I've always been interested in photographing traditions and customs - especially in America. The prom is an American tradition, a rite of passage that has always been one of the most important rituals of American youth. It is a day… — Mary Ellen Mark Copy Share Image
I think the prom is very serious also. It's an American ritual, it's a rite of passage, and it's very much a part of this country. — Mary Ellen Mark Copy Share Image
That's the way I learned photography: You make your picture in the camera. Now, so much is made in the computer. ... I'm not… — Mary Ellen Mark Copy Share Image
I'm a documentary photographer. That's what I've always wanted to be; that's where my heart and soul is. — Mary Ellen Mark Copy Share Image
I wanted to travel from the beginning. As a kid, I used to dream about airplanes, before I ever flew in one. — Mary Ellen Mark Copy Share Image
A great photograph needs no explanation; it functions by suggestion. There is no need to be explicit. — Mary Ellen Mark Copy Share Image
Usually my ideas for work have revolved around my interest in people, especially people that live on the edges of society. — Mary Ellen Mark Copy Share Image
One of my all-time favorite photographers is Irving Penn. I wish I could have watched him work. — Mary Ellen Mark Copy Share Image
Nowadays shots are created in post-production, on computers. It's not really photography. — Mary Ellen Mark Copy Share Image
To touch on people's lives [ in a way they ] haven't been touched on before, it´s fascianting. You know, it's one thing if… — Mary Ellen Mark Copy Share Image
What you look for in a picture is a metaphor, something that means something more, that makes you think about things you've seen or… — Mary Ellen Mark Copy Share Image
It's just a matter of who you are and how you talk to people. Your subjects will trust you only if you're confident about what you're doing. It really bothers me when photographers first approach a subject without a camera, try to establish a personal relationship, and only then get out their cameras. It's deceptive. I think you should just… — Mary Ellen Mark Copy Share
If I hadn't become a photographer, I would have loved to become a doctor. I would have loved to have done something that actually… — Mary Ellen Mark Copy Share Image
![“To touch on people's lives [ in a way they ] haven't been touched on before, it´s fascianting. You know, it's one thing if [ a celebrity ] has an incredible character and you're really going to be able to delve into their personality – that's great. But you can never get real purity if people have…” quote by Mary Ellen Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/968/mary-ellen-mark-8293_able_to-touch-on-people-s-lives-in-a-way-they_232377.jpg)
