These are photographs of people looking at the building formerly known as the Freedom Tower, now officially called One World Trade Center. Although commercial tenants started moving in last month, most employees won't begin work there until January. So the people I photographed looking up are mostly tourists—people from other parts of the country and around the world—who stop to look up at the tower at a specific point near its base where the 9/11 Memorial's swamp white oak trees part. Early this fall I noticed a remarkable natural light condition—at this spot, figures are illuminated by the blinding light that reflects off the tower's slanted glass façade. Since then, I have spent weekends standing there with my camera, waiting for people to look up.
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All photos by Matthew Leifheit
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