A KING-TV colleague of mine, Tonya, launched her new website at the first of the year. It is called "New Naturalista".
I highly recommend checking it out. It is a website dedicated to learning and developing healthier living. The site is aimed primarily at minority women, but is completely relevant to all. I love how it targets healthy eating, exercise and family.
I thought this article was great - who knew??
To learn about the "why" behind the website, please click here.
Hope you all check out this new website - it gives some great advice on living your life in a new way!!
Monday, January 11, 2010
Thursday, January 7, 2010
A look back
The other day I happened to watch one of the stories I worked on last year at Channel 2. It made me think to post my favorites here just as a nice look back.
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The Unalakleet Ski Races. I shot this while waiting for the mushers to pull into Unalakleet during the Iditarod. It was a fun little piece I decided to do to keep myself busy on the trail.
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Mt. Marathon Death. This story is memorable for me because of the lengths of which Jason Moore and I went to shoot it. Climbing Mt. Marathon with fifty pounds of camera gear in the rain is not easy. Nor was the timeline. We spent about four hours in the car driving to/from Seward, and the story was edited in about twenty minutes in order to air at the top of the six o'clock show. Not the prettiest story I've ever worked on, but a memorable challenge.
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Shrooms. This is one of the last stories that Leyla and I worked on together. That in itself is why I like this story, but also because it is a light story.
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The Secret Spot. A nice story that Megan Baldino and I worked on. It was part of the "Day Trippin" series that Channel 2 runs. The story is about a simple and quiet task that many Alaskans do for subsistence and/or for fun.
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Just Throw the Line Out There. A fishing report I worked on with Kevin Wells. I like this story because Kevin is a really good writer, and because there are a couple of shots that I was happy I got, and also small moment. It's all about the moments, big or small.
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Anchorage's Flower Picture. One of a couple of natpacks I shot last year. Not a particularly strong story on my part, but it was nice to put together.
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The Whole Store is Dad. Another natpack from 2009. This is a story that Maria Downey thought would be good for the Valentine's Day holiday. The woman in the story was a wonderful interview and fun to be around! I was happy with the sequencing I was able to put together...it's the little victories, right?
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Facial Follicle Frenzy. The World Beard and Mustache Championship. What an amazing time!! Jason Lamb was A LOT of fun to work with on this story. He is another really good writer with a strong career ahead of him.
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The 1964 Good Friday Earthquake. Jason Moore is a superb storyteller, and it's too bad he's not telling stories anymore. This is a really good story, but with two hangups. They are mistakes of my own, and ones that I've learned from for future projects.
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Shrooms. This is one of the last stories that Leyla and I worked on together. That in itself is why I like this story, but also because it is a light story.
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The Secret Spot. A nice story that Megan Baldino and I worked on. It was part of the "Day Trippin" series that Channel 2 runs. The story is about a simple and quiet task that many Alaskans do for subsistence and/or for fun.
---
Just Throw the Line Out There. A fishing report I worked on with Kevin Wells. I like this story because Kevin is a really good writer, and because there are a couple of shots that I was happy I got, and also small moment. It's all about the moments, big or small.
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Anchorage's Flower Picture. One of a couple of natpacks I shot last year. Not a particularly strong story on my part, but it was nice to put together.
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The Whole Store is Dad. Another natpack from 2009. This is a story that Maria Downey thought would be good for the Valentine's Day holiday. The woman in the story was a wonderful interview and fun to be around! I was happy with the sequencing I was able to put together...it's the little victories, right?
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Facial Follicle Frenzy. The World Beard and Mustache Championship. What an amazing time!! Jason Lamb was A LOT of fun to work with on this story. He is another really good writer with a strong career ahead of him.
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The 1964 Good Friday Earthquake. Jason Moore is a superb storyteller, and it's too bad he's not telling stories anymore. This is a really good story, but with two hangups. They are mistakes of my own, and ones that I've learned from for future projects.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
"BT - dub"
((...as Leyla would say...))
Daniel Hernandez, a friend of ours from Anchorage, recently directed/produced/shot/edited a music video.
