Artists Registry

‘‘The Twin Towers from Liberty Island’ photograph was taken on 22nd February 2000 during an Art Degree trip to New York with my University. On this day I had taken the ferry over to Liberty Island which was a hive of activity with children eating ice-creams and scrambling about and adults chatting on the grassy areas and peering out to sea through brass telescopes. There were plenty of seagulls about that day too, squalling and calling and I decided that a picture of a seagull in flight with the New York skyline in the background would make an interesting image – the juxtaposition of seemingly different worlds. I had with me my old Olympus OM2, already loaded with black & white film, and I pre-set my camera to 1/30th of a second. I figured this shutter speed would allow for some wing movement but not enough to create camera shake or distort the body of the bird too much. With the camera up to my eye ready, I scared a seagull, which had been sitting on the barrier surrounding the island, into flight and fired the shutter. It was a week later when I got back to the UK and into the university darkrooms that I had the chance to develop the films I had taken on that trip and it was then that I discovered this image amongst the negatives. This image has not been modified in any way and is true to the negative with the exception of normal basic adjustments which are made in any darkroom. I am a firm believer in traditional photography which highlights skill and the romance of a more pure craftsmanship – elements of which I feel are lost today in the age of digital imagery. New York is, very sadly, without the Twin Towers now and what happened on September 11th 2001 will, and should be, remembered forever. This image will have so many different meanings to anyone who views it but I also hope that for those affected by the incident will see it as a symbolic gesture of hope, resilience and a positive step towards liberty'.