On the 12th anniversary of September 11, 2001, it remains undeniably difficult to find words that encapsulate such a delicate day in history. The reality of the shock, sadness and devastation don’t seem fade no matter how much time passes. Perhaps it’s appropriate to think of “9/11″ as a time period, rather than a single date. Ridgefield, Connecticut-based portrait photographer Joe McNally immersed himself in the aftermath, using the world’s only life-size Polaroid camera to create stunning 9’×4′ portraits that makeup the “Faces of Ground Zero” project. The portraits have been displayed in exhibitions around New York City and various countries around the world. Over 55,000 copies of the published book have been sold, raising over two million dollars in relief efforts.
Here’s to every individual hero, the ones who lost their lives, and the ones who lived to tell the story.
View the full series of photographs along with video interviews with the subjects.