Satan in the Smoke? A Photojournalist’s 9/11 Story | A new eBook by Mark D. Phillips

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About Mark D Phillips

“Satan In The Smoke: A Photojournalist’s 9/11 Story” is Phillips’ first person narrative of the media frenzy created by Mark D Phillips' image from the attack on the World Trade Center.

Distributed on a one-time basis by The Associated Press, the photograph was one of the first delivered to newspapers across the world. Its usage was widespread and the reaction was immediate. In another strange twist, none of those involved in the transmission (including the photographer) noticed the strange apparition in the smoke. But newspaper readers saw it immediately, sending thousands of emails to the photographer asking, “Is It Real?”

Even his peers in the Photojournalism industry questioned the validity of the image. Over the next several months, Phillips found himself defending a reputation built over twenty years as a news photographer. Digital imaging was coming to fruition and destroying the career that he truly loved.

Phillips worked for three newspapers and two international news services over a 25-year career. It was an exciting time to be a journalist. Computers began making inroads into the industry very early in his career. As the technology advanced, photojournalists became the testing ground for nearly every aspect of the digital revolution.

During the 1990's, Phillips used early digital technology to present events from South Africa during Nelson Mandela's election and Jay Cochrane's World Record high-wire walks from Fengjie and Shanghai (China). The technology allowed Phillips to offer services that had only been available through the International news services.

As president of South Brooklyn Internet, Phillips has left the photojournalism industry.

"9/11 was the last time I worked as a photojournalist. I never wanted to photograph another event like this one. It affected me more than I ever thought," Phillips said.

Photojournalism had always been his passion. His career began in high school, working on the yearbook. Following college, he worked for The News Herald (Morganton, NC), the Augusta Chronicle (GA), and the Tampa Tribune (FL). In 1989, he moved to Brooklyn (NY) and began his career outside of newspapers. In NYC, Phillips first joined the The Associated Press (AP) and then moved to Agence France Presse (AFP). While working with AFP, Mark won the 1992 Baseball Hall of Fame photography contest and First Place in Sports Photography in the NPPA Pictures of the Year..

Today, he still resides in Brooklyn with his wife and daughter. He is president of South Brooklyn Internet Inc.

To Contact Mark, send email to markdphillips@markdphillips.com