Manuel Martinez

Manuel has collaborated with photographers, writers and videographers across the country and internationally, to create strong documentary-style footage highlighting current affairs. His work ranges from daily event photography to in-depth storytelling, focusing on the important stories and people in his community and abroad.
Manuel has a degree in English and a degree in Visual Journalism from the University of Tampa and Brooks Institute of Photography. He has held positions at several newspapers and magazines as a photographer and videographer earning him several awards in both focuses.
He comes from an art-minded family, which he attributes to his interest in visual media. Manuel’s entire family is from Asuncion, Paraguay, and the majority of his relatives still live in South America. Manuel enjoys spending his free time with his Son and Daughter and beautiful wife who he likes going camping with, riding bikes and going to cubs games.
Stories by Manuel Martinez
At Chicago’s Pitchfork Music Festival, everyone’s a musician, even your bartender
The artist-heavy crew is a who’s who of Chicago musicians. Wait, was that Jeff Tweedy’s kid?
Who gets married at Chicago Marriage Court?
Marriage and Civil Union Court in downtown Chicago might be dimly lit, but love and romance light it up each day.
Vocalo celebrates 15 years of urban alternative joy at its annual Winter Block Party
WBEZ’s sister station at 91.1 FM brought back its marquee event after a brief hiatus with live music, local vendors and a surprise guest.
32 Chicago concertgoers on music for a complicated moment
“Sometimes I don’t know how to express myself, so I use music to do that.” Here’s what music lovers said about the power of music in these times and what currently soothes and grooves.
PHOTOS: A rainy, muddy Pitchfork Music Festival and the transcendent moments that made it
The National, The Roots, Mitski and a surprise appearance by Jeff Tweedy enthralled the crowds who came for catharsis.
PHOTOS: Highland Park gathers at vigils to remember mass shooting victims
As the community begins to process the Fourth of July tragedy, vigils are being held for people to come together and mourn the lives lost.
Fleeing gunfire, Highland Park parade goers found safety in the small businesses along Central Avenue
“I had them all come in, I closed the doors, I turned off the lights” said one store’s manager, of the moments after shots were fired into the crowd.
PHOTOS: Illinois voters head to the polls for today’s primary
Voters, seasoned and first-timers, are heading to polling places and filling out their ballots across Illinois.
PHOTOS: Chicagoans rallied for abortion rights on the day Roe v. Wade was struck down
Hundreds gathered in Federal Plaza and took to the streets, chanting “abortion is health care” and “my body, my choice.”
14 photos that will live on: How the COVID-19 pandemic changed photography
These are some of the images that we’ll look back on.