We were in the Musée d'Orsay snack bar where people were having coffee under the giant backward clock. I took a picture: it was 3:10 pm in Paris. Later, we went to a raclette restaurant and had the best fondue either of us had ever eaten. The waiter approached us with a tear in his eye and, thinking we were American from our conversation, told us he was sorry for our loss. Wait. What?! He then told us that two planes had hit the twin towers in New York. We immediately thought: air show, a couple of small antique planes missing their mark and hitting the immovable objects of the World Trade Center - sad for the two pilots and the office workers who were close to the windows, we thought. Our hotel had CNN and when we got back to our room, we watched in horror as the TV played and replayed the reality of the two fuel-filled, passenger planes driven into the iconic buildings by a handful of self-absorbed, superstitious fools and their resulting collapse. We were stuck to CNN in our room for the next three days. Our flight home to Toronto was the first flight allowed to leave Paris after the tragedy. My nail clippers were confiscated by security. Every minute of those three days remains frozen in my mind.
Stunning (and haunting) photos. This is such a worthwhile endeavor to hang onto all these years. I sometimes feel like 9/11 has faded for the general population but in my mind and heart, it's a frozen moment in time.
I wasn't even near it, I'm in western Canada. But the emotional impact has never left me.
I clicked “like” for lack of an appropriate option. Bottom line: I don’t recall more powerful images of that day. Thank you for having the presence of mind to record them.
The look on the faces is chilling - they are not just observing, they are at the initial moment of shock over what they are watching and realizing how tall it is. Your unpublished shoot captures some looks of disbelief - or rather looks of wishing they had not seen.
The 24 is used perfectly in this situation: close to them, but gathering all these people together at one moment - an even slightly longer focal length would have started to isolate. But the 24 is not so wide that it becomes too unnatural.
Of course, it was an unnatural event, perhaps you need a slightly unnatural lens to see it through.
You photos are unnerving. It is one your face in your friend’s shot of you.
I’m love the 35 and if it hadn’t been in the shop I would have been using it and not made this exact photo. Thankfully, I was able to step onto a curb to get a slightly elevated angle (compare it to the other photo, that’s shot from a lower angle), that helped me keep the film plane straight and lose the distortion. Thank you for your comment. 🙏🏻
Absolutely haunting images Patrick. Thank you for taking (and sharing) such valuable images from that historic day. I hope more people recognize themselves or their friends/family members in the images...
Amazing photos! Thank you for this quest, this reaching out and honoring not only those in the moment, but for keeping that day front and center in our hearts.
And one notable thing, not about the photos (which are exquisite in every sense) but about the people in the shot, is that if these events had occurred at any time in the last few years, virtually every one of these people would have been photographed with a phone camera in hand, mediating brute reality and keeping it at several removes. Thank you for sharing these images, and for trying to find the individuals whose faces you caught in this moment.
Great photos because of their quality and timing. Unfortunately, of course, the expression on their faces is of utter fear and disbelief, clearly a sad day.
I hope most Americans understand that these events are not a memory of a trigger to find revenge, but to deeply empathize with so many people of other countries who have also watched in fear and disbelief how their countrymen and infrastructure are destroyed for reasons they can’t understand (many of which sadly suffered because of decisions made by American foreign policy).
I would hope to find people all over the world who see these pics and find in their hearts strength to fight so that this will never happen again (nor in America, nor anywhere else).
