shootingshooting

Housefire

2009-09-07T10:34:00.003-04:00

Work.

Time Travel

2009-09-05T10:24:00.007-04:00

I was able to talk my way into not only a press pass for the Wolfpack's season opener against USC, but onto the roof of Vaughn Towers to set up my gear for a time lapse. Equipped with my camera, a superclamp and universal ball head, a light stand and some sandbags, an intervalometer, some safety cables and a lot of gaffer's tape, I set up near a corner hoping to be shielded from the breeze a little bit. I was ready to go by 5 or so, shortly before people started filing into the stadium. After setting the controller to take a shot every 15 seconds, I just let it go. I returned after the post-game press conference to grab it. Tyler took the 1300 or so shots and turned them into a 40 second time lapse video of the entire day. Unfortunately the quality of the version posted on News 14 is not very good, but I haven't gotten around to uploading the HUGE full-res version yet.

Not too bad for my first attempt at a time lapse.

Preseason Press Conferences

2009-09-02T12:15:00.004-04:00

Yesterday I was sent to Durham to cover Duke's media availability before the season opens this weekend. Football Coach David Cutcliffe is one of the biggest reasons for any local media to be excited about the start of football season. I always enjoy attending a presser with him. They are often enlightening, and always entertaining.

After finishing up at Duke, I headed to NC Central for the same thing. The coach and a few players were on hand to talk about the upcoming season, particularly the season opener against Hampton University in VA. The press turnout for this was... well... yeah...

"Digital Brownie"

2009-08-31T11:13:00.003-04:00

Recent browsing of local photojournalist Shawn Rocco's blog made me decide to sort through a few of the cell phone pictures I've taken. Since my mediocre cell phone has an even less astounding camera I rarely use it. I did, however, manage to find a few photos on it.

Admittedly, they are not as inspired as Rocco's, whose cellular obscura project proves that thousands of dollars in camera gear are not a requisite for quality photographs. Seeing how much he is able to do with so little (read: Motorola E815), at the very least, prompted me to look through my cell phone gallery and post a few of the shots here.

Note: in case I haven't been clear, I strongly urge everyone to check out his blog.

Railroad tracks, abandoned buildings

2009-08-28T16:44:00.008-04:00

Mike brought one of his co-workers to the show at Berkeley. After talking for a bit I find out he is also a photographer of sorts. We decided to hang out a few nights later and go shooting downtown. It was nice to get out of the house with my camera for the sole purpose of shooting. We hit up the railroad tracks just south of the downtown skyline (where I received some gnarly ant bites on my legs) and then headed to the north side of town where I knew of an abandoned building. It was dark so we opted for a few long exposure attempts.

Future Islands, Lonnie Walker, Javelin

2009-08-28T16:34:00.004-04:00

The roommates and I ventured out to Berkeley Cafe in downtown Raleigh a few weeks ago to check out a concert. Javelin and Lonnie Walker opened for Future Islands. Lonnie Walker puts on a great show, and the last time I saw Future Islands was in Emerald Isle when they were Artlord and his Self-Portraits.

Javelin.

Lonnie Walker.

Future Islands.

This isn't Mayberry...

2009-08-28T12:54:00.007-04:00

On Augst 13th, Mayberry was brought to the town of Fremont, NC to unveil a new stamp the honors classic television of the 1950's. Barney Fife, Ernest T. Bass, and the Mayberry squad car were all on scene to celebrate the occasion.

I was covering something in the area earlier that day, and since I was over an hour from the station I just made my way to Fremont to await the squad car. I had some time to kill so I walked around the block with my camera for a bit.

The Grind

2009-08-28T12:43:00.003-04:00

I take my camera with me to work every day. Unfortunately, I only rarely take it out of the bag. I'm not sure if I'm just burnt out with work and the resulting apathy makes me leave it in the vehicle or if I just haven't thought anything was interesting enough to shoot. Either way, I've been bad about taking photos at work. I do have a few from the past several weeks, though.

NCSU Media Day. After the team portrait, Coach O'Brien and a few players were available for interviews. Typical pre-season media circus.

Tyler's lunch break is spent looking pensive in the break room.

Microwave masts clustered on the corner outside of the Federal Courthouse in Raleigh.

Killing time outside the Federal Courthouse. Spending an entire day waiting on the hot sidewalk with a bunch of other disgruntled photographers and reporters certainly gets boring.

Rob loves his job. It keeps him busy, but that's ok because he leaves every day with a sense of accomplishment. (I'm hoping everyone is familiar with sarcasm)

The Scibal Family

2009-08-28T12:26:00.010-04:00

A few weeks ago Leah and I went home to attend the wedding of two of my high school friends. Craig and Sandra, after years together, finally tied the know on July 25th at the Dune's Club in Atlantic Beach. Congrats to the Scibal family.

As was expected, Constitution showed up in full force. Reunions with that group are always a ton of fun.

Remi Jane

2009-08-28T12:09:00.003-04:00

Again, a bit delayed on the post. Mike Hamm, my best friend since high school, recently moved with his fiance and daughter to Atlanta. I haven't seen them as much as I'd have liked in the recent two or three years, but I was fortunate enough to be able to pay them a visit before they moved.

Long-time friends Bruce and Matt stopped by too. It was really great to be able to spend time as a group before none of us see Mike again for a while. While seeing Mike was the main objective, it was also really important for me to see Remi. After all, I am her Godfather. Considering I haven't seen her since before she was walking, a visit was long overdue.

While Mike and Gill packed up their lives in Greenville, Remi decided she would have none of that and kept unpacking boxes. It is amazing how fast she's growing up. Mike no longer has a baby... he has a kid. Seeing her run around and talk blew my mind a little bit.

Leah's Tiny House

2009-08-03T14:46:00.006-04:00

Once Leah was all settled in her new place I took a trip down to Wilmington to visit. After living with her for 10 months it is a bit odd adjusting to being two hours apart.

July

2009-08-03T14:41:00.002-04:00

The Fourth of July fireworks at the State Fairgrounds were pretty. I was working.

Without a place of my own, I tried to avoid spending too much time at the place I was staying. I felt bad about imposing already and didn't want to seem like I was mooching too much. So, I played hockey with Kevin and John whenever I could.

Moving Woes

2009-08-03T14:24:00.007-04:00

I hate moving. I have done entirely too much of it in the past year and a half. Despite the experience, moving never gets any easier.

After almost 10 months of living with Leah in Chapel Hill, we moved out at the end of June. Sabby helped us pack.

Getting everything out of the place took longer than I felt it should have, but at least I had some help.

After getting the truck loaded with all of Leah's stuff and most of mine (I would have to rent a small truck the next day to finish getting my things out), I made the trip to south Raleigh to unload my things at my storage unit. While I was doing this, Leah was getting her tattoo finished (a birthday present from me). She met Breezy and I at the Burger King next to my storage facility, where we planned on grabbing a quick dinner before making the trek to Wilmington to unload all of her stuff.

That would have been too easy.

I noticed that one of the back tires on the 17' U-Haul was completely missing a sidewall. Prepared to embark on a 120 mile drive to the beach, this was a bit alarming. We had to wait 2 hours for the AAA mechanic to get out there and replace the tire.

In the meantime, we had nothing to do but wait in Burger King. As it turns out, Burker King is not exactly the best place to hang out.

I was told I was lucky to have spotted the blown out tire. Apparently driving 75mph on it for 120 miles would not have been too safe.

I was pissed. And sweaty.

Snakes in a Newsroom

2009-08-03T14:16:00.005-04:00

Things have been a bit hectic since my last post. Since June 10th, I've moved my stuff into storage, Leah to Wilmington, myself onto an airbed in a basement for a month, my buddies into a new place, and my stuff out of storage into my new place. After dealing with all of that, it is nice to not be homeless anymore. I'm enjoying having my own room and my own bed back.

I haven't been shooting much at work. There are several reasons for this, including a typically boring work day and my general feelings of apathy. While editing some video a few weeks ago, one of the people from graphics walked by and asked if I had a box. I asked why and was told that there was a snake on the floor in the photog equipment room. It wasn't big or even remotely threatening, but it was the most exciting thing to happen on that slow Saturday. After being captured in a cardboard box, the snake was safely released behind the dumpster in the rear of the parking lot.

ConAgra Explosion

2009-06-10T19:22:00.010-04:00

It's been quite a week in local news. On Tuesday morning there was an explosion at the ConAgra plant in Garner that resulted in the partial collapse of the south side of the building. News crews flooded the parking lot of the Hess station at the top of the Jones Sausage Road exit off of I-40. Approximately a mile from the plant, this was the closest authorities would allow anyone and served as the staging area.

