Freelance Broadcast Camera Operator/Utility/Director & Photographer I am a utility and camera operator, with experience directing small to medium scale productions, currently in New York City.
I specialize in live sports productions, but if it can be broadcast, I can probably do the job. I also have experience working in various other positions on studio and remote crews, apart from camera operation, including parab, CG operator, audio mixer, and replay technician. As for my photography, my primary area of expertise is in event photography, but I also have some limited experience in portraiture and wedding photography. I'm not to the point of being able to call myself a true professional yet, but I'm always looking for new ways to grow my pool of experience. Really, all that's left to say is welcome to the page, and feel free to take a look around, and message me if there's anything I can do for you. If you want more information, to take a look at some of my previous work, or to request a copy of my resume/demo reel/portfolio, head on over to my website.
Over on my Instagram, I’ve been doing this thing I call Unfiltered Ramblings, where I just dump a bunch of unedited shots from that day’s walk. In honor of this double sized entry, I thought I’d cross-post yesterday evening’s ramble over here.
Unfiltered Ramblings (Sunset & Silhouettes Edition) [Fujifilm X100V/JPEG/Unedited]
Since I started working in the field, nearly 14 years ago, and especially since moving to NYC to pursue my sports career in earnest, I always wondered what would lead to my first camera gig, in a real arena. Turns out today was that day, though I never could have ever imagined that it would be the result of a global pandemic, or that the game would be played in front of a completely empty stadium. But, here we are, and today I was fortunate to be on the production crew for the @nyrb2 return to competitive play. It was certainly an eerie experience, but it’s a milestone regardless and it’s good to be getting back to work.
Took a wander over to the Hudson today to get some shots of the joint NYC flyover between the USAF and USMC. The flight consisted of a B-1 Lancer, a B-2 Spirit, and a B-52 Stratofortress, accompanied by four each of F-15s, F-22s, and F-35s. All of this was lead by the supremely talented Thunderbirds, in their famous F-16s. This was my first time seeing a number of these in the air, and it’s always a treat to see the Thunderbirds do their thing.
In honor of today’s return to crewed flight by SpaceX and NASA, here are some shots I recently found and don’t believe I ever shared before. Way back in 2009, I made the especially nerdy decision of heading down to the cape, on the day after my 21st birthday, to catch the launch of STS-125 with my dad. Then, just a few months later, all the stars aligned and we were able to head back down for the night launch of STS-128. My photographic skills and gear weren’t quite up to the level they are now, but I’m still pretty happy with how these turned out. #launchamerica
Big day for us space nerds today, as SpaceX and NASA hope to return to crewed flight, after a nearly 10 year gap. Unfortunately, I’m not able to make the trip down to cover this one, so I’ll have to make do with a shameless repost of a few of my favorite shots from the two Falcon Heavy launches I was fortunate enough to attend.
Occasionally I remember that I am actually a photographer and drag out my gear to shoot something cool. Today I took advantage of the rare opportunity to see both of the US Military's flight demonstration squadrons, U.S. Navy Blue Angels & Air Force Thunderbirds, flying together over the NYC skyline, as part of their #americastrong tour. Always a treat to see these phenomenal pilots in person.
Greetings from the hot zone. Freedom of the press is an essential right, but it comes with certain responsibilities. For the last couple weeks, I’ve been part of a skeleton crew at one of the CNBC studios in NYC, working to maintain broadcast continuity for Squawk Box. It’s a small part to play, but I’m glad to be doing what I can to keep information flowing.
Made the journey back out to Montclair today to kick off the USL Championship season for NYRB II. Unfortunately, the match didn’t go our way, but it’s always great to get back to my roots in sports and I’m looking forward to many more matches this season.
Looked at a calendar recently and realized that it’s been a bit over a year since I started freelancing with CNBC. It’s strange how time has moved since I came up here.
Back out at the Intrepid Museum this week with some more STEAM outreach for Kids Week 2020. I’ll be helping out Kerbal Space Academy through Saturday, as we showcase some presentations from NASA staff and an actual astronaut, tours around the various exhibits, and even a little bit of Kerbal Space Program. Head on over to kerbalspaceacademy.com/live to check it out.
I’ve found that there are gigs you take because the money is just too good, and others you take because you believe in the content or love the people you will be working with. And then, rarely and just on occasion, there’s a gig that you agree to before the pitch is even finished, if for no reason other than that you know, without question, that you will walk away with one hell of a story. If we meet, ask me about that time I spent a week on a cruise ship, with a bunch of real class acts, shooting a morning show for a chicken company, and maybe I’ll tell you some of it...
Back out at the @bklynlibrary for this year’s #nightofphilosophy live stream. We’ll be live tonight from 7pm ET till 11pm, with lectures, interviews, and performances. Check it out at https://nightofphilosophyandideas.com
So, here’s another gig I’ve been sitting on for a little while. About a month ago, I started cross training on CNBC’s morning show, Squawk Box, and seem to have fallen into a semi-regular slot as the handheld op. For the next month or so, and possibly longer, if you happen to be awake from 6-9am Eastern and have CNBC, you can tune in and see me occasionally point a camera at various buildings around Times Square.
If you’re looking for more Fortnite action, then tune in right now for the Samsung Odyssey Challenge! We’re live right now at twitch.tv/microsoftstore
Going live for the Intel Game Night Main Event Fortnite Invitational. Tune in right now at twitch.tv/microsoftstore
It's no #SaturnV but in honor of the launch of #Apollo50 here are some shots from the STP2 launch of SpaceX's #FalconHeavy. There are a number of things I'm not happy with about them, but they're not terrible for my 4th ever launch and first night launch in 10 years.
