Born in Hartford, Connecticut, Menzel became a professional photographer in 1970 and soon began to focus on high-tech stories, including virtual reality, DNA fingerprinting, micromachines and solar cars. But he has also covered more traditional photojournalistic subjects. His work on the Kuwait oil well fires of 1991 ran as a 26-page cover story for German Geo and won a Communication Arts award.

His photographs have been exhibited at the United Nations, the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, the National Museum of Natural History, the Museum of Science in Boston, and Visa Pour L'Image, the annual international photojournalism congress in Perpignan, France.

Menzel and d'Aluisio live in Napa, California. They have four adult sons.

Material World

Published in 1994, Material World: A Global Family Portrait is a photo essay that profiles 30 statistically average families from around the world and what they own. Each chapter’s main photograph frames a family in front of their house, surrounded by all their material possessions. Menzel said the idea came to him after coming back from trips to Somalia and Kuwait and hearing Madonna's song "Material Girl" on the radio.

The book was assembled with help from the United Nations as part of its International Year of the Family project, and also includes a photomontage that juxtaposes the meals, toilets and television sets from each of the 30 countries.

Women in the Material World

The 1996 companion volume to Material World, from Sierra Club Books, this book focuses on women from 20 different countries, along with short essays on subjects such as marriage, childcare, and work.

Hungry Planet: What the World Eats

Similar in style to Material World, Hungry Planet presents what thirty families eat in a week through a combination of photographs and essays. Each family’s profile includes descriptions about their food purchases and a portrait of the family surrounded by a week’s worth of groceries. The book shows families from 24 countries, offers essays from Michael Pollan, Charles C. Mann, and Marion Nestle, among others.

2006 - Book of the Year, James Beard Foundation (Hungry Planet)2006 - Best Writings on Food, James Beard Foundation (Hungry Planet)2006 - Book of the Year, Harry Chapin World Hunger Media Foundation (Hungry Planet)2005 - Award of Excellence, Picture of the Year Foundation (Hungry Planet)2004 - Picture of the Year, National Press Photographers Association2000 - First Place, Science Photography, World Press Photo Foundation (Robo Sapiens)1999 - Best Writings on Food, James Beard Foundation (Man Eating Bugs)1998 - Audie Award for Abridged Nonfiction, Audio Publishing Association (Women in the Material World)1991 - Arts Magazine1991 - World Press Photo Foundation1985 - Picture of the Year, National Press Photographers Association