YDR Insider

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Kate Penn wins coveted Vathis award for photography portfolio

 
AP photographer Paul Vathis captured this famous scene at Camp David, Md. 50 years ago in 1962. A York Daily Record/Sunday News photographer was honored with an award in his last weekend.

The late Paul Vathis’ name might not be known to many, but we grew up with his most famous photograph.

AP’s obituary story in 2002 led with this:

“Paul Vathis, whose 56 years as an Associated Press photographer included a Pulitzer Prize for his pensive picture of then-President Kennedy and former President Eisenhower walking together at Camp David after the Bay of Pigs invasion, died Tuesday.”

Fifty years after that Camp David photo, Kate Penn, a York Daily Record/Sunday News photographer, was honored with the Paul Vathis Memorial Photography Portfolio Award. Competition for the award came from news photographers working for news organizations of all circulation sizes in Pennsylvania.

You can see the collection of photos that won the award for Kate here.

You can learn a lot more about Kate via her YDR Insider profile and see her work on Yorkblog.com’s Look photo site and her personal blog http://katepenn.blogspot.com/.

Here are two insightful answers from Kate, a Rochester Institute of Technology graduate, in that Insider profile:

What made you want to become a journalist? I have loved photography since I was a kid, but I was also really into politics and history. Photojournalism just fit. Since high school, I was positive this was what I wanted to do.

How do you see journalism changing? Honestly I don’t think anyone can claim to know how journalism is changing or what this field will look like in 10 years. My plan for the future is to continue to tell stories of the community the best I can, whether it is through photos, video, tweets or in my flying car.

Soon after she received this significant award, I tweeted this simple message about Kate’s accomplishment:

“Proud of YDR’s award-winners in AP contest. Kate Penn just earned Paul Vathis Award for best photo portfolio in Pa. #keystone2012.”