Made the trek out to the East River and spent 7 hours in the burning sun for these shots of the 2019 Fourth of July Macy's Fireworks show. There are a few things I would change for the next time I try this, but I'm still very happy with how these turned out. Go take a look over on my personal Facebook for some more shots from the evening
Picked up another infrequent gig recently. A little while back I did some work with the guy who directs the ESPN+ coverage of the NYRB II matches, and he got me an interview for a spot on the camera rotation. It’s been 3 years since I was able to shoot any real sports, and it feels good to finally get back to it. Here’s hoping this turns out to be the foot in the door I’ve been looking for since I moved up here.
Been sitting on this one for a while, but I figured it’s about time I updated people on an occasional gig I picked up a little while back. As of January, I’m on the roster at CNBC as a fill-in Stage Manager/Hand-held Operator at the New York Stock Exchange, which has been a pretty exciting step forward for my career. After spending a dozen years working on productions where I was lucky if a couple hundred people saw it, finally being on a major network with a mass audience has been equal parts thrilling and terrifying.
Hard to believe it’s already been a year since I spontaneously decided to run down to Florida and bear witness to the first test flight of the #SpaceX #FalconHeavy. Gotta say, I’m kinda feeling the itch to do it again soon...
Last week I made the trip down to Cape Canaveral, to join the crowds gathered to watch the test launch of the brand new SpaceX #FalconHeavy rocket, and I brought my camera with me. All these were taken on a Nikon Df, with a Sigma 150-600mm lens, and edited on my tablet using Snapseed.
I find myself at the Brooklyn Public Library tonight, running a camera for the livestream of the Night of Philosophy and Ideas. If you want to tune in, we’ll be going for a few more hours, and you can check it out right here: https://nightofphilosophyandideas.com
Tonight, at 6pm eastern, we’re hosting the #ROGGameChanger launch event for the new @asusrog phone. You can catch all the action live on Twitch.tv/ASUSROG
Wrapping up rehearsals for the #intelgamerdays #pubg Microsoft Store Invitational. We go live at 5pm eastern, and you can catch all the action on Mixer.com/microsoftstore #MicrosoftNYC
Back in my old stomping grounds, as I return to the studio for a couple shows. Tonight we’re hosting a #shadowofthetombraider launch event, with two developers from Eidos-Montréal taking us through the opening level of the game and talking about its development. We go live at 10pm and will be going all the way up to the game’s launch at midnight. To catch all the action, just tune in to http://www.twitch.tv/microsoftstore
If you missed the show on Wednesday, ESPN is airing a 30 minute cut-down of our tournament, starting at 4:30pm Eastern. It might not be live, but this is the first time anything I shot will be airing on ESPN prime, which is a pretty big deal.
We’re about to go live from Williamsport, PA, at the Little League World Series, with a Virtual Reality Home Run Derby! The action starts in just a couple minutes, and you can catch it all on ESPN 3 or the WatchESPN app.
See you space cowboy...
We're about to go live for the very last time, here at the Mixer NYC Studio, with one last episode of Game Pass Live. We'll be taking a look back at The Division, and you can tune in live at Mixer.com/MicrosoftStore
Well it took the better part of two years of camera operating here, but we've finally got some guests whose work I am both familiar with and genuinely enjoy! Today we're running a launch event for the Sega #genesiscollection, and we have some of the lovely people from Outside Xbox joining us in the studio, alongside a collection of other content creators and influencers. At 3pm Eastern, they'll be competing in a series of face-offs in a selection of our favorite Genesis games, and you can catch all the action live on mixer.com/microsoftstore
JMHalter Productions
Last week I made the trip down to Cape Canaveral, to join the crowds gathered to watch the test launch of the brand new SpaceX #FalconHeavy rocket, and I brought my camera with me. All these were taken on a Nikon Df, with a Sigma 150-600mm lens, and edited on my tablet using Snapseed.
I'm floor managing for a pretty big show tonight, as we host the #SwatchDRLTryouts at the #Mixer NYC Studio, where 12 racers will be competing for a $75k #drl contract. As always, you can catch all the action live on Mixer.com/MicrosoftStore #MicrosoftNYC
Tonight, we've got a treat for all you fans of a certain classic anime, as we kick off our four week #dragonballfighterz tournament. As always, you can catch all the action on Mixer.com/MicrosoftStore #MicrosoftNYC
We're under 15 minutes out from tonight's PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds NYC Gauntlet Finale, here at the Mixer NYC Studio! As always, tune in at Mixer.com/MicrosoftStore to catch the intense battle royale action. #MicrosoftNYC
I'm rocking the Mixer Jib for tonight's Assassin's Creed Origins NYC Launch event, here at the Mixer NYC Studio! We go live shortly, and will be taking it all the way to when the game launches. As always, you can catch all the action live on Mixer.com/MicrosoftStore #MicrosoftNYC
New York, NY
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I am a camera operator and utility, with experience floor managing and directing small to medium scale productions, currently in New York City. I specialize in live sports and music productions, but if it can be broadcast, I can do the job. I also have experience working in various other positions on studio and remote crews, apart from camera operation, including parab, CG operator, audio mixer, and replay technician. As for my photography, my primary area of expertise is in event photography, but I also have some limited experience in portraiture and wedding photography. I like to still consider it a hobby, but I'm always looking for new ways to grow my pool of experience. If you want more information, to take a look at some of my previous work, or to request a copy of my resume/demo reel/portfolio, just send me a message or email me at [email protected]
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