Jessica and I were the first ones from News 14 to arrive. We were on air almost immediately, talking with a few employees, authorities, and even a family member of someone who was in the building at the time of the explosions. Patrick showed up after a while to help me out with the onslaught of impromptu press conferences under the awning of this gas station.

The area of the plant where the explosion took place held a refrigeration unit that contained 34,000 gallons of concentrated ammonia. We could smell it in the air, but were repeatedly assured that it was safe (nowhere close to the 300 parts per million that is considered "a concern"). After scrambling for information for a few hours in the nearly 90 degree heat, it began to rain. Hard. The rain was so heavy that the truck's satellite lost signal.

Three bodies have been recovered from the rubble. Several people remain in the hospital, some with critical injuries. This afternoon, ConAgra's CEO arrived from the company's headquarters in Omaha to (poorly, I might add) offer condolences to the employees and their family members. With everyone accounted for, in investigation to discover the cause of the explosion is underway. It was reported that a bomb threat was called in to the plant a few days prior, but authorities say there is not yet proof the two are related.

In compliance with OSHA regulations, I wore the orange safety vest that's kept in the truck whenever I was working near a road. This particular one didn't fit too well, but provided a brief moment of comic relief.

Got Dat Severance?

2009-06-09T22:17:00.009-04:00

There has been an ominous cloud hovering over N.C. State for the past several weeks. The controversy surrounding the Mary Easley situation and everyone involved (including members of the Board of Trustees and the administration) has continued to escalate.

An emergency telephone conference among the Board of Trustees was called Sunday night. Media swarmed to Holladay hall after an alert via press release. Anxiously waiting in the hallway were the usual faces. No one knew what the news was going to be. It would turn out simply to be a release of information regarding the former Provost's retreat package. Earlier in the weekend it was pointed out that there were some inconsistencies in Oblinger's original story regarding the matter.

Upon arrival at work Monday morning, I am immediately told to head to campus to cover the resignation of Chancellor Oblinger. The Board of Trustees held a meeting at Park Alumni Center on Centennial Campus to discuss the matter.

After the meeting, UNC System President Erskine Bowles and Chairman of the Board of Trustees Bob Jordan addressed the media in a press conference.

I won't try to completely (or adequately) recap everything. Instead, I'll assume anyone lucky enough to stumble across my blog is either already relatively familiar with the current affairs of the university or has enough time to kill that they can google it.

Super Regional

2009-06-07T10:29:00.006-04:00

The Tarheels are hosting the Pirates in a Super Regional this weekend. UNC split a pair of regular season games with ECU, and now the two teams face off in a best-of-three series for a spot in the College World Series.

It was refreshing to see shades of purple scattered throughout Boshamer Stadium.

After a close start, UNC rallied in the bottom of the 6th to score 7 runs, putting them up 9-1 over ECU. A solo homer from Kyle Seager in the bottom of the 8th put 10 on the board for UNC. Tarheel pitcher Alex White also had a career high 12 strikeouts, and allowed only one run for the Pirates.

Game two starts today at noon.

Pens in 4

2009-06-07T10:13:00.009-04:00

I was hoping I wouldn't have to make this blog entry. I was certainly hoping not to have to make it after only four games. Unfortunately for my beloved Hurricanes, the Penguins were ready to play. Very ready. They dispatched the Hurricanes in just 4 games, clinching a spot in the Stanley Cup Finals by winning game 4 in Raleigh. Ouch.

Ben, being a huge Penguins fan, made the trip up from Orlando for game four. It was rad to hang out with him, and although the Hurricanes lost I'm at least a bit glad that Ben got to see his team clinch the Finals.

John Wall's Commitment Issues

2009-06-07T10:04:00.005-04:00

I know I'm really late with this update. Due mostly to being busy (and partially due to apathy) I've ignored the blog lately.

John Wall, a Raleigh native, is one of the top point guards in the nation. He's been keeping everyone guessing for months, never giving a hint as to where he'd commit. Like a lot of Wolfpack fans, Sidney Lowe's recruitment of the seemingly receptive Wall gave me hope that we might luck out and land a top prospect.

Nope. He held a press conference at his school, Word of God High School, on May 20th to announce his signing with coach Calipari at Kentucky.

Oh well.

Swine Flu Fever

2009-05-04T00:18:00.002-04:00

North Carolina became the 30th state to confirm a case of swine flu today. To announce the state's inclusion on this list was Governor Bev Perdue at a media briefing this afternoon at the Department of Health and Human Services building on Dorothea Dix campus. As of this afternoon, there were six probable cases of the virus in North Carolina. These six cases are in Wake, Craven, and Onslow counties, with the confirmed case also being from Onslow. The spouse of the confirmed case (they wouldn't release any potentially identifying details about the individual) is listed as probable and will likely be confirmed by tomorrow. Apparently they had recently returned from a trip to San Antonio.

All confirmed and probable cases are being kept in isolation. I've come to learn that isolation is different from quarantine in that it is highly suggested and not mandated, and consists mostly of education. The medical officials in the room were very quick to point out that they are not quarantining anyone.

Save The Wilmont

2009-05-03T00:24:00.005-04:00

Image Credit: John Morris

For those who haven't heard, the City of Raleigh has recently deemed the Wilmont uninhabitable. Yes, the famous Wilmont Apartments has been condemned. This building, a staple in any N.C. State student's walk down memory lane, will be evacuated by the end of May as mandated by the city. There is even the possibility of demolition, which is sure to make anyone who has ever ridden down Hillsborough Street shudder.

There is no denying the fact that the building was in need of extensive repairs. However, a vast majority of the residents don't want to leave, many of them having lived there for several years. The problems began when one tenant missed rent month after month until he was evicted. Faced with the option of paying the backed rent or having it show up on his already abysmal credit score, he decided to complain enough to get the building condemned. I'm aware that the owners/managers of the building are at fault for not keeping it up to code and making necessary repairs in time, but it simply makes me feel better to think that this person can add every resident of the Wilmont (and Raleigh) to the long list of people he's screwed over. Yes, it's personal.

Now an entire building of people who are passionate about the place they live are being forced to leave.

Anyone who cares enough about this staple of N.C. State life can at least show support by signing the petition. More up-to-date details are posted daily.

http://savewilmont.com/

Guilty Update

2009-05-03T00:20:00.002-04:00

While I'm sure the number of people gnawing fingernails in anticipation of my blog updates is slim, I still can't help but feel the slightest amount of guilt over ignoring my own little, self-absorbed portion of the internet. So, here are a few random shots I got a few weeks ago in the parking lot after covering a few innings of a Durham Bulls game.

Brushes with Brushfire

2009-04-19T10:08:00.005-04:00

After rushing to Duke to shoot the spring football game, I took a few minutes at the station to respond to a few emails, hoping to not be noticed. Unfortunately it is difficult to not notice me, and it wasn't long before a producer yelled my name across the newsroom and asked if I liked fires. "Does it matter?" I responded. It didn't.

I was sent to check out a brushfire in Johnston County. Of course the road was blocked off when I arrived, so I had to play pack mule and schlep my gear almost half of a mile down the road. A few houses had been evacuated so I figured it would be worth checking out. Plus, I could use the walking.

There wasn't a lot to see when I first got there. Groups of firefighters standing around while the (presumably) rookies rolled up hoses. I began to look for the chief in charge so I could ask where I was allowed to go when I met Doug White, Assistant County Ranger. He was incredibly nice and made my job much easier.

Typically, any law enforcement at something like this would make me stay as far away as possible. When I asked Doug if I was allowed to walk down the street in hopes of catching a glimpse of some flames I was expecting to be shut down. Instead, he took me to his truck and threw me a fire jacket. Then he took me into the burning brush.

The cause of the fire was unknown at the time, but under investigation. At my arrival, the fire occupied approximately 40 acres. While fire departments and the Forest Service receive several of these types of calls a year, Doug noted that "this is a big one."

The fire was under control and almost put out, so it wasn't exactly dangerous. It was, however, pretty cool that he allowed me to do that. He took me into the clearing that had been burned out, pointed out a few things, and was patient as I grabbed more shots than I needed. I don't know how different things would have been if the fire was raging, or if I wasn't the only media there, but it was refreshing to experience a 100% cooperative (and friendly) group of law enforcement.

The Appleseed Cast

2009-04-16T12:15:00.003-04:00

After being excited about it for months, the day of The Appleseed Cast concert at Local 506 in Chapel Hill finally came on Monday. It was a great show. An Horse, a duet from Australia, and Gray Young, a local Raleigh band opened and both put on very good shows.

