Changing Channels...Again!

I'm very blessed to announce that I have accepted the photographer position at WPBF 25 News in West Palm Beach FL. To God Be The Glory! After nearly a year in Raleigh NC I'm returning to warmer weather and sandy beaches. But God. ‪#‎nevergiveup‬ ‪#‎prayerschangesthings‬

Thank You!

My career at Action News is officially over. I’m thankful to everyone who’s had a part in my growth. A new chapter awaits. ‪#‎staytuned‬

BREAKING NEWS....THOMAS IS A REPORTER!!!

Well not really. One day this past week I woke up and said to myself I'm going to see what it looks and feel like to be a reporter. On a daily basics I arrive to work and I go out on a story with a reporter and shoot their stories and sometimes I think how they do that? So on Tuesday I went out with my own personal camera gear to the south commons skate park to shoot a news package on the new skate park. I got out of my car and started to shoot b-roll of the skaters doing their tricks and stuff. After that I did a series of stand ups and boy it took 13 takes to get it perfect. Normally when I shoot any of the reporters stand ups it only takes them at least one or three takes to get it right but for me only 12 or 13. Now I know that this stuff isn't easy. So I went to interview one of the skaters in the park. Asking questions during interviews is not hard because I do it everyday when I'm assigned to VO SOTS at the station. Later that evening I went back to the station and during my break I logged all the sound bites, wrote out my script, voiced my track and edited the package on my laptop. Will I ever be a reporter in the near future well...NO! But if the opportunity presents it's self I might revisit that area. The lesson is that reporting is hard but It can be easy too only thing you have to do be yourself and remember the five key words; Who, What, When, Where and How. If you want to see the story look below. Till next time "Chance favors the prepared mind".

This package I shot and edited is my first "one-man-band" package as a news reporter. Basically I just got the itch to do a reporter package on the new skate park in Columbus Georgia. Note: I am not a news reporter I'm a photojournalist (news cameraman), I just wanted to see what it is like to be on the other side of the lens. By the way I wrote the script for this package as well.

MEETING A TRUE SOUTHERN BELLE.

So when I arrived to work today I barely had time to say hello to everybody as my assignment editor rushed me out to cover two VOSOTS. During my final assignment I got a call form the assignment desk that I had to travel to Americus Georgia to cover an Boys and Girls Club fundraiser that former GA governor and U.S president Jimmy Carter with celebrity chef and Albany native Paula Deen. Did you think I was star-struck?! Well "no" but I did wanted to meet her because I hear that the food she makes is "oh so good", sorry Mister Food. So I had to come back to the station to ingest and edit the two VOSOTS that I did earlier then get final words from both my assignment editor and executive producer. I went to gas up my news car and headed out to Americus. While I was driving I was thinking of questions to as Ms. Deen and then I said to myself, "Thomas just be yourself and be natural". So I was still on the road going through the countryside of Beuna Vista and I was thinking that I will die of true boredom if I was living out here. I love the big city, I hate the country. Anyways I made my arrival at campus of Georgia Southwestern State University where the event was held and I started shooting b-roll before I had the opportunity to interview Paula Deen. Speaking of her although Jimmy Carter was there she had more people coming up to her to take their pictures and autograph's than the former president. Finally Paula came over and we met and the interview started. If you ever meet her she is the most friendly person you will ever meet. For more on Paula Deen please go to her website and for more on this story I covered please click here. Paula thanks for your time with me and Mrs. Deen you are a true southern belle. Till next time "Chance favors the prepared mind".

WTVM's photojournalist Thomas D Bradley shares a smile with Paula Deen.

I'M ON LINKEDIn!

In an effort of getting the world and even you to keep up on yours truly I have decided to join the professional world of LinkedIn. Just like you seen on my website at LinkedIn you can see a brief summery of all of my qualifications in the television production or broadcasting industry. For more on LinkedIn click here. If you want to view my LinkedIn website please click here. Finally if you are apart of this website please add me to your network. Till next time "Chance favors the prepared mind".

NEW VIDEOS...FRESH SECTION.

Hey everyone I've gotten several emails in the past that some of you could not see my videos or the the "videos" section of my website could not load or it takes too long to load. Well not to worry I have uploaded all of my news packages and stories that I shot and edited on You Tube and attached them on my website on the video section of it. If you want to view the site please click here. In a update in my previous blog post Yours Truly Is Featured On YOU TUBE!, I finally posted the video that the package I shot for it if you want to view that story please click here. All of my videos will be posted on You Tube so all the world can see so please log on to my You Tube web page by clicking here. Till next time "Chance favors the prepared mind".

Videos will be posted here on my website at www.thomasdbradleytvpro.com.

I TOUCHED HISTORY!