Take a look:
Daniel Hernandez, a friend of ours from Anchorage, recently directed/produced/shot/edited a music video.
Take a look:
Friday, December 25, 2009
Christmas 2009 and oddities
Merry Christmas!! To help pass my time on Christmas while Scott is at work, I thought it would be good for me to update my blog again. I'm really trying to be more consistent.
Well, last Sunday we finally got around to purchasing a Christmas tree. It's a very cute tree... Just took these pictures today, so there are no more presents under the tree. Speaking of presents, thank you to my family, and to Scott's family for so many nice, nice gifts. They were all very thoughtful, which made for a very nice Christmas morning. Thank you! :)
I'm missing being with my family during the holidays for the second straight year. Kind of a bummah. I'll be chatting with them in a little bit, to see how their day is going.
This is Scott's Christmas gift to me:
It is a map of the village of Whitman in 1903. When we were visiting Massachusetts in October, we went to Plymouth and were in an antique store looking at all of the wares. We came across all of these old, old maps of towns on the South Shore. Unfortunately, there was no Whitman. However, Scott (unbeknown to me) took the business card of the woman who sells the maps. So for my Christmas gift, Scott contacted the woman for a map of Whitman, who shipped it here and then Scott had it professionally framed. It is an AMAZING map - SO COOL!! Suzy's house is on the map, and the Schofield's house is on the map, and Spivak's, but not my parents...because their house wasn't built until 1912. The houses on the map are all labeled by their street number, and the lots of land are labeled the owner name of that time. It also has an index. It is such a fascinating map!! We are going to hang it tonight.
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Here are a couple of pictures of our new home. We are still missing pieces of furniture, and our artwork isn't hanging yet, as a result.
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And now back to our roadtrip. We took just a small number of pictures, having the video camera and all, but here are a couple that I just came across.
And now back to our roadtrip. We took just a small number of pictures, having the video camera and all, but here are a couple that I just came across.
I believe those pictures were from our second full day of the trip(??). Somewhere in the northern part of Canada's Yukon Territory.
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More videos: I'm behind on getting these up - it's pretty time consuming to get them uploaded. Nothing too special in this batch, but the last one is pretty interesting.
The Northern Lights. Not visible with this camera (I believe you must have a film camera in order to capture them), but you can hear Scott and I talking about them. This was shot around 4am-ish on the second full day of our trip.---
A Yukon Territory morning, on our way to Whitehorse.
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Elk, I believe, in the Yukon Territory
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The scenery after leaving Whitehorse, YT.
(I shot a little bit of footage while we were in Whitehorse, but it appears that the files are corrupt and not viewable.)
---The beautiful scenery on our way to Watson Lake.
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The Sign Post Forest in Watson Lake
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Scott heads North tomorrow to see his daughter. He is really excited to be with her again, and I'm very happy for him :) Not too much new here outside of our acclimation to the new environment. I'll write more about life in Seattle once I catch up with all of the videos from the roadtrip. Maybe by then I'll have something thoughtful to write down that will better reflect and fairly represent life here. My current stream of consciousness won't do, I don't think.
Hope everyone is having a very Merry Christmas and soon to have a safe and happy New Year!!
Hope everyone is having a very Merry Christmas and soon to have a safe and happy New Year!!
Friday, December 11, 2009
It begins...
The beginnings of five long days...
We decided to drive to Seattle from Anchorage. We had a couple of garage/moving sales, Scott sold his truck, we packed up our things on a barge, prepared the Volvo for all "worst case scenarios" and off we went.
Louie was pretty darn well behaved. I was impressed! Although I think he was dissatisfied with me by the end...his home was the car for about a week because once we got to Seattle, we had to look for an apartment, and we weren't about to have Louie running around wreaking havoc at Scott's Dad's home, where we stayed upon first arrival.
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2360.48 miles.
The Al-Can Highway.
Views, snow, darkness, a hellava lot of time together in a car.
