For a Photographer, the Towers Were an Ever-Present Focal Point

Keith Meyers, a staff photographer for The New York Times since 1980, built much of his aerial and waterfront work around the World Trade Center’s twin towers. He said the towers were a bold architectural statement in an aging city, and he often used them as a backdrop for both news and more evocative images. His interest also tied to the harbor: he reported seeing the tower tops from 20 to 30 miles offshore while returning from tuna fishing. Meyers recalled an editor complaining about frequent tower shots, yet he began ensuring the towers appeared in at least one photo he sent afterward. In 2001, after the 9/11 attacks, he photographed the towers for the last time from Ground Zero.