tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136840742011-11-18T02:31:07.001-05:00Dedicated to bringing you the best in television news.Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.comBlogger811100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-13940017850003576762007-04-23T22:41:00.000-04:002007-04-23T22:52:10.275-04:00

It's been so long since I last posted I almost forgot how... and the format has changed. What's this about Google blogs? Anyway, I was in Blacksburg, Virginia all of last week. I'll post again tomorrow to let you all know how it went. Meanwhile, here's some of what it looked like there.

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1157773048767720402006-09-08T22:46:00.000-04:002006-09-09T23:29:20.100-04:00

The news we had all thought, but didn't want to hear, came today. The two boys missing since Tuesday were found dead in the Dan River. It was the news I'd feared since first arriving on the scene that day. After officials told us that 3 different tracking dogs at 3 different times tracked the boys scent to the river's edge I knew we'd be hearing this news. I knew we'd be hearing it today.

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1157684714491807802006-09-07T22:26:00.000-04:002006-09-07T23:05:14.566-04:00

No, not me. But there are two little boys from Stokes County here in North Carolina who've been missing since Tuesday around lunchtime. 3 and 4 year old Jacob and J.W. White left their Danbury home about 11am and haven't been seen since. Brent and I have been in Stokes County turning packages and live shots for noon, five, five-thirty and six o'clock shows since first receiving the news that

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1154578717986810532006-08-02T23:56:00.000-04:002006-08-03T00:25:42.190-04:00

All we've been talking about for the past week has been this heat wave. That's all folks talk about when amongst friends, co-workers, family. So I find it odd that voters in a recent poll on my station's website asking what should be covered next overwelmingly said, "It's hot, we get it."So, if that's the case if we stopped doing the stories on the heat. Stopped telling viewers what the high

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1154577175022484802006-08-02T23:30:00.000-04:002006-08-02T23:52:55.043-04:00

I met a hero yesterday. She saved her father's life last week. And she's only ten.Meet Jamie Abernathy. We met her yesterday in her dad's hospital room at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. She's a typical ten year old. A little shy with the camera on her. But otherwise bouncing around the room and smiling at the fact her father is still alive.James Abernathy was at a friend's house

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1154356812729217012006-07-31T10:37:00.000-04:002006-07-31T10:40:12.730-04:00

I've recently come across some new toys to add to my blog. At the right you can see where folks are visiting from on the NeoEarth toy. I've also added a poll. For now I'll leave it with the current question but if anyone has an idea for another poll, let me know. Also, I may add a couple of flash games you can play.Hopefully this will keep some of you busy when you stop in. It's been a slow

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1153837378451817912006-07-25T10:22:00.000-04:002006-07-26T23:48:51.920-04:00

It's been ten years since Morgan Violi was abducted while playing with friends at her apartment complex. I wrote about this story in February but thought I'd bring it up again since it is something I think about often.The Bowling Green Daily News published an article Monday about the ten year anniversary of her abduction. I can't help but feel for the family. Not knowing who did this and knowing

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1153277644651580812006-07-18T22:31:00.000-04:002006-07-18T23:15:26.973-04:00

Yes, it's hot. Everyone knows it's hot. But we still have to TELL everyone it's hot. So Brent and I headed out to find hot jobs in the western piedmont. And our co-horts Eric White and Danny Spillane headed out to find the same in their neck of the woods.Inspired by a recent edition of "Dirty Jobs" I figured it wouldn't be too hard to find some roofers sweatin' it out. After a dozen calls Brent

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1153152956405333432006-07-17T12:10:00.000-04:002006-07-17T12:40:52.573-04:00

Copyright Casey TempletonSome of you may remember this photo from a few weeks ago. President Bush was joking with journalists this day and made fun of this reporter about wearing sunglasses on a cloudy day. Turns out the reporter is "legally blind." Mr. Bush later apologized for his remarks. This photo was captured not by one of the veteran press photographers at the White House. Nope.I want to

