When thinking about how to approach the upcoming 9/11 anniversary, I kept finding myself pondering the same question; what made some of our community members pick up a camera, while others chose to leave the gear at home and take in the traumatic experience? We all face that dilemma of photographing the moment, vs.

being 'in' the moment, and inarguably, our view behind the lens can be completely different than one absent of one. I encounter it regularly when it's a beautiful sunset, moments with friends, cute captures of my cats - superfluous, trivial in comparison to the gravity that is the traumatic experience of experiencing 9/11 firsthand. That said,  the question remains the same - do I want to document what I'm seeing, or experience what I'm seeing? To explore this concept, while also give the appropriate reverence to the anniversary we're coming upon, I interviewed two photographer friends of mine who both lived in the city and were present the day of the attacks. Ron Jautz chose to leave his camera at home, while Thomas Donley grabbed his gear and ran out the door, and yet, their answers reflect many similar sentiments. You can read both of their experiences in the dialogue below. . thephoblographer.com

2019-9-11 13:00