According to Joel Meyerowitz, watching Robert Frank at work in 1962 inspired him to become a photographer. 'There was this guy moving constantly as he was shooting movement. I walked out of there and I literally saw the world differently. Everywhere I looked, there was movement and there was colour.' Photograph: Joel Meyerowitz/Phaidon
'The world was in colour. It was just obvious to me. I had no idea people were snobbish about colour. To me, black and white just seemed historical.' Photograph: Joel Meyerowitz/Phaidon
Meyerowitz says his work has included 'some brilliant mistakes and amazing accidents' and moments when he experienced what he calls 'the gasp reflex' Photograph: Joel Meyerowitz/Phaidon
Meyerowitz was the only photographer allowed into Ground Zero immediately after the 9/11 attacks. He started photographing there on 23 September, when the heat from under the ground melted the soles of his boots. 'I photographed everything 14 hours a day: the demolition crews, the construction crews, the first-aid crews, the debris removal crews, the intelligence squad, even the security guys who initially tried to keep me off the site.' Photograph: Joel Meyerowitz/Phaidon
