Photophile: Mary Ellen Mark

The perfect primer on American photographer Mary Ellen Mark, best known for her photojournalism, documentary photography, portraiture and advertising photography.

The work of Mary Ellen Mark (1940–2015) bears witness to her fascination with the human condition and her gift for connecting intimately with her subjects. Skilled at blending into unusual or insular environments, she travelled all over the world and forged a body of work that combined photojournalism with portraiture. From Indian circus performers to American teenagers living on the streets, from Hollywood film sets to inmates in a secure hospital, her photographs are striking for their humanity and empathy.