Mary Ellen Mark: On the Portrait and the Moment

(Paperback)

Available Formats

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

In the fourth installment of The Photography Workshop Series, Mary Ellen Mark (1940-2015)well known for the emotional power of her pictures, be they of people or animalsoffers her insight on observing the world and capturing dramatic moments that reveal more than the reality at hand.

Aperture Foundation works with the worlds top photographers to distill their creative approaches to, teachings on, and insights into photographyoffering the workshop experience in a book. Our goal is to inspire photographers at all levels who wish to improve their work, as well as readers interested in deepening their understanding of the art of photography. Through words and pictures, in this volume Mark shares her own creative process and discusses a wide range of issues, from gaining the trust of the subject and taking pictures that are controlled but unforced, to organizing the frame so that every part contributes toward telling the story.

Reviews

As a reading experience, the books feel more like monographs with expansive captions than generic how-to guides. Eye Magazine Offers readers a behind-the-scenes look at some of her iconic photographs, along with sage advice on making powerful, storytelling portraits. New York Journal of Books The wealth of experience and wisdommore than 50 years worthdistilled into these pages makes this book a worthwhile addition to any photographers library. New York Journal of Books It is Marks blend of frank reminiscence and honest advice paired with her photos selected from over 50 years of photographing that makes this book an invaluable resource for anyone interested in Marks work and technique. PDN

Author Bio

Renowned photographer Mary Ellen Marks (born in Philadelphia, 1940; died in New York, 2015) numerous honors and awards included a Fulbright Scholarship, Guggenheim Fellowship, Cornell Capa Award, and the 2014 Lifetime Achievement in Photography Award from George Eastman House. During her lifetime, her photo essays and portraits were exhibited worldwide and appeared in numerous publications, including Life, the New York Times Magazine, and the New Yorker. Her photo essay on runaway children in Seattle became the basis of the Academy Awardnominated film Streetwise, directed and photographed by her husband Martin Bell, and was published in book form in 1988. Mark published twenty-one books, including American Odyssey (Aperture, 1999), Twins (Aperture, 2003), Exposure (2005), Seen Behind the Scene (2009), Prom (2012), and Tiny: Streetwise Revisited (Aperture, 2015). In addition to producing her own work, Mark taught photography workshops for nearly thirty years; her thoughts on teaching are captured in one of her final titles, Mary Ellen Mark on the Portrait and the Moment (Apertures Photography Workshop Series, 2015).