Mary Ellen Mark
Mary Ellen Mark (1940-2015) was a renowned American photographer known for her powerful and emotive documentary work. She is hands down my favourite photographer, and although I never had the fortune to meet her or attend her workshops, she has been very influential to my practice.
She’s recognised for her ability to photograph raw and authentic moments in the lives of marginalised and vulnerable individuals and communities. Here is a brief outline of her documentary work:
1. Streetwise (1984): This was Mary Ellen Mark's most well-known documentary work. It was a photo essay that chronicled the lives of homeless teenagers in Seattle. The project began in 1983 when Mark was commissioned by Life magazine to cover the issue of youth homelessness. She spent several months with the young people on the streets, gaining their trust and documenting their daily lives. The project resulted in a book, a documentary film, and an exhibition.
2. Ward 81 (1979): This was a photo essay that documented life inside a women's maximum-security mental institution in Oregon. The project was commissioned by The Pennsylvania Gazette, and Mark spent several months photographing the patients and staff. The images captured the despair, vulnerability, and humanity of the women confined in the institution.
3. Indian Circus (1993): This work documented the lives of Indian circus performers. Mark traveled across India for several months, photographing the performers both on and off stage. Her images captured the beauty, skill, and hardship of the performers' lives.
4. Falkland Road (1981): This photo essay documented the lives of prostitutes on Falkland Road, a red-light district in Mumbai, India. Mark spent several months living with the women and gaining their trust. The project resulted in a book, which was banned in India for several years.
5. Prom (2002): This project documented high school proms across the United States. Mark traveled to several cities and captured the excitement, anxiety, and drama of the prom experience. The images showed how the prom is a significant rite of passage for American teenagers.
6. Twins (2003): This project documented the lives of twins across the United States. Mark photographed identical and fraternal twins of all ages, races, and backgrounds. The images captured the closeness and bond between twins and showed how they navigate their similarities and differences.
In addition she worked on a broad range of commissions including documenting behind the scenes on film sets. Here she made iconic photographs including Fellini, Dennis Hopper and Marlon Brando.
Mary Ellen Mark's documentary work is characterised by her empathy, sensitivity, and commitment to social justice. Her images are powerful and moving, and they’ve had a significant impact on the field of documentary photography and on me.
Quotes
“Some people shoot black and white in colour and some people really shoot colour” - Smithsonian Lecture
“Photograph the world as it is. Nothing's more interesting than reality”
“I'm interested in people who haven't had all the lucky breaks in life -people who are handicapped emotionally, physically or financially. Much of life is luck. No one can choose whether he's born into a wealthy, privileged home or born into extreme poverty. I guess I'm interested in people who haven't had as much of a chance because they reach out more, they need more. They touch me. I do a lot of other work to support myself, but those kinds of projects are the reasons I became a photographer.” — Source
Influences
Technical
“I use all different kinds of cameras. Canons, Leicas and 645 cameras. I have both the Mamiya and Hasselblad and I love the Hasselblad Square. I also have a Mamiya 7, which is like a big Leica. It’s a wonderful camera, really wonderful.” — Source
She sometimes used a Mamiya RZ67 in the studio.
In the book ‘The Photojournalist, Mary Ellen Mark & Annie Leibovitz’, Mark says she shoots Kodak Tri-X at 400, processed for a one-half stop push.
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