The gallery below features two news photographs from my early career as a staff photographer with The Associated Press, documenting two defining moments in American history: the Clinton–Lewinsky investigation and the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. In 1999, I was a member of the AP photography team awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography for its coverage of the Clinton–Lewinsky investigation.
Banner Caption: Capture the Moment: The Pulitzer Prize Photographs, The NEwseum, Washington, D.C.
The Flight of Lewinsky
In 1998, I was part of The Associated Press photography team documenting one of the most consequential political scandals in modern American history: the relationship between President Bill Clinton and White House intern Monica Lewinsky. The story dominated headlines for months, fueling intense public scrutiny and unprecedented demand for photographs of those at its center. Lewinsky was elusive, and sightings of her in public were rare, making any opportunity to photograph her particularly significant.
On April 6, 1998, Lewinsky appeared at Philadelphia’s historic Wanamaker Building with her attorney, William Ginsburg. As they exited the building, she suddenly broke into a hurried dash toward a waiting car. Standing just a few feet away, I had a split second to react. The resulting photograph captured an unguarded moment in one of the decade’s most closely scrutinized news stories, a fleeting expression preserved on film amid a political storm that threatened a presidency and captivated a nation.
In 1999, The Associated Press photography team was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography for its coverage of the Clinton–Lewinsky scandal. At just 27 years old, I became a Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer. This photograph was among the images I made as part of that Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage.
Technical Information: Nikon F5 35mm Film Camera | Nikon Nikkor 80–200mm f/2.8 D ED Lens | Fujicolor Press 800 ISO Color Negative Film
Capture the Moment:
The Pulitzer Prize Photographs
The National Constitution Center
Philadelphia, PA
9/11 Aftermath
On September 11, 2001, I was a staff photographer with the Philadelphia bureau of the Associated Press. As reports emerged that a plane had struck the World Trade Center, I was assigned to cover the unfolding story and headed to the Hudson River waterfront in Jersey City and Bayonne, New Jersey. From the New Jersey shoreline, I photographed across the Hudson toward lower Manhattan as thick smoke filled the sky and debris drifted on the wind. The familiar skyline had been transformed. Rising from New York Harbor, the Statue of Liberty stood against the smoke-darkened horizon, her torch still raised toward the sky. Amid the chaos and devastation, she became for me a quiet symbol of resilience and hope. The photograph I made that morning remains one of the most meaningful images of my career—a record of a city in shock and a moment the world would never forget.
Technical Information: Nikon D1 Digital Camera | Nikon Nikkor 500mm f/4 Manual-Focus Lens
Netflix's Turning Point:
9/11 and the War on Terror
My photograph documenting the aftermath of September 11, 2001, was featured as cover artwork for Netflix’s documentary series Turning Point: 9/11 and the War on Terror (2021), marking 20 years since the attacks. The image also appears within the documentary, continuing to serve as a visual record of one of the most consequential moments in American history.
Liberty in the Shadow of War
The Statue of Liberty aligned with Ground Zero, photographed from the New Jersey coastline in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Behind the statue, the remains of the World Trade Center are visible through a vast cloud of smoke and debris rising over Lower Manhattan. The photograph documents the immediate destruction caused by the attacks and captures a defining moment in American history, foreshadowing the decades-long War on Terror that would follow.
Technical Information: Nikon D1 Digital Camera | Nikon Nikkor 500mm f/4 Manual-Focus Lens | Nikon TC-14E Teleconverter