Words and Light

“A Memorial for Joe”

Chris Dunn — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:53:39 +0000

Yesterday, I went to State College with photographer Jason and reporters Frank and Mike for the last chapter of the three-day whirlwind of events honoring and memorializing former Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno.

After we parked the car outside the Bryce Jordan Center, where the public memorial for Paterno would begin at 2 p.m., Mike and Jason headed to the Paterno statue, and Frank and I headed to campus — all in search of pre-memorial features.

It was 11 a.m. on a Thursday, and Frank and I found that life on campus went on, but signs here and there reminded students of Paterno’s legacy.

We moved on to the Paterno Library, where the library staff also honored the man who raised funds and donated his own money for that building.

© 2012 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Library staff wearing "JOE KNOWS LIBRARIANS" move from the foyer for a group photo in the Paterno Library on Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012. The shirts were made at the beginning of the semester. The librarian in center is carrying a Joe Paterno standee, one of two that are available in the library foyer for people to post notes addressed to Joe. The standees were placed on Monday afternoon, and have since accumulated thousands of Post-It notes that are removed daily to be saved in the archives.

Then, on to the memorial itself.

© 2012 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. A member of the media, center, is on the phone as people enter the arena in the Bryce Jordan Center for the memorial service in honor of former Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno on Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012.

Jason was slated to look for “color,” while I was to stick to the goings-on on-stage. These next few pictures are among those I made when I wasn’t aiming my lens at the stage.

© 2012 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Members of the audience clap at the conclusion of a video montage featuring moments from former Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno's career, during a memorial service in Paterno's honor on Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012, at Bryce Jordan Center. About 12,000 people are estimated to have attended.

© 2012 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Two of Joe and Sue Paterno's grandchildren remain seated in the front row as the entire audience in the Bryce Jordan Center gives a standing ovation at the conclusion of the memorial held in Joe Paterno's honor on Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012.

Be sure to check out…

A full slideshow of photos from Jason, the Associated Press and myself
Frank’s article, including a summary video I produced
Mike’s column about the people who came for the memorial

Vaping

Chris Dunn — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 23:55:08 +0000

“Come back with a portrait of her using her electronic cigarette,” my editor said. “I want to see… not smoky…”

“Hazy?” I suggested.

“Yes. Hazy.”

The hazy portrait that ran on A1:

© 2012 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Sharon Luers of Shrewsbury exhales while demonstrating a particular model of electronic cigarette in her home on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2012. Luers is an organizer for the White Rose Vapers Club, a group of about 50 people in the York area who smoke electronic cigarettes. Luers herself has a sizeable collection of electronic cigarettes and e-liquids, the use of which she encourages as a way to stop smoking actual cigarettes.

“It’s a sick world”

Chris Dunn — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:57:11 +0000

Dec. 30, 2011 — A woman’s children find her lying on the living room floor, with duct tape over her mouth. She was already dead.

© 2011 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. A York City police officer exits a home in the 200th block of Liberty Court, where the body of Anaida Rivera was found by her children on Friday, Dec. 30, 2011, in the living room of their home.

© 2011 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Neighbors inform Joseph Rodriguez, of York, left, of the death of Anaida Rivera on Friday, Dec. 30, 2011, outside her home on the 200th block of Liberty Courty in the city. Rodriguez said Rivera was his daughter's mother, that he was swinging by her home to pick up his daughter and that he had not heard of Rivera's death before he arrived.

Dec. 31, 2011 — Anaida Rivera’s death is ruled a homicide.

Jan. 6, 2012 — Four men are arraigned on charges of criminal homicide, burglary, robbery and conspiracy. One of the men tells police they had taken jewelry and $80 in cash.

Reporter Mike followed up with the victim’s family following the arrests:

“They’re monsters. They’re animals to me.” — Rivera’s sister-in-law

© 2011 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Ruth Kennedy holds her great-granddaughter Daymaya Peoples, 19 months, as her other great-granddaughters N'elossia Kennedy, 7, and Unique Williams, 5, stay with her on the porch on the 200th block of Liberty Court, as police investigate a homicide in a nearby home.

A shot of a flu shot

Chris Dunn — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 01:44:53 +0000

Getting a shot of someone getting a flu shot is a little trickier than you might think. Sometimes, you’ll be in such a position that you’ll get the needle but not the person’s face, or the person’s face but not the needle.

