All Is Forgiven

Monday was a very good day cause for the first time I got to see WWE Raw live and in HD. I did had to work that day but not on night side cause the desk call me in early. This week I'll give it a grade of a B- so you say why, well let me explain. It's been a month and a couple of weeks since joining my new shop I'm still going through "grown pains". Me and my reporter got in and started to log and edit my package. I went to set up my live shot the desk called and informed me that the video was cut in SD instead of HD. I realized that i clicked on the wrong project settings in Eduis. The story did run in the ten but not in the eleven. Indeed I was freaked out that my ND, EP, and chief photog will get mad at me but I had e-mailed them as soon I got back to the station. Later in the week I shot a package that dealt with snakes. Yes I was freaked out but kept my cool and did my job. I got a chance to speak with the chief photog at WGCL-TV in Atlanta and I did not know he knew my chief photog. Can you say small world? I just talked to him about me and a possibility to work there in a couple of years. Over all the week could have been better but I lived to fight another day. Next week I'm back on day side and let the breaking news come. Till next time "Chance favors the prepared mind."

My Thoughts Of This Week

I got word this week that I will be starting to work weekends mainly on Sunday nights. Usually on Sundays I like off due to it's the seventh day, rest, I will like to attend church, NFL football, and once a month watch WWE pay-per-views. The light at the end of the tunnel is that I will be working Sunday- Thursdays with Friday and Saturdays off. That's good because I can finally watch my WWE Friday Night Smackdown in HD on Fridays. On Saturdays I can see my favorite crime show Americas Most wanted at 9:00pm on FOX and I can see the replay of WWE RAW at 10:00pm in HD on Universal HD. The reason for this change is because we just hired a new photog that will be on the weekend shift as soon he gets up to speed with the operations here. I made two mistakes this week when editing news packages. I guess I'm to fast for my own good as I missed one voice track on a package I did Tuesday and on other time this week i missed sots. I was not totally my fault due to me not having a day off in almost two weeks but I got to pay attention when I'm editing. The latter days of this week I had some breaking news to attend to a lady who was riding her bike on the street was hit by a car but later died of her injuries. Why I'm I the only one always shooting fatal accidents? I hope to pray this upcoming week will be an easy one. The boss is back in the office so time to shape up. Till my next rant "Chance favors the prepared mind".

Where I've Been...But back blogging.

Well it's been a long time since I've been here but I'm back but only will have a weekly blog. Since I last blogged on this site I been thorough a lot. I resigned my freelance gig from Ga. Dome Productions to focus on getting a job in another market. I finally got some interviews one in Knoxville, TN and Jacksonville, FL. WTVM went through some changes and that really sent me off to pursuit jobs. Speaking of jobs I did not get the job in Knoxville but I did get the photojournalist job in Jacksonville, Fl though. Spending three years at WTVM prepared me for this environment here in J'ville. This week one of the saddest stories I had to cover was when an Amtrak train hit this family car and they died. For more of that story look at the video I posted on my YouTube page below:

In this very tragic breaking story I ever shot and edited this package shows what happened when an Amtrak train his this car killing a mom and her two kids.

as I stated above due to my schedule I will posting a weekly blog instead a daily blog so look for that. If there's time I be post a daily blog. Till next time "Chance favors the prepared mind."

I'VE FINALLY GOT IT!!!!

Ok, well after two failed satellite live shots one because the generator went out on me due to over heating and the other live shot I could not find the satellite due to my elevation was off and I was on (V)vertical instead of (H)horizontal to access Galaxy 17(the satellite my station uses for live shots) I finally had a successful live satellite shot. It all happened when I supposed to perform a microwave live shot for our 5 pm newscast but due to our ENG/SNG truck had a short mast the shot could not be established so I called back to the station and explain the situation. I got off the phone, brought down the mast, put the jacks down, call to book a window, deployed the dish, and found the bird Galaxy 17. At 5:45pm I contacted ABSAT bridge to ask can I come up on power and then walla I saw my return then I waited for the reporter to arrive at the live shot location. We got all the mic's and IFB's and then its live to us at six. After the live shot I was soo relieved that I did it and I had to do the same for the ten and the eleven newscasts. I just wanted to say like the old saying "Practice makes perfect", well it really do. Below is the video and pictures in a historic day in my career. Thanks Paul!!! Till next time "Chance favors the prepared mind".

This video displays my first satellite shot. Since our live/ satellite truck could not go live for the 5pm newscast via microwave at the live shot location I had to book time and perform the shot at 6pm.

The pictures above shows our station live ENG/ SNG truck as well the satellite Galaxy 17 in the waveform monitor.

PICTURES FROM THE GA. MUSIC HALL OF FAME 2009

OK I've finally made it back home to Columbus from a very busy weekend of freelancing. While I was setting up for the Georgia Music Hall Of Fame show I managed to snap some photos below. Enjoy!

A VERY BUSY WEEKEND.

Well sort of. I'm in Atlanta now to work or freelance if you will with GPB (Georgia Public Broadcasting) at their annual Georgia Music Hall of Fame show and this year will be a great one. This is my eighth year in working with the public broadcasting company for this event. This event will be a little different because my mentor for over a decade Phil Proctor, will not be there due to GPB letting him go early this year. I guess I have to carry the torch then. Anyways I hope i will be working camera this year because I think I deserve it due to my experience and loyalty to the company and annual event but we'll see. The people that I am told that will be accepting the induction of the GA Music Hall of fame will be Atlanta's own rock group Collective Soul and christian rock group Third Day. I'm looking forward to hear my favorite song from Collective Soul "Heavy". It's been a long time since I've seen the guy who gave me my first TV check out of college Rosser Shymanski and it will be fun to see what he's been up to as well others at GPB. Friday I have a 8am crew call and meet everyone at the TV production truck and Saturday leading up to airtime to tweak then fax all the cameras. Sunday i will be heading to the GA. Dome to work the Atlanta Falcons game. Can you say "Money, Money, Yea, Yea!" Later in my blog I will post any pictures from the Hall of Fame event. Till next time "Chance favors the prepared mind".

BY GEOGRE I THINK ID GOT IT!

OK after two failed satellite live shots, one the generator overheated and the other I was on the wrong bird then later I found out that I the elevation was off. So I had to practice and practice and it all worked well. Tonight I took out our satellite truck to do that and I feel comfortable in finding satellite Galaxy 17. For the first time I, by myself set up a live satellite shot in the back yard of our station parking lot. It did not take me a while to find it because I know where the bird was. I set the elevation to 51.0 and I looked on the waveform monitor and I counted the satellites while they went by pointing the dish 91 degrees west as my azimuth was 101.8. When I was calling Galaxy 17 access I sudden forgot to set the computer to H or horizontal so I can be on the right bird and they can see me. So I will try again once more to see I can find everything in the air. Hopefully when I ever go out and perform I sat shot I will not have no problem finding it. I'll keep my fingers cross and pray hard. Till next time "Chance favors the prepared mind".

Above is Galaxy 17 as viewed in the waveform monitor in the satellite truck.