NYC 9/11 – Twenty years later

Today is about reflection as to what occurred in New York City, Washington DC and a field in Pennsylvania. Reflection on those who lost their lives during these events, both on the aircraft that were turned into guided missiles and those victims at the site of impact. These events eventually led to the War in Afghanistan and the loss of even more lives over a twenty year period, a war that has finally ended on this anniversary year.

For me, I was up early this day in 2001, preparing to embark on my own flight out of Los Angeles on an assignment to Puerto Rico. Turning on the news early that morning, it was then breaking news that an aircraft had flown into the World Trade Towers. WTF. I think I was not alone in thinking how could such an accident happen? Not many were thinking the worst, which was going to dawn on us shortly. While staring at the television just as I was about to head out the door to the airport, a second large jet flew into the other Trade Tower. That is no accident. I was numb.

One could only blankly stare at the TV screen. For some reason, I assumed that I was not going to be flying down to Puerto Rico that day. Nevertheless, I headed out the door to the airport, as the Washington DC and PA flights had not gone down yet and there was no announced grounding of all aircraft in the U.S. yet. I listened to all of that on my drive to the airport and when I arrived the police were diverting traffic away from the airpot terminals and unusual to see everyone carrying automatic rifles. Looking very, very serious, as well as they should be.

So I turned around and headed back home to sit in the den like almost everyone else while the day’s event unfolded in front of us. We watched the horror of the towers collapsing on to its self. Later, when later visiting NYC in 2003 and the site of this event, there was an enormous empty hole in the earth as to where the towers once stood. As I stated in my book review of Bubriski’s photobook, the size of this site, Ground Zero, was almost overwhelming, as I had no idea of the immense scale of the World Trade Centers.

Kevin Bubriski’s photobook ‘Pilgrimage’ is a series of NYC portraits made immediately following the events of 9/11, which was published in 2002, a photobook that I reviewed in 2009 for PhotoBook Journal. A series of portraits in which we do not see what they see, but we see their collective angst as to what they are looking at.

Best regards

Doug

Featured book; Pilgrimage, Kevin Burbriski Copyright 2002

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Book workshop:

I will be leading a Creative Photo Book workshop with the Southeast Center of Photography (SEC4P) later in the Fall of this year. This will be a virtual event on Zoom; November 6 & 7th and 13 & 14th, 2021, 10 AM – 1 PM, EDT (3 hour session each day, with a week between the weekend sessions to work your book-dummy). Registration is now open, and there is a SEC4P membership discount. Just advised that it is SOLD OUT & wait-list has been started. Let me know if you have any questions! (Update; another new date being scheduled in late January 2022!)

Developing a Creative Photo Book, a virtual (Zoom) workshop I will be leading again in conjunction with Medium Photo with New dates: March 5 – 6, 12 – 13, 2022 More details and sign-up available now at Medium Photo.