Born in Colorado, Scott Takeda got his start in television in 1990 as a TV news reporter in Pocatello, Idaho (KIDK). As his career grew, he then moved on to newsrooms in Ohio (WTOL), Denver (KCNC), and finally Philadelphia (WPHL) where he worked behind the camera as a producer-photojournalist. During his time as a TV journalist, he won regional Emmy awards and two "Photographer of the Year" titles.