Los Angeles Times Photographers Share the Stories Behind Their Work

“This is a firefighter from upstate New York who came to a vigil at Union Square. He was one of the rescue guys who came in, and someone had given him one of those little flags. These guys were put through so much and did so much, I wanted a symbol of what they stood for.”--Kirk McKoy

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“I was shooting the first day Wall Street reopened and was looking for people reacting to the market taking a dive. I saw this man sleeping. This photo shows that even though he may think the government hasn’t helped him, he still loves his country.”--Wally Skalij

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“One week after terrorists attacked the United States, I stood alongside people on a hilltop memorial overlooking the Pentagon. Through my lens, I could feel the sadness as I watched heads bow, tears fall and candles flicker in the wind.”--Al Schaben

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“Ground zero was more shocking than I could ever imagine. Weeks later, I still can’t believe it’s true. New Yorkers around me were commenting, and I heard more than once in the muffled conversations, that the remaining skeleton of the World Trade Center looked like a sculpture. I, too, felt that there was a certain dignity to what was left standing.”--Rick Loomis

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“This was shot in the heart of Harlem. It’s a very simple picture with a very complex meaning. What particularly caught my eye is the replacement of the stars and stripes with 911. The artist who did this is extremely creative. It’s just tragic it had to happen this way.”--Gary Friedman

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“It was at Union Square, where the local people were getting together every day to comfort each other. I was surprised to see the parks department had started to clean up the shrines. It struck me as a little early. The people at Union Square were saddened by everything and didn’t want to see any more bloodshed.”--Robert Gauthier