Remember


As a slight tangent today, I'd like to take a moment to recognize the 9/11 anniversary. It is a day that will always stand out in my memory and in our nation's history. There's a lot of media coverage for the day so I'll keep it simple and just post a few photos.

After beginning to post lots of general patriotic photos, I realized I had enough images to target a specific theme. 9/11 gave us many heroes ranging from ordinary citizens to members of our military. I think we can all agree that the first responders at ground zero, especially the firefighters, embody this hero spirit more than any other. I'm posting a few firefighter-themed photos to honor these individuals.

This photo, to me, represents the fact that firefighters (and other responders) typically exist unnoticed in the background, stored away somewhere out of sight and out of my mind. But when tragedy strikes they are the first on the scene ready to protect property and lives while risking their own. Thank you.

Boots and coveralls stand ready for a quick exit.

Fittingly enough, here are some photos from the 9/11 memorial in Seattle, WA.

While visiting the memorial and making photos, I heard sirens in the distance. As the ambulance flew by I was able to position myself in time to capture this image. The statue firefighters look on as real-life heroes respond to a call.

In St. Petersburg, a couple watches as a neighbor's house is destroyed by fire.


Firefighters risk their safety on the roof to vent the building. I previously posted these photos to my blog and after going back to see when I took them I realized I posted them on 9/11/2007 as a coincidence.
I haven't seen a lot of the 9/11 coverage today, but I did catch part of the History Channel special "The Day the Towers Fell." This amazing documentary focuses on photographers (amateur and professional) at the scene and includes some truly extraordinary images. There is something about a still image that captures the full emotion of an event more than any other medium (in my opinion). Look out for reruns.