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1152829643733354292006-07-13T15:09:00.000-04:002006-07-14T10:05:09.746-04:00

A visit to Dr. Jeff Masters' blog today showed a tropical wave forming off the coast of Africa. While it's early for storms to come out of this early, watch out east coast.From Dr. Masters' blog:A new area of concern has developed today off of the coast of Africa, 300 miles south-southwest of the Cape Verde Islands, at about 12N 25W. This large and well-organized tropical wave has developed a

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1152590460192086072006-07-10T23:26:00.000-04:002006-07-11T00:01:00.260-04:00

After a vacation to a very crowded Surfside Beach, I'm back. As usual, the vacation was too short, the trip home too long, and I really wasn't ready to come back to work. Work was ready for me, however.At 1am Monday we were awakened by the ring, ring of the bedside phone. No one calls at one in the morning except the station. The voice on the other end pleaded with me to go to a house fire. I

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1151552233780769122006-06-28T22:50:00.000-04:002006-06-29T23:18:50.456-04:00

A recent thread started by SEPhotog over on b-roll.net has me thinking about how certain police departments deal with the media. You see, when it comes to pd's and news crews sometimes the two just don't mesh. The example given on the b-roll message board doesn't give enough information to form an opinion on what exactly happened, but arresting a news crew who's been in the same position for the

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1151465142929898852006-06-27T22:47:00.000-04:002006-06-28T17:17:07.343-04:00

After logging 240 miles yesterday it was time for a little rest for Unit 3. But alas, the news gods were brewing up more fun for yours truly. The rains have finally ended tonight, maybe, but this morning it was another trip to the mountains to find flooding. Brent's back from vacation so we made the trek together today.First stop, Wilkes County. We had word from the desk that a flash flood

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1151377486169288472006-06-26T22:45:00.000-04:002006-06-26T23:50:16.176-04:00

Much of the eastern seaboard has been under the gun, so to speak, with flooding impacting nearly everyone. We've had our fair share here in the piedmont starting Friday night in Asheboro.I got the call to "go west." The voices rang out on the morning conference call wanted me to "find" the story in the northwest part of our state where rains had been coming down all weekend. So on this Monday

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1151030404479197062006-06-22T22:32:00.000-04:002006-06-23T00:05:27.643-04:00

With Brent out of the office (bureau) for a few days, I've got the whole place to myself. That means coming up with enough vosots to keep the assignment desk, producers, news director, etc... happy. Today, I had a couple of ideas and since one of them involved a trip to Mt. Airy (some of you know it as Mayberry) they also had an idea for me to go to Virginia.I headed out the door to make my way

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1150689449609046732006-06-18T23:34:00.000-04:002006-06-18T23:58:17.133-04:00

Three nights in a row now the International Space Station has made a pass over our house at a time convenient for my oldest daughter to venture out and watch. The first night ended up being too late and last night it was pretty low on the horizon and didn't last long. But, tonight was perfect. Five minutes going nearly straight overhead.I get pretty pumped up when someone in my family finds

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1150253616951329112006-06-13T22:50:00.000-04:002006-06-13T22:53:36.953-04:00

IMG_1160 Originally uploaded by Bluedog Photog. Not much going on today, but I did get a chance to snap some shots of some local wildflowers while waiting on an interview. Upon closer inspection I was able to capture some wildlife, as well. Enjoy.

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1150253495349091272006-06-13T22:48:00.000-04:002006-06-13T22:51:35.350-04:00

IMG_1168 Originally uploaded by Bluedog Photog. These look like something you'd see on a tropical island.

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1150253444249493782006-06-13T22:47:00.000-04:002006-06-13T22:50:44.260-04:00

IMG_1176 Originally uploaded by Bluedog Photog. What are you looking at?

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1150253396867784072006-06-13T22:46:00.000-04:002006-06-13T22:49:56.873-04:00

IMG_1175 Originally uploaded by Bluedog Photog. This little guy seems to be protecting the flower.

