Tribute in Light and Ground Zero: Images from March 2002-September 2012. I have taken photos all 12 times these glorious lights have appeared in the sky above Lower Manhattan.

9/11/11--Made my annual pilgrimage first to Brooklyn Bridge Park to photograph the Tribute in Light for a few hours. Probably last time they will be lit due to financial issues. Then drove into Manhattan (after two intensive security inspections due to terror alerts) and went directly to Ground Zero. There were literally thousands of people there and it was like going to a huge Irish Wake. Fireman from all over the world were patronizing the surrounding pubs, spilling out onto the street and both memorializing their colleagues as well as celebrating life.
I went to the firehouse directly across the street from Ground Zero. Was planning on just passing by as I always do when in the area, but the FDNY (who were off duty) were also participating in the day and were quite open to allowing photography and actually describing what it was like to be on duty during that historic day. It was an amazing experience, one I will never forget, to speak with these men. There were fireman from Australia, Houston, England, Germany, etc, standing with me as we all listened to the stories with that huge hole in the ground literally a few yards behind us.

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