Our USA MAGAZINE

I have been photographing the World Trade Center site since the attack on 9 /11, and have been tracking the progress over the years.

On May 5, 2011, I was at the site to photograph the rally and see President Obama bring a wreath to the site days after the killing of Osama Bin Laden.

I realized that I was photographing many of the same locations that I had the week following the attack in 2001. Then I took the time to look at the faces in the crowd, the faces of the police and security forces and those of the construction workers. It is those images that tell the story of the progress in lower Manhattan.

The police were there in force and they were ready for anything. But the look of fear and amazement was gone. Their look was one of pleasure that they were there to protect this site and give advice to the people in the area. The people in the crowd were not looking around in amazement at rubble and destruction, but looking with pride at the progress of the buildings. Again, the fear in their eyes was gone.

To read more, and see more of these reflections from the lens and from the heart, get the latest issue of Our USA Magazine.

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