Al Bello Photographer

VIDEO PROJECTS

  • Anastasia Pagonis has autoimmune retinopathy which led her sight to decrease at the age of 11, and she lost her vision by the age of 14. She competed in the swimming competition at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games where she won a gold and bronze medal respectively in the 400m Freestyle S11 and 200-meter Individual Medley S11. An S11 athlete is the most severe form of visual impairment. S11 swimmers all swim with blacked-out goggles to ensure a level playing field, blocking out all light so it's like swimming with a blindfold. She will be competing in the 400m Freestyle S11 at the 2024 Paralympic Games this summer in Paris, France.
  • A Video Portrait reel of Team USA Olympic team heading into the 2024 Paris Olympics
  • The Historic Grayson Stadium is the home of the independent professional baseball team called the Savannah Bananas. The Bananas were part of the Coastal Plain League, a summer collegiate league, for seven seasons. In 2022, the Bananas announced that they were leaving the Coastal Plain League to play Banana Ball year-round. Banana Ball was born out of the idea of making baseball more fast-paced, entertaining, and fun.
  • The Vocational Equestrian Agustín Mercado Reverón School located at the Hipódromo Camarero in Canovanas, Puerto Rico has produced some of the best jockeys in the world but also prepares students for a wide range of equestrian jobs on a tuition-free basis.
  • Kelsie Whitmore is the first female to play in a Male dominated Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. She plays for the Staten Island FerryHawks in Staten Island, New York. She is the first woman to record a hit in association with Major League Baseball. Whitmore was the first woman to appear in the starting lineup in an Atlantic League game. Her debut in the Atlantic League was a pinch runner on April 22, and became the first woman to start an Atlantic League game on May 1, playing as a left fielder. On May 4, she became the first woman to pitch in an Atlantic League game.
  • Strength Factory is a gym run by Thomas De Giuli. He is living the American Dream trying to start a fitness gym from scratch as the USA and the rest of the world claw their way back from the COVID Pandemic. The gym is located in Baldwin, New York. Thomas trains his athletes using unconventional fitness training methods when they exercise
  • Gerren Nixon, 44, of Wyandanch, New York, started the Urban Arm Wrestling League, a company that sponsors tournaments and promotes the sport on the east Coast. Nixon, who has experience as an event promoter, became a fan of arm wrestling back in the 80's after seeing the movie “Over the Top” featuring Sylvester Stallone . Knowing there are not many sponsors for arm wrestling in the United States, Nixon has used his event promotion background to add other elements into the events such as musical performances, DJs, and a party like atmosphere. It has been working as the sport has grown since it’s early days. Nixon, who believes he is the only black arm wrestling league owner, hopes to continue to make the sport more mainstream across the United States.
  • Two business partners opened a gym on Long Island. The pair shared a passion for fitness, a dream of creating a local community of like-minded people and a willingness to take a risk. Over the next six years, hundreds of members experienced and embraced a unique environment that fostered a palpable energy, helping athletes of all ages and abilities reach their potential. The gym became a place to share achievements, work through losses and overcome illness. But like so many other businesses, it seemingly had no way of overcoming the financial impact and ongoing uncertainty of a global pandemic. With the arrival of Covid-19, the gym shut its doors back in March, with no idea when it would reopen. The owners, though, were far from done. They lent out every piece of equipment they owned to the gym’s members, continued to pay their staff and worked to set up outdoor classes in hopes of keeping their membership active and healthy. As the shutdown stretched on, it became clear that the physical gym was closed for good. They have since reinvented themselves and all their workouts have gone virtual. The workouts are conducted by a small group of fitness trainers. The members pay a monthly fee and can take live Zoom fitness classes. They are coached by the virtual trainers in real time. More and more people have reconstructed their garages, spare rooms, backyards, and basements into home gyms since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States.