We had a successful trip, with the biggest issues being the odometer/tripometer stopped working and the trunk froze shut one night (we were able to pry it open). Scott and I got along great, we had a lot of fun together! We are hoping to do the drive again some time - but in the summer, so we can enjoy the scenery a bit more.
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The Hub of Alaska - our first stop of the first full day of driving.
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The drive to Tok
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Too soupy for scenery
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Scott tells a short story about his experience near the Chistochina River
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First wildlife encounter
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"Sun Dogs"
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Scott calls his Mom from Destruction Bay, YT
We decided to drive to Seattle from Anchorage. We had a couple of garage/moving sales, Scott sold his truck, we packed up our things on a barge, prepared the Volvo for all "worst case scenarios" and off we went.
Louie was pretty darn well behaved. I was impressed! Although I think he was dissatisfied with me by the end...his home was the car for about a week because once we got to Seattle, we had to look for an apartment, and we weren't about to have Louie running around wreaking havoc at Scott's Dad's home, where we stayed upon first arrival.
---
2360.48 miles.
The Al-Can Highway.
Views, snow, darkness, a hellava lot of time together in a car.
We had a successful trip, with the biggest issues being the odometer/tripometer stopped working and the trunk froze shut one night (we were able to pry it open). Scott and I got along great, we had a lot of fun together! We are hoping to do the drive again some time - but in the summer, so we can enjoy the scenery a bit more.
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We left Anchorage on the night of Friday, November 13th. We made it as far as Glenallen, where we stayed at a motel and then took off early the next morning with the hopes of making it as far as Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. We didn't quite make it that far so we stayed the night in Destruction Bay.
This group of videos are mostly from the first full day of driving. Peruse as you like. And let me preface this by saying that the audio is not spectacular -- over-modulated in fact. So please bear with on the consumer quality of these videos... These videos have no bearing whatsoever on our professional abilities.
---This group of videos are mostly from the first full day of driving. Peruse as you like. And let me preface this by saying that the audio is not spectacular -- over-modulated in fact. So please bear with on the consumer quality of these videos... These videos have no bearing whatsoever on our professional abilities.
The Hub of Alaska - our first stop of the first full day of driving.
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The drive to Tok
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Too soupy for scenery
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Scott tells a short story about his experience near the Chistochina River
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First wildlife encounter
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The sun makes an appearance
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Evidence of a forest fire - 70 miles to the Canadian border
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"Sun Dogs"
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"Sun Dogs" 2
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Goodbye Alaska, crossing the Canadian border
Goodbye Alaska, crossing the Canadian border
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Second wildlife encounter - first encounter in Canada
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Scott calls his Mom from Destruction Bay, YT
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Ted and Jason's Knob Creek puts us to bed in Destruction Bay, YT.
So ends our first full day on the road....
Ted and Jason's Knob Creek puts us to bed in Destruction Bay, YT.
So ends our first full day on the road....
Thursday, December 10, 2009
A New "Home"
It's been several weeks now since we've arrived at our new "home". Still adjusting on my part - believe I've had culture shock...and continue to have it.
The Emerald State is nice. That's about all I can say about it right now. I haven't experienced enough good things to go on a rave, and I'm not about to talk about how I don't like it, because we haven't been here long enough for me to give it a fair chance.
I'm going to post some videos of our road trip here. There's a lot of them and they are, in a way, meaningless. I've titled them so you can decide if they might be worth your time to watch.
I don't expect everyone to know about our move, so here is a little synopsis:
Scott got a job at KING-TV in Seattle, so we moved.
More to come later - mostly videos I think. I don't really feel like writing. It's probably going to take quite awhile for me to get them all up here, so as always, please be patient - heck it's only been three months since my last post...
The Emerald State is nice. That's about all I can say about it right now. I haven't experienced enough good things to go on a rave, and I'm not about to talk about how I don't like it, because we haven't been here long enough for me to give it a fair chance.
I'm going to post some videos of our road trip here. There's a lot of them and they are, in a way, meaningless. I've titled them so you can decide if they might be worth your time to watch.
I don't expect everyone to know about our move, so here is a little synopsis:
Scott got a job at KING-TV in Seattle, so we moved.