So today when I arrived at work I was handled a assignment from my assignment editor not knowing that I will be apart of something special. So my reporter and I was assign to shoot a interview at the National Infantry Museum. The person we interviewed was the "main contractor" of the museum. Afterwards we headed back to the station. At the station I did not know that I was going back to the museum to shoot some additional footage for our hour long special that the station will be doing at the end of the week. If you are in the Columbus Georgia area the National Infantry Museum should be on your itinerary. Since I work for the media it was an honor to shoot the exhibits and historical artifacts that is scattered in this facility. One of the artifacts that really touched me and made me misty-eyed was the Berlin Wall exhibit. Now I don't know if I was born or not but I only read and saw film of the wall in history classes. The exhibit as I know of will be covered with glass but I had the honor toady to not only shoot the wall but to feel and touch it as well. I never in my lifetime experience a piece of history as of this. I would like to thank the communications director of the National Infantry Museum Cyndy Cerbin in allowing me to feel a piece of history. Till next time "Chance favors the prepared Mind".

WTVM's photojournalist Thomas Bradley poses next to the Berlin Wall at the National Infantry Museum.

Photojournalist Thomas Bradley touches a piece of history.

My Schedule Change

So just you thought it was safe to say that working as a day side photographer was a good thing? Well, yes but doing the night side photog thing well it's another thing. I, at lease will have more sleep time to recharge my batteries so to speak, run more errands that I couldn't do while on the day beat and work on my reel plus website. Last year I did work the evening shift with good results as I covered my fourth fatal car crash along side J.R Allen Parkway here in Columbus GA. The reason why the change is because one of our photographer is going to guard training to be redeployed to Afghanistan for the U.S Army. I hope Jeff will be safe over there. I will miss the day side beat and working along side my favorite reporter at WTVM Zaneta Lowe. It's going to be a new challenge in working the evening beat but I know I can handle it but working at night makes some good lighting for live shots and no one knows lighting more than me. Till next time "Chance favors the prepared mind".

IM SAT CERTIFIED!!!!

A couple of weeks ago on a Friday I reached another milestone in my professional career. I am now a satellite truck operator! After two and a half years of being a photojournalist in this industry it feels good to get this monkey off my back as I start my new role as a sat truck operator. If you ask me I like operating microwave ENG trucks better because you don't have to call ABSAT to book a "window" as we call it then wait a certain time to "come up on power" on galaxy 17. Don't get me wrong but doing satellite shot is great because I can be so far away from the station in addition of learning from other satellite truck operators as well. I learned from the best with my chief photographer Paul Therrien, he has been doing this thing for over 25 years and he was the one who train me and mold me to become a satellite truck operator. Paul thanks and big ups to you. I know when I do my first sat shot I will be very nervous but thanks to my training, the computer in the truck and my GPS system I know that I will be fine. The picture below shows the truck that we have at WTVM. The truck serves both as a microwave ENG truck and a SNG truck as well. When I perform my very first live SNG live shot the video will be posted here on my blog as well on the video section. Till next time "Chance favors the prepared mind".

© 2008 Frontline Communications

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Yours Truly Is Featured On YOU TUBE

A couple of weeks ago I had the honor to go out to cover some 3rd Brigade training at one of the largest military installation in the country, Ft. Benning. The story starts off when I arrive at the station to pick up my gear in the early hours in the morning to drive down I85 to meet the PAO's at the main gate. The mission to do a NAT Pkg on the training. The background of the mission is to cover the preparedness 3rd Brigade of the for a month-long rotation at the National Training Center in California, then a pending deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Well that day was a very long day and I was at least 50 minutes away from the station and the surroundings was like I was really in Iraq. My black leather steel toe boots went from black to orange because of the "sand" and I was really hot. Anyways yesterday I was notified by one of our reporter Laurie Bernstein who covers the military at Ft. Benning that I was on the You Tube video. To view the video click here and to view the story from the 3rd Brigade click here. In a couple of weeks I will be posting the package that I covered on my website that aired on our station, WTVM soon so stay tuned. Until next time "Chance favors the prepared mind.

3rd Brigade media coverage increases as deployment nears

I MADE IT BIG TIME...WELL SORT OF!

OMG! Today when I was on the Internet you know as we all do search the Internet on your favorite foods, celebrity, town and I can go on and on but I went on the mecca of search engines Google you never believe this. While I was on Google I just did like anyone do is I search my name "Thomas D Bradley" and you guessed it my name made it on the popular search engine. When you click on the name it directs you to my website http://www.thomasdbradleytvpro.com/. The second link below that directs you to my bio page just below that the other link takes you to my reel that is posted up on You Tube. It's kind of a funny and a good thing that I can say to someone that if you want to look me up just "google" me. Below is a screenshot of the webpage.

Screenshot of my name on the popular search engine Google.