Apex Accident

2009-04-14T22:25:00.002-04:00

I was sent to Apex yesterday afternoon to check on an accident involving a dump truck. I get there and am shocked to see what appeared to be remnants of a car sticking out from under the dump truck, which had apparently tipped over. Shortly after my arrival, the EMS crews began putting up tarps to keep the gathering masses from seeing whatever happened to be left of the car's driver. I didn't think there was any way the driver could possibly be identified, nevertheless alive. I found out today that both the driver and passenger survived and will be ok, and that the driver of the dump truck is being charged with reckless driving.

Click for video I shot at the scene.

Cary's New Recycle Carts

2009-04-14T22:17:00.004-04:00

Certainly worthy of filling up a negligible amount of airtime on News 14's daily schedule are the new recycling carts being rolled out (see what I did there?) by the city of Cary. Beginning today, the old and often inadequate green bins are being replaced by brown 65 gallon carts, resembling their 95 gallon green brethren we are all familiar with.

I wish the city would have decided to use these years ago. Willoughby Lane produced more recyclables than the meager green bins could handle. These certainly would have helped.

Homecoming

2009-04-09T11:57:00.005-04:00

After getting home at 5am after working a 16 hour day, I was lucky enough to get three full hours of sleep before waking up at 8:30 and heading back to work. The team was scheduled to arrive home that afternoon and there was a homecoming celebration for them at the Dean Dome. News 14 was taking the entire ceremony live with two cameras. The addition of an extra camera makes everything much more complicated than it would normally be.

Dawson and Bill, two of the engineering crew's geniuses, accompanied me out there with a van full of equipment to meet a photographer of ours from Greensboro. Aside from the typical photog gear (camera, tripod, mics, batteries), we had all of the mixing equipment to set up as well. I was not very familiar with anything from the van load of gear the engineers brought with them, so my help was limited to running cables and doing mic checks. Despite some issues with the fiber, Bill and Dawson managed to save the day and I believe the entire 2 hours of television (including live shots of the team getting off the plan and the busses driving down I40) went off without a hitch.

I've said it before but I will not hesitate to say it again; I have a huge amount of respect for our engineering crew. This is Dawson double checking the setup. During the celebration, he would use the video switcher to switch from the other photographer's shot of whoever was speaking to my assorted crowd shots. This was the third day this week I was involved in a major event instead of being on vosot patrol, and it was pretty interesting. I had never worked with Dawson in the field before, but he did an incredible job of directing.

Before and after the celebration, Ryan was doing on-scenes with fans from inside the Dean Dome. Dawson was kind enough to grab my camera and grab a few shots for me.

Take Five

2009-04-09T10:24:00.009-04:00

My failed attempt at a handheld pano shot.

After UNC's decisive win over Villanova, I was sure that I'd be sent to Chapel Hill to cover what would most likely become another debacle on Franklin Street. Despite Michigan State's fantastic game against UConn, I was pretty sure I would witness another Franklin Street fiasco.

After getting to work at 1pm, I gathered the requisite equipment and made my way back to Spanky's. I arrived earlier than my reporter to make sure I had time to get everything onto the roof. It took me several trips, but I was able to get everything onto the roof and set up without having to rush too much.

This is only some of what was required for our live shot from the rooftop. On the tripod is the portable microwave transmitter, which I had never set up on my own before. The wind was bad enough to be cause for concern, so I had to drag sandbags up to the roof as well to secure the transmitter. I even put cinder blocks on top of the sandbags, just to be safe.

Once I had dragged my extension cord, two reels of audio and video cable, and few other required odds and ends up to the roof I was able to get my microwave feed back to the station. I was successful on my first try, at 96-99% signal strength too! I'm sure the magnitude of this seemingly minor accomplishment is lost on a lot of you, but I was very proud of myself.

Did I mention that access to the roof required scaling a vertical fire escape ladder? This is certainly not fun for anyone even remotely afraid of heights (read: me). I didn't have much of a choice, though, so I sucked it up. I was familiar with it from Saturday night, but it still made me nervous. The ladder even wobbled a bit because the bolts securing the top of the ladder to the building were loose and embedded in bricks that had holes and cracks.

After feeding an on-scene every hour leading up to the game, the reporter Jessica and I had a bit of free time. There wasn't much to do during the game, so we grabbed a beer at the only place we could find a seat (a seemingly forgotten hibachi place right near the truck) and watched the first few minutes. After halftime, we made our way back to the roof to make sure we were ready for the live shot.

Now, any synopsis of the night would be incomplete without mention of Jessica's intense fear of heights. She had never covered anything from that location, so she thought we would have access to the roof from an inside stairwell or something of the sort. No one told her anything about ladders, so imagine her surprise when she saw the narrow, rusty ladder she'd have to climb. I completely understand, and if it wasn't for my boss being on the roof the first time I made my up there on Saturday I imagine I would have been a huge baby about it. However, with me right behind her assuring her everything was ok and that she was doing great, she made it up the ladder. I was proud of her.

Now, in case you haven't heard, or are still in denial and unable to accept it (this means you, fellow State fans), UNC beat Michigan State and won the NCAA Championship for the second time since Roy Williams assumed the job of head coach six years ago. In fact, they didn't just beat Michigan State, they absolutely destroyed them. The final score was 89-72, but even that 17 point margin understates how dominant the Tarheels were.

The scene on Franklin Street after the victory was insane. The celebration after UNC's victory over Villanova two nights earlier was a joke compared to this. The crowd was estimated to be between 60,000 and 80,000 people. Immediately following the final buzzer, fans poured into the streets. I saw thousands of fans running up Columbia Street to join the throngs of people who were already partying in the street. Seeing so many people in normal clothes headed in the same direction in a full sprint was reminiscent of something from a modern zombie movie.

The trend at UNC after such a win is to set fires in the street. Apparently the best way to celebrate your team winning a National Championship is to jump over a small bonfire. The fires weren't very big, but people colliding into each other and falling onto burning embers is a bit of a problem. I even saw a couple presumably hammered "bro's" doing pushups on top of the fire while being cheered on by the masses. The crowd would yell the number of pushups, so reveling fans would try to one-up the previous idiot by doing more. I counted 8 from a skinny shirtless kid who looked like Trevor Moore.

Once again I saw the dudes from the the Daily Tarheel out there setting up for a time lapse. It turns out that Saturday was just practice for them. Apparently they were confident that UNC would win it all. Even though they knew I was previously a photo editor for the Technician, they were still really nice to me. The time lapse that they did turned out pretty good. Here is a link to it, I suggest you check it out. It was even featured on the front page of CNN.

Aside from a few photographers, I also was sharing the roof with some police who were keeping an eye on things. Despite being vigilant in monitoring the situation below (and being armed with rifles), they were still able to enjoy the moment.

After my live shots were done, I again assumed the task of breaking everything down and getting it off the roof. After standing in the cold wind for a few hours, my hands were almost numb. Climbing a treacherous ladder was definitely the best thing to be doing. By the time I had cleaned up and helped Jessica finished her package it was about 3:30 in the morning and time to head back to the station. I clocked out at 4:15am, drove all the way back home to Chapel Hill and was asleep by 5:30.

Final Four on Franklin

2009-04-06T11:42:00.006-04:00

This past Saturday was spent attending the chaos that would inevitably be Franklin Street later that evening. UNC was playing Villanova in the Final Four in Detroit. As is tradition with big wins at UNC, Franklin Street becomes a borderline riot, complete with crowd surfing and bonfires. Ilin and I were stationed on the roof of Spanky's, which is on the corner of Columbia and Franklin. This is the main intersection, so we had a prime location. If UNC were to win, the streets would almost immediately be flooded with thousands of fans. Well, UNC did win, beating Villanova 83-69 and advancing to the National Title game against Michigan State.

Ilin and I had to shoot several on-scenes with fans during the hours leading up to the game.

Franklin Street, during the game. The bars were absolutely packed.

We went into a few bars during the game to get fan reactions. After halftime we made our way back to the roof to make sure everything was situated for out live shot immediately following the game.

Aside from Ilin and I, there were a few others on the roof. Some Daily Tarheel staff photographers were up there trying to set up a time lapse. I felt a bit guilty because I was directly in the spot they wanted to use, but they were nice guys and were certainly willing to work with me. None of us knew how much time was left in the game, but we certainly knew when the game was over.

Ilin had to hold the mic almost at her mouth because the noise from the streets below was overwhelming. I was standing 6 feet away and couldn't hear a word she was saying. She had to use hand gestures during the live shot so I would know when to pan to the crowd.

