A look at the life and work of iconic documentary photographer Mary Ellen Mark, who sadly passed away last week.

Many of you might already be aware that Mary Ellen Mark, iconic American photographer known for her photojournalism and portraiture work sadly passed away last week. She was 75.  Mark loved to photograph people who were “away from mainstream society and toward its more interesting, often troubled fringes”.

In honour of her work we wanted to feature an interview Mark Seliger had with Mark a few years back. In fact, supermodel Helena Christensen, also an exceptional photographer and a student of Mark also joined the conversation.  They discuss their work, travels and inspirations. From Johnny Depp to the circus performers of India. The villages of Peru to the celebrities of Hollywood, Christensen and Mark talk about the challenges of finding the essence of their subjects and the thrill of taking a beautiful photograph.

“Mark had 18 collections of her work published, most notably Streetwise and Ward 81. Her work was exhibited at galleries and museums worldwide and widely published in LifeRolling StoneThe New YorkerNew York Times, and Vanity Fair. She was a member of Magnum Photos between 1977 and 1981. She received numerous accolades, including three Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Awards, three fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the 2014 Lifetime Achievement in Photography Award from the George Eastman House and the Outstanding Contribution Photography Award from the World Photography Organisation.” [Wikipedia]

Ted Forbes from The Art of Photography tells us more about Mary Ellen’s life and her exceptional body of work.

Profoto Presents Iconic Mary Ellen Mark.