For better or worse, there are days that nobody will ever forget. On the best of days, people will achieve their lifelong dream or witness an incredible event. On the other hand, the worst days can end in death, destruction, and violence. September 11, 2001 was one of these latter days and will always be remembered in American history. Despite the chaos in New York City that day, firefighters, medics, police officers, and other people gave the American population a sense of hope. Many photos were taken that captured some of these emotions. The use of contrasting colors, shadows, and viewpoint contribute to this sense of hope in unimaginable destruction in Lori Grinker’s photo of an American flag being rasised at Ground Zero.

Lori Grinker captured firefighters raising the American flag at Ground Zero on the day of the attacks. In her photo, the most obvious visual element in this photograph is the contrast of color. Roughly 90% of the image is either grey or nearly black. The ground, smoke, destroyed building, and shadows are all dark colors. This symbolizes the loss of life and total destruction of the city, as well as the emotional impact of the American people. The flag, the smaller portion of the photo, is red, white, and blue. The flag represents our country and is a beacon of hope in this picture. The firefighters didn’t have to raise the flag, since they obviously had a lot to do. But, they did and gave everyone hope despite the danger surrounding them.

The use of shadows breaks up the picture into three sections and makes our eyes go directly to the flag, which is the important part of this image. The right and left sides feature darkness and that helps make the middle stand out since it is lighted. Since the flag, which is the only colored part, is in the middle, the shadows helps promote the flag as important. The shadows are also able to darken the surroundings, which is important. It makes the firefighters seem to be in a dangerous place and creates a lot of uncertainty about what is happening around them.

The viewpoint, or location of the camera, is also significant. The camera is above the action and aiming downwards. Usually, we think of the American flag at eye-level or above us. This gives it importance and power over everything. Here, it is over the firefighters, but below the camera. This makes it bigger than them as individuals. Since this was a “low point” in recent American history, this viewpoint works well. It makes the flag and everything it represents seem vulnerable and not as powerful. Also, the camera angle can be seen in a protective way. The viewer is looking down at the flag and firefighters, but we see that both seem to be in imminent danger. This forces worried emotions for the safety of them and our country. 

It is difficult for an outsider to truly understand what happened on 9/11. Many firefighters and other forms of aid worked tirelessly to save innocent lives that were in danger. They even took the time to raise the flag. The American flag represents many things, but on that day, in this picture, it represented hope. Pictures like this are why 9/11 will always be remembered.