  • This is a video on a special group of Wyandanch High School students from Long Island, NY. This past January we started a photography club called the Getty Images Initiative Program. Thanks to our friends a @canonusa We handed Canon SLR Cameras and lenses to the students who never touched a camera before. We started from scratch. Shutter speed, aperture, etc. Last week we had our gallery at the school to showcase the students work and it was quite successful. I am very proud to have been a part of this program. Thanks to my co founder Gerren Nixon for your undying commitment to the kids and the program. Thanks to the Suffolk County Deputy Police Commissioner Risco Mention Lewis and to Principal Paul Sibblies for your support on the project. Thanks to Canon USA for helping with the gear. Thanks to outstanding photographers Frank Franklin of the Associated Press and Arturo Holmes from Getty Images for taking the time to speak to the kids and sharing your wisdom this year. And thanks to the students for trusting in us and putting forth the effort to succeed. Very proud of you all indeed.
  • Jim Evans was a Major League Baseball Umpire for 28 years which included umpiring four World Series. Many of his students have gone on to work on all levels of baseball including the Major Leagues. I spent a few days with Jim and his students in Kissimmee, Florida and had a great experience. I left the school with a new appreciation of Umpires and what they go through in their profession.
  • Santa Claus School workshop on October 17, 2008 in Midland, Michigan. The legend of Santa Claus has endured many centuries. The Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School is becoming legendary as it is in it's 71st year of classes. Student Santas gather from around the world to share their common love of Christmas and the magical spirit of Santa Claus. They share their stories, learn common traditions, and values that started at this school from the beginning.
  • The International Fight League is The Worlds first team based professional mixed martial arts league. I followed the NY Pitbulls during their quest for the IFL championship. They were coached by Renzo Gracie who is a life long practitioner of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and a member of the legendary Gracie family from Brazil. It was an eye opening experience for me as I observed how much work goes into this sport. For all their time, effort, and pain, The NY Pitbulls went on to win the 2007 IFL Championship.
  • This is the story of a large Hispanic population from Mexico, Central and South America now living in New York congregating every weekend to Flushing Meadows Park in Queens, to play soccer, and relax with family and friends. They play on ten soccer fields throughout the park from early morning till dusk. The participants are highly skilled, semi-pro level players. Each team dresses in the colors of their country and play as if it was their own World Cup. Matches are very competitive, as the pride of each team's country is on the line.
  • I got to spend the day with former Heavyweight Champion Smokin Joe Frazier. He is one of my sports idols and it was a great day for me listening to his stories and having the privilege of photographing this all time great boxer.
  • I had the opportunity to follow Michael Phelps's incredible journey of winning a record 8 Gold medals at the Beijing Olympics. It was truly a life memory for me.
  • SPORTS PORTFOLIO
  • VIDEO PROJECTS
  • PORTRAITS
  • PICTURE STORIES
    • OUT OF THE DARKNESS AND INTO THE LIGHT
    • THE SAVANNAH BANANAS
    • KELSIE WHITMORE
    • JOCKEY SCHOOL
    • THE STRENGTH FACTORY
    • THE URBAN ARM WRESTLING LEAGUE
    • GYM GOES VIRTUAL TO ADAPT DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC
    • PANDEMIC HUGS DURING COVID-19 CRISIS
    • BOXERS TRAIN DURING COVID-19 LOCKDOWN
    • COCKFIGHTING IN PUERTO RICO
    • FACES OF BOXING
    • THE PARA POWERLIFTER
    • BLACK LIVES MATTER PROTESTS ON LONG ISLAND, NY
    • DOGS DELIVER BEER DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC
    • RIVERHEAD RACEWAY REOPENS DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC
    • HUNTSMAN WORLD SENIOR GAMES 2019
    • SPORT IN PUERTO RICO ONE YEAR AFTER HURRICANE MARIA
    • UMPIRE ACADEMY
    • SANTA CLAUS SCHOOL
    • FIGHT NIGHT AT THE BLUE HORIZON
    • THE WORLDS GAME AT THE WORLD FAIRGROUNDS
    • HORSE DAYS
    • SENIORS OF THE FREEPORT RECREATION CENTER
    • TRAINING FOR GOLD
  • AERIALS
  • UNDERWATER
  • OLYMPIC SPORTS
  • BOXING
  • AWARDS (Click on the Link to View)
  • BIO/CONTACT
  • AL IS FEATURED IN (Click on the Link to View)

Photos By Al Bello/Getty Images. Site design © 2010-2025 Neon Sky Creative Media