Staff: Most of the time, Menzel has four employees who handle the nuts and bolts of his Napa, Calif.-based operation. He also works with his wife and co-author, Faith D'Aluisio, mainly on book projects.

Favorite gear: Canon EOS 5D, featuring a 35mm-sized sensor. "As a photojournalist, I don't need more than 12 megapixels. For lighting: "I'm using Lumedyne, but you can't change the ratios on the battery packs; you need ND gels."

Exhibits: The United Nations, Museum of Science and Industry (Chicago), National Museum of Natural History (Washington, D.C.), Visa Pour l'Image (Perpignan, France), others in U.S. and Europe.

Publications: National Geographic, Forbes, Fortune, Wired, Geo, Stern, Paris Match, Life, Le Figaro.

Pet peeve: "The political and cultural lethargy and blindness of Americans, who are too content with their material wealth to get off their sofas, turn off their TVs and actually speak out."

Advice for aspiring photojournalists: "Marry somebody with a decent salary," Menzel says, jokingly. "You should probably have a rich uncle or a wife that's an heiress!" On a serious note: "I would love to see some of the tech millionaires foster photojournalism ... some [George] Soros-type guy who saw [it] as a way to wake people up."