Or, sometimes, you’ll get the person and the needle while the person gets the needle.

Ringing in 2012

Chris Dunn — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 14:14:49 +0000

Last night, I moved from downtown venue from downtown venue over the course of six hours.

With a camera bag on my shoulder. And a camera around my neck.

Ringing in the new year with a camera to my face was a new experience for me, but the music was loud, people were reveling and the spirit in the air was infectious. Here’re a few of my favorite photos from the scenes around downtown York last night:

© 2011 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Lacie Evans of Heidelberg Township, far right, toots her horn as her son Riley, 2, plays his own noisemaker while on his father Corey's shoulders at the Children's Countdown event on Saturday, Dec. 31, 2011, at Central Market. York's New Year Revolution 2011 celebration included events at various venues downtown, as well as a main stage area in Continental Square, on Saturday, Dec. 31, 2011.

© 2011 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Ginny and Jim Droll, of Cleveland, Ohio, dance together while singing "Auld Lang Syne" with Thirst 'n' Howl Musical Productions at the Children's Countdown event at Central Market on Saturday, Dec. 31, 2011.

© 2011 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Sara Gross of York holds her daughter Chloe Lewellyn as they dance alongside Heather Crapper, right, of Hellam Township, at the main stage at Continental Square on Saturday, Dec. 31, 2011.

Be sure to check out the ountdown-to-midnight photo/video/audio piece I put together late last night!

Snow golf

Chris Dunn — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 21:58:58 +0000

Two days ago, it snowed — fleetingly.

© 2011 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Geese flock near the 18th fairway at Springwood Golf Club on Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011, as the nearby pond begins to ice over. Snow flurries turned to a small but steady snowfall at the golf course.

It wasn’t supposed to. It was barely flurrying as I hurried back to my apartment, where I’d left my work phone, and took the back roads from there to my first assignment. En route, I happened to see a lone golfer at a nearby golf course. Having been advised by my editor to keep an eye out for local daily/feature art, I decided to head back to the golf course after completing my first assignment.

So, back I went. And, to my surprise and contrary to the forecast, snow was starting to accumulate. The man working in the pro shop offered me a ride to the 17th hole, where two of four golfers on the course were driving.

© 2011 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Andy Spence of Oneonta, N.Y., walks toward his ball after his first putt on the 17th green at Springwood Golf Club on Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011. Spence was golfing with his brother, Greg Pondolfino of Windsor Township, when snow started to accumulate while they were at the 10th hole.

“Please don’t tell us we’re the only idiots out here golfing in the snow,” Andy said to me as we got close enough to hear each other speak.

“You’re not — there are two other idiots around here somewhere,” I reassured him.

“Okay, good to know.”

© 2011 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Greg Pondolfino's ball stops after just skimming the 18th hole and gathering too much snow in his putt on Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011, at Springwood Golf Club. Pondolfino, of Windsor Township, took his brother Andy Spence of Oneonta, N.Y., golfing because Spence is visiting and on vacation. "You go golfing when you're on vacation, right?" Pondolfino said later while warming up in the clubhouse.

© 2011 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Andy Spence of Oneonta, N.Y., chips his ball at the 18th hole on Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011, at Springwood Golf Club. Spence said the snow mostly affected how well he and his brother could putt, as well as how easily they could find the balls after driving them.

Christmas Magic

Chris Dunn — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 14:30:56 +0000

Every year, one of the county parks hosts Christmas Magic — a half-mile trail of Christmas lights, music, food and entertainment — from the Friday after Thanksgiving through New Year’s Eve. I’d known about the event since last November, when I was offered the York Dispatch internship, looked up the paper’s front page and saw a Christmas Magic photo. So I was excited to be assigned to make pictures there this year for The Daily Record.

Unfortunately, photographing Christmas lights in a functional, easy-to-read-on-newsprint way is a lot more difficult than I had remembered.

© 2011 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. (Left to right) Djuna Plumb, 3 of Lancaster, and Quinn MacBride, 4 of Alexandria, Va., wander through the Christmas Magic lights display on Saturday, Nov. 26, 2011, at Rocky Ridge County Park.

