The photography world lost an invaluable and legendary contributor yesterday. Mary Ellen Mark passed in Manhattan at the age of 75. Mark, who shot predominately in black and white, was responsible for countless iconic images from homeless youth in Seattle to circus performers, or prostitutes in Mumbai to mental patients. Whatever the chosen subject may have been which were often social issues, Mark had no difficulty producing resonating and arresting imagery. A well-known attribute to Mark’s approach wasestablishing strong and lasting relationships with her subjects and it shows in her photos. Her work spanned over 40 years with 18 collections of her work published. She had been awarded countless grants, fellowships and awards through her career. In her own words simply put, “Photograph the world as it is. Nothing's more interesting than reality.”
