Productions, LLC, is equipped with nine 4K cameras and a DSLR camera with professional lens options. He also own several lights and sound equipment.

Alex is capable of doing the jobs of many different media professionals, and is used to working in a fast-moving news production environment under extreme deadline pressure.

A graduate of Central Michigan University, he was the chief photographer at 9 & 10 News in Cadillac before becoming a general assignment news photographer at WJRT in Flint and WTSP in Tampa/St. Petersburg.

In addition to local news, Alex has covered several national news and sporting events, including the Final Four, Stanley Cup finals, presidential visits, hurricanes, the North American International Auto Show.

Talents

• Video
• Documentary storytelling
• Photography
• Editing
• Live streaming
• Social media

Recognitions

Michigan Emmy Awards

• Won Emmy for Best Editor – News 2020
• Won Emmy for Video Journalist 2020
• Won Emmy for Audio 2020
• Nominated for Photographer – News 2020
• Nominated for Arts/Entertainment category: “Uniquely Detroit” 2019
• Nominated for Best Editor- News category 2019
• Nominated for Video Journalist 2019
• Nominated for Photographer – News 2018
• Nominated for Video Journalist 2018
• Nominated for Feature News Report-Light Feature category: “Criss Cross Crash” 2018
• Won Emmy for Best News Photographer 2015
• Emmy awarded for News Photographer 2013
• Emmy awarded for Video Journalist 2013
• Nominated for News Editor 2013
• Nominated for Children/Youth/Teens – “One Park at a time” 2013
• Nominated for News Editor 2013
• Emmy awarded for News Editor 2012
• Nominated for News Photographer 2012
• Nominated for Arts/Entertainment: Uniquely Detroit 2012
• Nominated for Breaking News – “Don’t Forget About Me” 2010
• Nominated for Sports – News Feature – “Birthday Baseball at the Corner” 2010
• Emmy award for Children/Youth/Teens–“Camp I Can” 2009
• Nominated for News Photography–“Alex Atwell Composite” 2009
• Nominated for Breaking News  “Old Enough To  Know Better” 2003
• Nominated for Deadline News Videography—“Alex Atwell Composite” 2002
• Nominated for Deadline News Editing–“Alex Atwell Composite” 2002

Suncoast Emmy Awards

• Suncoast Emmy award for Editing–“Dylan’s Story” 2006
• Suncoast Emmy award for Human Interest–“Dylan’s Story” 2006
• Suncoast Emmy award for Children’s Issues–“Dylan’s Story” 2006
• Suncoast Emmy award for News/Public Affairs Reports–“Hurricane House”  2005
• Suncoast Emmy award for Information Oriented Specials–“Eye on the Storm” 2005
• Nominated for Feature Story-“Retirement” 2004

RTNDA/Edward R. Murrow Awards

• RTDNA/Edward R. Murrow Award for Excellence in Sound: “Criss Cross Crash” (National winner) 2019
• RTDNA/Edward R. Murrow Award for Excellence in Sound: “What’s Old is New Again” 2018
• RTNDA/Edward R. Murrow Award for Feature Story–“Dylan’s Story” 2006

MAB Photojournalist of the Year

• Won MAB best photojournalist for 2020
• Won MAB best photojournalist for 2021

Florida Associated Press Awards

• 1st place for Feature story–“Dylan’s Story” 2006
• 2nd place for News Special–“Eye on the Storm” 2006
• 2nd place for Spot News Video–“Mom I’m Sorry, I Know I’m an Idiot” 2005

Florida Society of Professional Journalists

• 1st Place for Reporting–Hurricane Coverage–“Snapshots Of Charley” 2005
• 3rd Place for Special/Documentary–“Eye On the Storm” 2005
• 3rd Place for International/War Reporting–“Medal of Honor” 2005
• Honorable Mention for Special/Documentary–“Eye on the Storm” 2004
• Honorable Mention–Spot News–”Missing Boy Found” 2004

MTNPA  (Michigan Television News Photographers Association)

• Runner-up Photographer of the Year for the state of Michigan 2001
• 1st place feature story for “Photography Fun” 2001
• 2nd place sports feature for “Sled Doggin’ It” 2001

NPPA (National Press Photographers Association)

• 2nd quarter, 1st place, deadline category: “It’s just my job,” Central Top 2019
• 3rd quarter, honorable mention, feature category: “As Cool As It Gets” 2019
• 3rd place: Central General Photographer of the Year 2018
• 2nd place: Best Live, National Contest 2018
• 3rd place 4th quarter, Central General, Spot News category: “I Don’t Have Words” 2018
• 1st place 3rd quarter, Central General, Feature category: “Criss Cross Crash” 2018
• 2nd place 3rd quarter, Central General, Feature category: “Pipe Dream” 2018
• 2nd place 3rd quarter, Central General, Deadline category: “R-E-S-P-E-C-T” 2018
• Honorable Mention, feature–“Retirement” Region #6, 1st quarter 2003
• 1st place, feature–“Photography fun” Region #4, 1st quarter 2001
• 3rd place, general news–“Sled Doggin’ It” Region #4, 2nd quarter 2001
• 2nd place, spot news–“Emu on the Loose” Region #4, 3rd quarter 2000
• 3rd place, spot news–“Lumber Fire” Region #4, 4th quarter 1999

Michigan Associated Press, Class 3 television

• Best Photojournalist, Commercial Television Market 1 2020
• Individual Photojournalism–General excellence award 2000
• Spot News–Best for “Emu on the Loose” 2000
• Spot News–Honorable mention for “Scottville Tornado” 2000
• Natural Sound–Best for “Band Teacher” 2000
• Natural Sound–Honorable mention for “Christina” 2000
• Feature–Best for “ESPN the Baby” 2000
• Sports feature–Best for “Shuffleboard” 2000
• Sports feature–Honorable mention for “Au Sable Canoe Marathon” 2000
• Individual Photojournalism–Honorable mention 1999
• Natural Sound–Best for “Free T-Shirt Girl” 1999
• Documentary–Honorable mention for “Cosmetic Surgery” 1999