Wake Up's photographers and reporter

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - News 4's week-long behind the scenes tour of Wake Up continues Thursday morning.

Every day, we bring you the latest news starting at 5 a.m.

And to do that, we need a photographer to shoot the video overnight and a reporter and photographer team to put the story on the air.

As you're sound asleep, our News 4 photographers are out capturing the news as it happens.

"A lot of stuff major happens on the overnight shift," said Wake Up Photographer Boe Baker.

Photographer Boe Baker is our breaking-news guy. As soon as the scanner goes off, the producers send him to get his camera, rush out the station door, load his gear, and head to the scene. House fires, car accidents, and shootings are the typical locations.

"Oh it can be dangerous," said Boe.

At the scene Boe does it all, he doesn't just get the video. He also gets the facts.

"You're trying to get all the information you can and try to talk to the residents that may be at the scene, or try to get official sound. So you are actually doing a reporter's job, a photographer's job and a producer's job cause we're gathering the information," Boe explained.

Most photographers say they try to separate themselves from the stuff they see out in the field, but some admit it can be emotionally draining.

"It's heartbreaking," Boe said.

"Whatever I cover overnight is usually someone who's losing something or has lost someone. And it's heartbreaking to see their loss on almost a daily basis," said Boe.

The breaking news story Boe shot is then turned over to Reporter Jericka Duncan and Photographer Danylo Paszkowsky, so they can bring it to Wake Up viewers live starting at 5 a.m.

"I guess we consider ourselves the front line of news," said Danylo.

Jericka said, "The best part of the job is actually being on a breaking news story. Being the first to cover those stories."

The first challenge for Jericka and Danylo is finding a spot to park their live truck where they can get a clean microwave signal.

Then they write, record and edit several versions of the story right on the equipment in the truck, and every few minutes they jump out of the truck and go live.

They also make phone calls for new information and shoot fresh video on the scene.

All of it becomes more difficult, of course, when the weather is bad.

"People on street always ask me, why do they have you outside all the time. It's part of my job. I'm used to it at this point, but that's probably the biggest challenge," said Jericka.

Danylo and Jericka are in cramped quarters for hours on end, and now act more like brother and sister than coworkers.

"When Danylo is eating his yogurt sometimes he has a tendency to let the spoon clank his teeth so I get on him about that because it's too early for certain things," said Jericka.

They clearly have fun on the job, but these reporters and photographers do some of the most fast paced and tough work of all the Wake Up team members.

Viewers are always asking us questions about the news set, who we work with and so many more.

Friday on Wake Up, Melissa was answer some frequently asked questions from our viewers.