Unlike other holiday light displays, Christmas Magic features predominantly figurines — whose figures can be hard to capture in a camera. I quickly figured out that the trick is to use a wide lens in those rare cases when you can distinguish the shapes formed by the lights, and to use a long lens for people photos so all the lights in the background are out of focus.

But it’s not even that simple. People don’t stop to admire the light displays at Christmas Magic. They keep moving along the trail. And if it’s dark and the lights are all spread out enough (which they were)… well, you gotta be fast if you want to catch a candid, genuine “people” moment.

© 2011 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. The Christmas Magic lights display is up for its 28th season at Rocky Ridge County Park, from Nov. 25 through Dec. 31. This year's display features 500,000 lights on its half-mile trail, as well as heated indoor areas for refreshments and other attractions.

It was tough. I had to walk the trail twice before I felt confident I had enough pictures. But it all worked out.

© 2011 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Gillian Sipe, 13 of New Freedom, checks her phone while waiting to perform as a member of the Trinity Bells choir at the Christmas Magic lights attraction on Saturday, Nov. 26, 2011, at Rocky Ridge County Park.

Secret lives of toys

Chris Dunn — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 21:41:49 +0000

A few weeks ago, I went across the river to photograph a holiday-themed murder mystery theatre dinner. I’d never attended one, much less covered one, but the cast welcomed me with open arms. In their dressing room, I was privy to their joyful complaints and costume malfunctions; in the restaurant during the performances, I was tipped off to where the action would happen next.

It was a fun experience, and I’m hoping to go back sometime — as a guest at a dinner whose script and ending I don’t know.

Presenting: A few behind-the-scenes shots of “Murder in Toyland” –

© 2011 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Actress Kate Hopkins applies the final touches to her "Barb-lee" costume -- elbow-length gloves -- before performing in the "Murder in Toyland" murder mystery dinner theatre on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2011. Bube's Brewery in Mt. Joy is presenting a holiday-themed murder mystery dinner theatre, called "Murder in Toyland" through December. Like all the murder mysteries presented in the brewery, "Murder in Toyland" is an in-house production put on by Roundtable Productions.

© 2011 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Actor Sam Allen, dressed as a Jack-in-the-box toy, takes a sip at the bar before resuming his act in the "Murder in Toyland" murder mystery dinner theatre on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2011, at Bube's Brewery.

© 2011 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Lori Fleming, performing as the toy "Ann Raggedy," stands on the bar at the beginning of the "Murder in Toyland" murder mystery dinner theatre on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2011, at Bube's Brewery in Mt. Joy.

© 2011 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Actor Mitchell L. Ernst, playing the role of a toy airplane, dances down the hall as seen through a window behind the bar at Bube's Brewery on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2011.

© 2011 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. (Left to right) Guests John Emerich of Myerstown, Ernie Rhine of Myerstown and Mandy Lanson of Lebanon and Kate Hopkins, performing as the toy "Barb-lee," react to another guest's raunchy comment during the "Murder in Toyland" murder mystery dinner theatre on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2011, at Bube's Brewery in Mt. Joy.

Plane crash

Chris Dunn — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 03:52:24 +0000

While covering a high school swim meet, I sat down during the girls’ 500-yard freestyle — ’cause that’s a pretty long race, and my feet were tired, and I haven’t felt well in a week — and checked my phone.

Then I saw that my editor had texted, called and left a voicemail.

Then I left to cover a plane crash that happened about a mile and a half north of the school.

© 2011 by The York Daily Record/Sunday News. Emergency crews remove the body of a 38-year-old man who crashed this two-engine, 1980 Cessna plane in a farm field in Jackson Township on Thursday, Dec. 22, 2011. The man, of California, was pronounced dead at scene.

Read Rebecca and Teresa’s article for more details.

Tracks

Chris Dunn — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:50:58 +0000

I’ve recently moved into my own, second-story apartment, which includes a north-facing balcony deck that will be in the building’s constant shadow through the winter season. Meaning, when it snows, that snow will never, ever melt.

This morning, I opened the deck door to see if it’s warm enough for me to open the windows (it’s not), and had a small surprise:

So, apparently, I have a friend. A furry friend.

There aren’t any trees close enough for a squirrel to make a leap onto my balcony or my neighbors’ balconies, so I’m a little baffled. I just hope that, when it’s warm again and I have potted herbs and vegetables on my balcony, they don’t get ransacked by a mysterious creature.