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1150253292237954842006-06-13T22:44:00.001-04:002006-06-13T22:48:12.246-04:00

IMG_1186 Originally uploaded by Bluedog Photog. I like seeing the pollen on his legs.

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1150253243612605202006-06-13T22:44:00.000-04:002006-06-13T22:47:23.616-04:00

IMG_1181 Originally uploaded by Bluedog Photog. One of numerous photos to try and capture the perfect moment.

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1150253170841655392006-06-13T22:42:00.000-04:002006-06-13T22:46:10.950-04:00

IMG_1152 Originally uploaded by Bluedog Photog. Capturing the beauty of a single flower.

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1150165675653604312006-06-12T22:09:00.000-04:002006-06-13T15:54:17.940-04:00

.As I've posted before, weather is the king when it comes to news. Oh sure, it may not be as exciting as an LA car chase, or as sexy as an early morning drug roundup, but everyone is interested in the weather. With hurricane season in full swing already this year it's a sure thing that we'll be hearing and seeing every cheap trick in the book when it comes to covering the storms. Alberto is

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1149735379098914282006-06-07T22:32:00.000-04:002006-06-07T22:58:23.856-04:00

18,000. That's how many chickens were in a chicken house when it went up in flames early Wednesday morning.The next door neighbor said his dogs woke him up about 1:3am and he saw an orange glow outside his house. He couldn't tell where it was coming from but called 911 and the owner of the chicken farm to come check it out.We actually smelled the scene before we arrived on it. If you've never

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1149647958020056692006-06-06T22:25:00.000-04:002006-06-06T23:18:14.520-04:00

In this business, you've never seen it all. There's always a day when you have to wonder, why. Why do some people do the things they do? Today, we talked to the owner of a little country store in northern Forsyth County. One of her clerks was severely beaten last Friday while at the store.The man who did this came into the store, asked if he could wait on a ride, and promptly sat in the rocker

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1148440024010430042006-05-23T22:51:00.000-04:002006-05-23T23:42:40.963-04:00

Communities far and wide have been battling the sign debate for years. I can see why some cities feel the need to limit sign size. Of course, Las Vegas would be one WITHOUT a sign ordinance. In Winston-Salem, however, the need is here. Have you ever driven down Stratford Road or Peters Creek Parkway? There's no way you can say it's attractive. So, city officials are working on an ordinance that

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1148412648996436962006-05-23T15:22:00.000-04:002006-05-23T15:31:09.103-04:00

I never realized I actually had people coming to my little site to check on it daily. Call it humble, call it stupidity, call it whatever you like. I just didn't know. Until today when I made a rare visit to the main studio in High Point. My good friend Danny Spillane asked when I was going to update my blog. Well, Danny I didn't know you cared. But thank you for jarring my mind back into reality

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1146540819032872712006-05-01T22:52:00.000-04:002006-05-02T14:27:20.596-04:00

Today we did a preview story on the wine vote in Yadkin County. On the ballot Tuesday will be a vote for legalizing the sale of wine in the county. Funny, because the county now depends on vineyards for some of the economy. I don't have any predictions on how the vote will turn out but our friends at RagApple Lassie are hoping for the best.I took this shot of Brent through the viewfinder as we

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1145419193719671932006-04-18T23:31:00.000-04:002006-06-13T15:43:09.523-04:00

I was summoned to get on the road again today. This time it was east to Durham. I'm sure you all know by now there's a little case going on there that involves a certain university associated with satanic rituals.... OK, so maybe the humor is misplaced. I was refering to the Blue Devil nickname.Prestige. Law. Coach K. Just a few of the things synonomous with Duke University. Lately, however, you

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1145417398569909912006-04-18T23:08:00.000-04:002006-04-18T23:29:58.593-04:00

It seems lately I've been trading in most of my camera duties to fill in on the satellite truck. As a backup operator I haven't been on the old truck much because we've been training another photog to help out when Danny and I are out. But on Friday, I got the call to roll to Rockingham County to meet up with the truck on the scene of a reported home invasion and murder.Brent and I rolled out of

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1144377801955884022006-04-06T22:43:00.000-04:002006-04-06T22:43:22.310-04:00

IMG_0738_2 Originally uploaded by Bluedog Photog. Just couldn't pass up one last picture before the color disappeared.

