{
  "id": 6605834,
  "title": "“I just put down my cameras and wept.” He was only on the job for two months. Photographer Mario Tama still captured some of the most devastating, poignant images of 9/11",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/10/i-just-put-down-my-cameras-and-wept-he-was-only-on-the-job-for-two",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-10T14:52:12.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Digital Camera World",
    "slug": "digital-camera-world",
    "url": "https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/photography/photojournalism/i-just-put-down-my-cameras-and-wept-he-was-only-on-the-job-for-two-months-photographer-mario-tama-still-captured-some-of-the-most-devastating-poignant-images-of-9-11"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Mario Tama, a photographer working for Getty Images for only two months, captured some of the most poignant images of 9/11. While still considered a newcomer to New York, Tama received a call from his editor upon hearing of the attack on the World Trade Center. Unable to call a taxi, he hurried towards the scene, camera in hand, determined to document the events unfolding before him.\n\nTama recounted the harrowing experience of witnessing the South Tower collapse, feeling a mix of panic and urgency to capture as many images as possible. Using one of the earliest professional digital cameras, the Canon EOS D30, Tama continued his pursuit of the story, even as the chaos around him escalated.\n\nAmong the civilians caught in the aftermath, Tama managed to photograph two individuals huddled together, one praying in English and the other in Spanish. This powerful image symbolizes the resilience and unity of the human spirit in the face of adversity.\n\nAs the days passed, Tama began to feel more like a true New Yorker. Climbing the stairs of a shell-shocked apartment building, he captured a photo of emergency responders and volunteers amid the rubble, representing the hope and humanity that emerged in the aftermath of the tragedy. Feeling overwhelmed with emotion, Tama put down his camera and wept, acknowledging that he had truly become a part of the New York community.",
  "summary": "Mario Tama had only been a photojournalist with Getty for two months when he photographed the World Trade Center on 9/11. This is his story",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}