Ilin is a professional, which is fortunate for me. As soon as she was done with her live hits from the rooftop, she descended the ladder and grabbed her gear to shoot the last remaining shots needed to finish her package. This allowed me to stay on the roof and could keep a live shot of the street for the producers to cut back to. After Sports Night was over, I broke everything down and brought it back to the truck, where she was just finishing. We ended up leaving for the station around 1:45 or so in the morning.

It was a long night, but a good experience for me. It was my first time operating the stinger (a portable microwave transmitter that allowed us to have a live shot from the rooftop), and it was also my first time on top of Spanky's, but it felt nice to be trusted with such a major event (News 14's news director being a UNC alum may have added a bit of pressure).

Hangin' with Joe

2009-04-02T11:34:00.003-04:00

While his boss is in Europe attending G20, Vice President Joe Biden decided to visit North Carolina to discuss stimulus money and health care in rural parts of the country. Covering this took me to Goshen Medical Center in Faison, NC. After enduring the thorough dog searches and pat downs, the media waited with bated breathe in the small conference room for Biden to arrive. He was late, apparently because he got a long distance call from Barack before he got out of the car.

Note: despite being patted down at the building's entrance and having to prove that my cameras were actually cameras and not blocks of explosive (done by taking a picture of the security guard) I was still able to enter the room with a knife. I had forgotten to take it out of my pocket, where it was clipped. Oops.

Nursing Home Shootings and Bill Cosby

2009-04-02T11:19:00.010-04:00

I immediately knew something was up when I got to work on Sunday and both of the news directors were there. Seeing them in the newsroom on a weekend, wearing anything without a tie or jacket is certainly cause for concern. I find out that a nursing home in Moore County had been the site of a shooting earlier that morning. Eight were killed and three were injured, including a police officer. I was assigned the story the next day, on Monday, and had to drive down to Carthage to do a live shot for CNN Headline News at 12:30 and then cover a press conference at 3.

I was told when I got back to the station that the shooter, Robert Stewart, looked exactly like me in twenty years. I couldn't disagree, really, but I hope I'm not that creepy looking.

Bill Cosby performed at the Durham Performing Arts Center. I was excited to go cover that, think I'd be able to enjoy some squeaky clean comedy. This quickly faded, as it turns out that Bill has a strict "no camera" policy. I was allowed to shoot in the auditorium until he took the stage, when I was ordered to immediately turn off my camera. Oh well. I did stick around for a minute and was able to catch his tribute to John Hope Franklin.

Hurricanes!

2009-04-02T11:12:00.002-04:00

I'm pretty stoked about how the Hurricanes have been playing lately. I went to a game last week with Mike and it was intense. Ottawa was in town and despite being down 1-0 in the third period, the Hurricanes were able to rally two back-to-back goals and win the game. This was the team's 5th win in a row and 9th win in a row at home. This ties the franchise record. I'm going to the game tonight where they will hopefully come out on top against the Rangers and set a new record for consecutive home wins.

Capitals at Hurricanes

2009-03-22T09:54:00.009-04:00

Work was a bit slow today. After covering a few odds and ends in the early afternoon, I made my way to the RBC Center to watch the Hurricanes game. The Capitals were in town, and we really needed the win as the regular season nears its end, so I was really interested in checking it out. My buddy Jbaz was there shooting, so I went with him down to the ice to shoot the first period. We walked across the ice to the space between the benches to shoot from there, only to find out we weren't allowed. Oops. We went to a corner and found portholes to shoot through, which worked out fine. I wasn't happy with my photos, mainly because I was shooting with a short lens and I was so uncomfortable being on my knees on the concrete for so long. I did get this out-of-focus sequence of Chad Larose giving someone the business against the boards, though.

After shooting from ice level for the first, I went up to press row to watch some of the game from there. I like watching from the top of the arena. Everything is slowed down and it is easier to see/understand/appreciate how plays develop (or fall apart). I also like the complimentary drinks and hot dogs. Another plus: press row is populated by several tv monitors. I was able to watch some rad National Geographic special that featured sharks eating seals while watching hockey.

NCSU Pro Day

2009-03-19T12:15:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was Pro Day at N.C. State. Pro scouts from the NFL came to check out seniors/other players thinking about entering the draft. It had been a while since I'd been in the weight room at the Murphy Center. I miss that place quite a bit.

Mess Conference

2009-03-19T12:10:00.003-04:00

On Tuesday Governor Bev Purdue held a press conference regarding the budget. It was a big deal and we took it live. Well, I made some mistakes and it wasn't the best day at work for me. Audio problems, dumb mistakes on my part, etc. Lessons were learned though, so hopefully I won't make any of those mistakes ever again.

Exercises in Creepy

2009-03-19T11:36:00.005-04:00

I wasn't ready to stop shooting after the rain made me go back to the truck. I was parked (illegally) next to the County Building, which is beside the courthouse. My hot breathe quickly fogged the windows. I decided to take pictures through the wet and foggy window of the people that passed by. Looking back, this might have been a bit creepy.

Making Friends

2009-03-19T10:36:00.010-04:00

Upon arrival at work on Monday morning, I was immediately told by the desk to get in a live truck and head down to the courthouse. Johnny was down there covering a case and I was to be on standby to shoot an on-scene when he got a break. Well, the case didn't called until later, and it took longer than expected, so I found myself with a bunch of time to kill. "Hurry up and wait" was certainly how the morning went.

Sit happens, according to my favorite news photog blogger over at Viewfinder Blues. I recommend his blog to anyone who wants to read a funnier and more in-depth (and cynical) recollection of my job that is done by someone who writes much better than I do.

Luckily I had my camera with me, so instead of sitting by myself in the truck I decided to walk up and down the block. There, I encountered a homeless drummer. When I approached him with my camera he jumped up, threw his sticks, and started yelling "where do they all go man?" I'm assuming he's familiar with people wanting to take his picture. He immediately settled down when he saw my News 14 jacket, and then we talked about drums. He marched snare back in high school, and his name was Captain Rob. He told me he was my Captain for the day.

After my acquaintance with Captain Rob, I strolled around for a bit. Somehow I got locked into another conversation with another presumably homeless man. I must have talked to him for at least 15-20 minutes, mostly about his rehab (he'd been sober for 2 weeks, except for the beers he had a few nights back) and his 13 trips to prison (don't worry, none of them were felonies). It turns out he's from Newport. Small world, eh? He was actually a pretty nice guy to talk to, albeit a bit sketchy. He was kind enough to allow me to take his picture.

The rain forced me to retreat to the truck to wait on Johnny, but I had a good time walking around for a short while. It wasn't a bad day after all.

Slow Days

2009-03-18T07:57:00.004-04:00

Sunday was a slow day at work. I was sent to cover a small Bingo event for children at the Raleigh City Museum. No one showed up, likely due to the rain and ACC Tournament, but I stuck around for a few minutes in case people were late. Turns out they weren't, so my trip downtown would have been a waste had it not been for this.

This is the table that sat in what I assumed to be some type of waiting area at the front of the museum. I'm not sure what, if any, historical significance it has, but it is absolutely creepy.

Later in the afternoon I was sent to Broughton High School to check out a ceremony in honor of almost 500 local National Guard troops who are being deployed to Iraq this summer. It was exactly what you would have expected it to be.

Lomo Fisheye

2009-03-15T13:02:00.018-04:00

After years of constantly dismissing anything involving toy cameras in favor of maintaining my pretentious attitude regarding photography gear and techniques, I found myself purchasing a Lomo Fisheye. I am not sure how it happened, but during a time-killing walk around Southpoint with my buddy Breezy I decided I wanted to buy something for Leah. We ended up at Urban Outfitters, and instead of buying her some poor quality clothes that either would not fit or that she would not like, I reasoned that she'd enjoy a Lomo. So, I swallowed my pride and made my way to checkout with the indsicreetly labelled box and a few rolls of 100 speed film.

I "gave" her the camera that afternoon, let her fire off a few exposures, and then took it back so I could play with it. It's been in my camera bag ever since. She understands that even though I bought it for her, I really just wanted to play with it without admitting I'd spent 50 bucks on a plastic toy camera. I burned through the first three rolls of film in a few days and immediately got them processed and put onto a cd. (Note: I'll need to buy a film scanner if I want to use this thing even remotely regularly. Processing and putting 3 rolls of images onto a cd cost me $26 bucks.)

Finally having owned and used one, I feel qualified to give a more educated opinion on the toy camera fad.

