Turlock man's photo of Levy now seen nationwide
Patty
By JEFF JARDINE
BEE STAFF WRITER
(Published: Friday, July 27, 2001)
She was just one of the 10,000-plus high school students whom Jon Michael Terry
has photographed since opening his studio in Turlock 26 years ago.
But none of his pictures is more well-known than the yearbook portrait that he
took of Chandra Levy in the fall of 1994.
Levy, 24, of Modesto was last seen April 30, a week after finishing an
internship at the U.S. Bureau of Prisons in Washington, D.C. Her alleged affair
with Rep. Gary Condit of Ceres turned a basic missing person case into a
national story.
Since her disappearance, the Levy photo taken by Terry has appeared in virtually
every major newspaper and news magazine in the country. It appears on a number
of network news programs several times daily.
The portrait, released to the media by the Levy family, also is on countless
Internet sites, including The Bee's.
"I wasn't sure how to take it at first, whether it's flattering or not," said
Terry, 53. "You never want to be associated with something bad happening."
News agencies have credited The Associated Press and a photo agency for
providing it, and only now is Terry beginning to receive proper credit.
When he first saw the photo in The Bee and on television in May, he was "99.9
percent sure" it was his work. He said he later confirmed it through people
visiting the Levy home.
"It's overwhelming," he said. "Every photographer in town has called me asking,
'Are those your pictures?'"
Terry, who photographs an average of 500 high school seniors annually, said he
remembers little about the session, other than it probably took place in August,
September or early October 1994. High school yearbooks generally have October
deadlines, he said. Levy graduated from Davis High School in 1995.
For his standard $200 fee, he took 30 photos and provided the yearbook shot.
Levy, then 17, got three clothing and six backdrop changes, and the option of
having Terry produce the prints or taking the negatives elsewhere.
Terry has photographed other well-known people, including soccer star Tisha
Venturini of Modesto and home decorating maven Martha Stewart.
But none of his other photos has ever generated the play his photo of Levy has
gotten.
"This is big time, here," he said.
NO RESERVATIONS -- Just over a week ago, Fox television news officials contacted
State Theatre manager Dana Plummer about booking the Modesto facility, possibly
for "The O'Reilly Factor" show or a town hall meeting. The network was
considering an afternoon show that would not affect other bookings at the
theater, she said. Plummer said she has not heard from Fox News officials since.
MOBAND SAYS NO -- The MoBand manager took the stage before Thursday night's
concert at Graceada Park and asked people in the audience not to sign petitions
calling for Condit's resignation. Jerry Richichi, MoBand manager and assistant
conductor, said that if there is anywhere in the city where the Condit
controversy should not be aired, it is at the weekly summer concerts. He
implored people to stop passing petitions. Another person picketed with a sign
reading, "Condit should resign."
RESIGNATION CALL -- U.S. Rep. Scott McInnis, R-Colo., said Thursday that Condit
should resign because his alleged affair with Levy was unethical.
McInnis said he intends to ask the House Ethics Committee to draft a rule
barring U.S. representatives from having a sexual relationship with an intern.
Bee chief librarian Melissa VanDiepen and The Associated Press contributed to
this report.