These photos are intensely powerful. I can't almost bare to look at the faces as they look at the horrors unfold in front of them. It's important these photos exist, every day humanity witnessing the unspeakable. I hope you're able to find some more of these people but maybe perhaps some of them don't want to be found. Thank you for sharing this terrible moment in time that you witnessed
We were in the Musée d'Orsay snack bar where people were having coffee under the giant backward clock. I took a picture: it was 3:10 pm in Paris. Later, we went to a raclette restaurant and had the best fondue either of us had ever eaten. The waiter approached us with a tear in his eye and, thinking we were American from our conversation, told us he was sorry for our loss. Wait. What?! He then told us that two planes had hit the twin towers in New York. We immediately thought: air show, a couple of small antique planes missing their mark and hitting the immovable objects of the World Trade Center - sad for the two pilots and the office workers who were close to the windows, we thought. Our hotel had CNN and when we got back to our room, we watched in horror as the TV played and replayed the reality of the two fuel-filled, passenger planes driven into the iconic buildings by a handful of self-absorbed, superstitious fools and their resulting collapse. We were stuck to CNN in our room for the next three days. Our flight home to Toronto was the first flight allowed to leave Paris after the tragedy. My nail clippers were confiscated by security. Every minute of those three days remains frozen in my mind.
Stunning (and haunting) photos. This is such a worthwhile endeavor to hang onto all these years. I sometimes feel like 9/11 has faded for the general population but in my mind and heart, it's a frozen moment in time.
I wasn't even near it, I'm in western Canada. But the emotional impact has never left me.
Thank you for not allowing their memory to fade into history. You made it “now” again for me.
I clicked “like” for lack of an appropriate option. Bottom line: I don’t recall more powerful images of that day. Thank you for having the presence of mind to record them.
The look on the faces is chilling - they are not just observing, they are at the initial moment of shock over what they are watching and realizing how tall it is. Your unpublished shoot captures some looks of disbelief - or rather looks of wishing they had not seen.
The 24 is used perfectly in this situation: close to them, but gathering all these people together at one moment - an even slightly longer focal length would have started to isolate. But the 24 is not so wide that it becomes too unnatural.
Of course, it was an unnatural event, perhaps you need a slightly unnatural lens to see it through.
You photos are unnerving. It is one your face in your friend’s shot of you.
I’m love the 35 and if it hadn’t been in the shop I would have been using it and not made this exact photo. Thankfully, I was able to step onto a curb to get a slightly elevated angle (compare it to the other photo, that’s shot from a lower angle), that helped me keep the film plane straight and lose the distortion. Thank you for your comment. 🙏🏻
Absolutely haunting images Patrick. Thank you for taking (and sharing) such valuable images from that historic day. I hope more people recognize themselves or their friends/family members in the images...
I hope so too, thank you 🙏🏻
Amazing photos! Thank you for this quest, this reaching out and honoring not only those in the moment, but for keeping that day front and center in our hearts.
And one notable thing, not about the photos (which are exquisite in every sense) but about the people in the shot, is that if these events had occurred at any time in the last few years, virtually every one of these people would have been photographed with a phone camera in hand, mediating brute reality and keeping it at several removes. Thank you for sharing these images, and for trying to find the individuals whose faces you caught in this moment.
I still find it surreal that I work with young people who were not even born when this happened.
Great photos because of their quality and timing. Unfortunately, of course, the expression on their faces is of utter fear and disbelief, clearly a sad day.
I hope most Americans understand that these events are not a memory of a trigger to find revenge, but to deeply empathize with so many people of other countries who have also watched in fear and disbelief how their countrymen and infrastructure are destroyed for reasons they can’t understand (many of which sadly suffered because of decisions made by American foreign policy).
I would hope to find people all over the world who see these pics and find in their hearts strength to fight so that this will never happen again (nor in America, nor anywhere else).
I was there 15 mins later coming from world financial tower #1. But I am not in that picture. Good luck with your effort.
This photo captivates me completely.
Fascinating article. Thank you for sharing!
These photos are intensely powerful. I can't almost bare to look at the faces as they look at the horrors unfold in front of them. It's important these photos exist, every day humanity witnessing the unspeakable. I hope you're able to find some more of these people but maybe perhaps some of them don't want to be found. Thank you for sharing this terrible moment in time that you witnessed
These shots are so profound. I'm speechless.
Glad to have found someone writing on 9/11 before the day was over. Thank you for taking the time to help us all remember, continue the legacy