More to come later - mostly videos I think. I don't really feel like writing. It's probably going to take quite awhile for me to get them all up here, so as always, please be patient - heck it's only been three months since my last post...
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
So I've been lazy...
...and not posting "real" content.
I'll go through the usual excuses:
1. too busy
2. work keeps me preoccupied
3. Scott keeps me preoccupied
4. too busy
...one NEW excuse that I've been thinking about lately is that if I'm happy, I don't feel/have the need to write. Kinda like writing in a journal when you're stressed out or trying to work out feelings/thoughts.
I've been thinking about me not having the desire to write much when things are working out on my end here in Alaska.
Things now are going really well! I appreciate the state of Alaska incredibly, and that appreciation grows daily.
Why am I writing now?
Because I can't sleep. Not that it's that late, but I just got off work, don't have to wake up too early tomorrow, I'm by myself, and just feel like sharing my little thoughts with whomever may decide to sit down and read them.
I have a TON of pictures to post. Even dating back to when Marianne, Alyssa & Tim visited over the July 4th holiday. What an EXPERIENCE.
I learned a lot about myself and where I came from during their visit. Scott just recently mentioned to me how he hasn't heard me talk about home or being homesick since they left....ha!! It's true!! I don't know what it is, but it's true...
I think what I experienced was eye-opening in the fact that I feel much lighter about my life here. Things are....rosier?? I feel like life here suits me really well. I'm happier. Trying things I've never done before. Been going out on a limb with my thoughts and comforts. There are several examples I'll go into later on.
I think another little part of what I was going through while my family visited was that the people in Alaska, mostly, are very true. And people live here because they WANT to live here. It's such a unique place in America to be, that it's not for everyone. And those people leave. So what we're left with in Alaska is just a bunch of oddly distinct demographic of persons.
Pretty cool.
Having family around, and frankly, just someone from home here in my new element was pretty freakin' cool. Weird, like two worlds colliding, but very cool. It was SO nice to be able to share my excitement for this land with people that I truly love, and know me. I received a very nice email from Tim telling me about his joys of the trip. I still wish that there were more fisheries open for him to really experience Alaska fishing. We'll have to better coordinate their next visit during the running of the reds on the Russian.
All in all, I really appreciate their visit. It was awesome. And I think the pictures show that:
The trip started off with a drive down the Kenai, to Seward, home of the annual Mt. Marathon race. From there we tried our hand at fishing at a couple of local lakes (with minimal success - sorry Tim). My family went on a glacier cruise out of Whittier, via the Alaska Railroad. I know that was a highlight of their trip. And we also managed to fit in horseback riding, a trip to the Alaska Native Heritage Center, kayaking through Passage Canal, and a flight seeing tour of Anchorage's local favorite: the Chugach Mountains. We also found time to go shopping at the downtown shops and market.
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A couple of weeks ago, I went on a local hike with an Alaska newbie. It was a nice hike, with nothing major of consequence.
---
This past weekend, Scott, Jilene and I went on a short backpacking trip out of the Eagle River Nature Center. It was Jilene's first overnight backpacking trip. Experiences like this are really good for her to be getting out in nature and to get some exercise.
That's about all I got right now. Pretty tired at the moment and need to head to bed.
Temperature update: 67 degrees with a moon in Whitman, 57 degrees and cloudy in Anchorage
Sunrise/set: 6:03a/7:27p in Whitman, 6:38a/9:24p in Anchorage
I'll go through the usual excuses:
1. too busy
2. work keeps me preoccupied
3. Scott keeps me preoccupied
4. too busy
...one NEW excuse that I've been thinking about lately is that if I'm happy, I don't feel/have the need to write. Kinda like writing in a journal when you're stressed out or trying to work out feelings/thoughts.
I've been thinking about me not having the desire to write much when things are working out on my end here in Alaska.
Things now are going really well! I appreciate the state of Alaska incredibly, and that appreciation grows daily.
Why am I writing now?
Because I can't sleep. Not that it's that late, but I just got off work, don't have to wake up too early tomorrow, I'm by myself, and just feel like sharing my little thoughts with whomever may decide to sit down and read them.