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1144377750771997732006-04-06T22:42:00.000-04:002006-04-06T22:42:30.776-04:00

IMG_0731 Originally uploaded by Bluedog Photog. More of that wonderful sunset.

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1144377716732308062006-04-06T22:41:00.001-04:002006-04-06T22:41:56.743-04:00

IMG_0727 Originally uploaded by Bluedog Photog. Is Atlanta burning? No, that's just a beautiful sunset.

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1144377661641157002006-04-06T22:41:00.000-04:002006-04-06T22:41:01.646-04:00

IMG_0722 Originally uploaded by Bluedog Photog.

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1144377606402921962006-04-06T22:40:00.000-04:002006-04-06T22:40:06.526-04:00

IMG_0716 Originally uploaded by Bluedog Photog. Sunset in April.

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1144377540287394072006-04-06T22:39:00.000-04:002006-04-06T22:39:00.293-04:00

IMG_0726 Originally uploaded by Bluedog Photog. This tulip in our front yard was too pretty to pass up. I hope you all enjoy these recent pictures.

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1143604179393098352006-03-28T22:27:00.000-05:002006-03-28T22:49:39.416-05:00

Last week was my 5-year-old daughter's first spring break. We took it upon ourselves to make it to Walt Disney World. Unfortunately, Lauren became sick on the 10 hour drive to the Sunshine State. A couple of days of doing her best to get through Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom were enough.If you'd like to see how Lauren suffered through with a half-smile on her face you can check out the pics on

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1142351850107702922006-03-14T10:30:00.000-05:002006-03-14T11:16:44.110-05:00

Lenslinger and TVPhotog have posted some pictures of our gathering at the station for a photo op. I'll post a couple of pics of the occasion but they have many more. It seems they must have more time than I to spend away from work plugging away at the keyboard.Our General Manager, Karen Adams, and News Director, Karen Koutsky made it in for one picture.Before taking the group photo, everyone was

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1142263806607051092006-03-13T10:25:00.000-05:002006-03-13T10:30:06.633-05:00

I have to pat ourselves on the back a little and give a shoutout to my fellow photographers. FOX8 WGHP is Medium Market Station of the Year by the National Press Photographer's Association (NPPA). You can view the entry here. It's been real busy lately both professionally and personally so I'll probably post more later but suffice to say, we're all very proud of what we do here at FOX 8 News.

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1141878875254689052006-03-08T22:07:00.000-05:002006-03-08T23:34:35.356-05:00

It's been a busy week of exclusives for Brent and me. You know, those Only on Fox stories all those in television news strive for. Oh sure, sweeps are over, but it's always nice to bag the exclusives.I heard through the grapevine that our new Dell plant was planning on building servers soon. In addition to the desktop computers already being built at the W-S 1 plant, the capacity to build servers

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1141272819954582242006-03-01T22:38:00.000-05:002006-03-01T23:19:35.666-05:00

It's no secret among those who know Brent and myself, we make time to eat lunch. Contrary to the usual news crew drive-through, scarf-it-down-while-driving lunch ritual, we sit down and enjoy ourselves. Our newest spot is one we're now hitting a couple of times a week. Sakura Japenese Steak and Seafood has great Hibachi dishes among others but it's something else that keeps us coming back.The

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1140668979162838752006-02-28T21:30:00.000-05:002006-05-04T09:55:36.163-04:00

