Re: devil photo controversy/I am photographer
Title
Re: devil photo controversy/I am photographer
September 11 email body
Mark,
I got your message. I need time to digest this matter. Be assured, I will do my best to respond to your request ASAP.
Clyde Mueller
NPPA President
>Subject: devil photo controversy/I am photographer
>Sent: 9/15/20 2:23 AM
>Received: 9/18/01 9:08 PM
>From: Mark D. Phillips, mphillips@stellarimages.com
>To: president@nppa.org
>Clyde,
>I have not been a member of the NPPA since 1994(?) but I feel I must contact you. I was a member of the organization for over 15 years. I shot the photograph of the World Trade Center burning that people are saying or implying was digitally manipulated to include the face of the devil.
>As the photographer at the forefront of a controversy, I find it amazing that NO ONE has bothered to talk to me about this image and give me the opportunity to defend my reputation. I would never "doctor" an image. The "face of the devil" occurred.
>I sold this image to the AP for one time use prior to knowing it contained anything beside the twin towers burning. I transmitted this photo only minutes after it was shot.
>As a photographer for three newspapers, The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse, I am amazed that anyone could call my reputation into question. I was inundated with email through my company website, http://www.stellarimages.com, to the point where I had to put up an open letter bringing everyone back to the fact that it is a photograph, not a religious or moral statement. Everyone has to look at this photograph and decide on their own what it shows.
>Vin Alabiso still has not returned my calls. He is making statements when he never talked to me. I stand by my reputation of 25 years. I am no longer in the "news" business, starting an Internet company in 1994, but everyone I have worked with in the news industry knows the high standards I maintain.
>I invite you to read my open letter on http://www.stellarimages.com or http://www.markdphillips.com and would hope that you could contact me to discuss this. It has left a very bad taste in my mouth.
>Sincerely,
>Mark D. Phillips
>President, StellarImages
>718-858-8980 (work)
>718-522-1341 (home - here now)
I got your message. I need time to digest this matter. Be assured, I will do my best to respond to your request ASAP.
Clyde Mueller
NPPA President
>Subject: devil photo controversy/I am photographer
>Sent: 9/15/20 2:23 AM
>Received: 9/18/01 9:08 PM
>From: Mark D. Phillips, mphillips@stellarimages.com
>To: president@nppa.org
>Clyde,
>I have not been a member of the NPPA since 1994(?) but I feel I must contact you. I was a member of the organization for over 15 years. I shot the photograph of the World Trade Center burning that people are saying or implying was digitally manipulated to include the face of the devil.
>As the photographer at the forefront of a controversy, I find it amazing that NO ONE has bothered to talk to me about this image and give me the opportunity to defend my reputation. I would never "doctor" an image. The "face of the devil" occurred.
>I sold this image to the AP for one time use prior to knowing it contained anything beside the twin towers burning. I transmitted this photo only minutes after it was shot.
>As a photographer for three newspapers, The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse, I am amazed that anyone could call my reputation into question. I was inundated with email through my company website, http://www.stellarimages.com, to the point where I had to put up an open letter bringing everyone back to the fact that it is a photograph, not a religious or moral statement. Everyone has to look at this photograph and decide on their own what it shows.
>Vin Alabiso still has not returned my calls. He is making statements when he never talked to me. I stand by my reputation of 25 years. I am no longer in the "news" business, starting an Internet company in 1994, but everyone I have worked with in the news industry knows the high standards I maintain.
>I invite you to read my open letter on http://www.stellarimages.com or http://www.markdphillips.com and would hope that you could contact me to discuss this. It has left a very bad taste in my mouth.
>Sincerely,
>Mark D. Phillips
>President, StellarImages
>718-858-8980 (work)
>718-522-1341 (home - here now)
September 11 email cc
September 11 email date
Tue, 18 Sep 01 21:48:57 -0000
September 11 email from
clydem <clydem@cybermesa.com>
September 11 email subject
Re: devil photo controversy/I am photographer
September 11 email to
"Mark D. Phillips" <mphillips@stellarimages.com> Mime-Version: 1.0
Source
born-digital
Media Type
email
Created by Author
yes
Described by Author
no
Date Entered
2001-09-18
Collection
Citation
“Re: devil photo controversy/I am photographer,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed October 27, 2026, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/3016/.