I have a TON of pictures to post. Even dating back to when Marianne, Alyssa & Tim visited over the July 4th holiday. What an EXPERIENCE.
I learned a lot about myself and where I came from during their visit. Scott just recently mentioned to me how he hasn't heard me talk about home or being homesick since they left....ha!! It's true!! I don't know what it is, but it's true...
I think what I experienced was eye-opening in the fact that I feel much lighter about my life here. Things are....rosier?? I feel like life here suits me really well. I'm happier. Trying things I've never done before. Been going out on a limb with my thoughts and comforts. There are several examples I'll go into later on.
I think another little part of what I was going through while my family visited was that the people in Alaska, mostly, are very true. And people live here because they WANT to live here. It's such a unique place in America to be, that it's not for everyone. And those people leave. So what we're left with in Alaska is just a bunch of oddly distinct demographic of persons.
Pretty cool.
Having family around, and frankly, just someone from home here in my new element was pretty freakin' cool. Weird, like two worlds colliding, but very cool. It was SO nice to be able to share my excitement for this land with people that I truly love, and know me. I received a very nice email from Tim telling me about his joys of the trip. I still wish that there were more fisheries open for him to really experience Alaska fishing. We'll have to better coordinate their next visit during the running of the reds on the Russian.
All in all, I really appreciate their visit. It was awesome. And I think the pictures show that:
The trip started off with a drive down the Kenai, to Seward, home of the annual Mt. Marathon race. From there we tried our hand at fishing at a couple of local lakes (with minimal success - sorry Tim). My family went on a glacier cruise out of Whittier, via the Alaska Railroad. I know that was a highlight of their trip. And we also managed to fit in horseback riding, a trip to the Alaska Native Heritage Center, kayaking through Passage Canal, and a flight seeing tour of Anchorage's local favorite: the Chugach Mountains. We also found time to go shopping at the downtown shops and market.
---
A couple of weeks ago, I went on a local hike with an Alaska newbie. It was a nice hike, with nothing major of consequence.
---
This past weekend, Scott, Jilene and I went on a short backpacking trip out of the Eagle River Nature Center. It was Jilene's first overnight backpacking trip. Experiences like this are really good for her to be getting out in nature and to get some exercise.
That's about all I got right now. Pretty tired at the moment and need to head to bed.
Temperature update: 67 degrees with a moon in Whitman, 57 degrees and cloudy in Anchorage
Sunrise/set: 6:03a/7:27p in Whitman, 6:38a/9:24p in Anchorage
Saturday, August 22, 2009
"Anchorage's Flower Picture"
Another natpack. This one is about a flower picture that is planted every year at the intersection of L St. and 15th. Once the flowers grow into the beds and fill it out, the picture is seen clear. It is almost always Alaska themed.
"Fire Mitigation"
Fire mitigation in Alaska helps in many ways. Forest fires consume millions of acres in Alaska every year. It is part of mother nature's regeneration. Unless the fires threaten structures or communities, they are allowed to burn. After a small midtown forest fire last year, it was decided to take care of some mitigation efforts in that area to make it easier for firefighters to contain.
"Seward Wind Energy"
Renewable energy sources are a big thing in Alaska, where the cost of energy is so high, and is compounded by long, harsh winters.
People are really trying to convert their current energy to renewable sources that cost less in the long run.
Channel 2 has run many stories about what people are experimenting and going with, and the challenges they are facing as they pioneer in new energy directions.
This is the story of a couple trying to link their new wind turbine to the energy grid, but are facing issues with the city of Seward allowing them to do so.
Reporter Lori Tipton and I visited the couple and the Seward City Manager to have a better understanding of the situation. This story aired in May of this year.
People are really trying to convert their current energy to renewable sources that cost less in the long run.
Channel 2 has run many stories about what people are experimenting and going with, and the challenges they are facing as they pioneer in new energy directions.
This is the story of a couple trying to link their new wind turbine to the energy grid, but are facing issues with the city of Seward allowing them to do so.
