Smoke and Mirrors

There are a number tricks my fellow photographers incorporate to help breathe life into the stories people see everyday.

We have to channel the inner magician within us. However, I’m nowhere near the level of the people who can make national landmarks disappear. However, with a fuzzy wand and a quick edit I can have the peeps at home wondering what just happen.

Take today for example. I’m shooting a story on a standard debate over a bill involving cell phones. Of course, there are the people for and against the bill but when at the Phallus Palace, I try to get the story out of the capital. Namely by finding the people, or the area, that the bill is affecting. Therefore, with my cell phone, some tape, and a couple of creative angles, I was able to put this on the air.

Even though I’m not at the level of most illusionists, I can make black holes in newscasts vanish. Now If I can get a lovely assistant to help with the act. I wonder if Grace is available.

We Need A LEAD!!!!!!!!!!

Iconic words uttered from newsrooms across the country, especially on holidays.

Finding a lead story on a holiday rivals that of explores discovering the Holy Grail or the lost underwater city of Atlantis. Simply put, it is a long shot. It is not every day that something shows up on the news radar. That was not the case this time.

Over the weekend on the high seas, a kid from Hammond mysteriously falls overboard off a cruise ship in the Gulf of Mexico during a senior trip. While an investigation is happening on the ship, the Coast Guard continues the search and rescue mission.

Here on dry land, news crews from the region are dispatched to the kid’s hometown for reaction to the latest news. Meaning we go to a prayer service that we are not allowed to attend in hopes of finding someone to talk to us about the latest tragic events surrounding their loved ones. I see we are not the only ones here. Looks like members of the New Orleans Delegation, including the North Rampart District, are in the same situation we are.

As soon as the words, “Please get off the property. And we would ask that you not talk to anyone afterwards”, The Kidd asks, “What are we going to do for sound”? “We are going to keep our distance and wait for someone to come to us”, was my response. I’ve always believe that people will talk when they are ready to talk not when there are a ton of microphones with logos jammed in their face.

Time passes and the services are ending. The parishioners start filing out of the building. I go and let the Kidd do his thing and we get lucky. Somehow, we manage to get some of the kid’s friends to talk to us. It’s never easy to talk to people while they are grieving. I can’t imagine what they are going through.

I know they’ll continuing praying for a miracle but this story may not have a happy conclusion

I'm A Witness

By now you have seen the last second game winning shot from King James but I found something else worth watching.

Survivor

One of the great joys of my job is that I get to meet interesting people. Some make a difference in the world. Others should not be allowed to roam around society. All have some story to tell.

However, it is not often that I get to stand across someone who has looked “Death” in the eyes then slammed the door right in its face.

That brings me to one Ed Brock. No, not the guy who put on the Black Suit after Peter Parker ditched it.

This Ed Brock is a veteran of Nam who has thousands of hours in flying experience, namely in choppers and small planes. I first met him after the Raggedy charted a flight, via Acadian Air Med, to survey a ferry accident near the State Prison last year. It was too dark to see anything so the mission was scrubbed but the flight did not end there. On the way, back a call came over the radio involving a bad accident near Livonia. With Ed at the controls, we headed to the scene. I was able to see a different view of the first responders in action. Usually it is behind a sectioned off area with the threat of Schumcks causing a scene. Not the case here. An all access pass with a couple of flight paramedics, how cool was this. Too bad my video was deleted by some unknown entity. I would have made some good television.

Anyway, this time I got to see Ed not as a pilot. Not as a first responder. However, as a crash survivor. Last night, while teaching one of his students, his plane experienced some mechanical troubles. With some quick thinking, along with a ton of experience, Ed managed to get the plane down in a sugar cane field. The truly amazing part is that both guys were not seriously hurt. Thank goodness. Planes can be replaced lives cannot. So after a check by the doctors both men will make full recoveries from the scratches and bruises that got from impact. I guess the old saying is true, "Any landing you can walk away from is a good one".

Working on the B-Day

It all started with a wake up call at 5:30. The voice on the other tells me, “It’s somebody’s birthday today. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday, dear Robert. Happy Birthday to you”. For long as I can remember, my mom would start my day on May 20 and it is always a pleasant beginning.

My birthday falls during sweeps and asking for the day off is blasphemy in the eyes of the news gods. No problem I just knew it was going to be a good day.

After checking the Bat Phone and the Facebook pages for the many birthday wishes, thank you all for the kind words, it was time to head to the Raggedy to help fill some time in the newscasts. No big deal, I’ll just play the cards on the table and go from there. So after the Kidd and I finish our assignment of the day I remember a feature on the sheet that wasn’t far from us. Normally I would just want to head back after finishing my assignment but I figure let’s help some more. I figured the Turd would be stuck in an edit bay applying some postproduction polish on a sweeps story that took awhile to put together.

So I grab the for mentioned Bat Phone to let the Turdpolisher know I’m in the area and can pick up that feature he wasn’t fond of. He responds, “Man I can kiss you”. “No need for that Senator. I don’t want to make the STW upset”, I replied. “You’re probably right. Thanks again”, he said. The words of the Turd were priceless at that moment.

So what, or in this case who, is the feature you ask of?
She is the feature of the day.This is lovely Grace Espinosa. She works at the local Hooters and is a finalist for their Calendar Girl of the Year competition. As intelligent, as she is beautiful she is continuing her campaign to be the face of a global phenomenon. It looks like she’s come to the right people. The Raggedy has a reputation for jumpstarting web traffic with mere mentions on the evening news. Besides, I’m no stranger to campaigns myself.
Even though I had to work, it was still a great day.
I’ll have to try to make it a holiday next year, did you know?

They Know Drama

There really isn't any need for any added attractions when the NBA playoffs are on television. Nothing brings excitement with LeBron, Kobe, Melo, and the rest of the NBA's elite playing for the honor of being called World Champion. However when you get the added bonus of comentators doing crazy things, like push ups, then it is worth staying up late after the night's doubleheader.

Micro Fuzz

Hey everyone. Sorry about the lack of posting on the blog. I had to dig out the instruction manual for the Micro Fuzz. Turns out that a board in the Big Fuzzy burned out and is currently in the shop for repairs. In spite of this setback the beast has to feed. So, for the past week I've been trying to get a grip on how to use the Micro Fuzz. So far, so good. I've been asked, "What do you think of it"? My response, "It is what it is. Just have to play the cards I'm given".

So after some trial and error, I got to shoot a good story with the Micro Fuzz on Thursday. It was graduation time for the kids of St. Amant High. But the moment was bittersweet with the unfortunate death of one of their classmates. Check out the story below.