As we made our way back toward the station our minds wandered but conversation focused on the story. How would be the best way to demonstrate what we'd just seen. Flooding had lifted a church off it's foundation and carried it some 200 yards down the "stream" next to which it sat. Lilla and I had shot plenty of footage for our package, and great sound to boot. But the discussion was cut short by

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1141070668607306292006-02-27T20:52:00.000-05:002006-02-27T23:26:05.876-05:00

It's no secret that North Carolina is getting the lottery. And, since they're one of the last states in the southeast to get one it's big news for the surrounding states. We travelled to Virginia to see how things were going there as the new machines are being installed across the Tar Heel state. It seems folks in the Commonwealth are not looking forward to the lottery coming to the southern

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1140636940831386262006-02-25T21:45:00.000-05:002006-02-25T22:28:35.043-05:00

Back in the day, when I was just a rookie lenslinger totin' the camera around, I had some pretty memorable stories with one reporter in particular. Lilla Marigza, an accomplished news veteran now working in her hometown of Nashville, could make the day go by like no other. For those in the country music meca, you know her as the cute little morning reporter who used to work at News 2. As the

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1140203759770441482006-02-17T13:55:00.000-05:002006-02-17T14:15:59.856-05:00

Yes, it's that time of year... RATINGS! Usually I'm out of the loop, so to speak, during the Feburary book because I'm in Daytona for 2 weeks. This year, however, for the first time in 8 years, I'm in my home base of Winston-Salem turning out the daily grind. Throw into that series pieces that have to be edited and it makes for a busy time of year.I did want to pass along a nice package done by a

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1139543320511422272006-02-09T22:04:00.000-05:002006-02-09T23:05:37.043-05:00

It was 4:30am and for the third time I was out of bed trying to get the youngest back to sleep. After being off two days last week with my own severe cold I knew what she was going through. As I glanced out the window I noticed wet streets. I thought to myself, I don't remember any mention of rain. That's when I noticed the white stuff coming down pretty hard. We woke up to about an inch of

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1138163194621431422006-01-24T23:10:00.000-05:002006-01-24T23:29:22.960-05:00

The Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce has been on a roll lately. We set out to showcase some the successes of downtown Winston-Salem today and it gave me the opportunity to snap off a couple of nice pics.Above is the Nissen Building. It's an old office building that's been refurbished into luxury apartments. They tell us they've rented half the available units.This is the Winston Tower. I've

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1137819069069960842006-01-20T22:59:00.000-05:002006-01-21T00:04:09.320-05:00

I never really understood the Beavis and Butthead series on MTV, but I do remember hearing them say, "fire, fire, hehehehe." Maybe that's what was on the minds of some Clemmons teens accused of 135 counts of various lawless acts. They're charged with blowing up mailboxes, burning port-a-jons, breaking into churches and spraying cars and people with fire extinguishers, among other things. They'll

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1137299494267900862006-01-14T22:47:00.000-05:002006-01-14T23:36:33.436-05:00

As I wind down for the evening watching the 2-time defending Super Bowl champs fall to the Denver Broncos, I can't help but think about past times of my own on the football field. And, how I became so interested in this sport.That's Moose. My dad. Bobby Cravens. He was arguably the BEST football player in the country coming out of Owensboro High School in 1955. Yep, he was MVP of a national

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1137128367633900172006-01-12T23:29:00.000-05:002006-01-12T23:59:27.696-05:00

I don't have much to write about tonight, but since Lenslinger linked to my blog I feel obligated to show something. I'll just post a few pics I took the other night as Brent and I went live outside the Forsyth County Sheriff's Department. Here, Brent rehearses for the ever-important live shot.In downtown Winston-Salem, we have a receive site on top of Winston Tower, still known by many in town

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1137041274491296162006-01-11T23:28:00.000-05:002006-01-11T23:47:54.536-05:00

