Viewfinder BLUES: The continuing series from Stewart "lenslinger" Pittman, WGHP, High Point NC

Viewfinder BLUES: Things Isabel Taught Me
Viewfinder BLUES: Up the River with Ed
Viewfinder BLUES: A Day in the Strife
Viewfinder BLUES: Bovine Castaways
Viewfinder BLUES: Operation Idol
Viewfinder BLUES: Fire on Vine

Pictures to Tape, Pen to Paper Lynn French's series asks you to try your hand at writing... to get your best video on the air.

Nat Sound Redemption Former news photographer Ron Messina tells it like it is... just before he got out of the biz.

SKATING ON STILLS by Mel Stone

THE SONY HVR-Z1P by Stephen "Cameragod" Press

THE CHANNEL 5 EXPERIMENT Stephen Press shows us an early experiment in miniDV in Broadcast News

MODIFYING THE TRV900 How to make your miniDV work more like your ol' betacam.

ON THE LEARNING CURVE: Stumbling Toward the Nonlinear World Mel Stone of KVLY, Fargo , ND journals the jumping into non-linear. Part I | Part II

KARE in Minneapolis Will the selling of good photography win the ratings race?

Busy Days in Kuwait Ken Corn along with Ken Smith of WRAL-TV in Raleigh, NC covered the war with Iraq from Kuwait.

Life at the BBC Chris Parkinson, a news photographer at the BBC in the UK gives us an inside look.

The Cameraman Song Michael Levine of WINK wrote a parody song to the tune of Billy Joel's Piano Man.

b-roll goes to Africa Mark Mazariegos of BET Nightly News / CBS travels overseas with the White Press Corp.

Beyond the Basic B-roll Tommy G. Booras search for a better way to teach and learn photojournalism.

A Photog's Homecoming Andy Grossman's ride home on an Navy Carrier.

What's in Your Truck? Tell us what cool gear you hide in your crew car.

A Momentary Lapse Of Sanity Art Kohn takes the plunge and get back INTO television news.

video AVENGER A local reporter rides along with Terry Toller for the night. Great insight into the stringer way of life.

Tree's House Words of wisdom from WRAL Chief Photographer Richard Adkins. 

The Lost Truck Kevin Johnson's trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina to cover Hurricane Dennis.

The Photo Gallery Photos of Photogs in Action!

The Bahrain Adventure Kevin Johnson's trip to the Persian Gulf. Journal entries including his first experience with the Sony Betacam SX editor.

Navy Christmas '98 Joe Flanagan and Kevin Johnson's trip to Italy and Israel.  An incredible trip to the Holy Land.

Navy Christmas '99 Time to do it again.  This time Israel and Spain.  Keep up with live updates.

Kosovo Reporter Mike Gooding and Kevin Johnson travel to the war zone again.  This time it's Albania.

Live Truck Dangers Stories of 3 seperate live truck accidents.  Keepng these in mind could save your life.

How to Get a Job WISH-TV in Indianapolis' Chief Photographer, Steve Sweitzer gives you the scoop on on how to win that job.

Check this Out!, "Nat Sound Redemption" an essay by News Photographer, Ron Messina. A dramatic and often hilarious depiction of life as a TV News Photographer.

In the beginning you are fresh, eager and willing to hang from a helicopter skid with your teeth because you're happy to be working in TV news. You cheerfully crawl into muddy caves, inhale smoke from burning buildings and wade in floodwater gathering news with a chunky old camera on your shoulder.

NPPA's News Photographer, didn't want to publish it, so you can read the uncut version here.

In the beginning,
God made the photographer.
God saw the photographer
and said he was good.
The photographer saw God and said,
"Turn your head so it is back-lighted."
God said, "But I am God!"
The photographer said, "I don't care who
you are. Front lighting is no good."
And God turned his head.

from American Cinematographer, July 1993.

How to succeed in Broadcast Journalism without really trying

• The less facts you have, the more you should rely on personal speculation.
• Remember, each story is potential demo tape material...
• use plenty of adjectives such as: grisly, bloody, horrible, mutilated & twisted.
• Don't be afraid to create new adjectives (or any words for that matter) such as: Freddy Krugeresque, telephone poled, swiss cheesish, Gottifide & etc...
• Keep an eye on the "Healing Process"... It usually begins no sooner than three hours after a tragedy has unfolded and no later than your 11pm live shot. Make sure your audience knows its begun by working it into every stand-up.
• When covering any story about dogs, it is a Federal crime not to use the phrase: "<LOCATION or EVENT> is truly going to the dogs." There are allowable variations, of course. The main thing is that your audience understands that you can use the word "dog" with a double meaning.
• A similar law requires the phrase: "hitting the books" to be added to any story about schools or school-aged children.

More Suggestions:
From: Craig Owensby

Sick or injured people, particularly children, do not rest comfortably in their hospital beds - they "fight for their lives."

Any group of three or more soundbites can represent an entire neighborhood, community or small town. For example, "Parents in Bigfoot Junction are angry about..."

In the case of natsound shot in a talk-radio callin studio, the previous rule of three can be reduced to two, but only if the video shows a moving audio meter of some kind while the caller is speaking.