Okay toy cameras, I get it. While yours is certainly a niche market, I can understand your wide appeal. You allow inexperienced shooters to potentially create odd-yet-interesting photos without requiring them to know how to do anything more than push a button. You are a bit gimmicky, but the shooters who populate this end of the spectrum aren't likely to exhaust the novelty very soon.
On the other hand you've got your more knowledgeable photographers. Although they are often quick to assume an air of superiority in regards to equipment, you are still able to cater to them with your "shoot, don't think" mantra. After using you and being at least mildly entertained by the awkward results, I'll admit that adopting this mindset while shooting with you is a fun change of pace.
In the hands of a novice you deliver a quick rush with the possibility of horrific results, not unlike a motorcycle. Even in the hands of an expert who can appreciate your capabilities and limitations, you are still fun and potentially unsafe. While I will not be retiring my 40D any time soon, nor relying on you for anything but cheap thrills, I will applaud you.

Not all of the shots from the first three rolls turned out, but I got more keepers than I expected.

And I know that everyone is curious as to whether or not I took the toy with me to work. Of course I did. What else would I do at work?

UNC Baseball ACC opener against Clemson on March 6th. UNC lost 5-4 after 10 innings.

Conan trying to figure out what we were supposed to do next during the Duke at UNC basketball game.

From the baseline during the Duke at UNC game. Positioned amidst a row of seasoned veterans wielding intimidating, shoulder-mounted video cameras, I am pretty positive I looked like a fool when I set mine aside to pick up my green plastic Lomo. It wasn't very bright in there, and the 100 speed film I was shooting with didn't help at all.

Happy

2009-03-03T23:58:00.003-05:00

Cat Tail Moustache

2009-03-03T21:56:00.004-05:00

Bored around the house.

Yes, Sebastian really does sit like this. All the time.

I stopped by Joe's place the other day to drop off a submission cd for the Windhover of recordings we'd made in the past. Joe is goofy.

On Ash Wednesday, I had to go to noon mass to get some footage. I got stuck up in the balcony.

Orange 15

2009-03-03T21:38:00.003-05:00

I stopped in Peace Camera the other day, mainly out of boredom, to do some looking around and I saw a table full of bargain filters that I assume they were just trying to get rid of. I picked up a 58mm circular polarizer and a Tiffen 77mm Orange 15 filter for only five bucks each. Now, I didn't really know what to do with an orange filter, but for five dollars I didn't really care. Turns out they are awesome for black and white photography. Apparently they are mainly used for bringing out contrast in blue skies. I played around with it a little and it turned out to be an incredible purchase.

I put it to use yesterday during the snow "storm" we had in Raleigh. I was working so I didn't have a lot of time to shoot, but I was able to find some time before the sun went down.

We had a few inches of snow, enough to make everyone in the Triangle panic and stock up on bread and milk. It also was cause to drive like even more of a moron than usual. Leaving for work in the morning was a serious issue. It took me almost 30 minutes to get from exit 273 to exit 274 because a van full of Mexicans careened into the wall, blocking all 4 lanes of traffic.

The snow was pretty though.

Carteret County

2009-02-25T18:30:00.011-05:00

Leah and I took a trip to the beach last week. I hadn't seen my parents or brother since Christmas, and they hadn't seen my new car yet, so I used an otherwise free weekend as an opportunity to go home. It was nice to be home and be in the same room with my entire family for more than a few minutes, which doesn't happen often. Aside from making a trip to Scott's house one afternoon, the rest of the trip was pretty much spent relaxing around my house.

I didn't shoot as much as I wanted to, but I was able to turn my camera on once or twice.

This is Kitten, my old cat that I got for my tenth birthday. She's been sick and has lost a lot of weight, but she seems to be doing ok for the time being.

We took a drive to the beach just for something to do, and what happened there was a rare occurence. Leah allowed me to take pictures of her. I wanted to play with my new 5-in-1 reflector, and she humored me. It was coldy and very windy, so trying to handle a collapsible reflector and shoot at the same time was tedious. The sun was over her left shoulder at about a 45 degree angle, so it was bright and her face was completely shadowed. I got the best results when I mounted my flash on camera and pointed it 90 degrees to my left, directly into the gold side of the reflector. Considering we were only there for a minute before we both got impatient, I think it turned out ok.

What's left of the circle in Atlantic Beach is nothing like it used to be. I almost don't recognize it any more. It won't be long before everything is demolished in favor of generic condos. Despite being only a few yards from the water, this hotel is completely abandoned.

Prescribed Burning

2009-02-19T12:46:00.005-05:00

Yesterday I had to run over to Prairie Ridge in west Raleigh to cover a fire. The fire was intentionally set (and overseen by members of the fire department) to cull the overgrown grass and underbrush at the facility. The controlled burning, done only under certain specific circumstances, reduces the risk of wildfires as well as promotes new growth because the ash acts as a fertilizer.

Prairie Ridge, "an ecostation for wildlife and learning," is operated by the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. I had been there before to cover the release of a hawk that had been rehabilitated. This time was even more exciting for no reason other than being able to watch a huge fire wipe out a field.

The scene back at the station is almost as chaotic. The entire station is being upgraded with a completely new editing system. This includes new computers, new servers, lots of new things that I am clueless about, and apparently a seemingly endless amount of cable to manage. This is the first time I've seen any of the floor panels pulled up, exposing the maze of wires and cables underneath. Hallways are littered with cable reels and new supplies. I'm pretty excited about the new equipment, and I imagine everyone else is too. In the meantime, our staff of engineers gets nothing but absolute respect from me.

Lens Porn

2009-02-19T12:01:00.003-05:00

New tilt-shift lenses from Canon. I've wanted a TS lens for a while now, but they're really expensive. They're also impractical specialized lenses that, while being really awesome, would probably spend a majority of their life in my gear bag.

TS-E 24mm f/3.5L $2199

TS-E 17mm f/4L $2499

One day...

Time Toy

2009-02-17T17:18:00.006-05:00

Rob ordered one of these to use in his time lapse video of the Krispy Kreme challenge. He let me borrow it for a few days, and while I haven't had much opportunity to play with it, I certainly want one. The only thing I've had time to use it for was a 30 second exposure of the skyline from the Boylan Street Bridge. Now this remote has several features, the simplest of which being that is can act as a basic cable release. This is all I did with it, mainly to avoid camera shake. This is a very overdone shot that everyone has done, but it was a good way to kill a few minutes while working on a slow evening.

Despite having a bit of time between assignments and being extremely bored, I was able to occupy myself a bit with my camera. This is a $10,000 paper weight, according to my boss Mark. It is identical to the camera I shoot with on a daily basis, only this particular camera was the victim of a tragic fall. A photographer left the camera on the tripod and walked away. Something caused the tripod to tip forward, letting the camera fall lens first onto the ground. Basically the camera body was impaled by the lens, the entire structure surrounding the lens mount being compromised. Bummer.

This is just the side of the Subway down the street from the station. I feel less guilty (and less gross) after eating Subway than I do after visiting my longtime go-to food, Taco Bell.

Wilson Courthouse

2009-02-17T16:51:00.011-05:00

This is where I spent my entire day yesterday. I was sent out to Wilson to work with Cory, Heather, and Ilin on coverage of the James Johnson trial, which was set to begin yesterday. James Johnson had already served 3 years in prison for the death of 17 year old Brittany Willis before the case was dropped in 2007. Kenneth Meeks was eventually convicted, but Johnson was still being charged as an accessory after the fact, due to his involvement in cleaning Meek's vehicle and removing fingerprints.

With the trial set to begin yesterday, Johnson entered an Alford Plea to a lesser charge. He was charged with misprison of a felony and released later that afternoon.

While Special Prosecutor David McFayden thinks this outcomes was best for both families since it will allow healing to being sooner than a lengthy trial would allow, it is also good for the media. We no longer have to worry about having someone in Wilson every day for the length of the trial. This might seem completely selfish, but having to drive an hour each way and spend hours on end in a court room or on a curb outside of the courtroom while harassing emotionally scarred family members for anything resembling a usable sound byte isn't everyone's idea of a great time.

Kitties Update

2009-02-15T13:52:00.003-05:00

After finishing the beer that it initially contained, we left a box on the counter the other night. Sebastian absolutely loves boxes, but he seems to have taken a special liking to this one. In the days since, I've only seen him outside the box a few times. We've left the box there for him to enjoy. He discovered that laying down inside of it is easier after he tipped it over onto its side. I wish I was able to enjoy something as simple as a cardboard box that much (read: I wish I was 5 again). He also enjoys slowly dripping water. Weeks ago, the sink was left dripping and he was found laying in it, seemingly enjoying getting only slightly wet. He's an odd cat.

