It was in the moment that I sat with Jimmy McGovern, Chief of Operations for the DSNY, and listened to him outright decline the opportunity to have the following day off, that I realized what it was that I was actually surrounded by. Trekking through the broken streets, Over, under and on top of the broken homes, and encountering only broken people, you'd bet against there being any sort of anything resembling the possibility of recovery. It had been his nineteenth consecutive shift, and his three hundred and forth clocked hour and no desire for any rest in between that I am proud to say I found enough hope to fill each and every street, to last as long as it would take. My confidence in this came from every block I walked. They all seemed to run parallel to hundreds of DSNY workers, who weren't showing any signs of relenting. Not because this was their job, but because this was who they were. This sense of pride had begun to replace the destruction. And never again will the men and women of the DSNY have to wonder what they're made of, because they just proved it to us all.
My heart cannot be expressed when it comes to the hurt I feel for those families effected by Hurricane Sandy. As a photographer, I can only ever hope that my images can lead people in the direction of a truth that may not have been understood without them.
Images taken November 12-15, 2012.
My heart cannot be expressed when it comes to the hurt I feel for those families effected by Hurricane Sandy. As a photographer, I can only ever hope that my images can lead people in the direction of a truth that may not have been understood without them.
Images taken November 12-15, 2012.