Reporter Lori Tipton and I visited the couple and the Seward City Manager to have a better understanding of the situation. This story aired in May of this year.
"The Whole Story is Dad"
This is a "natpack". A story that I produced by myself, without the aid of a reporter. In this style of story, the people who's story this is, tell their story. No reporter track necessary. These are my favorite types of stories, as they are the most natural.
This was a Valentine's Day story about a woman who hand-makes chocolate.
This was a Valentine's Day story about a woman who hand-makes chocolate.
Congo Refugees
Leyla Santiago and I worked on a story that told of the strife of one Congo family's struggle to America. Their journey and the hardships of what the endured in their old life.
They are a wonderful family, with much promise for their future. They are very loving of each other and understand the importance of family.
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In part 2, Shawn Wilson was the editor.
They are a wonderful family, with much promise for their future. They are very loving of each other and understand the importance of family.
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In part 2, Shawn Wilson was the editor.
City-wide Cleanup
Every spring, Anchorage has a period of time where there is a city-wide cleanup. Volunteers pick up all the trash leftover and hidden from the long winter.
In this particular story, Meg Baldino is the reporter, Scott was the photojournalist, and I was the editor.
In this particular story, Meg Baldino is the reporter, Scott was the photojournalist, and I was the editor.
"Sailing Resurrection Bay"
Another "Assignment Alaska" story. This story with shot with Reporter Jill Burke, and aired in May 2009.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Assignment Alaska - Veterans Aviation Outreach
copyright KTUU-TV, 2009
Editor: Phil Walczak
Reporter: Lori Tipton
Assignment Alaska
Every Friday at the station we air a segment in the Newshour titled "Assignment Alaska". It is the opportunity for us at the station to get out into the community, digging for the stories that make Alaska so unique.
This video aired in March 2009, as part of the "sweeps" period - a time period to set advertising prices based upon viewer ratings.
The story is about the effects of the 1964 Good Friday Earthquake (measuring 9.2/Richter Magnitude Scale) on the port city of Seward in Southcentral Alaska.
It forever changed the landscape and souls of those who lived through it.
copyright KTUU-TV, 2009
Reporter: Jason Moore
This video aired in March 2009, as part of the "sweeps" period - a time period to set advertising prices based upon viewer ratings.
The story is about the effects of the 1964 Good Friday Earthquake (measuring 9.2/Richter Magnitude Scale) on the port city of Seward in Southcentral Alaska.
It forever changed the landscape and souls of those who lived through it.
copyright KTUU-TV, 2009
Reporter: Jason Moore
Saturday, July 25, 2009
"A Recreational Asset"
A little bit ago I mentioned that I wanted to get more of the stories I've worked on, up here. This story is one that I shot last summer. It details the community's enjoyment of a local trail.
"A Recreational Asset"
copyright KTUU-TV, 2008
copyright KTUU-TV, 2008
Williwaw Lakes
A bunch of weeks ago (it's been awhile since I last post - sorry), Scott and I backpacked into the Chugach to the Williwaw Lakes region.
It was absolutely the best hike we've done this summer. Beautiful area of the Chugach, between the views from the Football Field, and the camping areas around the Williwaw Lakes...not to mention Mt. Williwaw itself.
The trail starts from the Glen Alps trailhead, then moves along Powerline Pass for just a little bit, then on up to Little O'Malley, a mile across the Football Field, then down a scree slope to the valley where the beginning of the Williwaw lakes lie.
Do enjoy these photos. I think the pictures of the rainbow that parked itself on our doorstep is the most impressive...
It was absolutely the best hike we've done this summer. Beautiful area of the Chugach, between the views from the Football Field, and the camping areas around the Williwaw Lakes...not to mention Mt. Williwaw itself.
The trail starts from the Glen Alps trailhead, then moves along Powerline Pass for just a little bit, then on up to Little O'Malley, a mile across the Football Field, then down a scree slope to the valley where the beginning of the Williwaw lakes lie.
Do enjoy these photos. I think the pictures of the rainbow that parked itself on our doorstep is the most impressive...
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