Any Hank Hill fans out there? Hank surely would have a perfect explanation for my trip to Mt. Airy today. It all started when my cell phone about vibrated off my hip as I took a bite of my chicken salad sandwich. On the other end, "hey Ken, this is Jonathon at Surry 911." I knew something was up, he usually doesn't call just to say hey. "We need you guys to get some info on the air immediately,"

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1137040009595050542006-01-11T23:09:00.000-05:002006-01-12T22:35:31.096-05:00

Today, I made a rare trip to High Point where our main studios sit. As I mentioned last night, I'm right at home in the bureau. But while making the rounds at El Ocho (that's Lenslinger terminology) I had a chance to talk a while with the inspiration for this blog and many more others. Yep, Lenslinger was in the house and I snapped this pic of him. Then he laid a hand on my shoulder and gave a

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1136952475021980032006-01-10T22:16:00.000-05:002006-01-18T21:47:55.800-05:00

Life in a newsroom is not for everyone. It can be loud, rude, crude and sometimes downright obscene. That said, bureau life is not for most TV news types. You see, that same brash, uncivilized behavior that goes on in most TV newsrooms is nowhere to be found in a bureau, if only for the simple fact that there are usually only two or three people in a bureau. Today, in our Winston-Salem bureau, my

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1136440079175718112006-01-04T23:27:00.000-05:002006-01-05T00:47:59.776-05:00

We've all seen the pictures, the video, the heart-wrenching sadness and anger in the faces of family members in West Virginia. I don't really know who to blame for the miscommunication of facts in the mining town of Tallmansville, WV but it's a tragic turn of events none-the-less. In this business you learn very quickly to check your facts before airing them. But, in this day and age of

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1136265121474842042006-01-02T23:36:00.000-05:002006-01-03T00:12:01.513-05:00

A recent e-mail from dad, better known as "Moose," directed my attention to a news item in Middle Tennessee. WTVF in Nashville published these pictures of a cave in Trousdale County that reminded me of a story I once covered in Kentucky.My co-hort of many years, Lilla Marigza, and I were dispatched to Clinton County to cover what authorities had un-earthed. It seems a man and some of his

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1135663806648035292005-12-26T23:51:00.000-05:002005-12-27T01:10:06.726-05:00

So, I went home for a couple of days to visit the family. It's good to see the folks and great to have my daughters visiting their grandparents. I won't go into great detail about the visit other than to say we still wish we could be closer to home. I would, however, like to share a trip down memory lane as I was driving around town one day.I grew up in Owensboro, Kentucky. A town of about 70

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1135312551981862232005-12-22T22:56:00.000-05:002005-12-23T00:32:40.383-05:00

With the most wonderful holiday quickly upon us, I thought it a good time to write my version of our Christmas letter. We've all received these letters this time of year. You know the ones, some a little anoying (at least Darrell admits it) but most rather comical. I hope to be more of the latter.Our year started much like many previous ones. A promise to get to the gym more often and eat

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1135139319597813172005-12-20T23:19:00.000-05:002005-12-20T23:28:39.620-05:00

Fox8's own Chad Tucker and photojournalist Eddie Hughes recently did a story in Winston-Salem about a Wake Forest student who lets internet surfers control the Christmas lights on his house. So, I went to controltheshow.com and checked it out. I must say, if you don't have to wait very long it's pretty entertaining. Once on the website you can enter a queue to get in line. I was on earlier

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1135047030349691032005-12-19T21:34:00.000-05:002005-12-19T21:53:53.620-05:00

Lenslinger found this over on b-roll.net, the website of news photogs everywhere. Here are some from the site:You know a shortcut around the eternal red light, avoiding the drawbridge, through the projects and behind the courthouse. -- Blues DaddyYou see the days light progress through the kelvin scale. -- Aussie You're on vacation in Disney World, watching the local news in you're in your hotel

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1134450475133121702005-12-12T23:08:00.000-05:002005-12-13T00:07:55.190-05:00

The Piedmont Triad. It's the region in North Carolina made up of Winston-Salem to the Northwest, Greensboro to the Northeast and High Point to the south. Kernersville sits right in the middle. We affectionately call it K'vegas. When our country was in its infancy, Kernersville had a little visit from a very important person. George Washington made a stop for breakfast in this small town.