Last weekend we went to Whiteville to stay with Leah's parents. It was her great-grandmother's 94th birthday, so it was naturally a big family event. In addition to meeting almost every member of her extended family (most of their names escape me), I was able to spend time with the 5 cats at her house.

Lilo is wierd. She's brown, and she's very very wierd. A few days ago, Leah rushed into my room and told me to come quick, and to bring my camera. I get out to the living room and see Lilo climbing up the blinds. A bird had gotten itself caught in the screen outside the window. This was enough reason for Lilo to go nuts and destroy the blinds. We will likely have to replace several of the blinds in the house because of her. She loves looking outside, especially if she has to shove herself through some blinds to get a view. Because of her fascination with windows, it is unfortunate that I sleep under a window. The location of my head and pillow make this the most accessible window in the house. Consequently, I am awakened almost every morning by Lilo jumping on my face or hitting me with her tail as she sits next to my head.

Wake Forest @ NCSU

2009-02-15T13:24:00.010-05:00

Wednesday, February 11th, 2009. A 7th ranked Wake Forest traveled to Raleigh to take on the inconsistent Wolfpack at the RBC Center. Wake Forest, a team that held the nation's top ranking earlier in the season, was widely expected to dispatch the Pack. The game was not televised on any network, the interest in it paling in comparison to the fervor over the UNC @ Duke game scheduled to take place later that evening.

I was fortunate enough to witness the Wolfpack show up for once. I arrived at the half and had no clue what the score was. In the elevator to the arena level, a staff member mentioned a 12 point difference. It was folly of me to assume that the Wolfpack were trailing. Apparently fired up about being up at the half, the Wolfpack continued momentum early in the second. After a few three's from Costner and some properly executed defense (Teague was absolutely shut down), the Pack boasted a 20 point lead. As is tradition, the 8 minute mark proved itself to be all but a brick wall. Around this time is when N.C. State began to make stupid mistakes, allowing themselves to turn the ball over and give Wake Forest a chance at the game. The players all seemed to refuse to shoot the ball. They'd kill the clock as much as they could, eventually heaving an ugly shot just to avoid a shot clock violation. After missing several of these shots and allowing Wake Forest to capitalize on them, the game was no longer secure. In the last two minutes, Wake Forest was able to narrow the margin to only 5 points. Despite the Pack's best efforts, they were able to hold onto the lead as the game clock expired.

I've been to a LOT of basketball games at the RBC Center, and I think this is the first time I've seen the court get rushed. I'm glad I was able to be there as the Pack pulled out its biggest win of the season to date, especially since the only other people to witness it were the fans in the building.

After the game, Wake Forest coach Dino Gaudio was both impressed and upset. "One time, we didn't box out the shooter on a free throw. You learn to do that in the third grade."

UNC @ Duke

2009-02-11T10:13:00.006-05:00

Yesterday morning I went to Chapel Hill for Roy Williams' media availability. There was, as expected, a lot of interest because of the upcoming game against Duke. Coach Williams, who says he will always take a one point win and then hop on the bus and get out of town, admits this is never more true than when UNC plays at Duke. UNC pulled out a decisive 101-87 win at Cameron Indoor.

I then went to Wilson to help turn a package on Anthony Eatmon, the freshman basketball player who died on Monday at practice. We finished cutting and feeding the package around 5:05 (just missed deadline, but I was only working with half of an edit deck so I'll use that as my excuse). After breaking down the truck I had just enough time for me to get back to the station and go home.

Krispy Kreme Challenge

2009-02-08T20:46:00.004-05:00

Here's a rad time lapse video of this year's Krispy Kreme Challenge. It was done by Rob Fisher and Tyler Dukes, two rad dudes who I've had the pleasure of working with not only at the Technician, but here at News 14 as well. I think they did an awesome job. Rob said they were out there on top of Sadlack's Heroes from before 5am until almost 1pm.

Battle for Tobacco Road

2009-02-08T20:28:00.004-05:00

Today I had to cover the world premier of an HBO Sports documentary about the rivalry between UNC and Duke. The 60 minute film, directed by George Roy and called "The Battle for Tobacco Road," made its debut at the Carolina Theater in Durham this afternoon. The VIP event before the screening was invite-only, and I was able to talk to the director and former UNC player Eric Montross.

The theater was full of people clad in their favorite shade of blue. While it would be easy for me to dismiss the film due to my allegiance to NCSU, the film was actually really good. I learned a lot, and while it didn't make me like either team more (or hate either team less), it certainly put the rivalry into a new perspective. The fact that I was watching it with hundreds of fans from either side of the road made it more enjoyable. They would laugh, cheer, and boo as certain historical moments and players appeared on the screen. I'm glad I got to be there to see it. It is certainly worth checking out. It premiers on HBO on Monday, Feb. 23rd, at 9:00 pm.

Once You Go California King...

2009-02-08T11:00:00.004-05:00

Well, we've only had it for a short time now, but I couldn't imagine going back to sharing a full sized bed. Instead of getting a laptop for Christmas like she'd planned, Leah made the necessary sacrifices and got a new bed. Since we were both sleeping on a full, I assumed she would end up with a queen. That, to me, seemed like the most reasonable next step. I was wrong. She decided on a springless latex foam california king. I'm not usually very picky with where I sleep, so I didn't really have a problem with the old mattress aside from the obvious lack of real estate. This bed, however, is incredible. It doesn't make a sound, and we can both spread out without touching each other. I love it.

Perks

2009-02-08T10:47:00.007-05:00

Last Saturday (01/31/09), N.C. State hosted UNC at the RBC Center. UNC was the obvious favorite, and the score at halftime reaffirmed this. The Pack looked like a basketball team at times in the second half, once trimming the margin to only six points after trailing by almost 20 at the half. As the game clock approached the last 5 or 6 minutes of the game, the Pack lost their composure and began to make silly mistakes that quickly let the game get back out of reach. The final score was 76-93.

I worked that day, but we already had a sports reporter covering the game. It was my duty simply to go help with post-game interviews. He was handling the coaches in the press room and I had to bounce back and forth between both locker rooms in hopes of getting a few sound bytes from each team. Being a slow day, I showed up early to the game in hopes of shooting a bit of the game from the base line. Being a rivalry game, it was unlikely that I'd find a spot since there wasn't one saved for me. I managed to find an empty chair on press row and ended up watching the game from here. Not too shabby.

Gangbanging Politicians

2009-02-08T10:28:00.003-05:00

Pardon the infrequency of my updates. I've been sick and out of town. Anyway, on Jan. 28th, I covered the North Carolina General Assembly opening day. At the Legislative Building at noon, session officially began. My reporter, Loretta, was in the House Chamber while I went and covered the Senate Chamber. It was interesting, as I don't get to cover a ton of politics. It got boring as the event rolled along, last at least twice as long as I was told it would. There was, of course, a heavy media presence there. UNC-TV even took the events live, I believe. During the session, I was had some time to sit back and grab a few shots from my spot. After the session was a typical "gangbang" (yes, people actually use this term in the professional world) that involved huddling with other photographers, reporters and writers and asking important people questions. The writers, who don't need a clear line of sight, are often a textbook example of proper boxing out technique. Getting around/through them while trying to keep the camera steady and holding a microphone in a politician's/athlete's/whoever's face can get a bit tedious.

The next day, on the 29th of January, I was sent to Weiseger-Brown to cover a press conference regarding the late Kay Yow. It was the first time the N.C. State Women's Basketball team publicly addressed the loss of their beloved coach.

Also...

2009-02-01T09:20:00.002-05:00

I'll admit to being skeptical. It sounded odd to me, and I wasn't exactly expecting it to be incredible. I mainly wanted to try it out of curiosity, and I'm glad I did.

Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka is delicious. Mixed half and half with lemonade produces a potent potable that tastes like a glass of sweet tea. The alcohol is almost indistinguishable.

Two thumbs up.

Miracle Whip

2009-02-01T09:10:00.004-05:00

Since my car was totaled back on the 13th I've been looking for a replacement vehicle. I was approved for a loan that I believed was adequate to get me a car I wanted instead of a car I was simply willing to settle on. Because of my size and my occasional desire to haul some drums, I decided I wanted a bigger car. I narrowed it down to a Dodge Magnum or a Chrysler 300. I found some of each in my price range so I began to investigate further.

