final for History of Photojournalism

1. Friday,April
23,2020
History of
Photojournalism
ProjectbyStephanieGiusti
Photojournalist Profile
Mary Ellen Mark
Mary Ellen Mark was a leading female
photojournalist who captured powerful visuals of
many stories. In 1962, Mark had graduated from the
University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor’s degree
in Painting and Art History. Guiding her education
further, Mark pursued a master’s degree in
Photojournalism in the year 1964. Throughout her
career, she has obtained several, well-deserved
awards and honors.
Mary Ellen Mark. Photo by Chris Felver
Seattle runaways “Rat” and Mike. Photo by Mary
Ellen Mark.
A resentful patient from Oregon State Hospital. Photo by Mary Ellen Mark.
Two young cousins in the pool. Photo by Mary Ellen Mark. Mother Teresa. Photo by Mary Ellen Mark.
A Past Interview with Mary Ellen Mark:
Interviewer: “Who have you worked for? How did your images gain popularity?”
Mark: “I have worked for many; I have had my work published in magazines and news articles
such as LIFE, New York Times, Rolling Stone, and Vanity Fair. I have also published many books
and worked on film sets in my time. Alongside my work I have shot advertisements for several
major brands. I believe my many endeavors have given my work notice. I’ve captured many stories
and give the unnoticed an outlet.”
Interviewer: “How long have you been capturing? What was it like to be a photojournalist during
that time?”
Mark: “At the age of nine I picked up a box Brownie camera. I started my career in the 1960’s
after my master’s degree and have continued since. I have noticed recently that magazines are not
possessing as much documentary photography as they were in the prime of my career, so for that I
am thankful I was able to pick up more work. I once said while talking at the Smithsonian, I feel
lucky in a way because I had the best of it. You have to fight for what you believe in if you want to
do anything worthwhile.” I think that also shows the change of photojournalism and media.”
Interviewer: “What motivated you to become a photojournalist?”
Mark: “My husband says I am very good at seeing the ordinary and capturing their story. I would
say I am motivated to bring attention to the invisible. I like to give affection to reality; I am
propelled by the matter of a photo. I was heavily inspired by photojournalists Henri Cartier-
Bresson, Robert Frank, and Dorothea Lange.”
Interviewer: “What equipment do you use? How has it affected the way you photograph?”
Mark: “I use multiple types of cameras. My most used are the Leica M6 TTL and the Canon EOS-
IN. Sometimes I use Hasselblad and the Mamiya 7. I like to switch my cameras and lenses around
to get the right shot, I think the variety has led me to get the same style images with little but unique
qualities. I mostly work with black and white film, with the occasional color film, I think using black
and white film has enhanced the way I see a subject and story. I also use different cameras and
films depending on the setting of my shoot.”
Interviewer: “Have you encountered any ethical dilemmas?”
Mark: “I would say I have encountered very little. I was very “safe” with my work, you could say. I
always preferred black and white shots; I was distant to any enhancements to my photographs. One
photo of mine however, raised uneasiness. The photo was titled Amanda and her Cousin Amy.
Pictured was Amy at 9 years old smoking a cigarette, with her appearance portrayed as an adult.
Amy was a troubled kid, and I have heard that she hoped my photograph would rescue her out of
the situation.”
Interviewer: “Have you noticed any biases you may have had throughout your career?”
Mark: “It is known I like to capture the ordinary. Though, the truth of some of my photos were
bleak, or daunting. My photos would not necessarily be considered “newsworthy”. My photographs
morally depict the ordinary, and the tragedies they face. That was who and what I liked to capture,
I never looked to the basic media photography.”
Interviewer: “How do you think your images have influenced society?”
Mark: “My style of photographs was to show the diversity of humanism. I think a lot of my work
has been an influence on documentary photography. I think my work has also brought awareness
to the unknown lives of my subjects.”

2. Photojournalistic Principles of Mary Ellen Mark’s Showcased Photographs:
T
hepatientinthephotoatOregonStateH
ospitaldoesnotsee
mtobeposingforMark,moreasMarkcaughtthephotographata
perfecttime.Thepatientisnowherenearrelaxed,understandablyso.However,thepatient’sbodylanguageofsla
m
mingherfistonthe
tabledoesmatchherfacialexpressionofanger.Markwasatalentedphotojournalistintheabilitytocapturetherealnessofhersubjects.
AlotofMark’sphotographshadafairlysimpleco
mp
osition,howeverherphotosareja
mpackedwithco
m
plexstoriesandlittledetails
thatcreateascene.Markhadthechoiceofusingblackandwhiteorcoloredfilm
.Itisveryraretoseeherphotographsincolor,bringing
m
oremeaningandinfluenceonthestoriesandsubjectsshecaptures.Mark’sphotoswillreallygrowonyouandleaveastrikingfeeling.
Interviewer: “How have you been viewed by different people, and in what ways?”
Mark: “I made sure to maintain relationships with my subjects. I remember there was a time I was
capturing Mother Teresa. She made me sit under the stairs to learn the feeling of humiliation. I
tried for nearly a decade to capture prostitutes in brothels of Mumbai, it took plenty of effort to get
the trust of the prostitutes. Eventually, I gained enough of their trust that they hid me under a bed
during a police raid. I have friends who describe me as a supreme humanist. This may stray from
your question, but a chimpanzee in India had bit my hand one time, I don’t think he was a big fan
of mine.”
Interviewer: “How do you think your career and photos relate to the psychology branch?”
Mark: “I think a lot of my subjects and their stories can relate to the many aspects of psychology.
One of my favorite projects was when I photographed the women’s ward at Oregon State Hospital.
I lived there for two months and captured the illness of women that people do not typically see.
The images were published in Ward 81. I also captured the struggles of my subjects from
homelessness to runaways, to prostitution. Building the connections and relationships to my
subjects also provides both of us with an outlet. It has been proven that relationships affect mental
and physical health.”
Sources
Relating to Photojournalist Profile: Mary Ellen
Mark
https://www.maryellenmark.com/bio_resume/bio
_resume.html
https://www.npr.org
https://www.maryellenmark.com
https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-
mary-ellen-mark-20150528-story.html
https://www.npr.org/2015/06/27/417782675/what
-happened-to-the-9-year-old-smoking-in-mary-
ellen-marks-photo
https://www.maryellenmark.com/text/magazines/n
ew%20york%20times/917M-000-011.html
http://www.artnet.com/artists/mary-ellen-
mark/biography
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mary-
Ellen-Mark