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1134148093290026982005-12-09T11:31:00.000-05:002005-12-09T13:35:59.473-05:00

Only one thing trumps the coverage of a severe thunderstorm in the television news business. SNOW. Yep, if there's a chance a snowflake will fall in the piedmont, no, the state, we've got to have a crew covering it, team coverage if it's in our area. Last week the first significant snowfall was expected in the mountains of North Carolina. So, yours truly and ace reporter Brent Campbell were

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1134145848277543152005-12-09T11:25:00.000-05:002005-12-09T11:30:48.296-05:00

It's been just over two months since my last post, so I guess this one should be a doosey, huh? Well, sorry to disappoint the only reader I still have, but this post is just to let you know I'm back. Upcoming in the next couple of hours... A recent visit to snow covered Beech Mountain, another Presidential visit to the Piedmont, and why daddy has been in bed for two days.

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1127484026647735312005-09-23T08:53:00.000-04:002005-09-23T10:00:28.066-04:00

In my seven plus years here in the Piedmont I've come to know a few fine men and women who volunteer for an organization known as SORT-Special Operations Response Team. This team of doctors, nurses, EMT's and other specialists go into the danger zones after terrorist attacks, hurricanes, ice storms, tornadoes and any other disaster you can think of. They have been staged at events like the

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1126280303063811302005-09-09T11:14:00.000-04:002005-09-09T17:36:57.213-04:00

We've all been inundated with images from the disaster along the gulf coast, but the ones that continue to stay with me are those of the missing. I'd like to share a story with you about some folks I met the last over the last few days who are absolutely at the end of their rope looking for relatives.After going to the local resource center in Winston-Salem for those coming from the coast to

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1125371762421889992005-08-29T22:57:00.000-04:002005-09-19T18:05:16.403-04:00

No other natural phenomenon is named like a hurricane. We don't name earthquakes. We don't name tornadoes. Why? Perhaps because no other form of mother nature captures our attention like a hurricane. Maybe because they last so long. Whatever the reason, everyone has now heard of Katrina. I've done my fair share of chasing these behomoths, and believe me, I don't want any part of this one.

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1124248884698853432005-08-16T23:00:00.000-04:002005-08-17T11:16:13.886-04:00

During election years Congressmen, Senators, even the President seem to make themselves very available to the press. I don't have a problem with this, I just find it amusing how you can always tell when it's an election year because suddenly the President is visiting every small town in the U.S. President Bush was making a visit to Winston-Salem a few years ago that didn't have anything to do

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1123816033089868652005-08-11T23:00:00.000-04:002005-08-11T23:18:20.283-04:00

Japanese beetles. Popillia japonica. Pest. Call them what you will, they've descended upon the Piedmont with a vengeance, and grape growers (vineyards) are taking the wrath of this ravenous beast. OK, maybe beast was a little much but one vineyard owner we talked to today said, "they eat, and eat, and eat, and never get full." According to the University of Kentucky Entomology website a

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1123646336165091932005-08-09T22:53:00.000-04:002005-08-10T00:00:44.986-04:00

Over the past few weeks I've seen more about cancer than usual. I'm not sure why. I found out my cousin in California has early stages of breast cancer and she's starting radiation treatment. Last week I met a lady whose daughter is washing cars to help raise money for cancer patients because mom was diagnosed with cancer. And, today we worked on a story about what Wake Forest University

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1123470444354709762005-08-07T22:41:00.000-04:002005-08-07T23:11:47.933-04:00

I recently had the privilege of meeting some very dedicated musicians. No, they weren't famous, far from it in fact. These were some folks from California who spend their summers competing against other marching bands. What struck me was the fact these competitors are not paid. They don't even have their expenses paid for. Every single one pays out of pocket to do this.The Drum Corps

