I have never ever posted the image before publicly (although, in a way it is public because a copy of it is registered with the library of congress). I went to New York City for the 10 year anniversary of September 11th.This image was made from a vantage point that I know only me and one other photographer had access to, so this is the only image like this (he did his differently) in existence. It was a privilege to be there at this time. My very first trip to NYC was unwittingly booked in August of 2001 for the end of September 2001. I had not yet become a photographer and was studying fine art. I could kick myself now because the one thing that I saw everywhere (that broke my heart), and that I definitely would have photographed, were the incredible multitude of "missing" posters everywhere. Posters of so so SO many people with their photos and identifying marks and descriptions, posted by friends and family members who desperately hoped that their loved one was a John or Jane Doe at a hospital somewhere ALIVE. I stopped and read the flyers/posters everywhere I found them. They left a deep impression on my heart. I wish I had known to photograph them.
P.S. Aside from the obvious worldwide significance of this tragic event, later I discovered that I'm also connected to this place--my direct ancestor, Adrienne (Ariaentje) Cuvelier (later Damen) married the man who was the very first "owner" of the land that the WTC stood on. She was French and had come to Holland with her first husband and then to New Amsterdam. When her first husband died she married Jan Damen who had a large farm in lower Manhattan where the WTC came to be. When he died she inherited the land and did not remarry. She was my 12th great grandmother.
P.P.S. Don't steal this image. It is registered with the copyright office. If I found out you stole it, you can be fined for up to $150,000 per infringement. Jus sayin.