Thomas Hoepker

Thomas Hoepker

Do you remember 9/11? The day that shook the world and united people together to help others. On 9/11 four coordinated suicide attacks upon the United States in New York City and Washington D.C. on that Tuesday 4 planes were hijacked by 19 al-Qaeda terrorists The hijackers intentionally crashed two planes, American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175, into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre in New York City. Hijackers crashed Flight 77 into the Pentagon in Virginia. The fourth jet, United Airlines Flight 93, crashed into a field in Pennsylvania, after passengers attempted to take control before it could reach the intended target in Washington D.C. Nearly 3,000 people died in the attacks that day.

On that morning a photographer by the name of Thomas hoepker was in Williamsburg when the two planes crashed into the world trade centre. And this is where he took the most controversial 9/11 photograph. The scene was set, a beautiful blue sky filled by the shinning sun. People relaxing and conversing by the river side while eating sandwiches and drinking ice cold drinks. It was a beautiful scene filled with happiness and laughter, but then when the planes struck the scene changes. And this was the image hoepker got. The people relaxing on the riverside conversing and the death and destruction in the background of the towers with their flowing black smooth smoke pouring out of them.

Now hoepker was a German photographer that had many jobs in the film and photography industry but his job at the present time was working for magnum photos a well know photo company known for its strong and powerful but at the same time very simple images just like the one hoepker had just captured on this camera. Hoepker first found his love for photography when he was 16 and his granddad gave him his first camera, a glass plate camera. He was very keen in this photography and loved it. He started developing his own photos in his kitchen and even selling them for money to family and friends. He carried on selling his photos to go towards his education in art history and archaeology in Germany, where he learned about images and composition in a photo. He joined Magnum Photos and they  first began distributing Hoepker's photographs in 1964. Hoepker became a full member in 1989. He served as Magnum President from 2003 to 2006. One of his most famous quotes is ‘I’m not an artist I’m an image maker’.

And this quote became true after his 9/11 photo was taken as there where many photos from 9/11 taken somewhere aloud to be shown some not. But 99 % of them photos where to show the destruction and distort of the event. But the 9/11 photo taken by Thomas hoepker is very different and confusing because it shows the twin towers on fire and collapsing but shows the bright blue sky with the sun shinny and five young joyful people having a great time relaxing. This photo could be split in two. One half showing the attack the other an advert for a holiday or restaurant. One half is full of destruction and pain the other full of happiness and laughter. hoepker kept this image to himself for many years due to the fact he did not believe that it did not reflect at all what had transpired on that day. The picture was different and confusing publishing it might distort the reality of what really happened that day.