To begin this unit, I chose two photographs that would really capture the attention of all students. Photographs one and two in my unit show the New York skyline (http://digitaljournalist.org). Photograph one is a picture of the New York skyline before the September 11 attack. The photograph is called,
Statue of Liberty and World Trade Center
. The photograph was taken at night, so one can see why New York is called "the city of lights." The lights signify excitement and life.
The photographer, Joseph Pobereskin, seemed to focus on the enormity of the World Trade Center. In this photograph, the Statue of Liberty looks minuscule next to the World Trade Center. From the foundation of the pedestal to the torch, the height of the Statue of Liberty is about 306 feet 8 inches (http://endex.com). But in this photo, it looks almost like a tiny figurine. The torch of the Statue of Liberty is directly in the middle of the two towers.
The numerous buildings in this photograph act as vertical lines cutting though the sky. If you cover or block out the World trade Center buildings, you are left with a very flat, horizontal skyline. The World Trade Center adds height to the skyline and one can see why the buildings were called "the twin towers." The World Trade Center is 110 stories and 1,368 feet tall (htt://en.wikipedia.org).
As you look at this photograph more and more, you get the sense that the World Trade Center was important, not only to New York, but to all of the United States. The towers represent security and comfort, surrounding the Statue of Liberty and lighting up the New York sky.
In photograph two, you immediately notice the absence of those two magnificent buildings. This photograph was taken on September 12, 2001. It is called,
Statue of
Liberty and New York Skyline
, again taken by Joseph Pobereskin. The photographer really captured the mood in this photograph. The sky is gray and gloomy. There is still a cloud of smoke and ash, caused from the devastating attack. There are no lights present in any of the buildings, as if life stopped. The buildings and city look dark.
The Statue of Liberty, again the center of the photograph, looks lonely. She is surrounded by clouds of smoke. The Statue of Liberty sheds the only light that we see in the photograph. It is as if she were saying, "We may be done, but we're not out." The light shining up form the Statue of Liberty is the "punctum" in this photograph. Roland Barthes describes the "punctum" as something powerful, a detail that catches your eye. Barthes, in his book titled,
Camera Lucida,
says the punctum is something that "pierces" or "stings" you.