Five young New Yorkers sit on their lunch break in an idylic setting on the East River, Brooklyn, chatting in what seems like a casual, non-rushed fashion, going about their daily life. Perhaps talking about an evening ahead, or the day just passed. Lucious greens and bright oranges in the foreground create an enjoyable, relaxing and comfortable atmosphere. The people in the picture look as if they're sat comfortably enjoying life, and taking in the beautiful surroundings in which they are in.
But in the background a thick black smokey cloud looms over the twin towers, New York. The picture, to many, evokes thoughts of New Yorkers not caring, and not bothering to help with the disaster of that day. This was the reason Thomas Hoepker, the photographer, banned his own photo from being published, until 2006.
Thomas Hoepker is known for using bold stylish colours in his photos, and for some very contraversial photos of vulnerable people and cultures. He made the decision himself to ban his photo because he knew of the potential impact it could make on America and the world. The US was known to have become united on 9/11 and it was thought that this picture could alter the image America wanted to portray to the world. He thought the picture would be portrayed to show five New Yorkers, not bothered about the tragic event behind them, not even turning to look at it. And the colours made everything seem normal. If the smoke wasn't there, it could even pass as a holiday advertisement, the bold colours and seemingly happy people show a completely different side to that day. But then you see the smoke, and you realise just what that day was, and how shocking it must have been to some people.
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