Basketball, Basketball and More Basketball ….It’s Championship Weekend

March 21, 2016 by willcain

I spent last Friday and Saturday in Hershey at the Giant Center photographing PIAA Championship basketball games. On Friday for the Inquirer and Saturday for the Intelligencer. Lots of great action, joyful moments and also, sad moments. Overall fun time making the pictures though. I had a system in place, shoot the first half, transmit pictures then shoot a bit more in the fourth and then make pictures of the jubilation or dejection, depending upon how the teams I was covering fared. In three of the five games I photographed, the team from southeastern Pennsylvania won the state championship in their class.

It was a great photographic weekend. 🙂

See some of the images below.

From left, Archbishop Wood’s Claire Bassetti, Bailey Greenberg, Erin Morgan and Emma Stanfield celebrate after defeating Villa Maria to win the girls basketball PIAA Class AAA state championship Saturday March 19, 2016 at the Giant Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania (Photo By William Thomas Cain) (William Thomas Cain/Cain Images)

Archbishop Wood celebrates after defeating Villa Maria to win the girls basketball PIAA Class AAA state championship Saturday March 19, 2016 at the Giant Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania (Photo By William Thomas Cain) (William Thomas Cain/Cain Images)

From left, Archbishop Wood’s Meg Neher #34 and Claire Bassetti #44 carry the championship trophy off the court as they celebrate after defeating Villa Maria to win the girls basketball PIAA Class AAA state championship Saturday March 19, 2016 at the Giant Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania (Photo By William Thomas Cain) (William Thomas Cain/Cain Images)

SBNEUM19P Neumann-Goretti’s Vaughn Covington and Mike Milsip and their teammates celebrate after defeating Mars 99-66 to win the boys basketball PIAA Class AAA state championship Friday March 18, 2016 at the Giant Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania. (WILLIAM THOMAS CAIN/For The Inquirer) (William Thomas Cain/Cain Images)

SBNEUM19P Neumann-Goretti’s Quade Green makes a layup as Mars Christian Schmitt #23 defends in the first quarter of the boys basketball PIAA Class AAA state championship game Friday March 18, 2016 at the Giant Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania. (WILLIAM THOMAS CAIN/For The Inquirer) (William Thomas Cain/Cain Images)

SBNEUM19P Neumann-Goretti’s Vaughn Covington #0 dribbles up court after stealing the ball from Mars Sam Morrissey #13 in the second quarter of the boys basketball PIAA Class AAA state championship game Friday March 18, 2016 at the Giant Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania. (WILLIAM THOMAS CAIN/For The Inquirer) (William Thomas Cain/Cain Images)

SGNEUM19P Neumann-Goretti team members hold the trophy in the air after defeating North Star to win the girls basketball PIAA Class AA state championship game Friday March 18, 2016 at the Giant Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania. (WILLIAM THOMAS CAIN/For The Inquirer) (William Thomas Cain/Cain Images)

SGNEUM19P Neumann-Goretti’s Jada Russell #22 attempts to block a pass by North Star’s Courtney Schlock #5 in the fourth quarter of the girls basketball PIAA Class AA state championship game Friday March 18, 2016 at the Giant Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania. (WILLIAM THOMAS CAIN/For The Inquirer) (William Thomas Cain/Cain Images)

SMATH19P Kennedy Catholic’s Sagaba Konate #50 lands on top of Math, Civics and Sciences Malik Archer #3 in the first quarter of the boys basketball PIAA Class A state championship game Friday March 18, 2016 at the Giant Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania. (WILLIAM THOMAS CAIN/For The Inquirer) (William Thomas Cain/Cain Images)

SMATH19P Math, Civics and Sciences players dejectedly sit on the bench in the last seconds of the fourth quarter against Kennedy Catholic in the boys basketball PIAA Class A state championship game Friday March 18, 2016 at the Giant Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Kennedy Catholic defeated Math, Civics and Sciences 71-60 to win the PIAA Class A championship. (WILLIAM THOMAS CAIN/For The Inquirer) (William Thomas Cain/Cain Images)

SOHARA19P Cumberland Valley’s Morgan Baughman #24 grabs a rebound as Cardinal O’Hara’s Mary Sheehan #13 and Mackenzie Gardler #14 defend in the second quarter of the girls basketball PIAA Class AAAA state championship game Friday March 18, 2016 at the Giant Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania. (WILLIAM THOMAS CAIN/For The Inquirer) (William Thomas Cain/Cain Images)

