American Biker: A motocyclist with a tattered American flag cruises by the State Theater in Falls Church, VA, on Sept. 15, 2001 -- four days after the terrorist attacks that destroyed the World Trade Center in New York and damaged the Pentagon in nearby Arlington.

In an earlier post, I talked about grab shots. This one has paid more bills and given me more exposure than any photo I’ve taken over the past 40-some years.  It was four days past the 9/11 terrorist attacks and I drove my wife to the doctor — the Kaiser Permanente Health Center in Falls Church, VA.  I saw the flag hanging from the marquee and the message on the front of the State Theater on Washington Street so I decided to shoot a photo of the theater while waiting.

As I walked up to the theater, I heard the sound of approaching motorcycles. I shot three images with my Nikon D1 as the bikes roared by.  This was the shot that went out on the newswires the next day.