Video Essay: Mary Ellen Mark

Synopsis:

I decided to look into the photography of Mary Ellen Mark, who is renowned for capturing the lives of those who are marginalized in society. She is well known for her Streetwise series from 1983, and her photographs frequently highlight young people who are homeless. I examined five images that follow the daily struggles of young people in Seattle. These pictures document intimate moments of adversity, struggle, and friendship. I classified each image into descriptive, explanatory, ethically evaluative, interpretative, and aesthetically evaluative categories using Chapter 4 of Criticizing Photography. Each picture conveys a distinct aspect of the narrative, and taken as a whole, they demonstrate the potency of photography in depicting reality. 

New Reality:

Looking at Mary Ellen Mark’s work helped me see photography in a new way. I used to focus more on photos that looked aesthetic or were well-lit, but her work made me realize how important content and meaning are. Her photos are emotional and deep as well as sometimes hard to look at, but they stay with you. They made me think about how photography can show real stories that need to be told. I now realize that a photograph has the power to raise consciousness and evoke a sense of reality in addition to being a simple image.

My comment on Angel's post

Link to page: https://angelw86.wixsite.com/capture-photography