SOHARA19P From left, Cardinal O’Hara’s Lauren Leicht, Bridgette Hoy, Kristen Denoncour and Maura Hendrixson sit on the bench in the last seconds of the fourth quarter as they lose to Cumberland Valley in the girls basketball PIAA Class AAAA state championship game Friday March 18, 2016 at the Giant Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Cumberland Valley defeated Cardinal O’Hara to win the PIAA Class AAAA state championship. (WILLIAM THOMAS CAIN/For The Inquirer) (William Thomas Cain/Cain Images)

Some clips:

Stations of the Cross for Good Friday in Bensalem, Pennsylvania

April 4, 2015 by willcain

I had not been back to Our Lady of Fatima since grade school almost 25 years ago. Tonight, I went there to photograph the Stations of the Cross at the church grounds in Bensalem, Pennsylvania. The re-enactment is a very well produced presentation of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ as part of the Easter celebration. Check out some of the images in a slideshow below. Also, be sure to click the full frame option.
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Ash Wednesday Celebration In Doylestown, Pennsylvania

February 20, 2015 by willcain

Had a nice time making pictures at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Doylestown, Pennsylvania this past Ash Wednesday. Luckily, Father Paschal Onunwa spoke to me on camera and explained a bit about Ash Wednesday. After 12 years of catholic school, you’d think I’d have remembered some of it. Heres some of the images below and the video.

I’ve also attached a pdf of the page so you can see how the image was used in the newspaper.

Lansdale Catholic vs. Bethlehem Catholic

June 10, 2014 by willcain

LYONS, PA – JUNE 09: Lansdale Catholic’s Kristin Szczepaniak (C) is carried off the field by
Silvia Sokol (L) and assistant coach Frank Rose (R) in the late in the game during the PIAA Class
AAA softball semifinal June 9, 2014 in Lyons, Pennsylvania. Bethlehem won 4-1.
(Photo by William Thomas Cain/Cain Images)

LYONS, PA – JUNE 09: Lansdale Catholic’s Greta Sheridan is congratulated after hitting a home run
during the PIAA Class AAA softball semifinal June 9, 2014 in Lyons, Pennsylvania. Bethlehem won 4-1.
(Photo by William Thomas Cain/Cain Images)

LYONS, PA – JUNE 09: Lansdale Catholic’s shortstop Amanda Bradley tries to throw out a runner at
first base during the PIAA Class AAA softball semifinal June 9, 2014 in Lyons, Pennsylvania.
(Photo by William Thomas Cain/Cain Images)

LYONS, PA – JUNE 09: Lansdale Catholic’s second baseman Bridey Harkins (19) loses the ball as
Bethlehem’s Julia Madison (12) slides safely into second base in the first inning during the PIAA Class
AAA softball semifinal June 9, 2014 in Lyons, Pennsylvania. Bethlehem won 4-1.
(Photo by William Thomas Cain/Cain Images)

LYONS, PA – JUNE 09: Bethlehem’s Brooke Rau (15) stands safely on third base as Lansdale Catholic’s
Alyssa Messina (9) attempts to tag her during the PIAA Class AAA softball semifinal June 9, 2014 in
Lyons, Pennsylvania. Bethlehem won 4-1. (Photo by William Thomas Cain/Cain Images)

Archdiocese of Philadelphia Church Closing

June 3, 2014 by willcain

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia had been discussing the merger of several parishes in the Philadelphia area over the last few months. The announcement was to be made last Saturday night to parish members of the affected churches.

On Saturday night I was assigned to photograph what potentially might have been one of the last masses celebrated at St. Ann Catholic Church in Bristol, Pennsylvania.
I arrived early, to make sure I had time to speak with the church pastor and secure permission to snake pictures during the service as well as the announcement of the merger.
The padre agreed, although I did receive a bit of resistance from some parishioners that has said they didn’t believe the pastor would like anyone making photographs. They seemed surpassed when i told them I had secured permission, and all was good.

It seemed as though people knew what was coming when Father Tom Morris read the announcement from the Archdiocese. There were plenty of tears beforehand as well as during. It was a difficult assignment to photograph, because I could feel their pain. Below are some of the images as well as the video I made during the announcement from Father Morris.