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1122002586576407762005-07-21T22:23:00.000-04:002005-07-21T23:23:06.583-04:00

It's no secret, I'm not getting any younger. I know, I know, none of us are. But I've just recently come to the reality that it's not as easy to just get out and exercise these old muscles. Of course, it doesn't help that when you go outside to take a short run you might as well go to the gym and put the treadmill in the sauna! A high of 93 here in the Piedmont of North Carolina with heat

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1121400609309833432005-07-14T23:30:00.000-04:002005-07-21T22:22:39.023-04:00

(WARNING: Some reading the following may become ill. Graphic accident description to follow)We all go through it. Photojournalists usually remember their first fatality. For me, it was definitely something I'll not forget. I'd been on the job for less than two weeks. A rookie by anyone's definition, but soon to be dubbed grizzled veteran just because of one person's stupidity. Even ten

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1120793009424341032005-07-07T22:48:00.000-04:002005-07-14T23:28:32.050-04:00

OK, so everyone in the business knows the term "weather woodie." But, for those of you not in this wild world we call broadcast journalism, (you know, TV) I'll tell you what a weather woodie is. OK, for the adults, you know what a woodie is. Well, meteorologists get one when the weather heats up.We had a severe case of weather woodies popping up today as the remnants of Tropical Storm Cindy

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1120449016944684322005-07-03T22:33:00.000-04:002005-07-14T23:15:31.650-04:00

OK, so this post is coming "post-vacation," but I'll go with it as if it's coming day of. Myrtle Beach, as many of you know, is a different kind of vacation destination. While it's perfect for some families, it's not for everyone. Redneck heaven as some call it has a spot in our family's hearts because there's something for everyone. We stay in a villa in Kingston Plantation just a stones

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1119496286065353022005-06-22T22:54:00.000-04:002005-06-23T23:03:44.950-04:00

Wednesday found me back in my "home" office of Winston-Salem. Brent and I have a knack for finding a story when there's nothing there. Today we tossed out a few ideas to the voices on the other end of the little white box on our desk in the bureau, the speaker phone. After a little debate around the conference room they decide they want us to do a preview of a lawsuit being filed in Raleigh

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1119409867736621002005-06-21T22:56:00.000-04:002005-06-21T23:27:55.630-04:00

So I headed off to High Point to train on the satellite truck. You see, we now have a new digital uplink for our much outdated analog sat truck. It was necessary for me to get some training on this new $40,000 piece of equipment so the next time our regular sat truck op is on vacation I'll be ready to pull the trigger. While I'm on the subject, I've got to tell you a little about our big black

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1118896662959949292005-06-16T00:37:00.001-04:002005-06-16T00:37:42.960-04:00

Gotcha! 

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1118896625549228132005-06-16T00:37:00.000-04:002005-06-16T00:37:05.550-04:00

Dodge that water 

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1118896534644248262005-06-16T00:35:00.000-04:002005-06-16T00:35:34.946-04:00

Dripping wet 

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1118872858748265042005-06-15T17:55:00.000-04:002005-06-16T00:46:14.116-04:00

For the first time in what seems like a decade, I slept in. Yes, I didn't get out of bed until 9:30 this morning. To some of you that's your normal time out of bed; for those of you with children, you know what I'm talking about.Because my mother-in-law lives with us I can do this while she takes care of the little ones. And now that our summer baby sitter, Kendra, is with us I can let her take

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13684074.post-1118810929358073782005-06-15T00:48:00.000-04:002005-06-15T00:48:49.360-04:00

Ken Cravens is a photojournalist in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Ken has been in the television news business since 1994. Along with his photojournalist job at Fox 8News, Ken also operates the Satellite truck part-time. Some of Ken's other duties include anchoring part of Fox 8 Friday Football in the Fox8/Winston-Salem Journal Newsroom.

Bluedog Photoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927850871547204210noreply@blogger.com0