First I went to check out a black Magnum in Cary. Leah found it online and I thought it was sharp. When I got there I was told there was a deposit put on it earlier that day, and that they'd call me if the guy's credit didn't process. In the meantime, I checked out a white 300 in Cary with comparable miles and price. I liked it and was most likely going to make an offer the next day, until I got a call about the Magnum. The guy's credit didn't go through, so the car was up for grabs. I showed up the next morning, took it for a drive, and decided I loved it. I had my mechanic check it out (he gave me his seal of approval) and that was all I needed. I went home with the car. I can't say I'm not happy with it so far. I have an appointment on thursday for them to detail it, check (and replace if necessary the timing belt), and fill it up with gas. I'm going to also mention that they need to fix the cruise control, something that I didn't realize was faulty until I got it home.

The Inauguration Entry

2009-01-24T18:33:00.027-05:00

I returned from my trip D.C. on Wednesday but have been unable to update until now, due mostly to my desire to sit on the couch rather than be productive. It was an exhausting trip, but I can't say I regret it. I was so busy that I didn't have any time at all to shoot with my own camera, but I was able to get a few shots.

We stayed at the Westin Alexandria. It was a few blocks away from the King St. Metro Station, which made it relatively convenient. My room was pretty nice. I particularly enjoyed the king sized bed wrapped in Egyptian cotton and the fancy shower heads. I think J-Lo or Beyonce or some other A-list star that I don't care about was there. A Rolls Phantom was parked out front, and there was extensive personal security around that included a man in a suit and reflective sunglasses and IFB standing at ready outside of the elevators in the lobby.

Our truck was parked surprisingly close to everything. It was crammed onto Madison with a ton of other satellite trucks from across the eastern seaboard. It was an absolute circus, but we were parked more-or-less on the mall. I wasn't fortunate enough to be near the truck during the swearing in, but it was still pretty cool to see the behind-the-scenes stuff that goes into such a monumental event.

On Monday, the day before the inauguration ceremony (and MLK's birthday), people were constantly at the mall. The outside edges of the mall were lined with thousands of portajohns. I think over 5,000 of these plastic restrooms were there.

Taking advantage of the millions of tourists flooding the streets of D.C. were the street vendors. They were everywhere. Even several blocks away from the mall they could still be seen lining the sidewalk. It was incredible. They sold everything, from the tradition buttons and t-shirts to random things like Obama sock puppets and watches. Unfortunately I didn't have time to shoot much, because I'd have liked to spend more time shooting the interesting array of people moving Obama schwag.

I worked with Johnelle Johnson, a reporter from our station in Charlotte. She was 7 months pregnant, but that didn't stop her from walking around D.C. for 3 days. On Monday, we walked the length of the mall to the Rayburn house to interview a congressman from North Carolina, as well as find a few people from North Carolina to talk to. This second part proved to be rather easy. The people found us, actually. They'd see the News 14 logo on my camera or her microphone flag and come up and talk to us. From there all we had to do was position them in front of the camera and roll.

On Tuesday, while everyone was enjoying the swearing in ceremony, Johnelle and I were near the convention center talking to some of Charlotte's finest, who were invited to help with security at the balls taking place.

Tuesday morning's metro ride was out of control. There were so many people crammed into every car that it was impossible to move. People were even unable to lift there arms up to grab a railing or bar, so a majority of the commuters relied on the pressure of everyone leaning on each other for support. Because Johnelle was 7 months pregnant, I had to help keep this little old man off of her stomach. He and his wife had crammed themselves on into the last inches of available space. I told him to hold onto the strap of my bag to avoid leaning on her, since he had nothing else to hold. I was very glad to be off that train.

After talking with the cops near the convention center, we tried to make it back to the truck several blocks away to cut our package. The streets were blocked by police and they were not letting ANYONE through. Even our media credentials and my load of camera gear wouldn't get us past the roadblock. We had no other option but to return to the hotel and come back later after the mall had cleared and the roadblocks opened. This is the corner I was standing at as the words "Congratulations Mr. President" were said. The streets erupted.

The ride back into the city was rather peaceful. Apparently everyone was too busy trying to get out of the city. No one really had any business going into the city after the ceremony except us it would seem.

After going back to the hotel and actually having a chance to eat lunch (Monday we worked from 10am-2am and didn't even have a chance to eat), we made our way toward the truck. This is where were experienced the L'Enfant Plaza debacle. We took the metro to this station since we were told it was the closes to the mall that was open at the time. There was a line to get out of the station that we stood in for at least half an hour. This was because it was so crowded outside that people leaving had to do so in a single file line.

We were shocked when we turned the corner and saw the doors leading outside. There were people pressed up against the glass. The doors were closed and the crowd outside surged. Along the walls there were injured people being tended to by FBI and other law enforcement agents. Most of them were older people who had fallen in the rush to get outside.

When we got outside, everyone leaving was forced to creep along the wall to the right in a line. Aside from the people directly up against the wall, everyone else was trying to get into the metro. The mass migration of people out of the areas surrounding the mall caused on of the biggest fiascoes I have ever seen.

Upon reaching the end of the metro-crazed mob, Johnelle and I had the task of making our way a few blocks north to the truck. The city, whose streets were lined with trash and air filled with the sounds of sirens, resembled the set of a post-apocalyptic thriller. The weather was cold and windy, the sky was gray, scattered groups of huddled people walked along, and emergency sirens sounded from every direction. It was pretty unreal.

That afternoon, the inaugural parade took place down Pennsylvania Avenue. This group of kids watched from afar.

Pedestrian X-ing

2009-01-18T00:00:00.006-05:00

I was sent to Durham to check out a pedestrian death in Durham tonight. The victim was hit in the parking lot of a Buy Quick Food Mart. The driver fled the scene, and there is no description of the car or the driver. I arrived at the scene just in time to see the body-bag being zipped up as police nonchalantly took down the tape and cleaned up. There was a smell of sulfur and bleach. The corpse was loaded into a van and the scene was cleared as fast as it was caused. I waited around in the cold for a moment, grabbing a last bit of b-roll before I headed back to the station. A car pulled up and after the quick errand in the store, the driver and passenger took a moment to discuss what happened. I was able to hear some "a man just died there" and some laughter as they waved goodbye at the bleached and shiny wet portion of the parking lot that minutes earlier was occupied by the body of an innocent person.

Most people wouldn't argue that I am a terribly sensitive person. I am usually the first to make a joke out of an otherwise serious situation. However, this bothered me. No one deserves to die in the parking lot of a Buy Quick Food Mart (complete with barred windows) in the outskirts of downtown Durham.

In other news, I just finished packing and leave tomorrow morning around 9 or 10 am for D.C. It should be absolutely insane, but I am looking forward to it. I'm not paying for a ride up there or the hotel room, but I am going to be working hard the entire time. I found out I've got the evening shifts up there, so in my down time I plan on shooting as much as possible. Hopefully my media credential will make it a bit easier for me to get around, but I highly doubt it. Expect a rather lengthy update when I get back on Wednesday, assuming my patience sustains itself long enough to allow me to survive the traffic.

The Fall

2009-01-17T23:33:00.012-05:00

I had seen screen shots from this movie months ago and they looked incredible. Based solely on what I saw in these few images, I had a fervent desire to see this film. Time passed and I forgot about it until Leah and I were perusing the wall at Blockbuster and I came across it. I remembered how rad it seemed to be, so we picked it up.

I was blown away. While being only a few credits shy of a second major in film studies, I don't consider myself to be a master in film theory. I don't even consider myself a "movie buff." I won't claim to be learned enough to make educated or valuable observations on the quality of acting (I thought it was phenomenal) or the movie's plot (I loved it). However, with my experience in photography and video, I can say that this is a visual masterpiece.

Tarsem's "The Fall" is a mad folly, an extravagant visual orgy, a free-fall from reality into uncharted realms. Surely it is one of the wildest indulgences a director has ever granted himself. Tarsem, for two decades a leading director of music videos and TV commercials, spent millions of his own money to finance "The Fall," filmed it for four years in 28 countries and has made a movie that you might want to see for no other reason than because it exists. There will never be another like it.

"The Fall" is so audacious that when Variety calls it a "vanity project," you can only admire the man vain enough to make it. It tells a simple story with vast romantic images so stunning I had to check twice, three times, to be sure the film actually claims to have absolutely no computer-generated imagery. None?

These quotes are from Ebert's review of the film, and I'd say they are 100% correct. I highly recommend this movie. Ebert is right. Everyone should see it. If not for the praised acting or the great story, then simply for the incredible shots Tarsem managed. His use of angles, light and composition are a testament to the thought and obvious skill put into every shot.

See this movie.

New Suit

2009-01-16T19:35:00.007-05:00

On Sunday I leave for D.C. to cover the inauguration. I've known about the trip for a little while, but until recently was not completely prepared. I was unaware of the fact that I might be asked to cover a formal event, such as a ball, and that I would have to be dressed appropriately. This meant I would need to buy some semblance of a suit. I had no idea what size dress shirt or coat or I wore, so I was starting with nothing.

