This photograph represents the aftermath of the September 11 attacks. The photographer is Steve McCurry. This photograph shows the lobby of the World Financial Center (Magnum Photographers, 20-21). Normally, there would be thousands of people rushing around this building. This photo shows the silence and stillness caused by the attack on September 11.
The photographer chose an interesting viewpoint for this photograph. McCurry did not take the photo looking straight on at the staircase; instead he chose to take the photo at an angle. The staircases and escalators are positioned in the center of the photograph but on a diagonal, rather than simply being vertical. There are no people in the photograph. There is no sign of life, just debris and broken windows.
Another striking feature in this photograph is the sunlight shining in the windows. The sunlight shines in the upper right portion of the photograph but follows through the photograph horizontally. The light is an important feature in this photograph. It represents hope. It tells the observer that a higher being is watching over.
The light from the window is the only light around. Because of the attack there is no power of any sort. So this ray of sunshine is shedding light on a very dark building. It sheds light on a hopeless and devastating event.