 by Skip Cohen It's hard to believe it's been over sixteen years since I started blogging. It's Throwback Thursday, and it's fun to go back to one of my earlier posts, especially when it's a post about somebody EVERY photographer should know about. Last week, I mentioned Mary Ellen Mark in one of my posts. Digging around my archives, I came across the video interview with Mary Ellen Mark from Profoto's Icon Series many years ago. It's a video EVERY photographer should be required to watch. I met Mary Ellen in 1987, back in my Hasselblad days, and even had the honor of presenting her with "Photographer of the Year" at a PMDA dinner in the 90s. Sadly, she passed away ten years ago, but her spirit, love for imaging, and influence are still very much alive. In a podcast I did with her around 2010, I asked her to explain why she has students shut off their LCD screens during her workshops. She talks about this in the video below: When we look at the screen and think we've got the shot, we let go of the scene, when in reality, there might still be more to happen. How do we know we captured the decisive moment if we've accepted what we already have? For example, many wedding photographers might see a scene: Grandma giving her granddaughter, the bride, a kiss on the cheek. The photographer sees the shot, clicks the shutter, might do a quick "chimp," and then moves on. But the best image might still be coming, and the tear rolling down Grandma's cheek was missed. But had the artist stayed focused on the scene for just a few more seconds, the photograph would have been incredible! Mary Ellen's website is just a click away, and it's loaded with some of the most outstanding documentary images in photography. She was remarkable and such an amazing influence on artists worldwide, with a passion for the craft that was unmatched! Knowing that many of you never met Mary Ellen or might not know her work, a CBS archive from YouTube featured her photographs and is below. It's well worth the time...so grab a cup of coffee and kick back for a few minutes! Happy Throwback Thursday!
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