I needed shoes, a belt, a shirt, a tie, a jacket, and socks. I got all of these things, along with another shirt and another tie, in case I decided I want some variety in the future. I had intended to spend as little money as possible, scoring with a nice pair of shoes from Rack Room for $40. The rest wasn't so easy to find. Clothes in my size aren't exactly easy to find, so I was limited mostly to the Big and Tall store or Men's Wearhouse, where I did manage to find what I needed. The cheapest simple black jacket they had in a 50L (seriously, that's pretty big) was $150, which isn't so bad as far as decent 3 button suit jackets go. I decided to bite the bullet on that, but then I had to address the issue of shirts. They were buy-one get-one 50% off, so I got two. The same deal applied to ties. On a day where I had hoped to spend less then $150, I spent almost $400. Oh well, I needed the stuff and it is all versatile to get rotation in my everyday arsenal.

I got a call from State Farm today. I had talked to them yesterday and given a recorded statement of what happened, and they called to today to let me know they were accepting liability. So, an adjustor will be out on Monday to decide whether or not my vehicle is totaled and then we'll figure out what to do from there.

Diabeetus

2009-01-14T23:24:00.014-05:00

After dealing with my slight neck/back pain last night, I returned to work this morning. The ride, courtesy of my lovely girlfriend, got me to work slightly early. I prefer to always be early. I am certainly fortunate to have her around, and not just for the occasionally ride to work either. It wasn't a particularly busy day, so after returning to the station from picking up a recently serviced vehicle, I gathered my gear and headed toward the RBC Center. The Hurricanes, whose PR department is rather accommodating, were scheduled to meet with a group of children with diabetes. Contrary to the information I had gotten before leaving the station, the kids were not going to be skating with the players. Something about liability reasons, blah blah blah...

Anyway, that was entertaining and the organizers of the event were extremely nice. I interviewed a very young kid about the experience. He didn't even seem to be fresh out of first grade (that's a generous estimate), but he was able to tell me about how Cam Ward was his favorite player. As cheesy as it sounds, getting to see things like that usually makes my day. These kids, all seemingly avid fans of the Hurricanes, were allowed on the ice (on a strip of red carpet, of course) to warm up the nets with Tim Gleason and Justin Williams before the Hurricanes had a practice of their own. I also had to stay and do some locker room interviews after practice, which wasn't exactly a party. None of them seemed particularly happy, which is understandable after losing 3 straight and being outscored 10-2 in the last two games. While meandering about the empty RBC Center, I grabbed a shot of the water fountains.

For some reason I liked the pattern, I just wish I'd taken more time to square the photo up more and avoid so much distortion. Oh well, it was a shot from the hip as I was trying to get out of there and on to my next assignment.

This next assignment brought me to Hillsborough. I was told the event, a town forum aimed at getting opinions from the public on the location/viability of a rail station in the town, began at 4, and to get there early so I could grab a quick bit of sound before it began and then get out of there. Well, the event began at 5:30, and despite having access to other officials who were early (the city planner, the task force organizer and regular train rider, and the task force chairman), I was told I needed to stay to get the public in the story. I spent an hour in the parking lot behind this old barn disguised as a small town convention center. There was a blacksmith nearby, and while the afternoon light offered some cool photo opportunities, I was less-than-inspired in lieu of being slightly annoyed. I waited like I was told and ended up having a discussion with two women who have lived in Hillsborough for the duration of their lives, 74 years said one of the women. Again, everyone was extremely nice. I'm not sure if they respect me or the fact that I work for a news station and carry around a big camera. Either way, I'll take it.

As I mentioned above, the Hurricanes' PR department has my favor. Today at work I was told to check my mailbox because I had a Christmas present in it. My first reaction was "I have a mailbox?!" Despite having worked there for over 8 months, I was completely unaware of this. I decided to investigate and it was true, I had my own mailbox. In it was a package from the Carolina Hurricanes. It was a toiletry travel kit with the alternate jersey logo embroidered on it, complete with a letter thanking me for my coverage of the team. The timing couldn't have been more perfect, as I planned on buying one of these tomorrow for my trip to D.C. on Sunday.

Beginnings Part Two

2009-01-13T18:45:00.002-05:00

I initially hesitated with my first post because I was unsure what to post about. I wanted something interesting to kick off my blog with. I have my job and the accompanying stories, but today I experienced something that seemed like a good catalyst to actually get me posting. I can at least say I started my blog off with a bam. Or a wham. Or a crunch. Or any of a number of sounds made when you hit a guard rail at 65 mph.

I figured since it's a new year and I've got a new camera lens, a new blog, and an odd compulsion to blog about things, the potential for a new (to me) vehicle deserved mention. I loved that car. I got it back in 06, my junior year of college, when my Monte Carlo decided to drop its transmission on Hillsborough Street. Since then, I've put almost 40k miles on it. Last month I spent almost $500 getting the timing belt serviced, water pump replaced, etc. Good thing I was stringent with the maintenance schedule.

The car was done in this morning by a guard rail on I40-East. I was on my way to work. I was driving more responsibly than usual. I wasn't drumming, eating or talking on the phone. The oddest thing of all is that for some reason I decided not to listen to music. I was simply driving in silence, hands at 10 and 2. I remember having to swerve, as if to avoid something (details for this moment are less than vivid). I overcompensated and started to slide. Instantly recalling the quality education provided by my high school driving instructor in our school's cafeteria, I turned the wheel appropriately. Unfortunately it was already too late, and some type of impact was imminent. Because I turned the wheel, I avoided being turned completely around into oncoming traffic. Instead, I hit the wall dead-on at interstate speeds. Honestly, I am not sure which would have been the more favorable outcome. Both airbags deployed and I can enthusiastically say that they did their job. If it hadn't been for the airbag and my seatbelt I imagine there would have been more than just a State Trooper on the scene. Luckily traffic was light and there were no other vehicles involved in the collision. After hitting the rail, my car bounced back into traffic. My engine, smoking and spewing various fluids, had just enough life in it to get me to the shoulder.

While waiting for the wrecker to come and take my car away, a van pulled up and talked to the Trooper. They said I was cut off by a vehicle, which is what had caused me to swerve. These guys in the van followed the guy and got his tag number before coming to telling the Trooper what happened. I'm not sure what their efforts will amount to for me, if anything, but I'm still thankful that they decided to try and help.

Hey, the blog can only get better from here, right?

Beginnings

2009-01-13T16:26:00.001-05:00

So, I registered this blog a few days ago but have since failed to post. I'm not sure why I felt the need for a blog; perhaps to at least have something tangible in exchange for all the time I spend on the internets, or maybe to trick myself into believing I was doing something at least remotely productive. However, the "why" likely doesn't concern anyone who is perusing my blog. In fact, neither does the "who" or the "when" (I'm Ronny, and I'll update whenever I feel compelled to do so.)

The "what" is the only thing that might get someone to stumble back to this blog a second or even third time. While I do think rather highly of myself, I have enough capacity for humility to understand that a blog that serves as nothing more than a synopsis of my daily activities would be painfully boring. Here's the thing that I'm hoping will differentiate me from everyone else vain enough to have a semi-personal blog: I am lucky enough to have a pretty cool job that affords me access to some relatively interesting people/places.

I have no doubt that my posts will not be completely devoid of potentially boring personal matters. I will do my best to keep that at a minimum. For the most part, I intend for this blog to be somewhere I can post photos taken during my daily routine as a camera operator for a local television station.

I'll start with a few random things from the end of 2008 to get up to date.

12/10/08 was declared North Carolina Influenza Awareness Day. The press conference was riveting.

N.C. State men's basketball tallies a decisive win against East Carolina on 12/17/08 at the RBC Center. The final score was 87-76.

Duke men's basketball conference opener against VA Tech on 1/4/09. The game got ugly in the second half, so while waiting to talk to the players I took a moment to a enjoy Wallace Wade Stadium, slightly emptier than during a game.

On 1/5/09, Raleigh announced that the already-stellar EMS was starting a new Advanced Practice Paramedics programs. Press conferences ensued.

On 1/5/09, Governor-Elect Bev Perdue appoints three more members to her cabinet. An enthralled host of media outlets waited patiently.

On 1/12/09, Bev Perdue completes her first task as Governor after he inauguration 2 days prior.

Inspired by Obama and determined to get to the historical inauguration on Jan. 20th, Ryan Bowen, a native of Oregon, rides his bike from LA to DC. I met up with him at Bicycle World in Goldsboro on 1/12/09. You can track his progress here.